What are you listening to?

[bombasticDarren]

Brahms - Symphony No.1 (Rudolf Kempe, Berliner Philharmoniker, Testament)

[fergus]

R Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie....





I just love this work and Zinman does it great justice. The storm scene is particularly wonderful. This work (played by any decent conductor) really should be in every collection.

[Jose Echenique]

This has just arrived. Needless to say, this is another invented "Vespro" that we can´t possibly know if ever took place. What we get here is some Caldara and Handel motets and psalms.
The Caldara are the more valuable items since the Handel Dixit Dominus has been recorded often before. But the Caldara items are very beautiful and worth investigating.
The performances are excellent with glorious, full-voiced Baroque Prima Donna Roberta Invernizzi shinning throughout.

[fergus]

This has just arrived. Needless to say, this is another invented "Vespro" that we can´t possibly know if ever took place. What we get here is some Caldara and Handel motets and psalms.
The Caldara are the more valuable items since the Handel Dixit Dominus has been recorded often before. But the Caldara items are very beautiful and worth investigating.
The performances are excellent with glorious, full-voiced Baroque Prima Donna Roberta Invernizzi shinning throughout.

The only works that I have of Caldara are a Christmas Cantata and two Sinfonias Pepe but I like them.

[Jose Echenique]

Antonio Caldara was a superb composer Fergus. A disciple of Fux in Vienna, he was well known from Naples to London.
I think you should definitely investigate his marvelous oratorio La Maddalena ai Piedi di Cristo that René Jacobs recorded for Harmonia Mundi so successfully that it went to win a Gramophone award for Baroque Music.
Make no mistake, this is a masterpiece.

[fergus]

Antonio Caldara was a superb composer Fergus. A disciple of Fux in Vienna, he was well known from Naples to London.
I think you should definitely investigate his marvelous oratorio La Maddalena ai Piedi di Cristo that René Jacobs recorded for Harmonia Mundi so successfully that it went to win a Gramophone award for Baroque Music.
Make no mistake, this is a masterpiece.

Thank you for that Pepe.

[Jose Echenique]

One wonders, just last year an admirable recording of the Handel Violin Sonatas appeared in Deutsche Harmonia Mundi with Julia Schröder, first violin of the Kammerorchester Basel. Now DHM records the same works with Riccardo Minasi, leader of the Accademia Bizantina.
His playing is nothing short of sensational: super virtuoso, warm, imaginative and obviously Italianate.
The Handel Violin Sonatas, long neglected by major violinists, have received in recent years admirable recordings by period violinists Hiro Kurosaki, Fabio Biondi and Andrew Manze among others.
The new Minasi is worthy to stand by their side, and according to a violinist friend of mine, is the best of all.

[bombasticDarren]

Mahler - Symphony No.1 (Pierre Boulez, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Grammophon)

[fergus]

What a wonderful cover!!

[bombasticDarren]

Respighi - Fontane di Roma, Pini di Roma & Feste romane (Guiseppe Sinopoli, New York Philharmonic, Deutsche Grammophon)