What are you listening to? (Vol VII)

All Brahms Concerto No. 2.

LIke the Richter's the best in spite the crappy noisy record.

Sometimes I wish I had vinyl playback ... 

On CD:-

On CD:-

Kathryn Williams - Dog Leap Stairs

on the black stuff

Have not listened to this for a while, what a stunning album (on vinyl).

First spin. Ariodante was Handel's 32nd opera, written eleven years after Giulio Cesare and some seven years before Messiah. In terms of musical characterization, text and overall quality, it is one of Handel's best. 

Alan Curtis does his usual thing - measured conducting, on the slow side, but over the years he has gotten subtly better at maintaining the tension. There is none of Minkowski's volatility, but when I did a survey of some ten Handel operas a few months ago, I found to my own surprise that in the long run I preferred Curtis' conducting to the more dynamic recordings from Jacobs and Minkowski.

This Ariodante has a great cast, easily the equal of any that has gone before save perhaps DiDonato who is good, but has to compete with Von Otter in her prime. For me, this is on the shortlist for best of 2011.

Cheers,

EJ

alpha CD © 2006

my first play, as i start to get ready to leave for work : (

Debs

Coincidently I also listened to John Grant for the first time in ages (on CD) in the car while stuck on the M25