What are you listening to?

[Claus]

Decca are particularly noted for their sound quality Claus; their sound engineers were supposed to be pretty good. You are obviously hearing the benefits of that on your recording.

Yes indeed on this disc separation and space are particularly good. On the other hand the Puccini Turandot disc is far from great sounding with distorted clipping in some passages....!

Will continue with another lucky dip tonight and hope I draw a winner! :)

[Seán]

Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet No. 7 Opus 59 No. 1
Quartetto Italiano.

I love to listen to this music performed by my favourite string quartet, the Quartetto Italiano. Collectively and individually they create a gorgeous sound and Paolo Borciani's tone is particularly attractive I feel.

[fergus]

This is a great version of the Sinfonietta with some powerful brass.

[mcq]

Tonight, one of the creative highlights of Mozart's output, the extraordinary string quintets, in benchmark readings by the Talich Quartet. Simply put, it is impossible to imagine Beethoven's and Schubert's string quartets without the prior existence of these singular masterpieces. The harmonic richness of the tonal palette and the creative invention of the compositional structure of these works offer perhaps the most condensed examples of the man's genius. They are also among the subtlest and most profound of his utterances. This is music that demands dedicated and sustained listening to unlock their magic. They are among Mozart's most complex works but this complexity serves merely as a bridge to the breathtaking range of emotional intensities that is simmering under the surface of these works. Unlike the urbane refinement of Haydn's chamber work, I hear more private thoughts being expressed here. I hear warmth and conviviality to be sure, moments of the most exquisite beauty, but also a profound sense of emotional frailty. All of these emotions are merely suggested with the subtlety of gossamer lightness and are never conveyed with anything so vulgar as tawdry sentiment. In the words of Andre Gide: "Of all musicians Mozart is the one from whom our epoch has taken us farthest away; he speaks only in a whisper, and the public has ceased to hear anything but shouts.”

[Seán]

Tonight, one of the creative highlights of Mozart's output, the extraordinary string quintets, in benchmark readings by the Talich Quartet. Simply put, it is impossible to imagine Beethoven's and Schubert's string quartets without the prior existence of these singular masterpieces. The harmonic richness of the tonal palette and the creative invention of the compositional structure of these works offer perhaps the most condensed examples of the man's genius. They are also among the subtlest and most profound of his utterances. This is music that demands dedicated and sustained listening to unlock their magic. They are among Mozart's most complex works but this complexity serves merely as a bridge to the breathtaking range of emotional intensities that is simmering under the surface of these works. Unlike the urbane refinement of Haydn's chamber work, I hear more private thoughts being expressed here. I hear warmth and conviviality to be sure, moments of the most exquisite beauty, but also a profound sense of emotional frailty. All of these emotions are merely suggested with the subtlety of gossamer lightness and are never conveyed with anything so vulgar as tawdry sentiment. In the words of Andre Gide: "Of all musicians Mozart is the one from whom our epoch has taken us farthest away; he speaks only in a whisper, and the public has ceased to hear anything but shouts.”

Paul, I admire your eloquence, that is a lovely piece. I am trying to get a copy of a recording of the Quintets by the Quartetto Italiano, I had not -- until now -- considered the Talich Quartet. Thanks for that.

[fergus]

Jaybee was very kind and volunteered to loan me this CD so that I could have a listen to it....




I loved this CD from the very first opening bars. The pacing, the sonorities and textures and the recorded sound all added up to a wonderful performance. It went straight onto the Wish List Johnny!

[fergus]

I have the Talich performing the complete Mozart quartets but, like Seán, I had not considered them for the quintets. Lovely post as ever Paul.

[Ciaran]

Is that the recording they made for Calliope rereleased (now that Calliope has closed down) or a new one?

[Ciaran]

Answering my own question, the extra viola is Karel Rehak, same as the Calliope



so it's probably the same: their current generation line-up with Jan Talich junior playing first violin. Really excellent, perhaps even better than the Grumiaux Trio plus two on Philips.

I have most of the Talich Quartet's recordings and they are highly recommendable, but probably quite hard to get now. I was very pleased to see in Gramophone that they have a new recording of the Debussy and Ravel out on Dolce Vita

[jaybee]

Jaybee was very kind and volunteered to loan me this CD so that I could have a listen to it....




I loved this CD from the very first opening bars. The pacing, the sonorities and textures and the recorded sound all added up to a wonderful performance. It went straight onto the Wish List Johnny!

I'm delighted to hear it... I've always put an Harmonia Mundi disc of a work I've never heard into my basket just before placing an amazon order and have yet to he disappointed... I particularly like Egarr... as you say he entices a particular sound from any ensemble, which fortunately I very much like...

You might like his Handel organ concertos too, or the JSB Goldberg Variations....

I could go on....!!!