What are you listening two?

[markof]

Another one that I have not listened to in a long time. Did you enjoy it Mark?

Hi Fergus, It's my favourite version of the suites in my collection (includes Casals, Du Pré, Yo-Yo Ma, Jian Wang & Thomas Demenga).
The tone of the cello, especially towards the bass end is exquisite even though it's recorded with a modern instrument. The ornamentation is very exciting and the playing is brilliant and very musical throughout. I love it.

Mark

[fergus]

Beethoven: Fidelio....Fricsay....





....wonderful!

But of course, some like Klemperer´s better, but I take Leonie Rysanek any day as Fidelio over Christa Ludwig. Fricsay´s conducting is almost HIP. First ever DG stereo recording still sounding super after almost 60 years.

That is intertesting Pepe. I do not know the performances well enough to make a judgement but I will say that I did thoroughly enjoy Rysanek's singing, finding it very lyrical and soothing. I must do a one-to-one comparison sometime.

[fergus]

Hi Fergus, It's my favourite version of the suites in my collection (includes Casals, Du Pré, Yo-Yo Ma, Jian Wang & Thomas Demenga).
The tone of the cello, especially towards the bass end is exquisite even though it's recorded with a modern instrument. The ornamentation is very exciting and the playing is brilliant and very musical throughout. I love it.

Mark

Cheers Mark; as I mentioned it has been quite a while since I have listened to that set. I must do so soon. Irrespective of who is playing them the suites are wonderful pieces of music; I particularly like listening to the Preludes.

[markof]

Hi Fergus, It's my favourite version of the suites in my collection (includes Casals, Du Pré, Yo-Yo Ma, Jian Wang & Thomas Demenga).
The tone of the cello, especially towards the bass end is exquisite even though it's recorded with a modern instrument. The ornamentation is very exciting and the playing is brilliant and very musical throughout. I love it.

Mark

Cheers Mark; as I mentioned it has been quite a while since I have listened to that set. I must do so soon. Irrespective of who is playing them the suites are wonderful pieces of music; I particularly like listening to the Preludes.

I forgot the Pandolfo version on the Viola da Gamba - really nice performance even if the instrument grunts quite a bit :-)

[mcq]

Queyras's performances are among my favourites as are Pandolfo's  whose versions are among the most poetic and moving I've heard.  I also love the versions by Anne Gastinel (on Naive )and Ophélie Gaillard (on Aparte) and I've been listening a great deal recently to Viola de Hoog (on Vivat).  All of these performances are exceptional in my view.








Have you ever heard Benjamin Britten's cello suites, Mark?  They represent Britten's spiritual response to the Bach suites and really are exceptional works - thought-provoking, profound and deeply moving - that I cannot recommend too highly.  The young Jean-Guihen Queyras made his debut for Harmonia Mundi with a powerful version and another young artist, Philip Higham, recently made a superb debut recording of these masterpieces for Delphian.

[fergus]

I forgot the Pandolfo version on the Viola da Gamba - really nice performance even if the instrument grunts quite a bit :-)

Cheers Mark. I have that Pandolfo set too and one has to remember that it is a gamba that the suites are played on which is a different instrument really. It was never one of my favourites but not for that reason.

[fergus]

The Gastinel version is on my Wish List Paul. That will be my most modern version when I eventually buy it.

[fergus]

I have not heard the Britten Suites Paul. I must do something about that!

[fergus]

Brahms: Double Concerto....

[Jose Echenique]

<That is intertesting Pepe. I do not know the performances well enough to make a judgement but I will say that I did thoroughly enjoy Rysanek's singing, finding it very lyrical and soothing. I must do a one-to-one comparison sometime.>

Christa Ludwig had an extraordinary voice, and she could easily encompass low-lying soprano roles like Fidelio, but still her basic sound was mezzo which makes her sound a little matronly for the role. Rysanek, a true soprano, is radiant vocally and interpretatively, so I definitely prefer her.