Tír Na HiFi

Fantastic composer Sean, late 16th Century, very influential across the board but especially for his virtuosic keyboard music which is extremely well presented in this set. This music is very fresh and full of brio, but I suspect a bit of a challenge at the same time. Once you get into the sound world it's very compelling.

His vocal and choral works are meant to be excellent, but I haven't delved into those yet.

Diapason wrote:Fantastic composer Sean, late 16th Century, very influential across the board but especially for his virtuosic keyboard music which is extremely well presented in this set. This music is very fresh and full of brio, but I suspect a bit of a challenge at the same time. Once you get into the sound world it's very compelling.

His vocal and choral works are meant to be excellent, but I haven't delved into those yet.

Hey, you discovered my fellow countryman composer from the Golden Age :-)

Listening to Bach right now

Aleg wrote: Hey, you discovered my fellow countryman composer from the Golden Age :-)

Aha, I didn't realise you were Dutch, Aleg. Many of my organist friends studied in Holland and I try to get over there for concerts myself from time to time. As I'm sure you know, it's a bit of a Mecca for organists!

Diapason wrote:

Aleg wrote: Hey, you discovered my fellow countryman composer from the Golden Age :-)

Aha, I didn't realise you were Dutch, Aleg. Many of my organist friends studied in Holland and I try to get over there for concerts myself from time to time. As I'm sure you know, it's a bit of a Mecca for organists!

I gave myself away now, didn't I. No longer incognito ;-)

That explains also why you are such a Baroque die hard :-D, with those organ roots.

Do you visit the churches in the North of Holland (Groningen, Friesland, Noord Holland)? An acquaintance of mine used to visit many of the village churches in the north of Holland to play the church organs. He could play well and went regularly on those church tours.

Nice to meet an Irishman with an interest in Holland.

Cheers

Aleg

I haven't been, but Groningen is very high on my list.

Aleg wrote: Fergus

I do like this Quartet very much. They have just had their Haydn CD's reissued in a cheap 10 CD box by Naive.
They're all very good
http://www.bookbutler.com/music/compare ... uk&cur=gbp



Cheers

Aleg

Hi Aleg, yes they are an excellent ensemble. That Haydn set was good value. I have the individual CDs and I really like them. You obviously have no problem with the sound of the gut strings? I suppose coming from where you do you are most likely exposed to lots of period performances?

fergus wrote:

Aleg wrote: Fergus

I do like this Quartet very much. They have just had their Haydn CD's reissued in a cheap 10 CD box by Naive.
They're all very good
http://www.bookbutler.com/music/compare ... uk&cur=gbp



Cheers

Aleg

Hi Aleg, yes they are an excellent ensemble. That Haydn set was good value. I have the individual CDs and I really like them. You obviously have no problem with the sound of the gut strings? I suppose coming from where you do you are most likely exposed to lots of period performances?

Hi Fergus

No, I don't mind gut strings, I don't prefer it either way. The performance in itself is more important to me. If it grabs me, given the mood I'm in, the instruments used don't bother me.

It's not that 'bad', we don't only play early music. Though there are ensembles that play period instruments and adhere to authentic performances, my guess is most don't, normally. Though we have the famous 'Festival of Early Music' http://www.oudemuziek.nl/festival/ , it does make me feel a bit 'ancient' if that's 'all' what we have become known for :-).

I must say however, I don't visit live concerts that often anymore. In my household the piano is the main instrument, with myself having a wider interest, but visits to piano recitals are often very disappointing. We regularly went to the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Doelen Rotterdam, but the international concert pianists that visit us, are all very virtuoso, but seem to have lost the music somewhere. Only every now and than there is a pianist we really enjoyed listening to. I have got a better hitrate listening to my CD-collection.

Cheers
Aleg

Aleg wrote: It's not that 'bad', we don't only play early music. Though there are ensembles that play period instruments and adhere to authentic performances, my guess is most don't, normally. Though we have the famous 'Festival of Early Music' http://www.oudemuziek.nl/festival/ , it does make me feel a bit 'ancient' if that's 'all' what we have become known for :-).

I must say however, I don't visit live concerts that often anymore. In my household the piano is the main instrument, with myself having a wider interest, but visits to piano recitals are often very disappointing. We regularly went to the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Doelen Rotterdam, but the international concert pianists that visit us, are all very virtuoso, but seem to have lost the music somewhere. Only every now and than there is a pianist we really enjoyed listening to. I have got a better hitrate listening to my CD-collection.

Cheers
Aleg

I meant that in a good way Aleg LOL! I thought that corner of Europe was something of a hub for early music performance ensembles. I do agree wit you on the recitals in that they seem to have become somewhat mechanical with little flair or personality to the performance. I am not sure if that is something to do with modern teaching methods. Of course there is always Lang Lang (is that his name?)!

Any YouTube videos of Aleg piano recitals at home?!?!

fergus wrote:I am not sure if that is something to do with modern teaching methods.

Perhaps, and I think it's also related to the standard career progression of piano competitions.

fergus wrote:

...
Of course there is always Lang Lang (is that his name?)!

Fergus, please, spare me!
Sorry for those who do like him, but I certainly don't, but don't let that put you off.

fergus wrote:Any YouTube videos of Aleg piano recitals at home?!?!

Unfortunately I'm not the one who is actively playing, that's my wife and she ain't going to go public on Youtube, even though she is good enough to do so. It would mean divorce :-D, if I would put anything without consent. She chose business career over a piano career.

Cheers

Aleg