Tír Na HiFi

now that Easter is safely out of the way:



St. Matthew Passion....

I usually don´t care to comment on poor recordings, but this made me mad.
First of all the program is very well chosen, including never before recorded cantatas by Antonio Lotti, Domenico Scarlatti and Agostino Steffani. The ensemble Epoca Barocca is very good, with an outstanding oboe player. But soprano Silvia Vajente is an impossibly boring singer. Her voice is unexceptional, but with some imagination and musicianship that could have been overcome, but her singing is tedious. A great disappointment.

This is the second recording of Fux´s imposing Requiem, the first, made about 10 years ago for Arte Nova, was with the Clemencic Consort.
Both recordings are excellent, but Musica Fiata´s has a little more music, the Arte Nova is less expensive, both can be recommended.

I have recently finished listening to this set....





This is a lovely, intimate recital which contains some lovely music; by far the stand out of the set for me was Zwei Gesange Op. 91 which were really beautiful.

Johann Sebastian Bach
St Matthew's Passion BWV 244
Collegium Vocale Gent
Franz-Joseph Selig, Sibylla Rubens, Ian Bostridge, Werner Güra, Dietrich Henschel, Andreas Scholl
Philippe Herreweghe - conducting.

fergus wrote:I have recently finished listening to this set....





This is a lovely, intimate recital which contains some lovely music; by far the stand out of the set for me was Zwei Gesange Op. 91 which were really beautiful.

Those are the songs with viola, and they are really lovely.
Jessye Norman´s glorious voice posed between soprano and mezzo is just perfect for them.
A great recording, no doubt.

Jose Echenique wrote: Those are the songs with viola, and they are really lovely.
Jessye Norman´s glorious voice posed between soprano and mezzo is just perfect for them.
A great recording, no doubt.

Quite so Pepe and the blend of voice and instruments is really lovely.
I had been a little unsure whether or not to buy a set of Brahms' Lieder but I am glad that I did now! It is a set that I will come back to many times I think, just like his chamber music.

This is a very strong and powerful version of this work.

Jared wrote:now that Easter is safely out of the way:



St. Matthew Passion....

St. John Passion...

these are indeed richly atmospheric, luscious and emotionally charged performances... wonderful!!

Magnard - Symphony No.1 (Jean-Yves Ossonce, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Hyperion)