|
||||
Cecilia Bartoli - Unreleased
Qobuz 24/96 Presto Classical's album of the week. La Bartoli in great shape, with pieces of Beethoven, Mysliveček, Mozart and Haydn.
__________________
Stereo: Hegel H590, Grimm Audio MU1, Mola Mola Tambaqui, Burmester 948 - V3 & V6 racks, Vivid Audio G2 Giyas, REL Carbon Special (pair), Silent Angel Bonn N8 Ethernet Switch & Forester F1, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse IC and SE SC, Furutech Digiflux AV: Hegel C-53, Marantz AV8802A, Oppo BDP-203EU, Pioneer Kuro 60", Vivid Audio C1 & V1w's, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse, SE & E Second system (veranda): Halgorythme preamp and monoblocks, Burmester 061, Avalon Avatar, Sharkwire & Wireworld cables |
|
||||
COMPOSERS CONDUCT
Copland - Appalachian Spring - The Tender Land: Suite Gould - Fall River Legend - Latin-American Symphonette Boston Symphony Orchestra via Qobuz I am a Copland fan. And for a 62 year old recording, great sound! While there are plenty of other dandy recordings of Copland's populist magnum opus Appalachian Spring, this 1959 recording may be the one to get if you're getting only one. For one thing, it has Copland conducting, and while he was not the world's greatest conductor, he was the world's greatest authority on his own music and it shows in his conducting, which, for all its lack of experience and technique, is unsurpassed in insight and lucidity. More to the point, he was the world's greatest admirer of his own music and it shows in his interpretation, which for all its tendency toward sentimentality, is unequaled in affection and sympathy. Plus, Copland is immeasurably helped by the unrivaled playing of the Boston Symphony, which not only plays with more beauty of tone and strength of purpose than it had in the past 50 years, it plays with nearly as much affection and sympathy for the music as Copland himself. Furthermore, RCA's "Living Stereo" sound is every bit as warm and rich and detailed as the best recordings made in the past 50 years. The other music on the disc -- Copland's dappled yellow and brown The Tender Land Suite, Morton Gould's blood-red New England Elektra Fall River Legend, plus Gould's two south of the border encores Tango and Guaracha -- is dandy, but Copland's own 1959 Appalachian Spring is the dandiest.
__________________
Stereo: Hegel H590, Grimm Audio MU1, Mola Mola Tambaqui, Burmester 948 - V3 & V6 racks, Vivid Audio G2 Giyas, REL Carbon Special (pair), Silent Angel Bonn N8 Ethernet Switch & Forester F1, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse IC and SE SC, Furutech Digiflux AV: Hegel C-53, Marantz AV8802A, Oppo BDP-203EU, Pioneer Kuro 60", Vivid Audio C1 & V1w's, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse, SE & E Second system (veranda): Halgorythme preamp and monoblocks, Burmester 061, Avalon Avatar, Sharkwire & Wireworld cables |
|
||||
Having seen Copland conduct the now-defunct San Jose Symphony in a full-production live performance of "Appalachian Spring" in the mid-1970s (with Martha Graham offering some pithy bring-down-the-house pre-performance commentary while sitting on the stage in a bright red dress), I'd agree on his ability to coax the appropriate emotion out of the orchestra.
What really attracts me about this release, however, are the Morton Gould composer-conducted works...and the engineering RCA put into them. I think the original vinyl release of "Fall River Legend," "Interplay" (a real sonic knockout), and the selections from "Latin-American Symphonette" constitutes "Living Stereo" at its finest. The CD reissue (which unfortunately doesn't include "Interplay") comes close to capturing that magic.
__________________
Jim Bedroom: Aurender N150, Bryston BDA-3, EMIA Cu Elmaformer passive line stage, conrad-johnson MF2500, Paradigm Studio 20 v5. Shunyata Delta D6, Altaira CG hub. Shunyata Alpha XC, Delta NR v2, Alpha USB, Alpha and Venom CGC/SGC. Wireworld Eclipse 8 interconnect & speaker cables. Stillpoints footers, Butcher Block Acoustics maple platforms. Stillpoints and GIK acoustic panels. Home Office:Windows 11 PC/JRiver 31, TEAC UD-505 AKM version, Luminous Audio Technology Axiom II Walker Mod passive, conrad-johnson Sonographe SA-250, Paradigm SE-1. Shunyata Hydra (Original Version), Venom 10 NR. Wireworld Eclipse 7 interconnects. Blue Jeans speaker cable. Living-Dining Room: Windows 11 Laptop/JRiver 29, Oppo BD-83, TEAC UD-501 DAC, SOTA Sapphire TT, Graham Slee Era Gold V, Ortofon 2M Black, McIntosh MR-77, c-j Sonographe SC-25, c-j MF2500, Paradigm SE-3. Wireworld 8 IC, Blue Jeans SC. Shunyata Hydra 8 v.2, Shunyata Delta NR, Venom NR. GIK 244 bass & scatter-plate panels. Last edited by jimtranr; 11-20-2021 at 01:13 AM. |
|
||||
Sofia Gubaidulina: Dialog: Ich und Du, The Wrath of God & The Light of the End Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Andris Nelsons Release Date: 22nd Oct 2021 Catalogue No: 4861457 Label: DG Length: 62 minutes Presto Recordings of the Year Finalist 2021 Just fantastic! What a talent Sofia is, what a wonderful performance, such an excellent recording. |
|
||||
Quote:
Color me jealous that you got to see Copland conduct, that must be a great memory.
__________________
Tony D'Agostino Momentum S250 MxV & HD pre; Linn Klimax Organik DSM, SonicTransporter, EtherRegen; Acoustic Signature Typhoon Neo, Koetsu RSP, Boulder 1108; Sf Il Cremonese; Shunyata Everest, Altaira, Sigma & Alpha v2 |
|
||||
Quote:
__________________
Stereo: Hegel H590, Grimm Audio MU1, Mola Mola Tambaqui, Burmester 948 - V3 & V6 racks, Vivid Audio G2 Giyas, REL Carbon Special (pair), Silent Angel Bonn N8 Ethernet Switch & Forester F1, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse IC and SE SC, Furutech Digiflux AV: Hegel C-53, Marantz AV8802A, Oppo BDP-203EU, Pioneer Kuro 60", Vivid Audio C1 & V1w's, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse, SE & E Second system (veranda): Halgorythme preamp and monoblocks, Burmester 061, Avalon Avatar, Sharkwire & Wireworld cables |
|
||||
Édouard Lassen - Lieder - Mélodies
Reinoud van Mechelen, tenor Anthony Romaniuk, piano Qobuz 24/96 A wonderful discovery. Reinoud van Mechelen is fantastic as always, with excellent support from Romaniuk. Admired by Liszt, who played and promoted his music, and spoken of with touching nostalgia by Thomas Mann, who in 1930 recalled the "slightly sweet flavour" of his music, Edouard Lassen (1830-1904) was quickly forgotten by history after having been the most-performed Lieder composer of his day. Unfortunately, his Jewish origin was a factor in undoing his reputation at a time when the brown plague was gradually spreading in Germany. Born in Copenhagen to a well-to-do Jewish family, Edouard Lassen followed his parents to Brussels where his father had a business in "Supplies for tailors and military equipment”; a button and bladed weapons factory in reality. Musically gifted, he soon graduated from the Royal Conservatory before becoming a much sought-after conductor throughout Germany. He successfully conducted Wagner's operas in the presence of the composer, defying the latter’s notorious anti-Semitism. Lassen's musical language skilfully blends the German and French cultures that were the two sources of his subtle inspiration. This dual influence is particularly noticeable in the programme presented here, which is so well conceived and, above all, so well sung by a most inspired Reinoud Van Mechelen. The Belgian singer presents a selection of Lieder in German and melodies in French, based on poems by Charles Cros and Victor Hugo. The "sweet flavour" evoked so fondly by Thomas Mann is tinged with a powerful nostalgia that is further enhanced by the smooth interpretation given by the tenor, assisted by the beautiful "great concert Steinway", which was built in New York in 1875 and is played here by Anthony Romaniuk with a nicely outdated, even slightly decadent style. Listeners will savour this work with a pleasant and rather old-fashioned sense of indulgence. © François Hudry/Qobuz
__________________
Stereo: Hegel H590, Grimm Audio MU1, Mola Mola Tambaqui, Burmester 948 - V3 & V6 racks, Vivid Audio G2 Giyas, REL Carbon Special (pair), Silent Angel Bonn N8 Ethernet Switch & Forester F1, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse IC and SE SC, Furutech Digiflux AV: Hegel C-53, Marantz AV8802A, Oppo BDP-203EU, Pioneer Kuro 60", Vivid Audio C1 & V1w's, Wireworld Platinum Eclipse, SE & E Second system (veranda): Halgorythme preamp and monoblocks, Burmester 061, Avalon Avatar, Sharkwire & Wireworld cables |
|
||||
Verdi, "Luisa Miller".
Teatro dell'Opera, Rome Performance from April 2021, FM broadcast this afternoon on WRTI, 90.1, Philadelphia. We are fortunate in having a couple of excellent FM stations within reach. Michele Mariotti; Michele Pertusi (Count Walter), Antonio Poli (Rodolfo), Daniela Barcellona (Frederica), Nahuel di Pierro (Wurm), Roberto Frontali (Miller), Roberta Mantegna (Luisa), Irene Savignano (Laura), Rodrigo Ortiz (Peasant)
__________________
Glenn... Canton Reference 9 Clearaudio SM Pro Focal Bathys JLA 10" Dominion Kuzma Stabi S w/MC & MM Magnepan 1,7i McIntosh MA8950 & MR88 Oppo 203 Roon Nucleus Rose Hifi RS150B Shunyata Gemini-4 Sony ST-A6B, TA-F6B, ST-J75 & PS-X75 Sorane SA1.2 & TA-1L Stillpoints LP1v2 WW Pt, Au & Ag |
|
||||
Schubert: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 2
Auryn Quartet CPO (1997), via Qobuz Beautiful playing. This is a great set. IMG_3930.jpg
__________________
Tony D'Agostino Momentum S250 MxV & HD pre; Linn Klimax Organik DSM, SonicTransporter, EtherRegen; Acoustic Signature Typhoon Neo, Koetsu RSP, Boulder 1108; Sf Il Cremonese; Shunyata Everest, Altaira, Sigma & Alpha v2 |
|
|
Audio Aficionado Sponsors | |