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

Darren Hayes - Secret Codes And Battleships On Vinyl, making the system sound so sweet.

Got this CD about a year ago but finally getting 'round listening to it.

A spanish pianist Javier Perianes.

Stylistically, he's a complete polar opposite of Paul Lewis.

OK - I'm sorry for the Christmas album!

Another splendid talent that left too soon...

Emily Remler

i never heard of her. I googled her, and saw this quote.  It's so good I feel compelled to paste it

In an interview with People magazine, she once said of herself: "I may look like a nice Jewish girl from New Jersey, but inside I’m a 50-year-old, heavyset black man with a big thumb, like Wes Montgomery." 

I hope that is ok

Cheers,

EJ

On CD:-

Grandaddy 'Under the Western Freeway' - great Sunday morning blast! G

As the wife has been away this weekend at Strictly Come Dancing I took the oportunity to lay my NACA5 under the floor boards and rebuild my system, it took nearly two days!

Well I do not know whether it s the cables under the floor or the rebuild but John has never sounded so good!

On vinyl.

Lloydy, I might play Bob next after Nick (new release on vinyl):

Led Zeppelin 'BBC Sessions' disc 1.  Their best 'live' recording IMHO.  G

Hirundu Maris: Chants du Sud et du Nord

Arianna Savall (voice, Gothic harp, Italian triple harp), Petter Udland Johansen (voice, hardanger fiddle, mandolin), Sveinung Lilleheier (guitar, dobro, voice), Miquel Àngel Cordero (double-bass, voice), David Mayoral (percussion, voice).
rec. January 2011, Propstei St. Gerold
ECM NEW SERIES 2227[79:54]

Read more:http://www.musicweb-internatio...27.htm#ixzz2FDbSw96P

Alexis Corner 'Bootleg Him'. G

Kuma, 

I'm joining you with this one this morning.  I have only picked up on Javier Perianes several months ago when I took a chance on his Moto Perpetuo disc of Beethoven.  I was immediately drawn to him and have since caught up on the rest of his recordings.  This Schubert is one of my favourites.  It suites very closely how I view and sense Schubert and is perfect for late night/early morning listening; dim lighting is mandatory.  This recording would be very trying for someone who is used to a more hyper or muscular Schubert worldview.

For me Perianes exemplifies a perfect Schubert player which requires a delicate touch and sensibility, the ability to portray the soft whispers, empathy, and painful memories (always indicated in the score by "pp" or pianissimo).  Above all, it is that character or willingness to enter into a different sound world which means slowing down, taking more time with the musical aspects/details and letting the beauty of the sound speak in order to hear the contrasts between light and darkness clearly.  This alone would knock out the vast majority of listeners who might expect the going norm.  For my money, I think this recording offers very compelling thoughts and ideas and is recorded quite well too and so I place it very high in what I need from my Schubert experiences.

Schubert is a major player in my world so I have too many favourite recordings / artists to compare but I think you were exactly right in comparing the opposite extreme in Lewis.  I think Perianes is very close to my ideal and would illustrate it left to right to show extremes as follows (again too many to put complete but just for a spur of the moment comparison:

Jean-Claude Pennetier.....Javier Perianes, Maria Joao Pires, David Fray..... Claudio Arrau, Murray Perahia, Wilhelm Kempff......Radu Lupu, Alfred Brendel, Paul Lewis.

The groups around Pires and Perahia represent my current favourites or centres in playing style and character.

Johann Sebastian Bach: Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Vienna Concentus Musicus,  Tölz Boys Choir 

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61:

Seppi Kronwitter (Boy Soprano), Kurt Equiluz (Tenor), Ruud Van der Meer (Bass)

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 62: 

Peter Jelosits (Boy Soprano), Paul Esswood (Countertenor), Kurt Equiluz (Tenor), Ruud Van der Meer (Bass)

Christen, ätzet diesen Tag, BWV 63:

Peter Jelosits (Boy Soprano), Paul Esswood (Countertenor), Kurt Equiluz (Tenor), Ruud Van der Meer (Bass),

On CD:-

Bach: The Organ Works, Simon Preston

Disc 1:Trio Sonatas, BWV 525-530

Disc 4: Preludes & Fugues - BWV 547-551, Fantasia's, Toccata, Adagio & Fugue - BWV 562-564

Disc 8: Orgelbüchlein, BWV 599-644

Well, it is time to let the usual organ suspect rest this Sunday.  I have not had the opportunity to spend much time with Simon Preston since this came and so starting today I'll go through this end to end over the coming week.

There is little in life that brings me as much satisfaction as the music of this Master.

Resting after helping daughter move flat (again)

steve