What are you listening two?

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Another highlight from last year.  Requiem masses by Cherubini and Plantade (the latter unaccountably receiving its recording premiere) in gripping, emotionally charged performances from the ever-reliable team of Hervé Niquet and his ensemble, Le Concert Spirituel.  

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This is just an absolute joy to listen to.  Although it's Rossini's longest opera at around 4 hours, time just slips away in the company of Milnes, Pavarotti and Freni.  Fabulous, just fabulous.

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I've been immensely enjoying these rich, powerful readings of these Spanish masterpieces this afternoon. Beautifully played by Artur Pizzaro.

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Listening to one of my very favourite versions of the Bartok piano concerto cycle.  These are spirited, rhythmically alive accounts played with great panache by Kovacevich.  He and Davis made some wonderful records together.  I'm also particularly fond of their Beethoven piano concerto cycle.

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Pure unalloyed pleasure.  Sutherland and Pavarotti in glorious, soaring voice in La Sonnambula.

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Finishing off the evening with Kovacevich's exceptional reading of Beethoven's masterpiece for solo piano.  A wonderfully gripping performance which still ranks in my mind as one of the very best versions of this amazing work.

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Finishing off the evening with Kovacevich's exceptional reading of Beethoven's masterpiece for solo piano.  A wonderfully gripping performance which still ranks in my mind as one of the very best versions of this amazing work.

Ah yes, the diabolical variations... The first time I heard these a number of years back during the Dublin piano competition, I quite disliked them, thinking they were possibly the most dull uninspired long-winded rubbish that Beethoven had ever written. Considering these are very late works, they seemed banal compared to the last five sonatas or the late string quartets that surely rank among the greatest music ever written. I think the key is that Beethoven knows that the theme is trite and pretty awful, and he is having a bit of a laugh at Diabelli's expense (Beethoven the comedian?) - and then tries to show how even something like this might be made transcendental. It still doesn't quite work for me, although Sokolov's interpretation is the one that has made me love this piece the most. I will look up Kovacevich: thanks for the tip.

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The long series of masterpieces that Beethoven wrote in his final years really is astonishing and it is understandable that some works are comparatively undervalued.  The Diabelli Variations (and the Bagatelles as well) are perfect examples.  I would not say they have been neglected in any way but many pianists do seem to concentrate on the piano sonatas.  They do take time to absorb but it is time very well spent.  In addition to the excellent version by Sokolov that you mention, I am also very fond of the versions by Alfred Brendel, Piotr Anderszewski, Andras Schiff (on both fortepiano and grand piano) and Andreas Staier(fortepano).  I'm very interested in hearing the new version by Filippo Gorini as well.

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A beautiful performance of a series of cello sonatas from lesser-known Italian composers of the baroque period. Costanzi and Bonancini are familiar names to me but I have not encountered the other composers before.  

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Listening tonight to these subtle, delicately crafted accounts of Buxtehude's masterly trio sonatas.  This is deeply rewarding music given performances of great tenderness and elegance by La Rêveuse.