BWV696-704. I chose Herrick for no other reason than I have not listened to this set for quite some time. He plays these pieces on the organ of the Jesuitenkirche, Lucerne.
What are you listening two?
Re: What are you listening two?
As I write I am finishing off, unlike Seán, a wonderful day's listening by with some seasonal Chorales for Advent and Christmas by JSB....
BWV696-704. I chose Herrick for no other reason than I have not listened to this set for quite some time. He plays these pieces on the organ of the Jesuitenkirche, Lucerne.
BWV696-704. I chose Herrick for no other reason than I have not listened to this set for quite some time. He plays these pieces on the organ of the Jesuitenkirche, Lucerne.
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 earlier this evening to Daniel Barenboim's superb version of Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila, a work I really should listen to more often. It is very beautiful, a little derivative of early Wagner perhaps, but beautiful nonetheless.
Rounding off this evening's listening with Javier Peranes' selection of excerpts from Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Worte. Deeply beautiful music given a thoughtful and reflective performance from this very fine young pianist. It is always a pleasure to welcome a new performance of Mendelssohn's under-performed cycle of miniatures, especially one that is as delicately played as this and which does not descend into Romantic overstatement or aimless noodling. Very highly recommended.
Rounding off this evening's listening with Javier Peranes' selection of excerpts from Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Worte. Deeply beautiful music given a thoughtful and reflective performance from this very fine young pianist. It is always a pleasure to welcome a new performance of Mendelssohn's under-performed cycle of miniatures, especially one that is as delicately played as this and which does not descend into Romantic overstatement or aimless noodling. 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?
Ah she is very good and sure they are me pension, well at least that's what I tell 'em.fergus wrote:Ah, the sarcrafices of Parenthood....but do the offspring appreciate it? Not on your life!! You have my sympathies sir!!Seán wrote:What a day! I have spent most of it indoors but am I unable to enter my beloved
Music Room because my daughter has taken over it and is using it to prepare for her exams. Woe is me!
"To appreciate the greatness of the Masters is to keep faith in the greatness of humanity." - Wilhelm Furtwängler
Re: What are you listening two?
Just an observation on the image, based on earlier posts; subject with eyes once again looking slightly upwards and into the middle distance but this time reverse angle. On this occasion the sheet music obscures the mouth which is an interesting play on the title of the music played.mcq wrote:
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?
Seán wrote:Ah she is very good and sure they are me pension, well at least that's what I tell 'em.fergus wrote:Ah, the sarcrafices of Parenthood....but do the offspring appreciate it? Not on your life!! You have my sympathies sir!!Seán wrote:What a day! I have spent most of it indoors but am I unable to enter my beloved
Music Room because my daughter has taken over it and is using it to prepare for her exams. Woe is me!
And we only want the best for them no matter what it takes.
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?
mcq wrote:Listening earlier this evening to Daniel Barenboim's superb version of Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila, a work I really should listen to more often. It is very beautiful, a little derivative of early Wagner perhaps, but beautiful nonetheless.
Rounding off this evening's listening with Javier Peranes' selection of excerpts from Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Worte. Deeply beautiful music given a thoughtful and reflective performance from this very fine young pianist. It is always a pleasure to welcome a new performance of Mendelssohn's under-performed cycle of miniatures, especially one that is as delicately played as this and which does not descend into Romantic overstatement or aimless noodling. Very highly recommended.
Barenboim conducts splendidly and Domingo is a superb and noble Samson, but I have serious problems with Elena Obraztsova unidiomatic and rough Delilah, she may even be the less sexy and tonally unappealing Delilah in the whole discography. That recording was originally meant for Shirley Verrett who had all the attributes that Obraztsova lacks, sadly she didn´t make it to the recording nor to the stage performances at the Orange Festival from where this recording originated. If you really like this opera let me recommend you the Myung Whun-Chung version in EMI, it also has Domingo as Samson and a far better Delilah in Waltraud Meier, who is both voluptuous and dangerous at the same time.
Last edited by Jose Echenique on Mon Dec 15, 2014 3:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Jose Echenique
- Posts: 1323
- Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:33 pm
Re: What are you listening two?
This is the Gramophone review:
<It is a spacious, thoughtful, grand reading, deriving from performances in the Roman arena at Orange in 1978. As there Barenboim realizes the stature of this still underrated score and has the Paris forces, then under his directorship, in idiomatic support. Excellently balanced, it gives the travails of the Israelites and the rejoicing of the Dagon pagans just the right profile. All the supporting roles are well taken with special praise due to Thau's Abimelech and Lloyd's moving Old Hebrew.
Domingo as Samson, in his very best voice, is notable for his defiant heroism and dignity in his later misery, and he sings French with a deal of feeling for the language's nuances. That can hardly be said for Obraztsova's harshly sung Delilah. She is somewhat too much of the devil rather than the seductress. Besides, her line in her important solos is often bumpy, the registers never integrated. Bruson is an appropriately hectoring High Priest, but his tone isn't always keenly focused.
The rival versions have much to offer. Davis (Philips) knows and loves the score, and is also supported by splendid forces, but like Barenboim is inclined to take too much of the music below the composer's metronome marks. Pretre (EMI) is better in that respect and perhaps has, by a small margin, the most satisfying cast, headed by Gorr's resplendent Delilah and Vickers's impassioned Samson, not better than but different from Domingo's.'>
<It is a spacious, thoughtful, grand reading, deriving from performances in the Roman arena at Orange in 1978. As there Barenboim realizes the stature of this still underrated score and has the Paris forces, then under his directorship, in idiomatic support. Excellently balanced, it gives the travails of the Israelites and the rejoicing of the Dagon pagans just the right profile. All the supporting roles are well taken with special praise due to Thau's Abimelech and Lloyd's moving Old Hebrew.
Domingo as Samson, in his very best voice, is notable for his defiant heroism and dignity in his later misery, and he sings French with a deal of feeling for the language's nuances. That can hardly be said for Obraztsova's harshly sung Delilah. She is somewhat too much of the devil rather than the seductress. Besides, her line in her important solos is often bumpy, the registers never integrated. Bruson is an appropriately hectoring High Priest, but his tone isn't always keenly focused.
The rival versions have much to offer. Davis (Philips) knows and loves the score, and is also supported by splendid forces, but like Barenboim is inclined to take too much of the music below the composer's metronome marks. Pretre (EMI) is better in that respect and perhaps has, by a small margin, the most satisfying cast, headed by Gorr's resplendent Delilah and Vickers's impassioned Samson, not better than but different from Domingo's.'>
Re: What are you listening two?
Many thanks for that, Jose. I have to confess that the singing of Obraztsova did not particulaly offend me. I also have Prêtre's version and, despite the formidable presence of Jon Vickers, it just does not move me as much as Barenboim's version. There is a transparency to the textures that he draws out of the orchestral score that I find very attractive - very much lighter than Prêtre. And, of course, Domingo is incredible as Samson. I will certainly investigate the later version with Chung whose version of Verdi's Otello with Domingo was quite superb. And I have no doubt that Waltraud Meier is a vast improvement on Elena Obraztsova. Meier is one of the greatest modern interpreters of some of the most punishing roles in the operatic repertoire - namely, Isolde and Kundry - so the role of Delilah should be comparatively easier. By the way, have you heard any of Colin Davis's versions of this work?
Gryphon Diablo 300, dCS Rossini (with matching clock), Kharma Exquisite Mini, Ansuz C2, Finite Elemente Master Reference.
Re: What are you listening two?
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 lovely String Quartets by Schubert....
....beautifully played by the Alban Berg Quartet.
....beautifully played by the Alban Berg 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