Tír Na HiFi

DaveF wrote:Mackerras chose modern instruments for the strings and winds, but period instruments for the brass. It certainly makes for any interesting sound. Some might feel that the brass is a little too forward. I loved it however.

An interesting mix which I do not recall coming across before....I do love the sound of period brass baying away and even dominating proceedings!

Mahler – Das Lied von der Erde....to round off the set...



This was a captivating performance from beginning to end in what for me is a difficult work. I really liked the voice of the mezzo-soprano.

fergus wrote:

DaveF wrote:Mackerras chose modern instruments for the strings and winds, but period instruments for the brass. It certainly makes for any interesting sound. Some might feel that the brass is a little too forward. I loved it however.

An interesting mix which I do not recall coming across before....I do love the sound of period brass baying away and even dominating proceedings!

A very good description indeed. Yes, I love it too.

This is really wonderful music with great performances, especially Concerto No. 1.

Schumann – Disc 1 of this set....



On disc 1 we have Symphony No. 1 which is a strong, assertive performance.
We also have the “Zwickau” symphony (an early orchestral work) which, while being well played, held little interest for me.
Also included on the disc is the Overture, Scherzo and Finale which was a more interesting work.

Haydn
Symphony 82, 83 & 84
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Siegiswald Kuijken conducting

Kuijken conducts the OAE in the six Paris Symphonies in this wonderful set. For the last few days I have been listening to the three symphonies on the first CD. My only other recordings of these works are those by the Dorati and Bruno Weil led ensembles. The Bruno Weil with the Taflemusik was the first set of Haydn's nusic that made a big impression on me. The Kuijken/OAE performances contains great detail and is beautifully recorded too. The 82nd in particular is taken at a slower tempo than that recorded by the Tafelmusk and is all the better for it I feel. On balance I prefer the OAE recordings and that's high praise indeed.
This is a sumptuous 2 CD set.

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.3
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,
Frits Damrow (Posthorn),
Ivan Meylemans (Trombone),
Petra Lang (Mezzo Soprano)
Prague Philharmonic Chorus,
Netherlands Children's Choir,
Ricardo Chailly conducting

Suffice it to say that this is a superb recording of the Third.

Seán wrote: Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.3
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,
Frits Damrow (Posthorn),
Ivan Meylemans (Trombone),
Petra Lang (Mezzo Soprano)
Prague Philharmonic Chorus,
Netherlands Children's Choir,
Ricardo Chailly conducting

Suffice it to say that this is a superb recording of the Third.

On SACD I think it's one of the best orchestral recordings I've heard. A very fine performance too!

Seán wrote: Haydn
Symphony 82, 83 & 84
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Siegiswald Kuijken conducting

I'm glad you enjoyed it Seán. I remember when I got it last year it was never too far away from the player for several weeks. If you like the OAE, you should definitely check out their Brandenberg Concertos. I remember playing it in Cloney's one day and even a few non-classical listeners that were there at the time thought it sounded wonderful.

Vivaldi Recorder concertos with Sebastien Marq and the chamber-sized Matheus Ensemble, director Jean-Christophe Spinosi:



I listened to La notte. Ravishing instrumental colours, wonderful music. What a golden age we're in for Vivaldi!

Then this very good Weckmann CD from Cantus Cölln:



I listened to the cantata Zion spricht, very, very fine!

I'd been listening to "Building a Library" earlier on Debussy's Suite Bergamasque. My favourite among my CDs is Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, whose complete Debussy piano music has been doing very well with the critics:



but not with David Owen Norris yesterday! I enjoyed it very much, but I'm probably going to buy more than one of his recommendations, which were interesting. Among those were Sviatoslav Richter. I fished out a CD of Richter playing Debussy, Chopin and Prokofiev (I bought it on the basis of another BAL on the Debussy Preludes: it didn't win but it interested the reviewer a lot, and me too!)



and listened to some Preludes. Richter's Debussy is not like anyone else's, but it seems very convincing.