Tír Na HiFi

^^ my Monteverdi collection simply must expand, within the not too distant future, Fergus... as it is, I've just managed to snap up some very interesting looking Biber from ebay:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Biber-Muffat-Li ... 787&sr=8-4

and no, I didn't pay anything like this price... ;-)

at present, I'm back on Haydn's glorious Nelson Mass, with Trevor Pinnock & the English Concert...

Jared wrote:^^ my Monteverdi collection simply must expand, within the not too distant future, Fergus... as it is, I've just managed to snap up some very interesting looking Biber from ebay:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Biber-Muffat-Li ... 787&sr=8-4

and no, I didn't pay anything like this price... ;-)

at present, I'm back on Haydn's glorious Nelson Mass, with Trevor Pinnock & the English Concert...

You are certainly working hard on a rounded and balanced collection Jared.

This is actually the first Vivaldi opera in my collection. This is primarily a “highlights” version focusing mainly on the arias in the work. It was chosen essentially for that reason; as a sampler, if you will.
I enjoyed it very much. The music was not particularly spectacular but very enjoyable nonetheless. The soloists were really very good and the instrumental ensemble was also excellent giving very taut performances. It was a success in that it whetted my appetite to hear more of Vivaldi’s operas.

fergus wrote:

This is actually the first Vivaldi opera in my collection. This is primarily a “highlights” version focusing mainly on the arias in the work. It was chosen essentially for that reason; as a sampler, if you will.
I enjoyed it very much. The music was not particularly spectacular but very enjoyable nonetheless. The soloists were really very good and the instrumental ensemble was also excellent giving very taut performances. It was a success in that it whetted my appetite to hear more of Vivaldi’s operas.

That strikes me as a very sensible way of listening to opera Fergus... I must admit, I'm not enamoured with the genre as a whole, and find edited highlights a more palatable way of discovering the gems. That said, I have never really heard any baroque opera, so should give it a fair trial at some stage...

Jared wrote:

fergus wrote:

This is actually the first Vivaldi opera in my collection. This is primarily a “highlights” version focusing mainly on the arias in the work. It was chosen essentially for that reason; as a sampler, if you will.
I enjoyed it very much. The music was not particularly spectacular but very enjoyable nonetheless. The soloists were really very good and the instrumental ensemble was also excellent giving very taut performances. It was a success in that it whetted my appetite to hear more of Vivaldi’s operas.

That strikes me as a very sensible way of listening to opera Fergus... I must admit, I'm not enamoured with the genre as a whole, and find edited highlights a more palatable way of discovering the gems. That said, I have never really heard any baroque opera, so should give it a fair trial at some stage...

I am in the same boat Jared so I am being somewhat pragmatic here!

On vinyl....




Wonderfully clever and charming arrangement of his Symphony No. 2.

fergus wrote: I am in the same boat Jared so I am being somewhat pragmatic here!

Fergus, I know you're a fan of Monteverdi.... do you have a version of L'Orfeo, by any chance? I had been thinking of giving Gardiner's version a try at some stage, being as I like his religious music so much...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Monteverdi-LOrf ... 154&sr=1-2

I quite enjoy a bit of Dido & Aeneas, but I wonder whether that's down to it's brevity rather than anything else... no time to get bored!

Jared wrote:Fergus, I know you're a fan of Monteverdi.... do you have a version of L'Orfeo, by any chance? I had been thinking of giving Gardiner's version a try at some stage, being as I like his religious music so much...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Monteverdi-LOrf ... 154&sr=1-2

I quite enjoy a bit of Dido & Aeneas, but I wonder whether that's down to it's brevity rather than anything else... no time to get bored!

Jared, I only have one version of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo and that is by...............Gardiner; I have not (yet) felt the need to get another one so read between the lines my friend!!

DaveF wrote:

I would be very curious about that one Dave.