Tír Na HiFi

First listen [ever!] to the music of Georges Onslow and I was really impressed. I found it exciting and fulfilling on an emotional and visceral level. He is definitely a composer that I intend to explore further.

CD 7

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony no 26 in E flat major, K 184 (161a)
Symphony no 27 in G major, K 199 (161b)
Symphony no 22 in C major, K 162
Symphony no 23 in D major, K 181 (162b)
Symphony no 24 in B flat major, K 182 (173dA)
The Academy of Ancient Music
Christopher Hogwood conducting.

And now on to two really serious orchestral works: number 25 and my favourite number 29:



CD 8

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony no 25 in G minor, K 183 (173dB)
Symphony no 29 in A major, K 201 (186a)
The Academy of Ancient Music
Christopher Hogwood conducting.

These are lovely performances of two of Mozart's splendid orchestral works. They are not necessarily my favourites but they don't disappoint.

Chamber music this afternoon.  

First up was the ever-excellent Jerusalem Quartet in performances of Smetana's evocative first quartet coupled with Janacek's masterly quartets.  Wonderful music given richly expressive performances.  The Janacek readings by this superb ensemble are benchmarks, in my view, to be set alongside equally impressive performances by the Pavel Haas Quartet, the Mandelring Quartet and the Schoenberg Quartet.



And then I listened to the Prazak Quartet's recent recording of the final two Shostakovich quartets.  In short, these are remarkable performances that are informed with a passionate urgency and a restless spirituality.  In particular, the final quartet receives one of its greatest readings.  Its mesmerising power is derived not from dynamic extremes or violent outbursts but from a profound sense of one's own mortality, a desperately anguished wish to articulate a dying man's final creative vision.  There is a chilling horror here in the uncompromising spareness of Shostakovich's musical vision that makes for deeply uncomfortable listening.  An immensely powerful disc which is very highly recommended.

Listening tonight to Vilde Frang perform the Tchaikovsky and Nielson concertos.  The last thing you want in a performance of an immensely popular work like the Tchaikovsky concerto are heavy, sluggish orchestral textures and affected, grandiosely virtuosic playing from the soloist.  That is certainly not the case here.  There is a wonderful sense of lightness and transparency about the orchestral playing whiich imbues a sense of balletic grace in the outer movements and gorgeous, tender lyricism in the slow movement.  Beautiful details are drawn out from the woodwinds in particular.  Vilde Frang plays with youthful charm and naivety that is notable for a sense of understated intimacy and reserve which belies a maturity that serves the Tchaikovsky very well.  She brings exactly the same qualities to the wonderful Nielsen concerto. You don't hear the big-boned, self-assured virtuosity of Maxim Vengerov in this version but what you do hear is a greater emotional expressivity imparted through Frang's more direct, plainly-spoken approach that communicates more vividly the inherently human qualities of Nielsen's wonderful concerto.



Finishing up the day's listening with a recent purchase, Samuel Seidenberg's gravely beautiful rendition of Richard Strauss's two horn concertos.  There is something inherently noble in the horn timbre that I dearly love and these richly inventive works are the fullest expression of that sound since Mozart's masterpieces.  They share with Mozart's works a grace and refinement and, above all, an ebullience and a love for life.  These are big-hearted, life-enhancing works that simply glow with inner warmth.  I adore them.  Effortless in his virtuosity, Seidenburg is unfazed by the technical challenges and instead concentrates on communicating their timeless charm with broad-shouldered vivacity and open-hearted affection.  The sense of ease that the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra share with their horn principal is readily apparent and contributes in no small way to the success of these performances.  Wonderful, just wonderful music.

mcq wrote: And then I listened to the Prazak Quartet's recent recording of the final two Shostakovich quartets.  In short, these are remarkable performances that are informed with a passionate urgency and a restless spirituality.  In particular, the final quartet receives one of its greatest readings.  Its mesmerising power is derived not from dynamic extremes or violent outbursts but from a profound sense of one's own mortality, a desperately anguished wish to articulate a dying man's final creative vision.  There is a chilling horror here in the uncompromising spareness of Shostakovich's musical vision that makes for deeply uncomfortable listening.  An immensely powerful disc which is very highly recommended.

Are Shostakovich's last two string quartets his best works?
You make a very compelling case for these performances Paul.

mcq wrote: Finishing up the day's listening with a recent purchase, Samuel Seidenberg's gravely beautiful rendition of Richard Strauss's two horn concertos.  There is something inherently noble in the horn timbre that I dearly love and these richly inventive works are the fullest expression of that sound since Mozart's masterpieces.  They share with Mozart's works a grace and refinement and, above all, an ebullience and a love for life.  These are big-hearted, life-enhancing works that simply glow with inner warmth.  I adore them.  Effortless in his virtuosity, Seidenburg is unfazed by the technical challenges and instead concentrates on communicating their timeless charm with broad-shouldered vivacity and open-hearted affection.  The sense of ease that the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra share with their horn principal is readily apparent and contributes in no small way to the success of these performances.  Wonderful, just wonderful music.

The Strauss Horn Concertos are indeed great works and yet again a compelling case is made here for them.

First listen....





....and Louvier's Envols d'écailles was challenging but very interesting but the Debussy was wonderful, particularly the Six épigraphes antiques which I had not heard before.

Some Vivaldi sacred music....





I have always found that cover image to be somewhat disconcerting.