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

Bert Schurink posted:

The other one I listened to earlier in the car...

 

Good Lord! I have this on original vinyl somewhere - not played it for over 35 years! 

Hook posted:

Ok, I'll admit that during at least one commute to work, I was seen singing along (with great gusto and at the top of my lungs) to Fernando.

Will also admit to a teenage crush on Agnetha. Doubt I was alone! 

Guilty as charged!

A+3 | WAV

(1965)

Time for a Beatles classic this morning as I'm just in the mood, from the 2009 stereo remasters.

Haven't heard this music like this before....., very interesting...

Celine Frisch - Rameau

Haim Ronen posted this one a few days ago. I checked it out, I liked it and I bought it. Nice music indeed by a (until a few days ago) unknown composer for me.

Ron Carter - The Golden Striker

• Ron Carter - Bass
• Russell Malone - Guitar
• Mulgrew Miller - Piano

On original UK double vinyl. It was my favourite album of 1988:

Will get this later...

Now listening to Anders Jormin. Triggered by a number of the LABTrio which was motivated by him....

 As the picture will not show the title is provenance ....

Kevin-W posted:

On original UK double vinyl. It was my favourite album of 1988:

Sorry, I meant to say 1998!

Bert Schurink posted:

Bert Schurink posted:

Bert Schurink posted:

Moving to something else a bit older. Great recordings....

 

Picture doesn't show let's hope this one does while the original picture of Mercury Living Presence is the correct one...

 

I hate this trouble with pictures. Hope we will soon have a different solution for the forum. So for those interested. I am listening to Paul Paray with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, to overtures etc of Wagner recorded by Mercury Living Presence...

Bert - have you tried to find the disc pic on muddy river or selected retailer, right click - copy image location & paste into post? or use: insert/edit image button.

N

Broadcast's stunning debut from 2000, The Noise Made By People. On vinyl. Why? Because it's just brilliant.

Booker Ervin - Setting the pace.

Great hard bop by Booker Ervin and Dexter Gordon.

From allmusic.com:

This CD reissue has the complete contents of two former LPs, both recorded at the same session. With very stimulating playing by pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Alan Dawson, tenors Booker Ervin and Dexter Gordon battle it out on marathon (19 and 22 1/2 minute) versions of "Setting the Pace" and "Dexter's Deck." Although Gordon is in good form, Ervin (who sometimes takes the music outside) wins honors. The other two selections ("The Trance" and "Speak Low") are by the same group without Dexter, and these long (19 1/2- and 15-minute) showcases also find Booker in top form, sounding quite distinctive and completely original playing inside/outside music. An exciting set.

The Who, My Generation. This is the stereo double LP version released by Universal in 2002. Fancied something raw:

Awe-inspiring, politically-charged grooves (1986) from Africa's greatest-ever musician. On vinyl:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rew1u2ncb-w

Bert posted:

ToddHarris posted:

excellent Schubert recital from Bonney/Parsons...

Todd,

I recently discovered this album from 1994 and I fully agree!

Over the last years I have collected some 800 Lieder on my NAS from Dietrich Fischer-Diskau (the 21 CD box), Matthias Goerne (the 12 CD box), Elly Ameling, Peter Schreier, Christopher Gerhaher, Olaf Bär, Christoph Prégardien and Gundula Janowitz. I selected these after listening to dozens and dozens of performers on Spotify - I can't get enough of Schubert Lieder! 

From the sopranos, Elly Ameling is gorgous (her recordings from the '70's), Gundula Janowitz is a bit slow, formal but etheric in beauty (e.g. Der König in Thule D367). Compared to these two stars Barbara stands out very well: a lovely, pleasing high voice, easy-going and engaged. As American she has worked very hard on her German pronounciation, it is almost flawless!  - Florestan, I guess you are German: what do you think?

Barbara sings a very nice "Gretchen am Spinnrade" (D118) a lovely  "Du bist die Ruh' (D776)" and a beautiful "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt" (D877-4).The piano sound is excellent.

Overall a very good Schubert recital. Recommended!

Bonney, Ameling and Janowitz are all great exponents of Schubert lieder.  I could add 10 more sopranos though and make it even harder to pick a favourite.  Each one has a uniqueness however, the one that stands out for me is probably the hardest sell for many.  I could pick any of them as there is nothing wrong with any one of them but for me personally I am transfixed by Gundula Janowitz.  

Specific example is Du bist die Ruh (D.776).  It is the one for precisely the reason that most would not pick it and it is for the tempo (and atmosphere) alone.  You can listen to 10 other recordings and they will all fall into a similar tempo.  Not wrong but it is like political correctness in a way.  When I play the Liszt transcription on the piano again I never ever felt it appropriate to play at the tempo most record this at.  Janowitz is just perfect, in my opinion.

For those who follow the text it seemed clear to me based on what "Du bist du Ruh" means and what this lied is all about in the first place.  The faster you go the less in tune you are with the character of this music you will tend to be.  There is nothing wrong with the majority here but I just feel personally more drawn in by the slightly slower tempo as this is what I tend to be at at the piano.  The difference is that I don't have to play in front of people and only seek to do what is "natural" to me.  In general, I think these days most performers tend to have faster tempos to please the crowds and to please record sales and marketing managers and booking agents.  But lied for me is about one on one (the most intimate) conversation and they are not meant for the masses.

Du bist du Ruh is roughly translated as "You are the peace (or rest or calm)."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD0wIulnj8g

Du bist die Ruh,
Der Friede mild,
Die Sehnsucht du
Und was sie stillt.

Ich weihe dir
[Voll]1 Lust und Schmerz
Zur Wohnung hier
Mein Aug und Herz.

[Kehr ein bei mir]2,
Und schließe du
[Still hinter dir
Die Pforten zu]3.

Treib andern Schmerz
Aus dieser Brust!
Voll sei dies Herz
Von deiner Lust.

Dies Augenzelt
Von deinem Glanz
Allein erhellt,
O füll es ganz!

You are peace,
The mild peace,
You are longing
And what stills it.

I consecrate to you
Full of pleasure and pain
As a dwelling here
My eyes and heart.

Come live with  me,
And close
quietly behind you
the gates.

Drive other pain
Out of this breast
May my heart be full
With your pleasure.

The tabernacle of my eyes
by your radiance
alone is illumined,
O fill it completely!

Bert, regarding the German diction, I personally do not have an issue with most of the examples one has here.  Quite good all around whether American (Bonney) or Dutch (Ameling) or Austrian (Janowitz) for me but out of this trio you might hear good, better, best in this order?  Then compare to Elisabeth Schwarzkopf?

Fela on vinyl again, this time from 1975. These lengthy grooves are utterly compelling:

First up this morning.....

Something pleasant and easy for a Sunday Morning.

wonderful CD - great compositions, fantastic playing/conducting...don't miss it!

More Afrobeat on the black stuff, again from '75:

Next up........

Moving from Winter to Summer on a mellow Sunday morning.

48/24 download