Tír Na HiFi

Posted: **Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:39 pm**

Seán wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:54 pm
fergus wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:26 am I have that set Seán. I honestly cannot remember how much you enjoy and appreciate Baroque music. It is easy for commentators like me to spend other people’s money but having said that I would recommend the set; I have enjoyed it. With Banchini and Beyer, along with their ensembles, you have two really great exponents of this music. Whether people have the stamina for 7 CDs of Baroque music is another thing. Are there clips from the set that you can listen to before taking the plunge?
I go through phases when I listen to Baroque music. I love JS Bach and his keyboard music as performed by András Schiff and that for me is as close to perfection as one can get. That said, Bach's Magnificat is perfect, BWV243 is extraordinary music. I don't know what it is about it but I loved it the first time I heard it. I even enjoy Suzuki's performance of it. I listen to Bach's Cantatas from time to time and to his Brandenburg Concertos on a regular basis. I also love Jan Dismas Zelenka.

But I just cannot get enough of Haydn and Beethoven.

I am impressed at the mention of Zelenka!

Posted: **Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:40 pm**

Seán wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:10 pm A little anecdote

My older brother has played drums all his life, mostly in rock bands but he has always liked Jazz and classical music. He has always admired several Jazz musicians like Buddy Rich and Oscar Peterson and classical musicians like Yuga Wang for their incredible technique. I have always said that great technique is a given in classical music but it's what the musician does with it that counts. I send him CDs from time to time and a couple of years ago I gave him CDs for Xmas and one of them was of András Schiff playing the JS Bach's Goldberg Variations. Well that CD has had a profound effect upon him. He loved it and went and bought Schiff's complete box set of Bach's keyboard works. It has changed his attitude towards musical performances. He has told me that these Bach recordings have given him a new love for and insight into musical performances. He regularly sends me videos of Schiff playing and talking about Bach. I love it.

Good story Seán and good for you and especially your brother for taking that on board.
Interestingly, I cannot really “hear” JS Bach’s music when it is played on a modern piano. The only exceptions so far to that are Gould, Schiff and Hewitt.

Posted: **Thu Mar 07, 2024 12:04 pm**

The Glory of Early Music:

This CD serves as a wonderful sampler of this music from other Naxos discs. Anyone who does not know much about Early Music and is looking for a good but simple entry point into this world would do well to give this one a listen. All of the music is also very accessible. It is a great introduction to Early Music with varied music from disparate cultures on offer as well as wonderful musical textures and sonorities.

Posted: **Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:14 pm**

Alfvén: Symphony No. 1 Op. 7 [N Jaarvi]

It has been quite a while since I listened to the music of Alfvén so I have decided to relaunch a survey of all of the music in this set.

Symphony No. 1 is a work that took me a few listening sessions in order to come to grips with it. I was not engaged with this work when I first heard it. I had issues with the musical language; I simply could not relate to it. However, after a few listening sessions I began to appreciate the work more, as is often the case.
Alfvén wrote the work when he was 24 years of age. Apparently, Alfvén himself was not entirely happy with the work when he first heard it performed. He subsequently revised it twice.
The musical language is uncomplicated and direct and it sounds fresh to me. I also think there is a lot of ambition and imagination shown in the orchestration. There is wonderful orchestral colour on display throughout the work.

Posted: **Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:21 pm**

fergus wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:14 pm Alfvén: Symphony No. 1 Op. 7 [N Jaarvi]

I love that set

Posted: **Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:22 pm**

fergus wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:39 pm
Seán wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:54 pm
fergus wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:26 am I have that set Seán. I honestly cannot remember how much you enjoy and appreciate Baroque music. It is easy for commentators like me to spend other people’s money but having said that I would recommend the set; I have enjoyed it. With Banchini and Beyer, along with their ensembles, you have two really great exponents of this music. Whether people have the stamina for 7 CDs of Baroque music is another thing. Are there clips from the set that you can listen to before taking the plunge?
I go through phases when I listen to Baroque music. I love JS Bach and his keyboard music as performed by András Schiff and that for me is as close to perfection as one can get. That said, Bach's Magnificat is perfect, BWV243 is extraordinary music. I don't know what it is about it but I loved it the first time I heard it. I even enjoy Suzuki's performance of it. I listen to Bach's Cantatas from time to time and to his Brandenburg Concertos on a regular basis. I also love Jan Dismas Zelenka.

But I just cannot get enough of Haydn and Beethoven.
I am impressed at the mention of Zelenka!

Well I also listen to Allegri (on Good Friday), Handel and Vivaldi. I will always look back with affection on your Vivaldi's Four Seasons project on this site many years ago.

Posted: **Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:33 pm**

fergus wrote: ↑Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:39 pm
I am impressed at the mention of Zelenka!

What's not to love about Zelenka! My favourite work is Missa Dei Filii

I also have a live performance by the magnificent Freiburg Barackorchester that I recorded from a broadcast on Lyric.

Bernius is a wonderful conductor, this is special:

I love this box set, Barry Tuckwell's horn playing is astonishing:

Posted: **Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:36 pm**

Telemann:

Wonderful music and excellent performances!

Posted: **Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:38 pm**

Seán wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:22 pm .... Vivaldi's Four Seasons project on this site many years ago.

The halcyon days of Tír Na HiFi.

Posted: **Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:40 pm**

Seán wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:33 pm
What's not to love about Zelenka!

What's not to love indeed!
Nice collection there Seán.

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