What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XI)

Streaming | Bandcamp

(2012)

Trying out some more dark ambient, it is (I think) the first part of a series very much in the cinematic soundscape sci-fi mould and very atmospheric.

https://cryochamber.bandcamp.com/album/2145

Good to know. I was going to buy this box. TYVM for your impressions.

Bjorn Riss, Lullabys in  car carsh. It is late and I felt the need to hear this. I love it.

Vermeer Quartett: Schubert String Quartet No.12 & 14  1983 Release

Frozen solid. There's something mechanical about their playing. Yet I find the musical organisation rather messy.

Typical stark DMM digital recording. Player’s breathing can be heard throughout but they do not add  any musical value.

Steve,

I wonder if (suspect) you've got a vinyl copy of "This Note's For You". Great lounge sound on that LP. The sub-bass on my copy makes me wonder how the needle stays in the groove. I realize you might be streaming, but has this new release got that same sound quality?

Gabrieli Quartett: Schubert String Quartet No.12 & 15  1975 Recording

Colourful and animated high energy set with an excellent tension management to keep the tune going without going flat. Overall it has a flowy and delicate disposition. The higher register violin gets too thin but the music flow with a gentle push pull motion. Very nice.

This reissue London STS sounds much more natural and open.

Streaming | WAV

(2003)

A superb electronica album.

Streaming | Bandcamp

(2012)

'The follow up to the album 2145 takes us to the second year after our protagonist awakens from deep hibernation sleep to a world in ruins. Seeking signs of life he encounters the illuminated cities still powered by 
automated energy and its robotic inhabitants moving with pointless tasks void of meaning. Simon Heath takes us to a cold place of nuclear winters and lost hope in this genre bending release.' ~ Bandcamp

This is a beautiful album, I bought it a while ago and completely forgotton about it!

Solveig Slettahjell, Antologie

This one is less good as Heritics album, still somehow enjoyable....

While the earlier one was played while doing a workout. This is now a quiet Sunday morning, and nice music for such an event with a newspaper....

This is particularly sad, because the song is about the dead sang by a singer who has also passed away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCbikzGHkMU

Janaki String Trio: Debut (45 rpm Vinyl)

Mastering Engineers:  Steve Hoffman & Bob Attiyeh

Krzysztof Penderecki:  String Trio (Movement 1, 2)

Jason Barabba:  String Trio

Late 20th century music reminiscent of some Bela Bartok.  I see on the CD version of this that the Beethoven C-minor trio was part of the concert and how I wish they would have at least made a double LP to include that.  Musically I am more centred around and comfortable with Baroque | Classical | Romantic | Early 20th century but I have to admit that with playing like this these three had me engaged.  It was like I was overhearing a conversation between these three - and I should add it all made such sense.

Sonically, this record is marvellous.  A reference LP for me.

...on SACD, listening in subtle 5.1 surround sound. I'm ever-more drawn to well mastered surround sound recordings these days.

Johann Sebastian Bach:  Glenn Gould (organ) Vinyl LP

The Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080  (Fugues 1-9)   

Everything sounds better on vinyl including this.  Gould is not my go to guy always for Bach but somehow I wish he would have recorded more of the organ music.  It instantly removes this artificial layer he (and most everyone in this group) has with the sound of an instrument and a stuffy view of music.  He had certain periods where he just bastardizes the piano, modifying and playing it in such a way as to make it sound not like a piano but a harpsichord.  This is utter nonsense in my view and it really becomes a challenge to listen to and enjoy.

This record is nice in that regard since I can simply concentrate on the music.

Not sure why they put a picture of Gould playing a funny sounding piano on the cover of this?  I have corrected it below giving a suggestion and as well the picture of Bach is on the back of this album.

Dear Doug,

If I had said what you have [high-lighted in red] then I would have been pilloried. I hope that it will not embarrass you for me to say that I agree with you and also that Gould is not my "go to artist" for Bach keyboard works. I am not sure that Gould makes a piano sound like a harpsichord, but I think he was trying to do something of the sort. 

As you know I rather like the harpsichord, but not everyone else does! I am fond of Edwin Fischer’s way of playing Bach on the piano. I expect you are well acquainted with Fischer’s performances, and may understand what I love about them.

Best wishes from George

Ludwig van Beethoven:  Wilhelm Furtwängler (conductor), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano), Elsa Cavelti (alto), Ernst Haefliger (tenor), Otto Edelmann (bass), Lucerne Festival Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra

Symphony No. 9 in D-minor, Op. 125 

Simply fabulous in my opinion. The finale leaves the hair on my neck stand straight.  It seems in the last half century or so that Karajan and Bernstein were the most marketable judging by the number of recordings.  In addition to these, you can mention Fricsay, Kubelik, Cluytens, Celibidache, Klemperer and 100 others.  All marvellous and at the top of their game, however, for me the mighty Wilhelm Furtwängler has a special edge from the old world and holds a special position.  Not better than the others and certainly not worse, just that he was a very powerful communicator in what I hear.

The fourth movement is wonderful.  The clarity and passion of the vocalists and chorus is unheard of today.  Reminds me of the style similar to what I hear in other recordings from the 50's and the choral music of Bach with the likes of Münchinger or Richter.  It is clearly from a different time.

This was the 103rd performance of the 9th for Furtwängler.  Maybe not his best but marvellous nonetheless.  Recorded on August 22, 1954 he died on November 30th of this same year.

Johann Sebastion Bach:  Glenn Gould (piano)

Goldberg Variations (Aria and 30 Variations), BWV 988

Furtwängler ended with Beethoven's 9th and it just so happens that Gould's last recording was the Goldberg Variations - the bookend to his 1955 Goldberg.  Of the two, I prefer this 1982 version, his last.

I would suggest that no matter your preference for things musical (harpsichord vs. piano, Gould vs. ???, Bach vs. anything else, this interpretation vs. that interpretation, vinyl vs anything else (of course nothing matches the vinyl - just kidding) etc.) that essentially if you love the keyboard music of Bach you will have to have this or the 1955 Gould recording alongside with your stock favourite.

It is that individual'ness' of the great composers and all interpreters that I find the key to finding treasure.  They speak in there own voice and are true to themselves.  In this, I can understand how Gould may be very polarizing to some but at the same time I also see how these two recordings alone changed the world.  They certainly stand the test of time and will remain a difficult benchmark to rise above.  

Kuma:  For me anyway (as you might have noticed) I love this record.  Vinyl seems near perfect to me. This is the Razor & Tie distributed record.  I paid double the price of the regular version.  For the pleasure this music gives me I'll not complain.  Now, I would like to buy the regular Sony distribution album for half price.  If it is exactly the same then I'll cry a little.  In the end though, I can see a need for having multiple copies as I'm sure I'll wear this out.

Now, I only can't wait to see what our Mr. Alexander Tharaud will do with these Goldberg's and whether the vinyl will be as glorious?

Dear George,

I don't think you would have been pilloried!  I certainly was not trying to be controversial to begin with although in hindsight this could easily be viewed as such.  I don't listen to Gould regularly (although this last Goldberg has taken me in but haven't listened to much for many years.)  I believe years ago I heard something that turned me off (whether a poor recording or a DVD?).  The piano sound just turned me off as it sounded like a bad toy piano.  Gould was not alone in these types of ventures and experiments.  I hope it was clear that this is simply my opinion and did not want to offend anyone.  One of my quirks is that I simply believe sound and music are connected.  If I don't like the music it doesn't matter how good it sounds and the same is true in the other direction.  By sound quality I only mean that I compare it to how it should sound naturally in the best circumstances.  If I would not play the piano I wouldn't really have an opinion on this in the end, I suppose.  

I am very humbled for you to actually agree (may be a first ;-) ) on this as in reality I very much always respect your views and knowledge of all things musical.  I am coming around on the harpsichord.  It has taken many years of evolution and rethinking and now it is undeniable correct what you have always said about these things.  For this I have to thank you.

Best Regards,

Doug

Streaming | WAV

(1983)

Some lovely early Marillion, this was their first. 

Absolutely beautiful