What are you listening to? (Vol VII)
Posted by: Richard Dane on 29 December 2010
Vol VI - https://forums.naimaudio.com/ev...8019385/m/9042967727
Vol V - http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...385/m/9962941917/p/1
Vol IV - http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...8019385/m/1832985817
Vol III - http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...385/m/6192934617/p/1
Vol II - http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...8019385/m/3112927317
Vol I - http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...8019385/m/6532968996
AND - this might be of interest:
http://forums.naim-audio.com/e...962920617#1962920617
atb
kk
and sounding pretty good via the ipod!
atb
kk
First spin of disc 1 of Chailly's new set of the Beethoven symphonies. Much too early to say anything about the artistic side - save that this first listen is very enjoyable so far. The (studio) recording is lifelike and natural. Chailly plays these works swiftly but with a big dynamic range, and both definition and volume are captured excellently.
Classy packaging, by the way.
Cheers,
EJ
Straight on to disc 2, with the Eroica and #4. I don't think I've ever heard a speedier, stricter Eroica. Chailly dispatches the funeral march in little over 12 minutes. It still sounds ominous and powerful - there is no sense of speed for the sake of speed (here or elsewhere so far), thanks to a clear vision, some very sharp orchestral playing, and the beautiful recording.
But this is far to good for some drive-by review based on first listening. I never expected to be so excited about the Beethoven symphonies again. Great stuff.
EJ
Disc 3, Symphonies #5 and #6. All four movements of #5 are brilliantly done - some conductors feel that they need to be really expressive (Bernstein!) or simply beat their way through the first movement, which usually makes the rest of the symphony sounds like a work that is less than the sum of its parts. Chailly is - relatively - slow (still fast) in I, which he allows to evolve into a natural tension span across the remaining movements. I've switched to listening on headphone, after complaints about volume which admittedly kept going up.
I'll leave the Pastorale for tomorrow. Still want to sample Queyras' new Vivaldi disc to close the day in style.
EJ
On to #6. First two movements are rhythmically taut, relatively fast but leaving sufficient room for some gorgeous legato (smooth transitions between notes) by the string sections. At the opening of III (allegro, after all), things speed up considerably. The thunderstorm movement is absolutely fantastic, played very fast and very loud and my only criticism is that it doesn't last very long at these speeds. V is relatively quiet again. The performance again evidences Chailly's clear vision and the orchestra's technical brilliance.
A picture is emerging: this set of symphonies is similar in scope and focus as, say, Annie Fischer's set of sonatas (although infinitely more polished). Exciting, bold, crisp, consistently illuminating certain sides of Beethoven. The softer, romantic side remains rather underdeveloped as a consequence, but I mean that in the good way: as a result of a clear interpretative vision, not because something is missing in these performances. If you appreciate Kovacevich, Pollini, Fischer, Gulda on the piano, you'll love these performances.
Cheers,
EJ
The more I listen to it the better it gets.
First spin of disc 1 of Chailly's new set of the Beethoven symphonies. Much too early to say anything about the artistic side - save that this first listen is very enjoyable so far. The (studio) recording is lifelike and natural. Chailly plays these works swiftly but with a big dynamic range, and both definition and volume are captured excellently.
Classy packaging, by the way.
Cheers,
EJ
Straight on to disc 2, with the Eroica and #4. I don't think I've ever heard a speedier, stricter Eroica. Chailly dispatches the funeral march in little over 12 minutes. It still sounds ominous and powerful - there is no sense of speed for the sake of speed (here or elsewhere so far), thanks to a clear vision, some very sharp orchestral playing, and the beautiful recording.
But this is far to good for some drive-by review based on first listening. I never expected to be so excited about the Beethoven symphonies again. Great stuff.
EJ
Disc 3, Symphonies #5 and #6. All four movements of #5 are brilliantly done - some conductors feel that they need to be really expressive (Bernstein!) or simply beat their way through the first movement, which usually makes the rest of the symphony sounds like a work that is less than the sum of its parts. Chailly is - relatively - slow (still fast) in I, which he allows to evolve into a natural tension span across the remaining movements. I've switched to listening on headphone, after complaints about volume which admittedly kept going up.
I'll leave the Pastorale for tomorrow. Still want to sample Queyras' new Vivaldi disc to close the day in style.
EJ
On to #6. First two movements are rhythmically taut, relatively fast but leaving sufficient room for some gorgeous legato (smooth transitions between notes) by the string sections. At the opening of III (allegro, after all), things speed up considerably. The thunderstorm movement is absolutely fantastic, played very fast and very loud and my only criticism is that it doesn't last very long at these speeds. V is relatively quiet again. The performance again evidences Chailly's clear vision and the orchestra's technical brilliance.
A picture is emerging: this set of symphonies is similar in scope and focus as, say, Annie Fischer's set of sonatas (although infinitely more polished). Exciting, bold, crisp, consistently illuminating certain sides of Beethoven. The softer, romantic side remains rather underdeveloped as a consequence, but I mean that in the good way: as a result of a clear interpretative vision, not because something is missing in these performances. If you appreciate Kovacevich, Pollini, Fischer, Gulda on the piano, you'll love these performances.
Cheers,
EJ
EJ - I am just about to settle down to a couple of discs of this. Just waiting for a guest to leave so I can give this some real volume :-). Think I will start with 5&6.
First spin of disc 1 of Chailly's new set of the Beethoven symphonies. Much too early to say anything about the artistic side - save that this first listen is very enjoyable so far. The (studio) recording is lifelike and natural. Chailly plays these works swiftly but with a big dynamic range, and both definition and volume are captured excellently.
Classy packaging, by the way.
Cheers,
EJ
Straight on to disc 2, with the Eroica and #4. I don't think I've ever heard a speedier, stricter Eroica. Chailly dispatches the funeral march in little over 12 minutes. It still sounds ominous and powerful - there is no sense of speed for the sake of speed (here or elsewhere so far), thanks to a clear vision, some very sharp orchestral playing, and the beautiful recording.
But this is far to good for some drive-by review based on first listening. I never expected to be so excited about the Beethoven symphonies again. Great stuff.
EJ
Disc 3, Symphonies #5 and #6. All four movements of #5 are brilliantly done - some conductors feel that they need to be really expressive (Bernstein!) or simply beat their way through the first movement, which usually makes the rest of the symphony sounds like a work that is less than the sum of its parts. Chailly is - relatively - slow (still fast) in I, which he allows to evolve into a natural tension span across the remaining movements. I've switched to listening on headphone, after complaints about volume which admittedly kept going up.
I'll leave the Pastorale for tomorrow. Still want to sample Queyras' new Vivaldi disc to close the day in style.
EJ
On to #6. First two movements are rhythmically taut, relatively fast but leaving sufficient room for some gorgeous legato (smooth transitions between notes) by the string sections. At the opening of III (allegro, after all), things speed up considerably. The thunderstorm movement is absolutely fantastic, played very fast and very loud and my only criticism is that it doesn't last very long at these speeds. V is relatively quiet again. The performance again evidences Chailly's clear vision and the orchestra's technical brilliance.
A picture is emerging: this set of symphonies is similar in scope and focus as, say, Annie Fischer's set of sonatas (although infinitely more polished). Exciting, bold, crisp, consistently illuminating certain sides of Beethoven. The softer, romantic side remains rather underdeveloped as a consequence, but I mean that in the good way: as a result of a clear interpretative vision, not because something is missing in these performances. If you appreciate Kovacevich, Pollini, Fischer, Gulda on the piano, you'll love these performances.
Cheers,
EJ
EJ - I am just about to settle down to a couple of discs of this. Just waiting for a guest to leave so I can give this some real volume :-). Think I will start with 5&6.
Haha Adrian, just shove 'm out of the door, the music is worth it!
EJ
Another first spin in what is already an impressive fall season for classical music. I can see this one becoming controversial in due time. Like Thielemann's recent Bruckner 9 in Dresden, the sound of this live (no applause) recording lacks definition - something not helped by his preference for a not very phonographic blended sound. In fact his new orchestra sounds remarkably like his previous one (Munchen) on this occasion. Pollini is surprisingly sensitive in a smaller scale reading than what we are used to from him (compare his 90s recording with Abbado), and Thielemann is with him in a performance that is more fluid than granite-like. Both gentlemen have a clear grasp of the scope of the work, and there are many great moments.
Cheers,
EJ
Its wonderful, splendid recording both technically and musically. Try it, even if you never listen to jazz. Im sure this album could sell Naim components just by playing in the stores.
Last first spin of today. Jacobs' new recording of Handel's Agrippina.
Cheers,
EJ
Edward Vesala - Rumi
Surprisingly mellow, and occasionally playful, given the foreboding cover art.
On the Black!
Looking forward to tomorrow night K T Tunstall on her own at the Ulster Hall Belfast!
Playing CD no.3...
Sonate in C minor Hob. XVI:20
(Recorded in Lukaskirche, Dresden, May 1972)
Sonate in C Hob. XVI:21
Sonate in E Hob. XVI:22
(Recorded in Lukaskirche, Dresden, July 1968)
Sonate in F Hob. XVI:23
Sonate in D Hob. XVI:24
(Recorded in Lukaskirche, Dresden, January 1970)
[ADD] Berlin Classics 3 x CD © 1996
~~<<>>~~
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Toccata in C minor BWV 911
Toccata in G major BWV916
Toccata in F sharp minor BWV910
Toccata in E minor BWV914
Toccata in D minor BWV913
Toccata in G minor BWV915
Toccata in D major BWV912
Angela Hewitt piano: Steinway & Sons
Recorded in Henry Wood Hall, London, January 2002
This 16 cd box-set complilation (p) 2010 Hyperion Records Ltd
~<>~
Enjoying CD no.14 ...a relaxing Toccata before bedtime : )
Debs
On the black stuff.
Coldplay Mylo Xyloto.