What are you listening to and WHY might anyone be interested? (Vol.VIII)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 29 December 2011
With 2012 almost upon us, it's time to start a fresh thread. I've gone back to an earlier thread title because often the "why" is the most interesting part of the post.
Anyway, links:
Volume VII: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...6878604287751/page/1
Volume VI: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878604097229
Volume V: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878605140495
Volume IV: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878605795042
Volume III: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878607309474
Volume II: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878606245043
Volume I: https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/1566878607464290
Black Stuff.
45RPM Black Gold
Vinyl
On bright red vinyl 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9wKFH6qJ10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n0asX8RrvY
The second one is more fresh, airy and extremly involving.
Double Vinyl.
Asking price between £39 and £65 on Amazon Marketplace.....
On CD:-
superb album
atb
kk
The XX - Coexist
Cheers
Flettster
what are your thoughts Flettster? Ordered my copy on Monday.
atb
kk
Off to see Steve Cradock tomorrow performing an acoustic set.
atb
kk
45 rpm. Fantastic SQ. Worth getting up to flip sides after 10 minutes playing.
Thanks to the Naim Forum Music Room for pointing me to this one; ordered this weekend, and got it today in the mail!
Mieczyslaw Horszowski
What an amazing pianist! Not in the virtuosic sense that is so commonly implied these days when you make a statement like this. He has long been a favourite of mine because here is a man who understands music and just as importantly, sound. The tone he conjures up is simply phenomenal. Nothing short of beauty.
All this would be amazing in its own right but it is unbelievable that this concert was recorded when he was 95 years old in 1987. So it is understandable that he does take his time with some of the more technical pieces and you can't fault him either for not be technically at the top of his game anymore. I just wish recording capabilities in the first half of the 20th century were able to capture this golden age of pianists. He died one month short of his 101st birthday and gave his last lesson just one week prior to this.
Horszowski performed for Fauré and was a friend of Debussy, Boito, Martucci and Sczimanowsky. With Ravel, he gave the first performance of one of his duets. Villa Lobos composed for him and Toscanini and Casals regarded him highly.
His teacher, Theodor Leschetizky, studied with Carl Czerny, who was of course a pupil of Beethoven.
Started with Smetana's the Bartered Bride (Prodana Nevesta) this morning. I love this opera, have listened to it in German since I was a small kid and the recording with Benackova and Dvorsky was one of my first CDs. More than 20 years later comes this recording by the Belohlavek and a cast entirely consisting of Czechs and Slovaks. First impression is very good. The opera is much more interesting in Czech than in German, and this recording is even spicier than the earlier Supraphon recording, although no Marchenka could ever come close to Gabriela Benackova's mix of wittiness and sweetness - Buresova has an edge/smokiness to her voice that makes her vocally less attractive, but not less effective. Juhas' Jenek is smaller voiced than Dvorsky (who could and did take on the heavy Puccini roles) but very good. I love the way the cast and crew add pepper and avoid the sugar.
It's turned out to be a good year for opera on CD!
Cheers,
EJ
The XX - Coexist
Cheers
Flettster
what are your thoughts Flettster? Ordered my copy on Monday.
atb
kk
Hi KK,
I must say I really like this, it has a very mellow vibe. Some of the production has a Dubstep feel and the vocals are strong. I'm hoping you won't be disappointed KK with your purchase.
Cheers
Flettster
Cheers
Flettster
A recently aquired LP:-
