What are you listening two?

[Seán]

<If it's the 1954 recording I have that too, and nah, I prefer the Maestro's first recording with the BRSO to the VPO and the second BRSO recording on the Audite label. But that's me, about as odd as they come! Har! har! ;)>

I prefer both BRSO recordings to the VPO, but the Audite is probably my favorite of the 3, such characterful playing!

I must blow the dust off the Audite recording and do comparison of the two over the weekend so.

[fergus]

I love Janacek operas so much Fergus! But I have the sad feeling that unless you speak Czech, you will never grasp all their glory. Janacek tied words and music very tightly, in fact often his melodies came from the rhythms of pronunciation and forms of speech.

Interesting thoughts Pepe; I certainly got the feeling that there was indeed a close relationship between the words and the music. It was a very easy work to listen to.

[fergus]

<If it's the 1954 recording I have that too, and nah, I prefer the Maestro's first recording with the BRSO to the VPO and the second BRSO recording on the Audite label. But that's me, about as odd as they come! Har! har! ;)>

I prefer both BRSO recordings to the VPO, but the Audite is probably my favorite of the 3, such characterful playing!

That VPO performane is not getting much love around here!

[fergus]

Finished listening to this 5 CD set of the complete violin concertos by Locatelli....





Firstly this is strongly melodic, lilting music that is very enjoyable.
Secondly, the music is well played and recorded.
Thirdly, the small forces used are ideal for the music and every line is evident in the performance.
Given all of that these works really display the technical and virtuosic side of the violin; not in a dry way but entertainingly.

[DonKC]

Handel Keyboard Suites 5-8

Philip Edward Fisher Piano

Naxos

(accompanied by dog food bowl percussion, courtesy of Olive the Pug)

[fergus]

Handel Keyboard Suites 5-8

I have a full set of the 16 Handel Keyboard Suites which I have not listened to in a long time. I remember enjoying them at the time.

[fergus]

Geminiani, Academy of Ancient Music & Hogwood....a wonderful combination.

[DonKC]

Charles Marie Widor

No not the well known "Toccata" and no organ at all.

Piano Concerti # 1 and # 2, Fantasie For Piano and Orchestra Op 62
Marcus Becker Piano, Thierry Fischer BBC N.O. Wales Hyperion CDA67817



If you like Saint-Saëns this is up your alley. Tuneful, not real heavy and lots of fun.

[Jose Echenique]

<If it's the 1954 recording I have that too, and nah, I prefer the Maestro's first recording with the BRSO to the VPO and the second BRSO recording on the Audite label. But that's me, about as odd as they come! Har! har! ;)>

I prefer both BRSO recordings to the VPO, but the Audite is probably my favorite of the 3, such characterful playing!

That VPO performane is not getting much love around here!

It´s never less than excellent Fergus, Kubelik like Giulini was one of those conductors universally admired and loved by orchestras [he only had problems with the Chicago Symphony and that was because of frictions with Claudia Cassidy critic of the Chicago Tribune who wanted a friend of hers as chief conductor of the CSO].
If I prefer the BRSO it´s because it was Kubelik´s orchestra and they understood his wishes to perfection. Perhaps the VPO Mahler, honed by Bruno Walter first and Leonard Bernstein later, was not really Kubelik´s more Czech than Viennese approach.

[Seán]

<If it's the 1954 recording I have that too, and nah, I prefer the Maestro's first recording with the BRSO to the VPO and the second BRSO recording on the Audite label. But that's me, about as odd as they come! Har! har! ;)>

I prefer both BRSO recordings to the VPO, but the Audite is probably my favorite of the 3, such characterful playing!

That VPO performane is not getting much love around here!

It´s never less than excellent Fergus, Kubelik like Giulini was one of those conductors universally admired and loved by orchestras [he only had problems with the Chicago Symphony and that was because of frictions with Claudia Cassidy critic of the Chicago Tribune who wanted a friend of hers as chief conductor of the CSO].
If I prefer the BRSO it´s because it was Kubelik´s orchestra and they understood his wishes to perfection. Perhaps the VPO Mahler, honed by Bruno Walter first and Leonard Bernstein later, was not really Kubelik´s more Czech than Viennese approach.

I admire many conductors but I have to say that my two favourites are Claudio Abbado and Rafael Kubelik. I will not hesitate to buy recordings by either of them. Unfortunately, directing the CSO does not appear to have been a very happy time for Kubelik or Abbado.