What are you listening two?

[Seán]

Dietrich Buxtehude
Membra Jesu Nostri
Yuko Anazawa
Yoshitaka Ogasawara
Midori Suzuki
Makoto Sakurada
Aki Yanagisawa
Yoshie Hida
Yoshikazu Mera
Bach Collegium Japan
Masaaki Suzuki conducting

My one and only version and very beautiful -- if a little polished -- it is too.

That's a beautiful version, Sean.  I would also recommend recordings by Konrad Junghanel and Ton Koopman as alternatve interpretations of this great masterpiece.

I have a dozen or so recordings of this contemplative cantata and not one is anything but excellent. Koopman has recorded it twice and the newest mentioned above is exquisite.
But if forced to choose one, it would be this with the Knavenchor Hannover, the children voices give it a very special, otherworldly quality.

I wasn't in the market for a new interpretation but lads now you have whet my appetite.

[mcq]

Listening tonight to one of the great modern versions of Schubert's Winterrise.  Listening to Boesch sing this, I get the distinct impression that he is singing in retrospect from the perspective of a fractured mind forever lost in isolated reverie.  His emotionally bleached, painfully reserved performance is complemented beautifully by Malcolm Martineau whose subtly apposite contributions are perfectly judged.  A harrowing interpretation that grows in stature with each passing listen.

[Jose Echenique]

<I wasn't in the market for a new interpretation but lads now you have whet my appetite.>


That´s what we are here for dear Seán LOL.

[fergus]

Sibelius songs sung by Kirsten Flagstad....

[markof]

Still thrilling to Jordi Savall. This is presently my favourite version of the Water Music having heard versions by Hogwood, Pinnock and McGegan.
Any other recommended versions?
Mark.

[fergus]

Still thrilling to Jordi Savall. This is presently my favourite version of the Water Music having heard versions by Hogwood, Pinnock and McGegan.
Any other recommended versions?
Mark.

One recommendation for the Fireworks is two different versions of the Original Version of this music which has a different "feel" to it and makes an interesting comparison to what is somewhat familiar music....








....just to get a different perspective on a piece of music that was originally written to be performed outdoors with wind instruments so that the music could be heard over the din of the fireworks themselves.

[Jose Echenique]

Still thrilling to Jordi Savall. This is presently my favourite version of the Water Music having heard versions by Hogwood, Pinnock and McGegan.
Any other recommended versions?
Mark.

There are so many fine recordings! so many styles, approaches, etc., it´s a daunting task to choose one, but what the hell for the fun of it, this would be mine:



My very first recording of Water Music was a very old Philips recording with the Concertgebouw and Eduard van Beinum, a very elegant and stylish reading for it´s time. Then I bought, as a stupid 14 year old the Pierre Boulez (of all people!) with the NY Philharmonic on CBS. My first period recording was a revelation of course, the Harnoncourt in the late 70´s, (there was an older HIP one with the Collegium Aureum but it never came my way). Then in the 80´s Gardiner and Koopman had very fine and stylish recordings, greatly and rightly admired at the time. Since then, ups, there have been dozens, most of them excellent, so it´s really up to one´s personal likings.

[markof]

Many thanks for the Handel Water Music - Royal Fireworks recommendations.

I listened to Mackerras and the Ensemble Zefiro recordings and must admit that I enjoyed the Zefiro recording a lot more as I found it to be much more nimble and agile especially in the string performance emphasising the folk music roots; it positively swings.

Thanks again gents, you have impeccable taste in music.

Mark.

[fergus]

I listened to Mackerras and the Ensemble Zefiro recordings and must admit that I enjoyed the Zefiro recording a lot more as I found it to be much more nimble and agile especially in the string performance emphasising the folk music roots; it positively swings.

That comment actually does not surprise me Mark even thought I have not heard the Zefiro version. The "raw" sound of the original version would not be to everyone's taste that is for sure. However I always find it interesting to go back to original versions whenever possible just for comparison purposes. Great that you listened to both.

[fergus]

Tonight I finished off a Mozart complete Piano Concertos cycle with Barenboim / English Chamber Orchestra which I have been dipping into recently....