Spinning Today (Classical version)

[julesd68]

Testing out my new amp with Herman Krebbers tearing up Brahms's Violin Concerto with Haitink / Concertgebouw ... Superbly rich recording on Philips.

[MartinT]

Is this a Quad 606 or 909, Jules? How does it compare with the 405-II? For classical music, of course

[jandl100]

Rather a special composer, this. Komitas. Very sad life - caught up in the genocide of the Armenians at the beginning of the 20thC.

I watched a DVD concert last night given by the Russian pianist, Grigory Sokolov, including Komitas' 6 dances for piano.

If you love 'minimalism' - Phil Glass etc, then you may well love this, too.

Give it a listen .... I find it deeply moving

[Marco]

Got this little lot today, from a variety of charity shops in Frodsham, Cheshire - all 50p, apart from the box set at the end, which was £3.

Prokofiev – Lieutenant Kije Suite/Scythian Suite, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Abbado, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1978.

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – Romantische Klavierstucke, Branka Musulin, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1969.

Respighi – Fountains of Rome/Pines of Rome, with The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1978.

Schubert - Symphony No9 in C Major ‘The Great’, with The Halle Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli, on EMI ‘His Master’s Voice’, from 1968.

Bach - Violin Concerto in A Minor/Violin Concerto in E/Hadyn Violin Concerto in C, with Arthur Grumiaux (violin) and The English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Raymond Leppard, on Philips, from 1964.

Chopin – Tamas Vasry Spielt, Chopin’s Beliebeste Klavierstucke, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1972.

Dvorak – Symphony No1 in C Minor “Bells of Zlonice”, with The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Istvan Kertesz, on Decca FFRR, from 1967.

Schubert – Wanderer Fantasia/Schumann – Carnaval Julius Katchen (piano), on Decca Eclipse, from 1970.

Gabriel Faure – Requiem Op.48/Cantique de Jean Racine Op.11, with The Orchestra of the Monte Carlo Opera, conducted by Louis Fremaux, on The World Record Club, from 1964.

Carl Nielsen – Symphony No5 Op.50, with The New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, on CBS, from 1963.

Beethoven – Piano Concerto No4, with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Wilhelm Backhaus (piano), on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1959.

Beethoven – “Eroica” Symphony, with The Vienna Orchestra, conducted by Erich Kleiber, on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1959.

Brahms – Symphony No1, with The Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, conducted by Eduard van Beinum, on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1959.

Mozart – Piano Concertos, with The Philharmonia Orchestra and Annie Fischer (piano), conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, on HMV ‘His Master’s Voice’, from 1959.

Bach – Cantatas Nos 11 and 67, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, with the Cantata Singers and Jacques Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Reginald Jacques, on Decca Eclipse, from 1970.

Beethoven – Symphony 5, with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Kleiber, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1975.

Britten – The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, with The Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, conducted by Eduard van Beinum. Prokofiev – Peter and the Wolf, with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Nicolai Malko, Narrator: Frank Phillps, on Decca Ace of Clubs, from 1960.

Beethoven (box set) – The Masses, with The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, Munich Bach Choir and Munich Bach Orchestra, conducted by Karl Richter, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1970.

That should keep me busy for a while!

Marco.

[MartinT]

Respighi – Fountains of Rome/Pines of Rome, with The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1978.

I'll be interested in what you think of Pines. I love it, very evocative imagery and two awesome build-ups to huge crescendi. The Karajan should be good if not a stellar era for DG recordings.

Beethoven – Symphony 5, with The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Kleiber, on Deutsche Grammophon, from 1975.

Here you've struck gold, Marco. The most riveting, exciting and vibrant recording of the 5th you might ever hear. Forget stale fifths, this one takes you through a journey. One of the very best recorded classical performances of anything that I know.

[Marco]

Cheers, Martin. Nice to know... I'll let you know what I think! Bit of a bargain that lot though, eh?

Marco.

[morris_minor]

It's not often I come across such a jaw-dropping, stunning album such as this.



Sung by the Platinum Consort, this album of Renaissance choral pieces has some modern pieces by James Macmillan and Richard Bates which blend the sensibilities of renaissance polyphony with more adventurous harmony to form something that's simultaneously both old and new and doesn't sound out of place in the company of Victoria, Gesualdo, de Lassus etc. Occasionally Richard Bates slips in something Poulenc would be proud of, but the effect is totally natural.

Singing and recording are superb. This is a download only album, either from Resonus or, with a 20% discount on the 96/24 FLAC from eClassical.

On eClassical you can hear all the album - anyone with the slightest interest in choral music should definitely check this out . . .

[MartinT]

That's really nice, Bob. Some of the Richard Bates has similar beautiful dissonances to John Tavener. I've never bought an entire downloadable album before, this may be my first.

[jandl100]

For the true Bruckner dovotee, have a listen to this -

A choral song called "Evening magic" for tenor, male choir, three female yodellers and four alphorns.

Actually, it's kind of nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mOpRZlXhaQ

[jandl100]

Got this little lot today, from a variety of charity shops in Frodsham, Cheshire - all 50p, apart from the box set at the end, which was £3.

......

Marco.

WOW - yummy. Most of them are very good to astonishingly wonderful!
I agree with Martin, the Kleiber Beethoven 5th is pretty much unequalled.

But there's other fab stuff there as well - Mozart piano concertos with Annie Fischer - Brahms 1st symphony with van Beinum; mmmm, I'd like to hear that! - Backhaus may well be my fave Beethoven pianist, I see you've got the 4th concerto; I've never heard that recording and I'd love to! - Faure Requiem; very beautiful - Dvorak's 1st symphony; great stuff, imo his best symphony before the final three - Grumiaux in Bach - Vasary in Chopin.


It's a treasure trove, Marco!

Here's a few little somethings that I picked up yesterday in a local Oxfam shop - sadly, at £1.99 each, except the Chopin double LP at 99p!



Also !!