Great Music - Arranged ...

Dear George
Thanks for the link. Beautiful, etherical playing from this somewhat overlooked artist. His recording of the Bach suites is beautiful and noble, but has always stood in the shadow of Fournier, who´s recording for Archive it reminds of.
Regards,

Well George, waddya know?

I drifted into HMV on my way back from work this evening in the forlorn hope of finding something interesting. Ten minutes browsing later I come across a four CD set from Naxos called "The A-Z of Pianists". It's obviously a labour of love, as the set comes with a 700(!) page booklet that gives a short biography and a list of key recordings for each pianist. My first impressions are that the set is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to expllore the piaon repertoire, and I'm looking forward to many hours of enjoyment from it.

Getting to the point, Edwin Fischer is featured in the set (of course, I guess you would say), playing none other than the piece you link to (which is lovely indeed). Small world, eh?

By the way, I remember you extolling the virtues of Fischer's WTC, and that may well be the next version I buy (when I feel like a fresh one to get to grips with).

Thanks for the excellent link!

Dear Drood! Please send me an email. In profile. George

This not quite an arrangement, but then not quite as Bach planned it either - still worth the encounter! Madame Kirsten Flagstad singing the great Chorale from "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDlNBUXS_tc

I hope you all enjoy this!

George

This is another performance from Flagstad: Greig's song Varen, where the arrangement is from a piano original. This recording, I am fairly sure was made in London in 1948 with the Philharmonia under Braitewaite.

I am inclined to think that her prowess was sadly wasted on Wagner given her complete understanding of the words here! Naturally she sang a Norwegian Melodie [Art Song] in her native tongue, and so much better than subsequent commercial recordinmgs which usually come mangled in other languages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em2M8CljR2U

I hoped this might be found. It is probably my favourite example of the soprano voice. I have it on records too!

George

Dido's Lament from Henry Purcell. Not an arrangement, but a fine reminder that some things are timeless. [Our own times have produced performances that are speculatively more like what Purcell might have expected, but somehow I doubt he would have been too unhappy with Flagstad's part in this]. Recorded by EMI with the Philharmonia under Geraint Jones, and with the most of the singing cast from the production at the Mermaid Theatre, for which Madame Flagstad received two pints of Guiness for each performance! Could that happen with todays super star Divas?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6ZQACoD1C8

George

Barbara Hendriks singing Schubert's Ave Maria. I have not idea who is responsibly for the arrangement, but the result is so splendid ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bjGdTDsFpE&feature=related

George

PS: Elisabeth Schumann made what I think is the most beautiful recording of this in 1934 with half a dozen memebrs of the VPO for HMV. I wish someone would release that superb performance again! Only a few strings, harp and double bass as I remember it, and Schumann soared in it. Amazing.

If you like Bach [smiley] and double-bass [double-plus smiley] I suggest ...

"Gary Karr plays Bach" ...

I got this maybe 5/10 years ago in a sale and its mostly in Japaneese [i.e. the programme notes] but it's arrangements of Bach for double-bass solo and double-bass + organ [harmon lewis].

James H.

Here is a track listing ...

1 Komm Susser Tod, Bwv478
2 Preludes And Gallantries: Prelude
3 Preludes And Gallantries: Sarabande
4 Preludes And Gallantries: Gavotte
5 Jesu, Joy Of Man`S Desiring, Bwv147
6 Air From Orchestral Suite No.3 In D Major, Bwv1068
7 Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme, Bwv645
8 Sheep May Safely Graze, Bwv208
9 Menuet From Notenbuh Der Anna Magdalena Bach, Bwvanh.114
10 Erbarm`Dich Mein, O Herre Gott", Bwv721
11 Gavotte From Partita No.3, Bwv1006
12 Gloria Sei Dir Gesungen From Kantata "Wacht Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme", Bwv147
13 Adagio From Toccata C-Dur, Bwv564

from ....

link to Gary Karr plays Bach [in Japennese ?]

James H.

Interesting (and relevant!) post on the "On an Overgrown Path" music blog here:

Bach Transcriptions

Scroll down past the book review (or read it if you like), and you'll find brief notes from the blogger on three CDs of Bach transcriptions. I'm very tempted by the "Chaconne" disc, but that could just be because I've fallen for the pianist!

Bach's Italian Concerto, swung in Loussier's inimtable style, and its fantastic!

First Movement

Second Movement and Finale

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

George

If not arranged, certainly improvised upon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KfNBohMBuE&feature=user

Elisabeth Schumann in operetta! Lehar!

She, and Flagstad with her completely contrasted voice, are my two favourite sopranos!

George

Dame Kiri, singing the Ave Maria in Latin, where it seems to me the words make more sense!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRxcrPiT2k4&NR=1

George

Scarborough Fair.

Priceless Simon and Garfunkel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYQaD2CAi9A

George

Fly me to the Moon. Astrud Gilberto. I sometimes think no polite medium is more evocative than music in suggesting sex!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6YbQPVLLcw&feature=related

george

Louis Armstrong: What a Wonderful World.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5IIXeR5OUI&feature=related

We should never forget to hope. George

Not sure if this an arrangement, but it is something good: The Anton Karas Theme from the "Third Man," played live in 1982.

At first it seems rather cautious, but it builds well into a satisfying performance, which still captures some of the inherent menace of its original performance for the film.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZZHq2JSnnE&feature=related

Here is a contemporary recording, which makes an interesting comparison.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqVxVT796IE&feature=related

Apparently it was a number one hit in 1950!

George

I saw these three last August in the Glowy Reineke [Main Square] in Kracków, and let me say that in the actual setting they were much more impressive than on this film, which seems sadly flawed towards the end ...

They also played rather better as they also do on the recording I have of them on CDs. This I post to show something of the Polish mentality about music. Busking does not equate to just playing easy music. The centre and left players are called Vitaly Klymenko and Aleksandr Drach from the Ukraine. It cost me bob or two, because I left half the money I had left [in Złotych] in their basket! The other half paid for the taxi to the airport at 3 am next morning!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VDoEfHBABI

George

Los Romeros, playing the Finale Bach's Third Brandenburg Concerto. Radio Three made excellent recordings of them some twenty years ago in this music, which really ought to surface as commercial releases now. I rather enjoy the gentle clarity [albeit in a poor recording here] which serves the music rather well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-m5zAVPMfQ&feature=related

George

Ich ruf ... Bach, in Busoni's arrangement.

Dinu Lipati, recorded shortly before his sadly early death, and its priceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rE0ViyTqJQ&feature=related

George

PS: Too good to miss. Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring, arr Dame Myra Hess Dinu Lipati again. If you want Bach on the piano then this is one amazing way with the music. I gave this recording away to convert a friend to Bach. I really should get it again.

Back in December I attended a concert from the SCO which featured violinist Rachel Barton Pine who had a wonderfully charismatic playing style. More superb than the Tchaikovsky concerto she played was the encore, a blues called Sweet Home Chicago, for which I've just stumbled across a You Tube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsf_jqDlpzg

However, possibly even better is Rossini's William Tell overture for violin and accordion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGp4UYS0Xh0


regards, Tam

Thanks Tam! The more the merrier!

And here is some more violin playing if less virtuosic. I have this on an estimable transfer to CD on Biddulph Lab.

Fritz Kreisler plays "Méditation" from Massenet's "Thaïs"

George

George

Bach/Gounod Ave Maria. The incomparable Dame Janet Baker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WC4Qu6tnJQ

George

PS: I have just listened to this twice in a row. It is so beautiful that it is also a sad contrast to the world as it is going. The balance is going and the priorities are getting skewed. Things were never so very fantastic, but now they are getting worse. How long before we return first to medieval tyranny and then the Stone Age. We are racing there as things stand ...

In 1932 Elgar orchestrated the Chopin's Funeral March after a suggestion from HMV and here is the recording made at the time by the then very new BBC SO under Adrian Boult. Elgaer was present at the recording session, and soon became a regular guest of the BBC SO. Boult was a friend of Elgars since his pioneering performances of Elgar's Second Symphony in 1920, though the had a serious disagreement about performing the Dream Of Gerontius in Birmigham in 1927. Boult consulted Elgar about what reductions could be made in the orchestral scoring, as the CBO [now CBSO], which Boult was Chief conductor of, could not afford to buy in all the extra players. Elgar sent Boult away with a flea in his ear, with the comment that it would be better not performed than "reduced." Fred Gaisberg at HMV/EMI was acting as peace-maker in getting this arrangement made and Boult to record it. It also allowed for Elgar to assume a position as guest with thew BBC SO.

It still has some call on our attention. Different times, but still there is something for us!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=few3c3t9DpU

George

Bach sung by Flagstad. Very kind artistry, which should let considerations of [the lack of] HIP be forgotten for a few minutes!

Kirsten Flagstad performing "If Thou be near."

George