What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[richardfinegold]

Beethoven. Piano Concerto No.1

Maurizio Pollini, piano. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Eugum Jochum. DG

An eBay purchase. I’ve always enjoyed collecting ‘vintage’ discs from the early days of the medium. This is 1983 example. Sounds terrific!

A lot of early digital discs sound great. The digital medium is mature. At first there was a lot of uncertainty in the engineering community about protocols, etc. However most of the discs that I owned that were piloried by critics in the early digital years sound fantastic on modern equipment

[Mandryka]

DG were notorious for modifying the sound pianists made in the studio at the time. The classic example is Kempff - the Beethoven recordings he made in stereo were given a light and airy sound by the DG engineers, which apparently sounds nothing like him in real life. Pollini was also ruined in some recordings by DG, given a hard sound - nothing like the live Pollini or indeed the Pollini in live recordings from Salzburg not on DG. That being said I haven’t heard the Beethoven concerto recording.

Oh, by the way, I’ve been listening to Peter Hill play the Diabelli Variations.

[BBMmk2]

With Daniel Barenboim announcement last night at The Gramophone Awards, saying he’s having to step back from his musical activities, I’m going have a listen to some of his recordings today. I

[pastoralguy]

Beethoven. Piano Concerto No.1

Maurizio Pollini, piano. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Eugum Jochum. DG

An eBay purchase. I’ve always enjoyed collecting ‘vintage’ discs from the early days of the medium. This is 1983 example. Sounds terrific!

Back in the day when record companies thought it was acceptable to release CDs with short playing times!

[Stanfordian]

Massenet
‘Le Mage’ grand opera in 5 acts
Catherine Hunold, Kate Aldrich, Luca Lombardo, Jean-François Lapointe, Marcel Vanaud,
Julien Dran, Florian Sempey
Chœur Lyrique et Orchestre Symphonique Saint-Étienne Loire / Laurent Campellone
Recorded 2012 L'Opéra-Théâtre de Saint-Étienne
‘French opera’ series, vol. 5
Bru Zane, 2 CD-book

[RichardB]

Continuing with Ligeti for no particular reason: today, his Hamburg Concerto for horn and orchestra. A really fascinating and at the same time frustrating piece, full of brilliant ideas that he drops before really going anywhere with them, so that its seven movements have the character of disconnected etudes. Followed on the CD by the Double Concerto for flute and oboe, one of my favourites, Ramifications which I don't think lives up to its initial promise, and his Requiem which I always like more than I'm expecting to.

[Bryn]

Oliveros: Duo for Accordion and Bandoneon with Possible Mynah Bird . . . (Pauline Oliveros and David Tudor). From:

[RichardB]

Oliveros: Duo for Accordion and Bandoneon with Possible Mynah Bird . . . (Pauline Oliveros and David Tudor).

That looks interesting.

After Ligeti, I thought I'd try the recently released (but not so recently recorded) Musikfabrik recording of Partch's Delusion of the Fury. At the beginning I thought what was most remarkable about it is how similar to the original 1969 recording (which I feel like I know inside out) it sounds, but as it went on it became increasingly clear that the singing, playing and recording are a great improvement. I found it an absolute joy to listen to.

[Stanfordian]

Jodie Devos – ‘Bijoux Perdus’
French Opéra Airs by Meyerbeer, Massé, Thomas, Halévy, Adam & Auber
Jodie Devos (soprano),
Flemish Radio Choir,
Brussels Philharmonic / Pierre Bleuse
Recorded 2022 Studio 4, Flagey, Brussels
Alpha Classics CD, new release

[BBMmk2]

Carrying on with my theme of celebrating the artistry of Daniel Barenboim.

Beethoven
33 Variations, in C major, on a Waltzby Diabelli, Op.120
Daniel Barenboim, (piano).

[richardfinegold]

I just took possession of a big (75 CDs) of Reinhard Goebel and Musica Antiqua Koln. I played a disc of Leclair last night

[Bryn]

I just took possession of a big (75 CDs) of Reinhard Goebel and Musica Antiqua Koln. I played a disc of Leclair last night

I gave in and ordered. It turned out that I had fewer of the recordings therein than I had thought. Due for delivery later today (by 9 pm is the latest estimate).

[Serial_Apologist]

That looks interesting.

After Ligeti, I thought I'd try the recently released (but not so recently recorded) Musikfabrik recording of Partch's Delusion of the Fury. At the beginning I thought what was most remarkable about it is how similar to the original 1969 recording (which I feel like I know inside out) it sounds, but as it went on it became increasingly clear that the singing, playing and recording are a great improvement. I found it an absolute joy to listen to.

The little of Partch's music that I have heard always makes me think of a rickety barrel organ played by an even more rickety organ grinder! Enjoyable though - for all that!

[MickyD]

I just took possession of a big (75 CDs) of Reinhard Goebel and Musica Antiqua Koln. I played a disc of Leclair last night

I have most of the original CDs already, so have resisted so far. Can you give me details of the Haydn discs in the box? Were they the ones originally recorded for Philips? I don't recall them appearing on Archiv at the time. Thanks.

[Mandryka]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jbHXbWI7ltk

Lovely Scarlatti from Cziffra in Strasbourg in 1960.