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Beethoven - Symphony No.5 (John Eliot Gardiner, Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique, Soli Deo Gloria)

Beethoven - Eroica Variations (Jenoe Jando, Naxos)

Jose Echenique wrote:

There are several excellent recordings of Schütz´s Historia der Geburt Jesu Christi, like Fergus´ recording with the wonderful Ian Partridge. But I am playing today the Gabrieli Consort recording made all the more attractive with added Christmas music from other Schütz contemporaries. The tenor narrator is Charles Daniels here.

Very nice!

Jared wrote:


Does anyone else have any feelings and opinions on Brahms lieder, they'd like to share?

I do like that set as I have said before but, interestingly, even though I am a big fan of chamber music lieder in general is not a genre that I particularly favour personally. In terms of songs I would prefer orchestral songs in general over the piano/singer form.

bombasticDarren wrote:

The final movement of No. 5 and the first movement of No. 7 are two of my favourite symphonic movements of any composer so I would definitely like to hear that version!

fergus wrote:I do like that set as I have said before but, interestingly, even though I am a big fan of chamber music lieder in general is not a genre that I particularly favour personally. In terms of songs I would prefer orchestral songs in general over the piano/singer form.

I like both, although it's only during the past year or so that I've come to appreciate Lieder more...

what fascinates me is the fact that it is song with accompaniment in its most reduced down, distilled form, and therefore the relationship between singer and pianist is key... yes of course, it is mostly about the quality and emotional intonation of the voice in an arena where there is absolutely nowhere to hide, but it is also about the mastery of the pianist, to be able to act as a supporting shadow in helping to project those emotions.

can you imagine what it might have been like, listening to Schubert & Vogel, in a drawing room one evening, in the company of a few select friends, with a fire in the hearth and the wind whistling through the trees outside? it would have been like nothing you'd ever quite heard before.

over the past couple of weeks, I have been snatching moments with this magnificent set, especially concentrating on the first three disks containing the early SQs, K.80- K.173, as they only tend to be recorded as part of the full set... and you can really see why. Vibrant, youthful Mozart which are delightfully engaging, yet not a patch on the Haydn or Prussians for depth....

beautiful set though, and I'd recommend this one to all...

Rameau - Les Boreades Suite (Frans Bruggen, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Philips)

Tchaikovsky - Variations on a Rococo Theme (Han-Na Chang/Mstislav Rostropovich, London Symphony Orchestra, EMI)