What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[Toccata]

With his 11th Quartet, Rihm seems to have mellowed a tiny bit--there are passages with a chorale-like feel to them that wouldn't be too out of line with late Beethoven, then there others that get back to his normal mind-grinding self! The notes state that the 3rd movement pushes the limits of what is playable; of that I have no doubts. Strong, committed performances and great, immediate sound. I need to let my ears recover before I listen to the other two pieces!

[bart]

Continuing with Pärt: Da Pacem



One of the multiple cooperations with Paul Hillier who conducts the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir here.
Absolutely fantastic music on this disc, and very well recorded too.

And after this night, I know Pärt works very well live in a concert hall too.

[AudioNut]

Listening to some really heavenly music . . .

Heavenly Harmonies - William Byrd and Thomas Tallis

Stile Antico

A Harmonia Mundi SACD, recorded in 2008

Really beautiful music sung by excellent voices - A Cappella - and no need for instruments because these folks are near pitch perfect.




Stile Antico is twelve beautiful voices, an early music vocal ensemble from Great Britain, specializing in polyphonic early music composed prior to the eighteenth century. This is about as luxuriant a listen as I've had in a long time. Can't close my eyes though, because I'm sorta watching Alabama and Florida play football as I listen.

[bart]

Originally Posted by AudioNut

Listening to some really heavenly music . . .

Heavenly Harmonies - William Byrd and Thomas Tallis

Stile Antico

A Harmonia Mundi SACD, recorded in 2008

Really beautiful music sung by excellent voices - A Cappella - and no need for instruments because these folks are near pitch perfect.




Stile Antico is twelve beautiful voices, an early music vocal ensemble from Great Britain, specializing in polyphonic early music composed prior to the eighteenth century. This is about as luxuriant a listen as I've had in a long time. Can't close my eyes though, because I'm sorta watching Alabama and Florida play football as I listen.

Haha multitasking Julian, polyphony and football at the same time!
Like yin and yang together.

And you're right, a wonderful album.

[AudioNut]

Originally Posted by bart

Haha multitasking Julian, polyphony and football at the same time!
Like yin and yang together.

And you're right, a wonderful album.

You're up late Bart. I believe it's 6 hours difference from the east coast US to Belgium - hope you're listening to some put-em-to-sleep music. (As is this polyphony - beautiful but mind-deadening.)

[bart]

Originally Posted by AudioNut

You're up late Bart. I believe it's 6 hours difference from the east coast US to Belgium - hope you're listening to some put-em-to-sleep music. (As is this polyphony - beautiful but mind-deadening.)

Yes Julian, after a busy 2 days of seminar (I was one of the key speakers) in Holland, and an uplifting concert immediately after coming back home, the adrenaline is still too high to go to sleep.
The music on the disc I posted last, Da Pacem, has a lot of polyphonic elements in it. So, together with the Single Malt I'm having...

[AndyPandy]

Originally Posted by bart

Andy, I must have been expressing myself in a poor way.
I meant this Saturday night.
We just got back from the concert.
Wonderful experience with a perfect mixture of Pärt and Mozart.
The Pärt pieces played in a very intimate way, Mozart exuberantly powerful.
I'll post some more about it when I find the time.

About your tour, if you can tell me well in advance the exact date of your trip, I'll book us some tickets in Bruges! You'll be our guest!

No no no, your English is perfect. My mistake. I very happy you liked the concert.

Thank you so much - we should love to accept when we (eventually) make it over the pond. It's a little way off at the moment, but I like thinking about it, and what orchestras I should like to hear and what concert halls I should like to visit.

[Antonmb]

Just arrived this week used from Amazon, recommended here by John (Toccata) among others:

Haydn The Symphonies
Philharmonia Hungarica
Antal Dorati conducting
London 1996 reissue in 33 cd set
Original recordings 1971-1974

Now listening to disk 8 while I gradually rip them all to the server. Wonderful recordings, will no doubt provide years of good listening.

[Toccata]

This is a lovely new CD. I saw her perform several of these pieces in concert a few months ago and was utterly enchanted by her poetic, and at times, dramatic playing. Many of the pieces are semi-programmatic, but they can also be enjoyed on a purely musical level, too. Fine sound. (I have to make allowances for the construction technique of her guitar: it's by a modern builder who uses some carbon fiber, a popular trend these days, to help brace the top sound plate, which imparts a slight "plastic" tone to the sound. Non-guitar aficionados probably wouldn't notice!)

[Toccata]

After Aimard's disappointing new WTC, I turned to El Bacha's account for some relief! His playing is so much warmer and grander through the use of (tasteful) rubato, dynamics, and pedaling, all of which Aimard eschews. His tempos are a bit faster than Aimard's, too. Exton has provided El Bacha with richer, warmer sound, as well. A pity that it isn't multi-channel like his complete Ravel set, but the sound is excellent by any standard.



I suppose with the name El Bacha, he was destined to play Bach!