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

https://www.discogs.com/releas...llo-Concertos/images

Elgar Cello Concerto played by Jacqueline Du Pre.

Recently her Dvorak recording was mentioned, along with her technique. Play this vinyl on a really good system and you will hear all the subtleties of interpretation that she brought. On an ordinary system you might wonder why this recording is so highly rated. I got my copy from Oxfam for £1.49 about four years ago! Now they charge a premium for her vinyl. I also have the Tortellier recording which is superb for other reasons.

As Gramphone wrote in 2015 to mark the 50th anniversary of this recording "It was as if her instrument was, to quote Stravinsky, ‘the vessel through which the music flowed’. The cello was a means to an end, and, despite her inferiority complex when it came to technique (when Rostropovich asked her, in 1966, what she wanted to learn from him, ‘technique’ was her immediate response), she was able to find her way around any practical difficulties for the sake of the music. Yet she wasn’t particularly interested in learning the story behind the work in question or expanding her knowledge about the composer. As her friend the pianist Guthrie Luke has said: ‘I asked her, “When did Haydn write this concerto?” She had no idea and simply didn’t care. There was no point in discussing such things with her. She played the work superbly, without knowing anything about its background history.’ It seemed the music told her all she needed to know. As Barenboim says, ‘She had a capacity that was very rare – she could become one with the music. She didn’t have to learn the notes and think what to do with them – there was an immediate reaction to the music, as if she heard what she read.’ He continues: ‘She hadn’t benefited from having a thorough training in theory and harmony but she had an uncanny instinct and was able to transmit that immediately.’"

In anticipation for the arrival of their new release 'Nuit Blanche':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M52sKm1d6Mk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC5WTwwrPmI

Audio Fidelity Vinyl

Roland Kirk - The Inflated Tear. 1998 CD rip. Rec.1967

Roland Kirk - Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith. Rec. 1967 also. Finishing off the dual album CD rip with the funky groove.

Lydia Loveless-Real

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh8K30tsEPs

Chris Stapleton-Traveller

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) | Jean Sibelius (1865-1957):  Lisa Batiashvili (violin) | Daniel Barenboim | Staatskapelle Berlin

Violin Concerto in D-major, op. 35 | Violin Concert in d-minor, op . 47

Lisa Batiashvili - need I say more?  Absolute perfection with the sweetest sound around.  The Sibelius is one of her signature pieces and I just realized that she made another live recording of it about 10 years ago which I must get as well.  One can never have enough recordings in d-minor... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeVdP0tK2j8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xsDZZ_RREE

Giulini/Bayerisher Rundfunk
Brahms Symphony 1

Released back in 2005 in memory of Guilini, this lush and sluggish 1979 recording of Brahms 1 is utterly ponderous this is not a strong set.

A + 3 | WAV

(1974)

Greeting the pink skied sunrise with this one. 

ewemon posted:

Nice, complete with Robin Mayhew's autograph. 

Gunter Wand/NDR-Sinfonieorchester
Brahms Symphony 2

Beautifully done digital recording.

Sprawling spacious intro. From the first note, the whole performance is much more matured yet lyrical as Abbado's but somehow more believable. Notes have more definite stops with substance. Also never gets heavy handed maintaining transluscent quality. Rhythmic and playful yet sophisticated. Wand brings out a romantic side of Brahms. The finale comes off rather uneventful missing a bit of gravitas so this is Brahms Lite. Less drama than Solti/CSO albeit I suspect this is more likely how the composer would have played it.

Laverne Butler: This Bitter Earth

Haven't listened to this over 10 years. I recall this little swinging tune caught my ears and bought this CD 15 years ago. The rest is pretty medicore, but this tune still holds. And quite nice after Brahms.

Yes. Fragile (1971). On original US CD release from 1990. So many remasterings of this great album. I never found the original vinyl all that great for SQ. This CD has more clarity in comparison and I've been enjoying repeated listens the past few nights. Forty-six years-old it still plays with a progressive air.

sbtrkt - wonder where we land

Before heading out the door...

C.

Florestan posted:

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) | Jean Sibelius (1865-1957):  Lisa Batiashvili (violin) | Daniel Barenboim | Staatskapelle Berlin

Violin Concerto in D-major, op. 35 | Violin Concert in d-minor, op . 47

Lisa Batiashvili - need I say more?  Absolute perfection with the sweetest sound around.  The Sibelius is one of her signature pieces and I just realized that she made another live recording of it about 10 years ago which I must get as well.  One can never have enough recordings in d-minor... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeVdP0tK2j8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xsDZZ_RREE

Bang on, Florestan. There have been many pretty female violinists foisted (nice word) on us recently by record companies. Most have been pretty and 'nice' players. Lisa Batiashvilli however is very beautiful and an absolutely fantastic violinist. One of the things that separates her from others is that, even in the most fast, technically difficult moments, she seems to have so much time. Everything is clear, never slowed down or rushed and slurred. All done with her exquisite tone.

OK OK. As an happily married man pushing 60, can I admit to having a bit of a crush on her ? 

From last night...

On vinyl...

On vinyl...

On original vinyl...

This caused quite a stir when it was first released. Sounded best on vinyl, especially the mighty SL 1210.

unique at the time blend of found sound textures with vintage synth and cutting edge rhythm programming.

sounds today as antiquated and steeped in nostalgia as it was intended, but more so.

One of the best single male artist to have risen from that whole French laid back electronica movement that happened some good years ago.  Still going strong and still brilliant. Better than his contemporaries by a French country mile.  AIR Heads take note.

Rhythm and Sound. With the artists:

future classic Dub tech.

fabulous vocal work over contemporary Dub vistas. Digital Zion..