Tír Na HiFi

Mozart's Requiem with soloists including the wonderful Simone Kermes, Musica Aeterna and the New Siberian Singers conducted by Teodor Currentzis. This is one of the most thrilling recordings I have heard of Mozart's Requiem. It is also one of the most annoying, because towards the end of the Lacrimosa the conductor has decided to have a lot of bells tinkling, which is just plain stupid. If not for this hideous disfigurement it would have my highest recommendation!



Schönberg's Gurrelieder in a wonderful performance conducted by Michael Gielen on a wonderfully present SACD. Detail! (Very important in this work with its huge orchestra and complex counterpoint.) Clarity! Body and force!



Mozart again! Piano Concerto No. 21: Maria-João Pires, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Claudio Abbado. Heaven!

On vinyl....



Great sounding BPO from another era!

I have finally completed listening to this set with CDs 13-15....



CD 13 contains the Piano Trio and Piano Quintet. I really liked, especially the Trio.
CD 14 contains music for violin/cello and piano. This was a very interesting and invigorating collection of pieces. On first listen this music seemed like a total contrast to his symphonic work.
CD 15 contained music for piano which I found myself liking quite a lot, which surprised me.

Although the symphonies, Tone Poems and the Violin concerto were excellent the revelation for me with this set has been the other aspects of Sibelius’ music that I have heard for the first time and which I really liked. It was a real revelation and certainly throws new light on one of my favourite composers.

fergus wrote:On vinyl....



Great sounding BPO from another era!

I have a few Mahler cds of Rosbaud's and I really like them, I passed up the opportunity to buy more of them when I was in Munich a few years ago, ah well.

fergus wrote: Although the symphonies, Tone Poems and the Violin concerto were excellent the revelation for me with this set has been the other aspects of Sibelius’ music that I have heard for the first time and which I really liked. It was a real revelation and certainly throws new light on one of my favourite composers.

I am really pleased that you like the box set Fergus, I do too, I know that I have gone on a bit about it.

Seán wrote:

fergus wrote: Although the symphonies, Tone Poems and the Violin concerto were excellent the revelation for me with this set has been the other aspects of Sibelius’ music that I have heard for the first time and which I really liked. It was a real revelation and certainly throws new light on one of my favourite composers.

I am really pleased that you like the box set Fergus, I do too, I know that I have gone on a bit about it.

Your persistence, once again Seán, did pay off!!

I listened to this 2 LP set and I thought that the playing was outstanding....

Exquisitely good playing from La Risonanza with speeds which instill great youthful vitality into the music coupled with silky, velvety singing from soprano Roberta Invernizzi make for an exquisite CD. The whole package is a delight from beginning to end.