What are you listening two?

[fergus]

That looks very tasty Pepe!

[fergus]

There are some wonderful Violin Concertos on this CD.

[Jose Echenique]

That looks very tasty Pepe!

It´s yummy Fergus.

[Jose Echenique]

Frans Brüggen seems to be revisiting repertoire he´s recorded before. He recorded both the Scottish and the Italian symphonies for Philips over a decade ago, but strangely he hasn´t recorded the Reformation nor Symphony #2.
The new Scottish is an improvement over the earlier version, more detail, even more finesse, but this doesn´t mean that the Philips was inadequate, it´s still an excellent recording. There´s even less rethinking in the Italian, it´s almost identical to the Philips.
As usual the Orchestra of the XVIII Century is in a class by itself, superb playing that still sets the standards for late 18 and early 19 century repertoire.

This is dedicated to my dear friend Fergus:

[markof]

What a lovely record.

[Jose Echenique]

I have often been critical of Opera Rara´s releases because they don´t always get the best singers available, strange for a label whose priority is Bel Canto. Here we get again their reigning diva Carmen Giannattasio, a singer I imagine is better live than on records. In Opera Rara´s La Donna del Lago she was rather disappointing, the voice is interesting but it doesn´t record well. In Caterina Cornaro she is far more successful, first of all because she is in more command of her role, and she actually gives "a performance".
Caterina Cornaro, one of Donizetti´s last operas, has had a difficult history, it was a failure at it´s 1844 premier, and even though it was better received at a later performance, it was not revived till the 1970´s.
It is by no means Donizetti´s best dramatic opera, but David Parry and his cast made a good case for it, in fact this is one of the liveliest and most thrilling of all Opera Rara´s studio recordings. It has juicy roles for the tenor and the baritone, and both do well.
And since Caterina Cornaro has only ever had another commercial recording in the now defunct Agorá label, it is good to see it back in the catalogue and in a recording that does it justice.

[fergus]

LOL!!! I love it !!!

[fergus]

Frans Brüggen seems to be revisiting repertoire he´s recorded before.

I have noticed that fact Pepe and I have wondered why that was the case. Is he trying to make a final statement on certain works I wonder?

[fergus]

What a lovely record.

I agree Mark; it is a particularly charming CD.

[fergus]

The Irish Baroque Orchestra plays Bach....





...Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Bernhard Bach and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.