What are you listening two?
Re: What are you listening two?
Dvorak: String Quartet No. 14 played by the Vlach Quartet....
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
Re: What are you listening two?
Fauré: Violin Sonatas....
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
Re: What are you listening two?
Listening this afternoon to a recent purchase, Harry Chrstophers conducting the Sixteen in a performance of one of Handel's greatest masterpieces, Jephtha. Handel's large scale vocal works are astonishing achievements, enormously rich in their emotional tapestries, and, crucially, their understanding of the human condition in all of its varied forms. What I treasure about these works -and I am thinking primarily of Theodora, Saul, Ariodonte, Giulio Cesare, Alcina, Orlando and Solomon here as well as Jephtha although Handel's genius was certainly not limited to these works - is their sense of profundity and reverence for the noblest of human virtues - compassion, empathy, tolerance, faith, hope and love (and the self-sacrificial implications of this latter virtue) - and the struggle between these virtues and vices such as greed, lust, wrath, envy and pride.
The first words spoken in Jephtha are "It must be so", words which, in the context of the ensuing dramatic action, carry immense weight. They refer not only to the protagonist Jephtha, submitting himself to the will of God but also to Handel himself who progressively lost his sight during the composition of this work, and committed himself with renewed vocational zeal to his art rather than retreating into despair. The arias in this work are masterpieces of characterisation, in which the musical passages that underlie the sung texts mirror the shifting moods of the protagonist. At all times, Jephtha remains a profoundly human character, whose rash vow to God to reward Him for his victory on the battlefield with a sacrifice of the first person he sees on his return haunts him with a terrible anguish when his daughter rushes to welcome him home. There is no shallow sanctimonious fervour here; the anguish is palpable, the torment is undeniable, the resignation to fate is a bleak recognition of being powerless in the face of the most terrible of realities. What we are presented with in Jephtha is a remarkably profound confrontation of the nature of love, a love which elevates the love of others above a love of oneself, a self-sacrificial love, which St. Peter considered the greatest of all virtues. By arriving at this state of self-sacrificial love whereby Jephtha is willing to sacrifice his daughter, and thereby his happiness on earth, he is granted leave by an angel to spare his daughter.
An extraordinary work given an overwhelmingly powerful performance by Christophers and his soloists, choir and orchestra - a refined and subtly nuanced interpretation rather than the overarching power and intensity that is the hallmark of Gardiner's version - which is very highly recommended.
The first words spoken in Jephtha are "It must be so", words which, in the context of the ensuing dramatic action, carry immense weight. They refer not only to the protagonist Jephtha, submitting himself to the will of God but also to Handel himself who progressively lost his sight during the composition of this work, and committed himself with renewed vocational zeal to his art rather than retreating into despair. The arias in this work are masterpieces of characterisation, in which the musical passages that underlie the sung texts mirror the shifting moods of the protagonist. At all times, Jephtha remains a profoundly human character, whose rash vow to God to reward Him for his victory on the battlefield with a sacrifice of the first person he sees on his return haunts him with a terrible anguish when his daughter rushes to welcome him home. There is no shallow sanctimonious fervour here; the anguish is palpable, the torment is undeniable, the resignation to fate is a bleak recognition of being powerless in the face of the most terrible of realities. What we are presented with in Jephtha is a remarkably profound confrontation of the nature of love, a love which elevates the love of others above a love of oneself, a self-sacrificial love, which St. Peter considered the greatest of all virtues. By arriving at this state of self-sacrificial love whereby Jephtha is willing to sacrifice his daughter, and thereby his happiness on earth, he is granted leave by an angel to spare his daughter.
An extraordinary work given an overwhelmingly powerful performance by Christophers and his soloists, choir and orchestra - a refined and subtly nuanced interpretation rather than the overarching power and intensity that is the hallmark of Gardiner's version - which is very highly recommended.
Gryphon Diablo 300, dCS Rossini (with matching clock), Kharma Exquisite Mini, Ansuz C2, Finite Elemente Master Reference.
Re: What are you listening two?
I'm planning on listening to a considerable amount of Haydn over the next 3 weeks. Just completed
By Adam Fischer on Nimbus... Symphonies 1 to 20.
What can I say, but......... Simply delightful!!
By Adam Fischer on Nimbus... Symphonies 1 to 20.
What can I say, but......... Simply delightful!!
Let the Good Times Roll...................
Re: What are you listening two?
Adrian wrote:I'm planning on listening to a considerable amount of Haydn over the next 3 weeks. Just completed
By Adam Fischer on Nimbus... Symphonies 1 to 20.
What can I say, but......... Simply delightful!!
Well done Adrian; that is no mean task that you are taking on there but rich musical rewards will definitely ensue. I like the Fisher versions. Enjoy!
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
Re: What are you listening two?
Two Beethoven String Quartets, "Rasoumovsky" and "Harp" played by The Hungarian Quartet....
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
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Jose Echenique
- Posts: 1323
- Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:33 pm
Re: What are you listening two?
I was wondering if the Sixteen´s recording was worth adding to my collection. I love Jephtha dearly, and already have several recordings including the old ARGO version with Neville Marriner, still in modern instruments but very well sung, the Harnoncourt, first HIP recording, the singers and the chorus are not very idiomatic but it carries it´s own weight, The Marcus Creed with the Akademie für Alte Music, some fine things there, but overall not a first choice, the Biondi with his Norwegian orchestra, good conducting, but the sound of the orchestra despite Biondi´s efforts to make it sound HIP, still is very modern, then of course the Gardiner which has been the benchmark for many, many years and for many reasons, and last but not least the fine, live McGegan from the Göttingen Festival with the English Concert. I love them all, but I won´t be able to resist the temptation of the Christophers for long.mcq wrote:Listening this afternoon to a recent purchase, Harry Chrstophers conducting the Sixteen in a performance of one of Handel's greatest masterpieces, Jephtha. Handel's large scale vocal works are astonishing achievements, enormously rich in their emotional tapestries, and, crucially, their understanding of the human condition in all of its varied forms. What I treasure about these works -and I am thinking primarily of Theodora, Saul, Ariodonte, Giulio Cesare, Alcina, Orlando and Solomon here as well as Jephtha although Handel's genius was certainly not limited to these works - is their sense of profundity and reverence for the noblest of human virtues - compassion, empathy, tolerance, faith, hope and love (and the self-sacrificial implications of this latter virtue) - and the struggle between these virtues and vices such as greed, lust, wrath, envy and pride.
The first words spoken in Jephtha are "It must be so", words which, in the context of the ensuing dramatic action, carry immense weight. They refer not only to the protagonist Jephtha, submitting himself to the will of God but also to Handel himself who progressively lost his sight during the composition of this work, and committed himself with renewed vocational zeal to his art rather than retreating into despair. The arias in this work are masterpieces of characterisation, in which the musical passages that underlie the sung texts mirror the shifting moods of the protagonist. At all times, Jephtha remains a profoundly human character, whose rash vow to God to reward Him for his victory on the battlefield with a sacrifice of the first person he sees on his return haunts him with a terrible anguish when his daughter rushes to welcome him home. There is no shallow sanctimonious fervour here; the anguish is palpable, the torment is undeniable, the resignation to fate is a bleak recognition of being powerless in the face of the most terrible of realities. What we are presented with in Jephtha is a remarkably profound confrontation of the nature of love, a love which elevates the love of others above a love of oneself, a self-sacrificial love, which St. Peter considered the greatest of all virtues. By arriving at this state of self-sacrificial love whereby Jephtha is willing to sacrifice his daughter, and thereby his happiness on earth, he is granted leave by an angel to spare his daughter.
An extraordinary work given an overwhelmingly powerful performance by Christophers and his soloists, choir and orchestra - a refined and subtly nuanced interpretation rather than the overarching power and intensity that is the hallmark of Gardiner's version - which is very highly recommended.
Re: What are you listening two?
Just buy it Pepe; you know that you will buy it eventually as you cannot seem to resist a Handel opera or oratorio.Jose Echenique wrote: I was wondering if the Sixteen´s recording was worth adding to my collection. I love Jephtha dearly, and already have several recordings including the old ARGO version with Neville Marriner, still in modern instruments but very well sung, the Harnoncourt, first HIP recording, the singers and the chorus are not very idiomatic but it carries it´s own weight, The Marcus Creed with the Akademie für Alte Music, some fine things there, but overall not a first choice, the Biondi with his Norwegian orchestra, good conducting, but the sound of the orchestra despite Biondi´s efforts to make it sound HIP, still is very modern, then of course the Gardiner which has been the benchmark for many, many years and for many reasons, and last but not least the fine, live McGegan from the Göttingen Festival with the English Concert. I love them all, but I won´t be able to resist the temptation of the Christophers for long.
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
Re: What are you listening two?
The magnificent M2....
....first time hearing the Tennstedt version.
....first time hearing the Tennstedt version.
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
Re: What are you listening two?
First listen to Hubert Parry's music....
To be is to do: Socrates
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra
To do is to be: Sartre
Do be do be do: Sinatra