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

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943): Alexandre Tharaud (piano) | Alexander Vedernikov | Sabine Devielhe (soprano) | Alexander Melnikov (piano) | Aleksandar Madzar (piano) 

Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto is probably my favourite out of the four and this is a very nice recording.  Orchestra and pianist collaborate quite nicely here.  Like Gutiérrez above and Tharaud here, I think they both tend to be Goldilocks players - not too hot and not too cold.  In the Morceaux de fantaisie, Tharaud plays with succinct focus and straight vision not yielding to any temptation to exaggerate any emotion.

Another nice recording from Tharaud as per his usual.  The program notes again from Daniel Jaffé are quite good and a nice companion to this album.

I think it should be said how complacent we all can become after hearing recording after recording after performance of this music and the expectations are already so high.  The danger is that we overlook what a feat it is to play this music in the first place.  Brutally difficult and so my hat goes off to any performer who can do it.  I would have liked to see Rachmaninov's hands - they must have been huge as his music is full of chords written by a giant.  

Florestan posted:

Haim Ronen posted:

Doug, you are pushing me into a Chopin mode:

 

There is no way that one could be a bad pianist with a name such as Witold Malcuzynski:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XozBKMdZDOU

Haim, If that is all it takes?  I'll get the paperwork started on Monday.

Regards,

Witold

Doug,

You have to acquire the accent too..

Florestan,

I'm sure you're fully familiar with just how enormous Rachmaninov's hands were. Quick too I guess!

good graphic here I found online:

The gig was recorded for general release but allegedly Jimmy Page shelved it. 

Ewemon, I believe it was recorded by Eddie Kramer but the tapes were stolen from Jimmy Page's home. It is very well recorded and has some amusing "Plantations" including about the loo at Southampton Uni refec.

I only have the Tom P remaster. How does this EV working tapes release sound?

Pianist Leon Fleisher's first recording since the 1960s of two-hand repertoire. One of the most brilliant pianists of his generation, Fleisher suffered a disastrous loss of control in his right hand from the neurological disease focal dystonia, forcing to him to abandon a flourishing performing career nearly 40 years ago, and for decades, he could only play works written for the left hand alone. 

An interview with Fleisher:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZLvhZvO2v4

Music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnYNjhkBNiw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebeNLW9quLQ

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750):  Ragna Schirmer (piano)

Goldberg-Variationen BWV 988

Ragna Schirmers first recording.

Some people resort to chocolate to cheer themselves up (there is a scientific explanation to back this up!).  Others buy copious amounts of records to satisfy some needs.  Yet others buy music scores to fill the void.  Then there is me who is not afraid to admit that I'm addicted to all three vices which all can be utilized concurrently.

I have a pretty nice library full of Henle Urtext but recently I started stocking up with a few Bärenreiter Urtext editions and other good editions.   This week included a large arm full of Bach, Beethoven, Faure, & Chopin plus other editions (Henle, Peters, Boosey & Hawkes etc.).  The Goldberg-Variationen published in 2014 has fingering added by Ragna Schirmer.  Being an Urtext edition fingering is rarely added or if it is, it is very sparse.   So a bit of a novelty but a nod to Ragna Schirmer.

kevin J Carden posted:

Florestan,

I'm sure you're fully familiar with just how enormous Rachmaninov's hands were. Quick too I guess!

good graphic here I found online:

Kevin, thanks for the reminder.  I have seen this before a long time ago.

I am pretty sure that many performers on record with smaller hands than me conveniently fake some of the chords in Rachmaninov as I cannot do some myself.  Seems physically impossible (or very difficult) unless like I said you have the hand of a giant.

To be able to play a 13th seems unreal for me.  I suppose to them being able to cover a 13th is a weapon you can use to limit your competition :-)  However, when big chords are not used, I am sure there might be limitations in dexterity when you have to play some fiddly music when your fingers are the size of cucumbers.

What is strange is to see Scriabin up there with a stretch of only an 8-ve?  Two or three years before he died, the bugger wrote an Etude to work on a stretch of a ninth.  Here it is (no. 1 of the 3):

The notes in the right hand are all a stretch of a ninth.  It is one thing to be able to just stretch a 9th and play it once.  This first etude is about 3'-45" long and it is a real test to be able to play this.

I can stretch a 10th (just) and can easily play a 9th which makes me think my hands are similar in size or just slightly larger than Barenboim's hands.  Yes, keyboard players do suffer from hand envy.  If we should ever meet and you are wearing gloves I would insist that you remove them so I can make comparisons. ;-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H-jij_scbU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DChZHDnOlJw

Rick James-Cold Blooded

Beck. The Information. On CD from 2006. Each time I hear this album I get a little deeper into it. There's the poppy, hip-hoppy fun side, but also layered textures in both the melodies and percussion that get teased-out with each listen. Today I listened to it twice and yes, the second time was a little better. Great album to get lost in.

sjbabbey posted:

Ewemon, I believe it was recorded by Eddie Kramer but the tapes were stolen from Jimmy Page's home. It is very well recorded and has some amusing "Plantations" including about the loo at Southampton Uni refec.

I only have the Tom P remaster. How does this EV working tapes release sound?

The version I have is the Nasty Music Deluxe one with the rehearsal set and 3 ttrax from another gig tacked on .

Couldn't manage to post the actual Black and White cover of my version so chose the one above.

Have only listened to it on my computer system at the moment as that tends to be where I listen to music a lot these days and it does sound good apart from Disc 3

Thanks for that bit of info which I didn't know.

Beck. Modern Guilt. On CD from 2008. Beck does so many things well musically. He's got more funk and rhythm than any other skinny white boy I know of. He's also a master at painting an aural mosaic with ethereal textures. This album does both.

ewemon posted:

sjbabbey posted:

Ewemon, I believe it was recorded by Eddie Kramer but the tapes were stolen from Jimmy Page's home. It is very well recorded and has some amusing "Plantations" including about the loo at Southampton Uni refec.

I only have the Tom P remaster. How does this EV working tapes release sound?

The version I have is the Nasty Music Deluxe one with the rehearsal set and 3 ttrax from another gig tacked on .

Couldn't manage to post the actual Black and White cover of my version so chose the one above.

Have only listened to it on my computer system at the moment as that tends to be where I listen to music a lot these days and it does sound good apart from Disc 3

Thanks for that bit of info which I didn't know.

If you're looking for more info on LZ boots, the database at argenteumastrum dot com is a really useful site.

Dexter Gordon – tenor saxophone
Sonny Clark – piano
Butch Warren – bass
Billy Higgins – drums

Go! is the tenth studio album by Dexter Gordon, recorded on August 27, 1962 and released in the same year on Blue Note Records.

Music Matters 2014 vinyl reissue.

Fancy a bit of brilliant bass playing...

G

I was inspired to play this having heard some of their music on the BBC Radio 3 breakfast programme this morning.  It was either this or Turandot. Too early for opera!

Started this morning with the goldberg variations by a piano player that I don't know that well.

This is my favorite album of Michael Franks. It's has got that nice jazzy sound and the recording quality is also very fine.

sjbabbey posted:

ewemon posted:

sjbabbey posted:

Ewemon, I believe it was recorded by Eddie Kramer but the tapes were stolen from Jimmy Page's home. It is very well recorded and has some amusing "Plantations" including about the loo at Southampton Uni refec.

I only have the Tom P remaster. How does this EV working tapes release sound?

The version I have is the Nasty Music Deluxe one with the rehearsal set and 3 ttrax from another gig tacked on .

Couldn't manage to post the actual Black and White cover of my version so chose the one above.

Have only listened to it on my computer system at the moment as that tends to be where I listen to music a lot these days and it does sound good apart from Disc 3

Thanks for that bit of info which I didn't know.

If you're looking for more info on LZ boots, the database at argenteumastrum dot com is a really useful site.

Thanks for the info my friend.

Clive B posted:

apye! posted:

 

On vinyl...

What do you think of this, Andy? It's sitting in my river 'basket' but I haven't  yet completed the transaction. 

IMHO it is a very good album and if you are a fan of hers certainly worth buying.

There are lots of Dylan compilations. This is one of the best.

1st run