What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[silvestrione]

Here I am back again (it seems you can't join with the same name twice so I had to remove part of mine). I've been missing the people, conversation, enthusiasms, recommendations and all the rest of it. (Just for the sake of clarity, it wasn't anything to do with anything people had posted that I decided I should leave a while ago.)

My big "discovery" of the last week or two has been Taverner's Missa corona spinea with the Tallis Scholars. If there's anyone here with the slightest interest in Renaissance music who hasn't yet heard it I suggest that you do so! I was a bit disappointed, though, trying to follow this up by getting to know more Taverner than the obvious Western Wind and Gloria Tibi Trinitas, that not much of it has been recorded by smaller vocal ensembles. Why is that, I wonder.

Delighted to see you back! (though there's a few things ahead of Taverner on my priority list, including the rest of Dark Matter, which a couple of us have been listening to, and posting about above, recently)

[Stanfordian]

'À sa guitare' – Philippe Jaroussky – Thibaut Garcia
Collection of songs for countertenor & guitar:
Dowland, Purcell, Rossini, Fauré, Barbara, Purcell, Schubert, Paisiello, Bonfá, Mozart, Giordnani, Caccini, Granados, Poulenc, Reis, Lorca, Ramirez, Faure & Britten
Works for solo guitar: Poulenc, Reis & Rodriguez
Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor) & Thibaut Garcia (guitar)
Recorded 2020-21 Studio de l'Orchestre National d'Île-de-France, Alfortville, Paris
Erato, new release

[Joseph K]

Birthday presents for listening (and reading) -

[BBMmk2]

Looks a very good collection there! Happy birthday to you, JK!

Martha Argerich - The Lugano Recordings

Schumann
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.54
(Martha Argerich, piano, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
Alexandre Rabinowitz-Barakovsky)
Fantasiestücke, Op.88
(Martha Argerich, Renaud Capuçon, violin, Gautier Capuçon, cello)
Piano Quartet in Eb major, Op.47
(Martha Argerich, piano, Renaud Capuçon m violin, Gautier Capuçon, cello)
Adagio & Variations for two pianos, in Bb major, Op.46
(Martha Argerich, Gabriel Montero, pianists)
Piano Quintet in Eb major, Op.44
(Dora Schwarnberg, Renaud Capuçon, violins,
Nora Schwarnberg-Romanoff, viola, Mark Drobinsky, cello
Martha Argerich , piano)
Violin Sonata in A minor, Op.105
(Geza Hossz-Legocky, violin, Martha Argerich, piano)
5 Stücke im Volkston, Op.102
(Gautier Capuçon, cello, Martha Argerich, piano).

[Bryn]

Rather enjoying both concertos. The mix of modern and 'natural' instruments works rather well here, I think. I would rather like to hear an 'afterthoughts' performance of the G major with a modern copy of a piano from Beethoven's time, though. Brautigam reverted to the unrevised version when he recorded the concerto with Willens.

[richardfinegold]

Of course his recordings were released here and attracted some attention but never seemed to catch the critics' ears, for example the half-hearted attention paid to his Mozart and Brahms. Has BAL ever recommended a Walter recording that wasn't Mahler or possibly Bruckner?

More than that, I don’t seem to remember Walter discussed in Gramophone with the same kind of reverence that he gets from American Music Magazines such as Fanfare. Otoh, Beecham, Boulder and Barbirolli probably are discussed more on your side of the pond

[jayne lee wilson]

Birthday presents for listening (and reading) -

..whoever chose those knew what they were doing! Two of my top favourites for Schumann and Birtwistle (which is my NO.1 album for the composer), and the ICA NH which is becoming ever more special the more I hear of it.... more on the Brahms 4 soon....

[jayne lee wilson]

More than that, I don’t seem to remember Walter discussed in Gramophone with the same kind of reverence that he gets from American Music Magazines such as Fanfare. Otoh, Beecham, Boulder and Barbirolli probably are discussed more on your side of the pond

The Gramophone always had high praise for him going back at least to the 1950s, his Mozart especially, whether in Vienna or New York.

Trevor Harvey, in a 1971 review of a Walter rehearsal recording/performance of Mozart Symphony No.36, already felt the need to defend him against his (non-Gramophonian) detractors, calling him "a very great Mozartian" (and found much praise for his verbal articulacy to the orchestra) ...completely and consistently typical of the Gramophone. Walter's Haydn Brahms and Beethoven were highly praised on the 2002 "Great Conductors of the Century" set on IMG.

A high profile too, in the Penguin Stereo Record Guide, created by Gramophone writers , and which I often consulted back in the day, up at the library...

[Joseph K]

..whoever chose those knew what they were doing! Two of my top favourites for Schumann and Birtwistle (which is my NO.1 album for the composer), and the ICA NH which is becoming ever more special the more I hear of it.... more on the Brahms 4 soon....

Indeed! All picks from my amazon wishlist. Got Haydn's symphony no. 100 on right now. Looking forward to the rest.

[gradus]

More than that, I don’t seem to remember Walter discussed in Gramophone with the same kind of reverence that he gets from American Music Magazines such as Fanfare. Otoh, Beecham, Boulder and Barbirolli probably are discussed more on your side of the pond

Walter had adherents among the critics but generally he was noted and then forgotten until a re-issue ignited justifiable interest. Not sure that the three B's carry as much clout as once they did over here but that's the critics loss imv.

[jayne lee wilson]

Such glorious, uplifting music! One inspirational chorus after another... And a great recording!


Zelenka: Messe Dei Patris, ZWV 19

Mechthild Bach

• QOBUZ LOSSLESS Released on 01/10/2000 by Carus

[cloughie]

Walter had adherents among the critics but generally he was noted and then forgotten until a re-issue ignited justifiable interest. Not sure that the three B's carry as much clout as once they did over here but that's the critics loss imv.

Indeed, Boult and Barbirolli’s Elgar are superb but very different. The same can be said of Barbirolli’s and Beecham’s Delius.

[BBMmk2]

Such glorious, uplifting music! One inspirational chorus after another... And a great recording!


Zelenka: Messe Dei Patris, ZWV 19

Mechthild Bach

• QOBUZ LOSSLESS Released on 01/10/2000 by Carus

Must look that one up!

Carrying on playing from:-

Martha Argerich - The Lugano Recordings
Ravel
Gaspard de la Nuit
(Martha Argerich, piano)
La Valse (arr for 2 pianos Ravel)
(Martha Argerich, Sergio Tiempo, pianists)
Ma Mére l’Oye(for piano, 4 hands)
(Martha Argerich, Alexander Mogilevsky, pianists)
Piano Concerto in G major
(Martha Argerich,
Orchestra della Svizzera, Alexander Vedernikov)
Debussy
Préludeá l’après-midi d’un faune
(Martha Argerich, Stephen Kovacevich, pianists)
Rachmaninov
Symphonic Dances, Op.45
(Martha Argerich, Nelson Goerner, pianists)
Suite for 2 Pianos No.1 in G minor,”Fantasie-tableaux”, Op.5
(Martha Argerich Lilya Zilberstein, pianists)
Suite for 2 Pianos No.2 in C major, Op.17
Prokofiev
Symphony No.1 in D major, Op.25 “Classical”
(Arr. for two pianos by Rikuya Terashima)
(Martha Argerich, Yefim Bronfman, pianists)
Violin Sonata No.2 in D major, Op.94
(Renaud Capuçon, violin, Martha Argerich, piano)
Rachmaninov
Six Morceaux, Op.11
(Martha Argerich, Lilya Zilberstein, pianists).

[Vox Humana]

My big "discovery" of the last week or two has been Taverner's Missa corona spinea with the Tallis Scholars. If there's anyone here with the slightest interest in Renaissance music who hasn't yet heard it I suggest that you do so! I was a bit disappointed, though, trying to follow this up by getting to know more Taverner than the obvious Western Wind and Gloria Tibi Trinitas, that not much of it has been recorded by smaller vocal ensembles. Why is that, I wonder.

If you read the books, they will tell you that Taverner's greatest work is the Mass Gloria tibi Trinitas. I have no idea why. I rate Corona spinea far higher. For one thing it is much more memorable and shows far greater imagination in its scoring. For example, the double gimel of four (originally) boys' voices in the Agnus is quite magical and the et expecto verse at the end of the Creed with its two growling basses cavorting below a soaring treble is quite unique in Tudor music. The high pitches used in all the currently available recordings (Tallis Scholars, Sixteen, Christ Church Oxford) do not really capture this last effect. There was an old Saga LP of it sung by the Oxford Schola Cantorum under the late John Byrt which did. I would like to think that the Saga disc (which was of their typically lamentable quality) was a re-issue of a much better quality production, but I never did trace one.

As for other recordings of Taverner, The Sixteen recorded his whole output and their performance of the Mass O Michael remains the only one ever recorded. However, dare I say that, in my opinion, they show more commitment shown to technique than to communication of the music. Also, the high pitch standard employed in this and other Tudor music have long been thoroughly debunked.

I would recommend this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2nZ...Wo9NY4&index=2

Also worth a listen is this, although, personally, I'd skip the interpolated plainsong tracks—you can't recreate the atmosphere of a service on CD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ujx...vhhBX8KnkCH1ps. This partner CD is all the better for avoiding plainsong, but I can't find a complete listing on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nCa...mtCmah&index=6

Taverner's best known work is undoubtedly his Mass The Western Wind (which you already know). There's a fine performance by Andrew Parrott's Taverner Choir scattered around YouTube. The CD has other, secular, music of Taverner's time to provide variety.

[jayne lee wilson]

Brahms
Symphony No.4. COE/Harnoncourt. Live, Graz, 1997. From the new ICA Box.

So to the 1997 live COE Brahms 4th…..
There’s a tingle in the air…..

From the very start, there’s a sense of a quest, a new adventure, a voyage of discovery for all; the phrasing sharp and clear, dynamics wide, string and wind lines carried with schwung and biting, explicit brass.
Harnoncourt is making you listen up!

The winds at the andante’s opening are ear-catchingly colourful and individual; the movement full of pathos, tonal beauty and drama. There follows the fastest, and lightest, most joyfully waspish giocoso I (or you) ever heard...
Then a finale that searches out every detail of line and accompaniment (you’ll hear things you never did before), but meaningfully, by maintaining a keen rhythmic profile to the phrase, an unerring forward momentum; again a striking schwung - real swing - to the musical flow.

But with so many incidental beauties.
The flute solo in var.12 never more limpidly eloquent, the annunciatory, climaxing 24th variation beginning the 4th and final section quite overwhelming. The tempo shifts may often startle but they always emphasise the musical meaning, the mood of the narrative. As ever, Harnoncourt has the eye on the longterm, the shape and structure.
Yes, they are many great 4ths in the world; but this ranks high, in the very select top group, especially as it is live, and feels so very alive, made in the moment.
Just astonishing….!

(I'll try to get a dedicated thread going on this box, full of amazing things...)