What are you listening to?

[Seán]

She has just got a wonderful reaction and now I will turn it off. She looks like a lovely lady too.

who? Katie Derham?

Ugh, hell no. She's a slug on the spine that one. Ms Joyce DiDonota, what a lovely woman.

[Jose Echenique]

1st spin, and you can already tell this is rather special... beautifully resonant, mid paced lieder with a rich tone, seemingly at one with the orchestra.. what a wonderful recording, and I haven't got to the 4 Last Songs yet (last on this disk)... I can see why it's a Gramophone 'benchmark' 3G recording...

Pepe, you're a 4LS connoisseur, what are your thoughts?

This is a marvelous recording Jared, Soile Isokoski is an excellent soprano for these heavenly songs, but there are so many great recordings that you inevitably favor the ones with your favourite singers.
Mine would be Lisa della Casa´s famous 1953 recording with Karl Böhm and the VPO. Lisa della Casa was a Swiss soprano that knew Strauss in her youth, though it was Kirsten Flagstad who premiered the songs under Furtwängler in 1949. Della Casa´s luminous, gorgeous voice is ideal for these songs and maybe it´s the classic recording. Others prefer Schwarzkopf´s famous stereo recording with George Szell. If it has to be Schwarzkopf I would opt for her mono recording with Otto Ackerman because the voice was purer in the 50´s, but between the 2 celebrated sopranos I prefer the direct, unfussy singing of della Casa. Another favourite of mine is Anna Tomowa-Sintow with Karajan and the BPO. Tomowa-Sintow is Bulgarian, and therefore has a natural slavic vibrato that is very appealing, she was Karajan´s favourite soprano in his last years and it is obvious why.
Karajan also recorded the cycle with Gundula Janowitz, another glorious performance, one of the slowest ever, but Janowitz had such unbelievable breath control that the slow speeds are piece of cake for her. So many great singers have recorded the work (Jessye Norman, Renée Fleming, Leontyne Price, Karita Mattila, Lucia Popp, Arleen Auger, etc) that in the end it´s always up to one´s personal tastes, but be confident that the Isokoski is up there with the best.

[Jose Echenique]

It's a BUY, on the top of the pile it goes.

I will be interested to know how you get on with Pergolesi's music Seán.

Apart from his sacred music there is an opera of his in my collection which you may also be interested in....





It has, unfortunately one of those nonsense plots of the time but the music and performances on that particular version are really very good. I am sure that there are equally good versions out there (Pepe?). Just a thought.

No dear Fergus, that old recording of La Serva Padrona with Renata Scotto and Sesto Bruscantini has NEVER been bettered, and probably never will. These singers were in a class of their own.

[Jared]

This is a marvelous recording Jared, Soile Isokoski is an excellent soprano for these heavenly songs, but there are so many great recordings that you inevitably favor the ones with your favourite singers.
Mine would be Lisa della Casa´s famous 1953 recording with Karl Böhm and the VPO. Lisa della Casa was a Swiss soprano that knew Strauss in her youth, though it was Kirsten Flagstad who premiered the songs under Furtwängler in 1949. Della Casa´s luminous, gorgeous voice is ideal for these songs and maybe it´s the classic recording. Others prefer Schwarzkopf´s famous stereo recording with George Szell. If it has to be Schwarzkopf I would opt for her mono recording with Otto Ackerman because the voice was purer in the 50´s, but between the 2 celebrated sopranos I prefer the direct, unfussy singing of della Casa. Another favourite of mine is Anna Tomowa-Sintow with Karajan and the BPO. Tomowa-Sintow is Bulgarian, and therefore has a natural slavic vibrato that is very appealing, she was Karajan´s favourite soprano in his last years and it is obvious why.
Karajan also recorded the cycle with Gundula Janowitz, another glorious performance, one of the slowest ever, but Janowitz had such unbelievable breath control that the slow speeds are piece of cake for her. So many great singers have recorded the work (Jessye Norman, Renée Fleming, Leontyne Price, Karita Mattila, Lucia Popp, Arleen Auger, etc) that in the end it´s always up to one´s personal tastes, but be confident that the Isokoski is up there with the best.

Thank you for taking the time to write this, Pepe. I know we have talked about the Janowitz/ Tomowa-Sintow versions before (both of which I own) and the Schwartzkopf (which I owned until recently). Maybe I'll get to hear the della Casa some time, as the reviews are never less than excellent. I don't know whether I have mentioned this before, but about 18 months ago, I came across this magnificent recording in a charity shop:



which I would recommend to all, with a love for Sibelius.

[Jared]

now, I know we have quite a few Mahlerians on this forum... have any of you explored this traversal of his 'Songs of Youth' with Janet Baker?



well worth owning... especially for £2.50!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mahler-Songs-Da ... hler+baker

[Jared]

this really has been a question of blowing the dust off the top, and I'm quite glad I did... it's been 2/3 years since it had a listen, and I think I'm warming to it a little more than I once did... certainly some fine soloists here...

[Jared]

another one that's probably gone 3 years without a spin...

[fergus]

The English Suites 1-6.

The English Suites have some lovely music included in them; very pleasant and easy on the ear.

[fergus]

^^ I'm sure the lovely Joyce is scintillating as usual... although I simply can't do the last night of the proms... it's the only concert which I find more toe-curling than the New Year's Day Strauss extravaganza...

I have to say that I am with you on both scores there my friend!!!

... Land of Hope & Glory my arse...

... besides, Wawrinka & Djokovic are in a 5th set and Tokyo are battling it out with Istanbul to host the 2020 Olympics...

and these Tallis Scholars are singing an amazing Palestrina Mass...

Multi tasking....I am impressed LOL!!!

[fergus]

....that old recording of La Serva Padrona with Renata Scotto and Sesto Bruscantini has NEVER been bettered, and probably never will. These singers were in a class of their own.

Good to know Pepe, thank you. It is a wonderful, sparkling performance!