Tír Na HiFi

Brahms – Piano Concerto No. 1 played by Gilels, BPO/Jochum....



I find this a great performance of this wonderful work.

Locatelli – Concerti Grossi Op. 7....



Lovely, lively music that raises a smile and offers much enjoyment!

Mahler – Symphony No. 5 [Bernstein]....



I found this to be a very robust performance. The brass section being pivotal in this work made a very good account of itself here.

Right after Christmas I purchased two quite exceptional box sets which I have been enjoying immensely over the past while and which have set personal benchmarks for their respective repertoire.

First up is Andre Isoir's traversal of Bach's complete organ works (excepting works of doubtful attribution) on Calliope. The French press have raved about this set and I have been very curious about Isoir's performances since hearing his fabulous version of The Art of The Fugue (also on Calliope) a number of years ago. Isoir's sense of tempi seem, to me, entirely right and natural, and immensely satisfying. Perhaps my favourite of all these works is the extraordinary Orgelbuchlein, a series of choral preludes which seems to resonate and seep into one's soul with added power upon each successive listening. Isoir's version is the finest I have yet heard, eschewing all thoughts of a virtuosic performance in favour of one that touches you on a more profound level.



Secondly, Annie Fischer's recording of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas (on Hungaroton) is one of the most extraordinary series of recordings I have heard in quite some time. These performances are insightful but are also possessed of great warmth. They are also the most compulsively impassioned renderings I have heard of this great music. To take one example, which is also the greatest masterpiece of these 32 masterpieces, the Hammerklavier is given the most naturally spontaneous and innately spiritual performance that I have ever heard. I personally thought that Wilhelm Backhaus's phenomenal mono recording was unbeatable, but this may be even more remarkable. For the sake of comparison, I've also listened to individual sonatas from complete cycles by Backhaus, Kempff (mono cycle), Gilels, Kovacevich and Brendel (analogue cycle from the Seventies) and I find myself more consistently moved, engaged and enthralled by Ms. Fischer. It is truly astonishing to me that she considered these performances unsatisfactory and refused to sanction their official release during her lifetime.

On vinyl....

Ockeghem – Missa Prolationum....



This is glorious music absolutely beautifully sung by Musica Ficta; they are a mixed choir and, as such, bring wonderful textures to both the music and the harmonies.

Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto for Two Harpsichords and Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra

Philharmonia Orchestra
Clara Haskil & Geza Anda piano
Alceo Galliera - conducting
[Recorded in 1956]

The piece by Bach is a delightful romp, the Mozart is a very enjoyable piece too.

on the turntable....



Sir Charles Mackerras with the OAE performing some of Mendelssohn's Overtures and the 'Italian'. Beautiful sound and textures from the orchestra. I havent heard these works with an Orchestra like the OAE before.

next up....



Gunter Wand performing Schubert's symphonies.