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

Cheers,

EJ

EJ

I think it might be this one with the Live Performances

Aleg 

Nice Sunday morning music. A most underrated artist IMO.

Graham

Before switching to his Beethoven piano sonatas disc on Audiofon.

1971. Prog Space Rock. 1st issue with Space log insert. On vinyl of course.

L'Heure espagnole, comédie musicale en 1 acte / Geori Boué, Jean Planel, Louis Arnoult, Roger Bourdin, Charles-Paul - Orchestre National de France, dir. Manuel Rosenthal (Enr. 1944)


Détails de l'enregistrement original :44:56 - ADD - Enregistré en concert le 28 décembre 1944 au Théâtre des Champs-Elysées de Paris, sur film Philips Miller (transcription 20 bits) - Notes en français et anglais

On vinyl:-

Prince - Batman

On CD:-

Letting Walcha and Alain and the other big name staples of the Organ world to take a well deserved day off while giving rotation for a while to Gerhard Weinberger here and will also slip in Werner Jacob a little later and time permitting Simon Preston.

I believe until last year Weinberger was Professor of Organ and Director of the Church Music Department at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, Germany.  I like these recordings very much along with Weinberger's obvious devotion to the music of Bach.  What I find so valuable about these recordings is Weinberger's scholarly and informed knowledge and understanding of this genre, both in the playing and in his writing.  You get a very carefully detailed package and if you are in to these sorts of things it makes for a nice overall experience.

This morning I focused on Disc Nos. 1 & 2 already.  Disc one used the large Gottfried Silbermann Organ at Dom St. Marien Freiberg (built from 1711-14 with major cleaning/repair done in 1738.)  A major restoration was undertaken from 1981 to 1983 to restore it to its 1738 specification.  Disc two is a recording of the Gottfried Silbermann Organ of St. Petri Freiberg (1734 to 1735).  This organ went through a lot over the years but luckily still exists.  All the organs originate in the Thuringia and Saxony areas which of course were virtually ground zero for Baroque organ settings.

Most of the discs are presented in a way Bach himself may have played when he sat down at an organ.  From Weinberger's notes, he quotes J. H. Forkel (an important Bach biographer) who states:

"When J.S. Bach sat down at the organ outside religious services, then he began with a prelude and a fugue with full organ.  Then his art of registering for a trio, a quartet, etc. became apparent...Moreover, a chorale ensued...Finally, the conclusion was formed by a fugue with the full organ."

After a weekend of Bruckner and Wagner, some lighter fare: one of Rossini's early comedies. This performance, recorded after a theatrical run, is very good. If I'm super critical, both Raimondi and Baltsa aren't the last word on agility (compared to their selves on earlier Rossini recordings, let alone specialists like Bartoli). But both sing with color, authority and great beauty of voice, and the rest of the cast is superb. Claudio Abbado was never better than in Verdi and Rossini.

EJ

Earlier, Class Actress - Rapprocher.  Now, Fiona Apple:

The Decemberists followed by The Temper Trap.  The latter is a very good follow up to "Conditions."  Recommended.  The Decemberists EP includes a very good cover of the Grateful Dead's 'Row Jimmy.' 

Very sensitive - excellent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMT1GK80_TQ

Perfect Argentine and Italian flavors for a Sunday afternoon.

playing disc 12 of 17 cd box-set...

Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)

Keyboard Sonatas

Antonio Soler (1729-1783)

Keyboard Sonata in D major

Giovanni Battista Pescetti (c1704-1766)

Keyboard Sonata in c minor

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Variations in f minor Hob XVII: 6

Mozart

12 variations in C major on "Ah, vous dirai-je Maman" K.265

Piano Sonata in F major K.280

Plain Recordings [2010 reissue] 180g LP : )

Hope Sandoval - vocals, harmonica, & percussion

David Roback - guitars, keyboards, & other instruments

William Cooper - strings

Keith Mitchell - drums

Jell Emery - bass

William Reid - additional guitar

Recorded/release 1996

Cheers

Flettster

Piano Concerto no1

Cheers

Flettster

This is lovely. An excellent recording and a change from the usual country songs. 

A popular 'Chaconne':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sFa9c1Erv8

Outstanding sound quality.