What are you listening two?

[Aleg]

A bit of Richter



and

[Seán]

Hi Fergus, this is another new one on me. I have listened to excerpts on Amazon and Vieuxtemps music and these performances are very appealing indeed.

I am pleased that you liked the samples that you listened to Seán. I "discovered" Vieuxtemps a number of years back and I went out and bought three CDs of his Violin Concertos on the Naxos label shortly afterwards. They are well played and recorded and were a great introduction to these works. The set above came much later as I wanted a second complete cycle in my collection. He is definitely a composer worth exploring particularly if one is interested in violin music.

I rarely listen to violin concertos. I have the Oistrakh 17 cd set on EMI and am particularly fond of his playong but I rarely listen to them. Off topic perhaps, I also have a small box set of Jascha Heifetz's playing and cannot understand why he is held in such high esteem, he sounds like a jazz fiddler to me.

[markof]

A terrific work-out for the hi-fi.

[Seán]

I listened to this performance earlier and it really is gorgeous, I don't think I prefer it to the performance by the Guardier Ensemble but it really is a very welcome addition to my collection.

[Jose Echenique]

What I love about the Archibudelli recording is that it does capture the home music making feeling that Schubert´s chamber compositions inherently have. I don´t mean to say that their performances are amateurish of course, they are superbly played, but they do have that "friends gathering" feeling that Schubert loved so much. The gentler period woodwinds and brass are naturally more ideal for home use than modern instruments meant for large modern concert halls.
I think this is a performance that Schubert would have recognized.

[fergus]

What I love about the Archibudelli recording is that it does capture the home music making feeling that Schubert´s chamber compositions inherently have. I don´t mean to say that their performances are amateurish of course, they are superbly played, but they do have that "friends gathering" feeling that Schubert loved so much. The gentler period woodwinds and brass are naturally more ideal for home use than modern instruments meant for large modern concert halls.
I think this is a performance that Schubert would have recognized.

That is such a true comment on the chamber music of this very congenial composer Pepe; one that I had not thought of before but which I must have instinctively felt as I agree so readily with you.

[fergus]

Even after just one listen I can see why Pepe highly recommends this 2 CD set; it is beautiful music from the late Baroque period beautifully played and sung.

[fergus]

A lot of people complain about the audience noise on that recording but I really like his rendition of Moussorgsky's Pictures at an exhibition.

[Aleg]

A lot of people complain about the audience noise on that recording but I really like his rendition of Moussorgsky's Pictures at an exhibition.

It is a live recording so there is bound to be audience noise (maybe more so in recordings from eastern europe in the 50's, the instrument isn't top notch either but that's how it was then), but the performance is so captivating the noise doesn't distract. It is such a dramatic performance that it leaves on exhausted though.
But definitely a must have in your collection.

Cheers

Aleg

[fergus]

A lot of people complain about the audience noise on that recording but I really like his rendition of Moussorgsky's Pictures at an exhibition.

It is a live recording so there is bound to be audience noise (maybe more so in recordings from eastern europe in the 50's, the instrument isn't top notch either but that's how it was then), but the performance is so captivating the noise doesn't distract. It is such a dramatic performance that it leaves on exhausted though.
But definitely a must have in your collection.

Cheers

Aleg

Yes Aleg I would definitely agree with you. It is indeed a wonderful performance.