Tír Na HiFi

Just a small one to last until midnight so I can watch for Father Christmas. Last year as he passed my window he gave me a rude sign. Only a few yards further his reindeer did an emergency stop....

So there it is: a merry Christmas to all and a musically prosperous New Year!

And just to add that I've enjoyed reading the many comments on these earlier works and the
adventures so far into Mahler. Brahms and Dvorak.

All the best and much chinking of glasses!

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/61PPpq%2B0I8L._SL500_AA300_.jpg Unlike the recent Neschling recordings of this composer's music on BIS, the technique used here is quite simple, mainly a two-mike thing I'd guess, perhaps not entirely but more like you'd hear the work in concert than on a recor...

http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/410B5J59MML._SL500_AA300_.jpg Just giving this a spin as I have the whole evening! I've come to like Asahina with Bruckner - he was originally persuaded to take up the Bruckner cause by Furtwangler. It's a nicely balanced recording and he takes the finale at a ...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/419SNhWVh4L._SL500_AA300_.jpg Hope it's ok to give a bit of a report on this in case anyone is interested in Previn's recording of this work. He made two, the first on RCA back in 1966 and later for Telarc. The Telarc is more laid back and hasn't quite the bite...

jaybee wrote: they play disc through Focal Be of some description....

Now that is a way to kill some time....

> And your wallet/bank account - I mean the focal stuff. Make sure your overdraft facility is ok.

Over draught? Overhurricane more like.

I have to confess it's the only one I listen to these days. A majestic sound indeed.

Bruckner:
Tota pulchra es Maria
Symphony No.7
Darwin Aquino:
Cantata para amansar la muerte

Filharmonica Musica Sacra/Aquino
Grupo Vocal Matisses

http://img.hmv.co.jp/image/jacket/400/25/8/2/431.jpg It's a remastering of the Gold Seal 1988 reissue by Kazuie Sugimoto (of XRCD remastering fame). Not something I usually worry about but the original was apparently a hi-fi demo LP in its time and the first CD sounds a bit abrasive. I hope better ...

That missing quaver seals it for me.... ;) Yes. They were selling it for £188.99 until they sorted that out :) Tch! People were being swindled for years as the many quaverless reissues followed one another! Decca's first CD offering was awful! Worse, they priced each set proportionate to the cost o...