Tír Na HiFi

I broke open this recent purchase this evening and played symphonies nos. 1 & 2....



Normally I would not listen to these two works in too much detail but my attention was arrested here I must say, particularly with Symphony No. 1. This was a work performed with quite a specific voice.

Ably assisted by a sensational New Zealand Pinot Noir (Dog Point, Marlborough, 2007), I've been enjoying Alfred Brendel's superb performances of Schubert's magnificent piano sonatas on a 5-DVD set released a few years back on the EuroArts label. What I love about this music is the very fragile and human emotions that Schubert conveys (which stands in sharp contrast to the grand perfection of Beethoven's own piano sonatas). The more I listen to Schubert, the more convinced I become that, had he lived longer, he would have eclipsed Beethoven's achievements and become an even finer composer.

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mcq wrote: Ably assisted by a sensational New Zealand Pinot Noir (Dog Point, Marlborough, 2007), I've been enjoying Alfred Brendel's superb performances of Schubert's magnificent piano sonatas ....

I am envious....I assume that you enjoyed both in equal measure!!!

Telemann – Christmas Cantatas....




This was a very nice recording indeed.

Mozart – Piano Concertos Nos. 20 & 27....



I really enjoyed these two performances....there was a lot of fluidity in the playing.

fergus wrote:Mozart – Piano Concertos Nos. 20 & 27....



I really enjoyed these two performances....there was a lot of fluidity in the playing.

I really must pick that up, Fergus. One of my desert island discs is Curzon's playing of Schumann's exquisite Fantasie and Kinderszenen and Schubert's beautiful Wanderer Fantasie on Decca (extraordinary performances which have never been surpassed, in my opinion), and I have heard similar praise for his Mozart recordings.

fergus wrote:

mcq wrote: Ably assisted by a sensational New Zealand Pinot Noir (Dog Point, Marlborough, 2007), I've been enjoying Alfred Brendel's superb performances of Schubert's magnificent piano sonatas ....

I am envious....I assume that you enjoyed both in equal measure!!!

Indeed I did, Fergus. Life is made of such magic moments.

fergus wrote:Pretty soon I will start preparing for lunch and later, dinner, and I will do so to the strains of Part 1 of the JSB Christmas Oratorio with JE Gardiner....



JEG and the gang are all very welcome to join me if they are free and in the area!!!

That's a fantastic recording, Fergus, but I prefer Gardiner's re-recording of it for a DVD recorded in 1999 to inaugurate his cantata pilgrimage. His choir and orchestra are on outstanding form and his soloists - Claron McFadden, Bernarda Fink, Christoph Genz and Dietrich Henschel - are superior to his earlier recording. The really great thing about Gardiner is the sheer human warmth he communicates to his musicians. I remember watching a documentary (I think it was called The Art of Conducting) in which Gardiner spoke about a formative experience he had early in life when he attended a concert that Karajan gave with the BPO. Despite the quality of the orchestral playing, the overall experience left Gardiner cold and he put this down to Karajan's autocratic manner on the podium and especially the conclusion of the concert - when the BPO was receiving a standing ovation, Karajan dismissed the orchestra and returned to the stage by himself to receive the applause. I believe that Gardiner was just beginning his time as a fledgeling conductor and he made a mental note that he would never treat his musicians in such a manner. And the respect he shows for his choir and orchestra is fully reciprocated in the loyalty that is displayed by the long years of service that many of these people have given him. Just look at the DVD of Gardiner's performance of Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers (recorded in 1989) and count the number of familiar faces that re-appear in the 1999 performance of the Christmas Oratorio.

mcq wrote: I really must pick that up, Fergus. One of my desert island discs is Curzon's playing of Schumann's exquisite Fantasie and Kinderszenen and Schubert's beautiful Wanderer Fantasie on Decca (extraordinary performances which have never been surpassed, in my opinion), and I have heard similar praise for his Mozart recordings.

It is not often that I can actually recommend something to you Paul but in this case I do so readily!!