What are you listening to?

[Seán]

Hi Fergus, I am not familiar with Villa Musica, what do you make of their performances?

[fergus]

I have that CD a long time now Seán but it still holds up in terms of performance. I would have bought it primarily for the Quintet and it is a robust performance with the requisite emotional input in the marvelous slow movement. Worth having in the collection.

Edit: I have listed it in the Bargain Thread.

[fergus]

It is a terrible pity about the condition of the LP cover but the vinyl is fine and there are certainly no complaints whatsoever about the performance.

[jaybee]

revisiting last months calendar....




to my ears at least it's an interpretation of great beauty.....

[Jared]

It is a terrible pity about the condition of the LP cover but the vinyl is fine and there are certainly no complaints whatsoever about the performance.

you appear to have a Sibelius loving mouse residing in your home, Fergus... :-)


I have been listening to Haydn's 'Drum Roll' No.103 again this evening, after some time away from the Symphony. As you will remember, I have been listening to Pinnock's Sturm Und Drang set of late, which are completely classical. Whilst Drum Roll is also a classical symphony, to my ears there are strains of Proto Romanticism creeping in to the structure here however, especially in the first movement... what does anyone else think?

[Jared]

Bach: Goldberg Variations
Freddy Kempf
Live: Mananan International Fest, 2009


a little too close miked, which is a shame... and not altogether the most elegant version I've heard (sounds a little ragged in the phrasing occasionally) but overall, fine enough.

[jaybee]

[fergus]

It is a terrible pity about the condition of the LP cover but the vinyl is fine and there are certainly no complaints whatsoever about the performance.

you appear to have a Sibelius loving mouse residing in your home, Fergus... :-)

That one was a charity shop find some time ago and at €2 I cannot complain!

[fergus]

I have been listening to Haydn's 'Drum Roll' No.103 again this evening, after some time away from the Symphony. As you will remember, I have been listening to Pinnock's Sturm Und Drang set of late, which are completely classical. Whilst Drum Roll is also a classical symphony, to my ears there are strains of Proto Romanticism creeping in to the structure here however, especially in the first movement... what does anyone else think?

Musical evolution at work Jared! Sometimes when I listen to say early Beethoven I think that it was all said in late Mozart. Sometimes when you listen to Mozart you think that Haydn just about said that! Whereas Haydn and Mozart were undisputed musical geniuses they were not great innovators or musical revolutionaries like Beethoven but they certainly planted some of the seeds from which the genius of Ludwig ultimately blossomed. Just my tuppence worth.

[fergus]

That is a great work and I have that CD. I wonder if you have heard the Naxos version with Antoni Wit conducting. I have always preferred it over this one....much more spiritual I have found. One to check out on Spotify perhaps?