What are you listening to?

[Jared]

A beautiful, understated gem of a disc.

The versions of Kindertotenlieder and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen for reduced orchestra (by Rainer Riehm and Arnold Schoenberg respectively) clarify the string textures and highlight woodwind detail and the addition of piano subtly broadens the harmonic palette further. Sara Mingardo is an artist that is very reliable in Baroque repertoire and her rich contralto is beautifully employed here to remarkably telling effect. The performances of the song cycles are augmented by two instrumental pieces, an expanded version of Mahler's Piano Quartet and Busoni's Berceuse elegiaque. There is a subtle, thoughtful approach to these recordings which makes for a very rewarding listen.

thanks for that interesting post, Paul.. that certainly seems like an intriguing purchase..

[Seán]

A beautiful, understated gem of a disc.

The versions of Kindertotenlieder and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen for reduced orchestra (by Rainer Riehm and Arnold Schoenberg respectively) clarify the string textures and highlight woodwind detail and the addition of piano subtly broadens the harmonic palette further. Sara Mingardo is an artist that is very reliable in Baroque repertoire and her rich contralto is beautifully employed here to remarkably telling effect. The performances of the song cycles are augmented by two instrumental pieces, an expanded version of Mahler's Piano Quartet and Busoni's Berceuse elegiaque. There is a subtle, thoughtful approach to these recordings which makes for a very rewarding listen.

thanks for that interesting post, Paul.. that certainly seems like an intriguing purchase..

The songs in Kindertotenlieder are disturbing and I always find it difficult to sit through a complete performance of it, but that does look like an interesting recording.

[Ciaran]

I'd be inclined to buy almost anything featuring Sara Mingardo, even if I do have those songs many, many times already!

[Jose Echenique]

This live 1999 recording may be the first recording ever issued in protest against a government.
Last year the Dutch government decided to cut all subsidies to the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, so the orchestra decided to issue this 13 year old performance from the radio archives in protest.
The orchestra is still active, so maybe an arrangement was found, and that is excellent news because the orchestra is a very fine one. They can also be heard in Jaap van Zweden´s Parsifal and in the marvelous Pieter Wispelwey´s first recording of the Dvorak Cello Concerto.
This fine Damnation de Faust was recorded live at the Concertgebouw, and is a more exciting and vital performance than what Haitink might have produced in the studio. The singers are all good. American tenor Vinson Cole, whom I heard under Karajan in 1986, has a lyrical, liquid voice and excellent French style. His is one of the finest recorded performances of this role, matching Nicolai Gedda in the ease of handling the taxing high tessitura. Soprano Charlotte Margiono, a Gardiner and Harnoncourt favourite, is a dramatic and full-voiced Marguerite, an unexpected but very interesting choice, and the recently retired Thomas Quasthoff makes a vivid devil.
All in all this is a most satisfactory recording and the sound quality from Netherlands Radio is outstanding: wide ranging, warm and true.

[Jose Echenique]

I'd be inclined to buy almost anything featuring Sara Mingardo, even if I do have those songs many, many times already!

Me too. I have dozens of Kindertotenlieder but the Mingardo is already on order.

[bombasticDarren]

Mozart - Divertimento in B flat major K.227 & Divertimento in E flat major K.252 (Oslo Philharmonic Wind Soloists, Naxos)

[bombasticDarren]

Beethoven - Symphony No.4 (trans: Liszt) (Cyprien Katsaris, Teldec)

Do you like that set Darren, I should have bought it a long time ago, I'm sorry I didn't.

I'm sure I paid less that £10 for my set Sean. I do like it, by way of contrast with the orchestral recordings I have, but don't feel that it's an essential purchase...

[bombasticDarren]

That disc is in my Amazon basket ready for payday, has been for a couple of weeks actually :-)

[Seán]

Beethoven - Symphony No.4 (trans: Liszt) (Cyprien Katsaris, Teldec)

Do you like that set Darren, I should have bought it a long time ago, I'm sorry I didn't.

I'm sure I paid less that £10 for my set Sean. I do like it, by way of contrast with the orchestral recordings I have, but don't feel that it's an essential purchase...

Gosh £10, well done. I love the idea of transcribing these materpieces for solo piano. Thanks Darren.

[bombasticDarren]

Dvorak - Symphony No.8 (Marin Alsop, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Naxos)