What are you listening to?

[Jared]

What always fascinated me about that CD cover was how anyone in their right mind would allow their musical instrument anywhere remotely close to salt water spray!!!

nah, that's just a plastic prop... ;-))

[Jared]

Liszt: Fantasia and Fugue on 'Ad nos, ad salutarem undam'.

Wayne Marshall
St Mary's Church Organ, Southampton.

Simon will be most proud of me... :-)

[fergus]

^^ an interesting LP Fergus, when did Abbado record the work and what type of forces did he use? I'm guessing the sound would be a little different to that of his Chamber of Europe Orch??

The recording is from 1978 Jared. Abbado used members of the Orchestra from La Scala and it has a "Big Band" feel to it so yes, the sound is different to that of his Chamber of Europe Orchestra; this performance is not one that I like I must add.

[fergus]

Vinyl....

[Jared]

The recording is from 1978 Jared. Abbado used members of the Orchestra from La Scala and it has a "Big Band" feel to it so yes, the sound is different to that of his Chamber of Europe Orchestra; this performance is not one that I like I must add.

yes, I was curious about the dating. With 1978, we're talking just a few years before the HIP movement got under way and I can imabine the Brandenburgs in particular will sound a bit dated in such a version.... a little like the Menuhin cycle I recently heard; probably quite well performed, but with a style 'of their time'. The interpretations of some of Bach's work in particular, seems to have benefitted from the HIP movement.

[Jared]

Liszt:

Legend: St Francis of Assisi S.354
Totentanz: S.126
Symphonic Poem No.6: Mazeppa S.100
Symphonic Poem No.11: The Battle of the Huns S.105

BBC Phil/ Gianandrea Noseda
Martin Roscoe (Piano)

Assisi in particular is a work I haven't heard before, and one I'm quite impressed by... the woodwind in particular is beautifully expressive of bird song and movement.

[Jared]

Assisi in particular is a work I haven't heard before, and one I'm quite impressed by... the woodwind in particular is beautifully expressive of bird song and movement.

yes, a 2nd run through has demonstrated what a beautifully evocative little work, this really is...

[Diapason]

Finally beginning this Odyssey!

[Jared]

Finally beginning this Odyssey!

a) How many hours of music does said odyssey contain?

b) Will we ever see you again?

[Diapason]

It's 9 discs in total, 6 organ and 3 harpsichord, so given my current available listening time, I may have paid off my mortgage before I complete this set!

Has to be said, initial impressions are EXTREMELY positive. On paper everything seems perfect of course, but this is the kind of lavishly-produced, 'tick every box' set that's so damn worthy you wonder if it will be actually enjoyable. Based on what I've heard so far we have no such problems. We're at the highest end of academic scholarship here but the performances are in no way stuffy, and the music really comes alive.

Well... on the first disc anyway.

I wonder what a normal, casual classical listener would make of this set? It's hard for me to tell whether this is strictly for the nerds or whether it has any wider appeal.