What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol. XII)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 01 January 2016
2016 has arrived today, so time to start this thread afresh.
Last year's thread (and links to previous years) can be found here;
Inspired by the Beethoven violin concerto thread, one of the most enjoyable recent recordings of this work. The Korngold is well performed but the work is hard to love.
EJ
Suede, Night Thoughts via Tidal. Saw this pop up on the new albums tab, so thought I'd give it a go. Not bad, worth another listen.
CD 4 : Sonatas Opera I M.S. 9, Sonatas Opera II M.S. 10, Sonatas Opera IV M.S. 11.
Beautiful and relaxing.
Johnny Cougar. The Chestnut Street Incident. On original vinyl from 1976. Johnny's debut album. My first listen. He covers The Doors, Elvis, The Lovin' Spoonful, and Roy Orbison. His six original songs are decent.
George Harrison. Gone Troppo. On vinyl from 1982. First listen. Fun to open a still sealed 33+ year-old LP. Fortunately all was good inside and the record is flat.
Lovely ambient, atmospheric stuff. 'Emancipator' is essentially Doug Appling from Portland, Oregon, but I had to order via Jakarta Records in Germany to get the CD-R. It's easy to access as a download.
'The Way' I knew as 'The Way I Feel' by Fotheringay - being originally a lovely Gordon Lightfoot song.
A nice, lively, transparent and dynamic indie recording/mastering job (produced by Doug Appling on Loci Records) with some delightful sub-bass content. As we all know by now; it takes a major label to properly screw-up a recording.
John.
Gidon Kremer/Marriner: Beethoven Violin Concerto in D 1980 recording
Another fine-lined and sensitive fiddle. Articulate and cleanly executed if a bit cool emotionally. Kremer also has a slight whistling quality like Kovacs, Szeryng et all. What's interesting about this set is Schnittke's cadenza instead of usual Kreisler. Abrupt and angular modern sound with lots of pizzicato accents. A times makes me wonder if he’s taking the piss ( even with the Brahms VC riffs thrown in ). It brings back the timpani strikes towards the end like the piano version before returning to the sweet main theme. Marriner's orchestration is rich and opulent but keeping the rhythmic pulse along maintaining lively forward momentum. Transluscent and ellegant. Andante is missing warmth and reserved but the orchestration provides the retrospective calmness. The final movement showcaes Kremer's laser precision and articulation reminding me of Sviatoslav Richter. This is a set that I admire but emotionally not approachable.
Usual Phillips impeccable recording/mastering is appreciated.
A dead quiet noise floor and excellent dynamics for digital recording. Tone of violin and massed strings do not get thin and has a nice weight and warmth through the midrange.
Josef Suk/Konwitschny/Prague Symphony: Beethoven Violin Concerto 1962 recording
A new violin player I have *heard of * but never heard his work before.
Whistling thin violin sound. He has no solid presnse even for cadenza. Konwitschny's orchestration is on a fluid and legato side rather than solid and chunky. NO star power and I am losing interest already before the 1st movement cadenza is over. Largetto is missing expansiveness. Again, the tone of violin too thin and wiry to make the movement close and dear. Violin comes off all nervous and jittery. Melody line isn’t gliding enough nor transparent enough. Rondo is not lively and rhythmically stilted. I just don't think he's cut out for Beethoven.
Nirvana. From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah. On CD from 1996. Hey, I've done some work at the mouth of the mighty Wishkah! Glad my son rips his CDs and then files them on my shelf for me to enjoy 
Isabelle Faust/Jiří Bělohlávek/Prague Philharmonia: Beethoven Violin Concerto 2006 Recording
Faust made another recording of the Beethoven VC with Abbado in 2012, but this is an earlier set with Belohlavek who did an excellent job with Lewis' Beethoven Piano Concerto Cycles.
Like Suk, Faust’s violin tone is thin and not much weight and warmth. Better transparency and corner handling without dryness but she also lacks a bit of presence and power. Bělohlávek’s orchestra handling is excellent. Gutsy and rhythmic. Firm and strong yet never overpower keeping a pacy pulse at all time. Great dynamic contrasts to give just the right amount of excitement and interest along the way. Faust’s technical prowess is impressive and she also adds a subtle flavours to give the music more personality. *Timpani* cadenza is working better than Baremboim’s awkward piano version.
Sensitive playing in Largehto ableit she can sound a bit fussy at times. But urgent orchestra breaks up her weepy bits so the violin snaps out of melancholy and ready for the final dance. This is a fun and playful rending of a familar score and gives a new outlook. A lot less serious and voilin and orchestra having a good time. Her 3rd movement cadenza also is full of action packed with excitement even with her delicate tonal shading and fine lined whistling technique.
Original vinyl
Vinyl...
Streaming | WAV
(1975)
Just spent a very pleasant morning listening to this forty track double album cruise through some of the stones finest. A very comprehensive compilation of hits.
"Rolled Gold, spans their transition from chart heroes to album kings, and from Decca to Atlantic (and their own label). recent revisionism bumps up the psychedelic whimsy from Their Satanic Majesties album on this re-release, but then gets stuck into the really dirty stuff. From Beggars Banquet ("Sympathy For The Devil") to Sticky Fingers (the oh-so-politically-incorrect Brown Sugar) the second half of this set is a perfect lesson in how to grow up disgracefully in public and still make awesome sleazy blues rock while you're at it." - Chris Jones The BBC
Streaming | WAV | Download from Qobuz
(2013)
I really should play this more often, excellent debut from LG and what a great voice Hannah Reid has.