What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[bart]

Antonio Vivaldi
Cecilia Bartoli
Ensemble Matheus, Jean-Christophe Spinosi
Qobuz 24/96




I'm not the biggest Vivaldi fan, and la Bartoli can sometimes be ear shattering.
But this album is a gem.
We're playing this for the second time today, and it is truly fantastic.

[jimtranr]

Superb 24/352 transfer downloaded and listened to this morning.

[bart]

Liszt - Wagner - A Faust Overture - A Faust Symphony
Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann
Blu-ray




Image and sound are top notch.
We love to see the artists from time to time.

[bart]

François Couperin - L'Alchimiste
Bertand Cuiller, harpsichord
Qobuz 24/96




First listen.
This is very well recorded and equally well played.
Beautiful sounding instrument also.

A miniature Theatre of the World This box set launches a new complete recording of François Couperin's works for harpsichord: an extensive selection of vocal pieces and chamber music and the organ masses will be gathered around this rich corpus, each in its own way shedding further light on the keyboard music. In this first volume, Bertrand Cuiller draws the portrait of a mysterious alchemist: the ordres chosen here play with the colour of sounds, alliterations, double meanings and parodies, freely inspired by the world of the theatre. An enigmatic world to which Bertrand Cuiller undoubtedly holds the key . . .© harmonia mundi

Awards

5 de Diapason

[Toccata]

Despite apparently shopping at Hookers R Us, Ms. Wang demonstrates some mighty impressive piano playing and powerful interpretations. The sound is great too--very present but with some hall sound. (24/96 FLAC) The audience is remarkably silent until the uproarious applause after the Prokofiev 8th Sonata.

[bart]

^^^^^^ John, it is certainly a cover that draws attention.





Meanwhile playing some old favourites of our old favourite Julian!




Simply wonderful music, and I love the authenticity of the instrument.

[bart]

Buxtehude - Telemann - J.S. Bach - "Das neugeborne Kindelein" - Christmas Cantatas
La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken




Latest release from La Petite Bande.
Kuijken is a specialist from the Bach era.
The Buxtehude Cantatas, and even more so the Telemann pieces are also very worthy of your time!

[bart]

As per Tim's suggestion:

Mahler - Symphony No. 1
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik
via Qobuz




Although it doesn't quite equal my Fischer album in sound quality, this is a very good performance and recording (live, '79!).

[bart]

Arianna Savall & Petter Udland Johansen
Hirundo Maris - Silent Night - Early Christmas Music and Carols
Qobuz 24/96




Wonderful album.
Arianna is a worthy daughter of her father!
But all musicians deliver here.
This goes into my favourites.


Led by Catalan musician Arianna Savall and Norwegian musician Petter Udland Johansen, the Hirundo Maris ensemble (latin for "sea swallow") invites us on a somewhat mystical journey into the world of winter - particularly the Christmas and Advent period. Most of the songs are traditional (with some excursions into Praetorius’ and Juan García de Zéspedes’ early Baroque), from both Northern and Southern Europe, as the swallow in question metaphorically travels from Norway to Catalonia. The musicians of the ensemble arrange and adapt the music themselves, giving a very original and personal sound. They alternate between medieval classical and modern folk songs, with instruments that seem to come from a distant past…

We hear a cittern, Scottish bagpipes, a flageolet from the British Isles, a Dobro (a folk guitar with a resonator, written with a capital letter as the model is registered), a cornet, a double bass, percussion, as well as Ariana Savall's triple harp and Johansen's Hardanger violin. The instruments come from all over Europe, each adding their own brand of folk and popular cultural heritage to the mix. The cardinal points here are music from oral tradition, old music from the depths of the Middle Ages, pieces conceived by Hirundo Maris, and improvisation. The ensemble blurs the stylistic boundaries and guarantees exemplary artistry. Of course, the album closes with Gruber's almost mandatory Silent Night , written in 1818, performed here in a somewhat international folk version. © SM/Qobuz

[Toccata]