Tír Na HiFi

fergus wrote:

DonKC wrote: Stravinsky was also a fine conductor as well. Hindemith's recordings conducting his own music are also some interesting revelations.

I have some Hindemith on the playlist for this weekend Don. I am not too familiar with his music so I am not too sure that I will learn a lot during the session.

Hindemith is always interesting. Like Martinu, he was prolific and some of his works are not as memorable as others but he really never wrote a bad piece. Mathis der Mahler, Nobilisima Visione, Symphonic Metamorphoses, "Kammermusic" 1-7 and Symphony in Eb are fine orchestral works. His solo sonatas for his instrument, the viola, are superb.

fergus wrote:

That´s still my favourite Fidelio dear Fergus, a recording I have been listening since I was 15.
Leonie Rysanek is incomparable in the title role: vocally powerful and emotionally overwhelming, and the rest of the cast is equally great, but it is Ferenc Fricsay who makes this recording the landmark it is, if you listen carefully you will hear Harnoncourt-like articulation and tempi, quite novel for it´s time (1958), that favored Klemperer-like density and Brucknerian tempi. Harnoncourt of course has always acknowledge Fricsay as one of his major influences.
By the way, this was DG very first stereo opera recording.

DonKC wrote: Hindemith is always interesting. Like Martinu, he was prolific and some of his works are not as memorable as others but he really never wrote a bad piece. Mathis der Mahler, Nobilisima Visione, Symphonic Metamorphoses, "Kammermusic" 1-7 and Symphony in Eb are fine orchestral works. His solo sonatas for his instrument, the viola, are superb.

Thank you for those guidelines Don. As I said Hindemith is not a composer that I am overly familiar with other than Mathis der Maler and his Violin Concerto so I am trying to ultimately broaden my horizons in this regard. I will certainly look into the above recommendations in the future.

Jose Echenique wrote:

fergus wrote:

That´s still my favourite Fidelio dear Fergus, a recording I have been listening since I was 15.
Leonie Rysanek is incomparable in the title role: vocally powerful and emotionally overwhelming, and the rest of the cast is equally great, but it is Ferenc Fricsay who makes this recording the landmark it is, if you listen carefully you will hear Harnoncourt-like articulation and tempi, quite novel for it´s time (1958), that favored Klemperer-like density and Brucknerian tempi. Harnoncourt of course has always acknowledge Fricsay as one of his major influences.
By the way, this was DG very first stereo opera recording.

I am delighted that I appear to have scored highly with this version. I only had the Klemperer version on CD so this vinyl version was an impulse buy so that I could have another version of the work. I really like the Klemperer version and have listened to it on and off over the years. When one listens to it one knows that one is listening to Beethoven. However I really liked the Friscay from the moment that I put it on. It certainly is different to the Klemperer version; more of a Mozart feel than a heavy Beethoven feel if you know what I mean. Contrasts are what owning multiple versions of a work is all about and I certainly have it with these two interpretations of Fidelio.

Two versions of Tosca today!

Double Bach; two versions of BWV56 & BWV82....

Purcell:
The Indian Queen
The Tempest
JEG/ Monteverdi/ English Baroque

First time I have heard both of these works, so they have both been on 'repeat'.

With Don in far away Kansas City in mind, double Hindemith....

Very pleased to say that I have over the past few days managed to attend an Opera double bill...

Handel's Julius Caesar (Live from the Met) on Saturday night at the Hereford Courtyard, followed by Verdi's Nabucco (Live from the ROH) last night in Worcester... both greatly enjoyed, to be fair...

Meanwhile, it's back to Purcell duty... The Indian Queen & The Tempest again this evening, courtesy of Sir JEG.

fergus wrote:With Don in far away Kansas City in mind, double Hindemith....

The Requiem is a lovely work, far to infrequently performed and recorded. The Violin Concerto is a fine work as well. Enjoy your Hindemith Festival!