Classical ♫ Music only | Some you listen now or recently, some you love...

[Andolink]

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A really great recording in all respects!

 

[Titurel]

This may just have become the favorite CD in my collection. Great playing, superb sonics.

 

[TimF]

Watch for the sparklies on Anna Lapwoods britches.

 

[stefanovesa]

Listening to this one, in these days.

 

[Andolink]

A very enjoyable recording of unjustly neglected works by Giovanni Benedetto Platti (1697-1763):

 

[Rednaxela]

Listening to it now @Andolink. Most beautiful indeed!

 

[Andolink]

J. S. Bach: Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772-801

Peter Watchorn, harpsichord

 

[Robin L]

Currently listening to Angela Hewitt's lovely 2008 transversal of Bach's Well Tempered Clavier. Never listened to her before, her approach to Bach is much like Murray Perahia's, more flowing and lyrical than most others:

 

[taner]

My Fav Composer: check
My Fav Piece: check
My Fav Conductor: check

 

[Robin L]

Now, I really like Stokowski but:

 

[Robin L]

Rare as Hen's Teeth:

This showed up in my mailbox yesterday. Probably the next to the last of Blandine Verlet's recordings of François Couperin (or anybody, for that matter). 2 CD set, sent from the Netherlands via Amazon, used. Cover in ok shape, CDs themselves perfect, liner notes missing but in their place is the obituary from Le Monde 4 'Janvier', 2019 - Mme Verlet passed away on December 30 2018. Blandine Verlet recorded all of François Couperin's music for the harpsichord for Astree in the 1970s, later to record all of Louis Couperin's for the same. Compared to those earlier recordings - all available via the usual streaming services - the sound is more focused, deploying a different harpsichord from a closer perspective- Henri Hemsch, 1751. Beautiful sounding instrument, excellent engineering. The performances themselves are quite similar to the Astree recordings, featuring Mme Verlet's unique agogics and rubato. Fortunately (for my pocketbook) this pair of CDs only set me back $30, shipping from the Netherlands and sales tax from the state of Washington included. Amazon is currently listing one of Blandine Verlet's CDs of Louis Couperin for $550. A number of her CDs of the Couperin's are posted for well north of $100 on Amazon and Ebay. I wonder if these CDs will move at these prices or if the sellers are engaging in wishful thinking.

 

[Tomino]

Rare as Hen's Teeth:

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This showed up in my mailbox yesterday. Probably the next to the last of Blandine Verlet's recordings of François Couperin (or anybody, for that matter). 2 CD set, sent from the Netherlands via Amazon, used. Cover in ok shape, CDs themselves perfect, liner notes missing but in their place is the obituary from Le Monde 4 'Janvier', 2019 - Mme Verlet passed away on December 30 2018. Blandine Verlet recorded all of François Couperin's music for the harpsichord for Astree in the 1970s, later to record all of Louis Couperin's for the same. Compared to those earlier recordings - all available via the usual streaming services - the sound is more focused, deploying a different harpsichord from a closer perspective- Henri Hemsch, 1751. Beautiful sounding instrument, excellent engineering. The performances themselves are quite similar to the Astree recordings, featuring Mme Verlet's unique agogics and rubato. Fortunately (for my pocketbook) this pair of CDs only set me back $30, shipping from the Netherlands and sales tax from the state of Washington included. Amazon is currently listing one of Blandine Verlet's CDs of Louis Couperin for $550. A number of her CDs of the Couperin's are posted for well north of $100 on Amazon and Ebay. I wonder if these CDs will move at these prices or if the sellers are engaging in wishful thinking.

FWIW, the 2012 release pictured here is available to stream on Qobuz.

 

[Robin L]

FWIW, the 2012 release pictured here is available to stream on Qobuz.

I think I saw this release streaming on other services as well. Blandine Verlet's final recording, also of François Couperin, streams on Tidal - heard it yesterday. Pity Mme Verlet couldn't get around to finish up re-recording all of this music, but I'm grateful for what we've got.

 

[Andolink]

Another gorgeous recording from perhaps my favorite early music label - -

Giovanni MOSSI (c1680-1742), Antonio MONTANARI (1676-1737): “Golden Strings - Sonatas for violin and basso continuo”
Anima & Corpo
rec: July 18 - 21, 2021, San Ginesio (Macerata), Sant’Agostino
Arcana - A539 (© 2023) (65’16")

 

[Multicore]

Feldman - Triadic Memories - Sabine Liebner​

This recording is new to me. Liebner takes all the optional repeats making it over two hours. It's a lovely thing. I got to enjoy a concert of it some years ago. It was enthralling.

This youtube is the rip of the first CD of the set of two.

 

[Titurel]

I'm a sucker for a good ballet suite and these are about as good as they come. The recording quality is superb (SACD) and Bergen Phil. with Litton are their usual wonderful selves. The recording here gives plenty of opportunity to appreciate just how good Prokofiev's orchestration can be.

 

[dualazmak]

I'm a sucker for a good ballet suite and these are about as good as they come.

I am too!
I assume you know/have this wonderful 2-CD full/complete album by Seiji OZAWA and Boston SO recorded in Ozawa's most active and exciting era;

This CD by Charles DUTOIT & Montreal SO is also nice;

I also very much love Schubert's "Rosamunde", especially this wonderful complete performance and recording by Kurt MASUR with Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra inviting Elly AMELING;

 

[Multicore]

I'm a sucker for a good ballet suite

What do you all suggest for a good performance/recording of Háry János suite?

 

[Rednaxela]

 

[Robin L]

This is the first piece of classical music I fell in love with. This is the iteration I first heard.

When this LP was issued, back in 1957, what we now know as the New York Philharmonic was called the Philharmonic - Symphony Orchestra of New York. Leonard Bernstein would replace Dimitri Mitropoulos the following year. This was the way Berlioz' most famous work was regarded at the time, full-blooded romanticism, hell-bent for leather. I first heard this back in 1968 when my homeroom teacher happily loaned it to me in the 7th grade. I suppose while other young guys were embracing louder and rowdier Rock I was embracing louder and rowdier "Classical" music.

In any case, I eventually bought the odyssey reprint of this recording and like so many other budget reissues of the 1970s, one of the sides was markedly off-center. Going through the listings in Tidal last week I found a 24/192 remaster from 2022, excellent sound. Either the remastering engineers or the years of my ears have erased the low-level hiss from the recording. Of course, the issues with speed consistency are now gone. I know there are many other recordings of this warhorse - one could say that Colin Davis started the trend of viewing this sort of "Classical" music through the lens of what we now know as "Historically Informed Performance Practice", approaching this music as closer to Haydn than to Liszt. But this performance for me will always be the way this music was intended to be heard, as unapologetic romanticism.

Dimitri Mitropoulos - Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 (2022 Remastered Version)

Listen to Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14 (2022 Remastered Version) on TIDAL

listen.tidal.com