Tír Na HiFi

Francesco Bartolomeo Conti, a florentine contemporary of Vivaldi, is still quite unknown, but he deserves better.
Reinhald Goebel and Alan Curtis are fans, and it is to Curtis´credit that he managed Virgin to record this gorgeous oratorio with a superb cast.
This is by no means a curiosity, but rather, like Caldara´s La Maddalena ai Piedi di Cristo a most important masterpiece.

fergus wrote:

DaveF wrote:

Did you enjoy it Dave?

Yes very much so Fergus. Beautiful arrangments throughout.

Time to get back on the horse....

Mendelssohn - Symphony No.4 Italian (Guido Cantelli, Philharmonia Orchestra, EMI)

Recorded by Jordi Savall at the Cathedral where it has been originally performed back in 1687, the Requiem is scored for brass, winds, strings and continuo. The CD opens with the Battalia a 10 by Biber, which actually is a series of very short pieces imitating various sounds of soldiers' songs, march and battle. This is simply an outstanding recording but the highlight of the piece is the Requiem in Concerto. Once again the sound quality from the ALIAVOX label is 10/10.

fergus wrote:Bruckner Symphony No. 9 from this set....





Bruckner was devastated by the general rejection of his 8th symphony and I feel that this performance brings out the sense of rejection and defiance very well in this poignant music.

Although I like that set, I found it a bit underwhelming when compared to HvK's VPO recordings (7 & 8). I like the Jochum Dresden cycle most of all.

Beethoven - String Quartet No.1 (Amadeus Quartet, Deutsche Grammophon)

Jared wrote:I'd give us a 40% chance of squeezing past Italy (if we do, almost certainly on penalties) tomorrow, but then Germany... 85/15% in their favour...

I don't think I was too far wrong in my prediction here... outplayed for 75% of the game and lost on penalties (yet again). We are a long way short of the top 4 or 5 European teams at present, and last night showed it. anyway...

Haydn String Quartets: Aeolian Qt.

Seán mentioned this one recently so I have been listening to it over the weekend....

DaveF wrote:

That is my favourite M1 Dave.