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

On CD:-

Karl

Cheers,

EJ

Some of the earliest string quartets ever written.

Cheers,

EJ

On CD:-

Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...eature=results_video

Folk/renaissance/later music from Naples.

Sound quality is outstanding

Christopher Simpson (ca1615-1669)

Division on a Ground in g major ...[5:35]

(for two bass-viols)

Divisions on a Ground in F major ...[5:35]

(for two bass-viols)

Matthew Locke (ca1630-1677)

Duos fro two basse-viols  (composed in 1652)

Fantaziain C major ...[1:27]

Fantaziain C major ...[2:07]

Saraband in C major ...[0:45]

Fantazia in C minor ...[1:44]

Fantazia in C minor ...[1:52]

Courant in C minor ...[1:28]

Christopher Simson

The Division Viol

Division on a Ground in E minor ...[6:40]

John Jenkins (1580-1648)

Fatasia a violini e viola in D minor ...[4:35]

Thomas Ford (1580-1648)

Musicke of Sundrie Kindes (1607)

Pavan

(M.Maines Choice) and Galiard ...[7:48]

The Baggepipes

(Sir Ch.Howards delight ...[1:10]

Why not here

(m.Crosse his Choice) ...[2:05]

Wieland Kuijken viola da gamba..

(England 17th century)

Sigiswald Kuijken viola da gamba..

(Pierre Prevost, Paris 1634), Violin (Giovanni Grancino, Milano 1700)

Robert Kohen harpsichord..

(Adlam & Burnett after Ruckers 1974)

Recording: at the St.Stefanuskerk - Melsen Belguim, May 1980.

~~<<>>~~

Fauns - Awaiting the Sun

A big thanks to Ron's obscure Prog thread, which led to this discovery. This is not obscure, but music encapsulating Folk, Rock & Prog. Wonderful arrangements and musicianship that was produced by the band, with 'Steven Wilson' levels of recording acumen. One of my best buy's of the year.

Press Info - http://www.fauns.de/press.htm 

Audio samples - http://www.fauns.de/music.htm

Murrary Perahia:  DVD 4 - Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Schumann, Liszt - From a 1989 at Snape Maltings Concert Hall.

Such a wonderful experience for me to go through this.  All the evil in this world along with the daily grind of the week are quickly forgotten when I hear a recital like this.

Perahia never gets emotional nor resorts to adding in anything just for effect.  On the other hand, I only hear a maturity and vision which is not all that common.  The way he shapes the phrases and creates music through the details is remarkable.

Yevgeny Sudbin (Piano)

Funérailles (No. 7 from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, S 173) by Franz Liszt 

Harmonies du soir (from Transcendental Etudes for Piano, S 139: no 11) by Franz Liszt 

Etude in F minor (from Transcendental Etudes for Piano, S 139: no 10) by Franz Liszt 

Petrarca Sonnets (3) for Piano, S 158 by Franz Liszt

Gaspard de la nuit by Maurice Ravel 

Danse macabre in G minor, Op. 40 by Camille Saint-Saëns (transcribed by Liszt)

Just in from the mailbox and even with the effects of a -20deg C disc put into a warm room this disc just warms my heart from the inside out.  Wonderfully recorded on a beautiful Steinway Model D (because sound matters in music!), I wonder if this is Yevgeny Sudbin's best recording to date?  A superlative, surely, that seems hard to fathom given the previous recordings he has already given us.  OK, I have every recording and make no apologies for being Sudbin partisan.

Musically stunning and brilliant as well.  Maybe this Gaspard will give Pogorelich (my current champ on the podium) a run for his money?  The opening of Funérailles really, for the first time I can remember, effectively demonstrates what bass on a piano should sound like.  

Maybe I won't be quite so enamoured once the disc warms up to room temperature?  Could be but I'll let you know after a spend some more time this weekend with this!

One of my favourite Getz albums.

Karl

Karl

Beating out on SACD

Karl

On vinyl - recommended to lovers/aficionados of modern European Jazz although it's a little more demanding than EST for example.

Karl

After the sublime Livia Rév. Why is it we hear so little from and about her? IMO she is the most outstanding pianist in her genres, extremely musical which is hardly ever matched any other performer.

Now listening to some 'socialist realism' from SHostakovich performed by Lisa Batiashvili.

OMG what is this the most beautiful music performed with unsurpassed energy and feeling for the musical style of Shostakovich

Looking forward to her new release in January (Violin Concerto in D op.77 (Brahms). 3 Romances For Violin And Piano op.22 (Clara Schumann). )

-

Aleg

On orange vinyl after discovering on Jools Holland the other week. 

Double live album recordedat thr Bongo club Edinburgh. Dec 2007

Comes with Disc

"A proper Diddle-fest with oodles of character"

A very good recording, nice quiet vinyl.

Linn 24 bit HD downloads. Freebies. Worth investigating the medium.

Vinyl

Paying respects. 

Vinyl