Tír Na HiFi

Jose Echenique wrote:

My interest is piqued Pepe! I would be interested to hear how Bruggen treats the "Italian" in particular.

More keyboard music, this time a selection of Scarlatti harpsichord sonatas....

fergus wrote:

I would have all of those composers listed on your CDs above in my collection and would agree with every word that you said. I personally would place Palestrina at the top of the pile.
However, in all of my time here I have only managed to convert one member to Early Music but he subsequently left us unfortunately. I don't know what that says about the music, me or both!!

I dearly love the music of the Renaissance, Fergus.  It is music that speaks directly to the heart and soul and can transfix you to your seat like little else.  We are just so fortunate as listeners to have a rich and varied discography of outstanding performances to listen to at will.  It speaks volumes about Monteverdi's enormous contribution to the canon that he was able to not only absorb the achievements of the Renaissance masters but utterly transcend them.  Speaking of whom, this evening I've been enraptured by Books Four and  Five of his madrigals as performed by La Venexiana.   I'm also currently listening to Love and Loss, a collection of madrigals recorded by the English ensemble Arcangelo.  La Venexiana may be more impassioned (and some might say idiomatic) but there is a contained delicacy about Arcangelo's performance which is quietly impressive, yet in no way inhibits the dramatic grandeur of this music.  Perhaps the most important quality about any performance of Monteverdi's music is sincerity which is something I hear in abundance in this recording, the highlight of which is a heart-stoppingly beautiful version of the masterly Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorida.  

Speaking of early music, I read a comment on another forum where the person posting didn't consider music before the 17th century as true classical (not period, the broader meaning) because it was as "simple" as pop music. I found that to be a pretty astounding assertion, but as much as I disagree with it, is there anything in the idea that serious listeners find early music too straightforward?

markof wrote:

This mornings album and my favourite version right now. Wonderful tone, lovely fluid playing, very natural and musical.

Mark

I love it also....

although I've been listening to the wispelwey recently

(which I must return to a certain forum member!!)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

mcq wrote: I dearly love the music of the Renaissance, Fergus.  It is music that speaks directly to the heart and soul and can transfix you to your seat like little else.  We are just so fortunate as listeners to have a rich and varied discography of outstanding performances to listen to at will.  It speaks volumes about Monteverdi's enormous contribution to the canon that he was able to not only absorb the achievements of the Renaissance masters but utterly transcend them.  Speaking of whom, this evening I've been enraptured by Books Four and  Five of his madrigals as performed by La Venexiana.   I'm also currently listening to Love and Loss, a collection of madrigals recorded by the English ensemble Arcangelo.  La Venexiana may be more impassioned (and some might say idiomatic) but there is a contained delicacy about Arcangelo's performance which is quietly impressive, yet in no way inhibits the dramatic grandeur of this music.  Perhaps the most important quality about any performance of Monteverdi's music is sincerity which is something I hear in abundance in this recording, the highlight of which is a heart-stoppingly beautiful version of the masterly Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorida.  

I have all of the La Venexiana Monteverdi Madrigal CDs and each one is excellent; I am not surprised that you enjoyed them.

Diapason wrote:Speaking of early music, I read a comment on another forum where the person posting didn't consider music before the 17th century as true classical (not period, the broader meaning) because it was as "simple" as pop music. I found that to be a pretty astounding assertion, but as much as I disagree with it, is there anything in the idea that serious listeners find early music too straightforward?

Most of the Early Music that I listen to is far from straightforward Simon. The person that you mentioned hardly understands the concept of polyphony or counterpoint and has surely never listened to Spem in Alium to mention but one work.

Also, Mozart, Beethoven and their likes were also the "pop" music of their day; people flocked in their droves to the their gigs to hear the latest works (albums) from the current cool guys. Your commentator is suffering from a touch of Classical Music snobbery methinks.

jaybee wrote:

markof wrote:

This mornings album and my favourite version right now. Wonderful tone, lovely fluid playing, very natural and musical.

Mark

I love it also....

although I've been listening to the wispelwey recently

(which I must return to a certain forum member!!)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wispelwey would be second on my list of preferential performers of these works only to be favoured by me by Janos Starker.

Our only Mexican member Pepe introduced me some time ago to the music of Antonín Reichenauer and it has been some time since I have listened to any of his music so this evening I took down....





If you have not checked out this music then do yourself a big favour and listen to it soon!