What are you listening to?

[mcq]

Warmly recommended:



Jan Dismis Zelenka
Capriccio No. 1
Capriccio No. 2
Capriccio No. 3
Sonata No. 1
Sonata No. 2
Sonata No. 3
Heinz Holliger (oboe),
Maurice Bourgue (oboe),
Barry Tuckwell (horn)
Camerata Bern
Alexander van Wijnkoop conducting

This is a fabulous 5 CD set of Baroque music. This weekend I have listened to the first and fourth CDs several times. The music is beautifully played, it sparkles throughout. The recordings were made by DG in the seventies.

If you like Zelenka, try and find a copy of the Complete Orchestral Works on CPO. Excellent performances by Das Neu-Eroeffnete Orchestre conducted by Jurgen Sonnetheil. And, for an introduction to his vocal music, pick up the wonderful performance of his Lamentations of Jeremiah (available on Hyperion's budget label, Helios) with the ever-reliable Michael Chance, John Mark Ainsley and Michael George on commanding form (accompanied by the Chandos Baroque players).

[mcq]

I may well check that one out Seán as I struggle a bit with the 4th and 5th and I find the 6th a real struggle so another interpretation may well help in that direction.

That is a fantastic set of performances, in my opinion. Theodore Kuchar is a very reliable conductor of Eastern-European and Russian ensembles and has a gift of getting the best of any orchestra he works with (which is more than can be said of some very high-profile conductors who record regularly with more well-known orchestras). Check out his recordings of Mussorgsky's A Night on the Bare Mountain and Pictures at the Exhibition and his Prokofiev cycle (both recorded with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Ukraine and available on Naxos), and the Dvorak and Smetana boxes on Brilliant Classics (recorded with the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra). All of these are very lively and energetic performances (as opposed to smooth and polished) which really engage with the works at hand.

[DaveF]

.... I think you'll also like Savall's recording of Lully's instrumental musc, L'Orchestre du Roi Soleil (also on Alia Vox).

I think I have that recording too.

[DaveF]

I quite enjoyed this.


followed by.........

[fergus]

[Ciaran]

Lava Lava Lava! More powerful than Eyjafjallajökull: if she were emitting ash instead of vocal fireworks the planes would have no hope!

Very eloquently put, sir....impressed, are we?!?!?!?!

You could say that, yes.

[Ciaran]

I quite enjoyed this.


followed by.........

Very nice records. The brilliant sound quality on one and the palpable emotion on the other add to some already excellent performances.

[fergus]

Borodin – Symphonies 1-3....

[Seán]

Borodin – Symphonies 1-3....

Well Fergus, are you enjoying listening to Borodin's music then? I have the excellent Brilliant Classics set below. I haven't listened to any of it for some time now I must return to it now that you have reminded me of it:

[fergus]

Well Fergus, are you enjoying listening to Borodin's music then? I have the excellent Brilliant Classics set below. I haven't listened to any of it for some time now I must return to it now that you have reminded me of it:

I really enjoyed these performances Seán; they were taut and sharp. The playing was excellent. The performances just wash over you in a very pleasant way....especially in the two slow movements which were gorgeous.
The Brilliant set may just make a nice alternative version....