Tír Na HiFi

This Album on the Steinway label has gotten a lot of press, at least here in the USA. So I found it on Spotify and have been listening. Quite enjoyable.

27 piano transcriptions of songs by Francis Poulenc and transcriptions by Roberto Piana of Edith Piaf favorites such as "La Vie En Rose", "Non, Je ne regrette rien", "Mon legionnaire" and so on wonderfully performed by Antonio Pompa-Baldi.

No selection is over 5 minutes and all are quite well done, brilliantly performed and in good sound ( but only heard on computer speakers only).

Maybe not everyone's glass of wine, but something different and fun.

Steinway and Sons 30015 (CD released on 9/24)

..because I just fancied doing so, this evening...

On Sky Arts 2
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 1
Lucerne Festival Orchestra
Maestro Claudio Abbado - conducting.

I have just sat through one of a most exhilarating performances of Mahler's Titan; it was performed by the LFO under the magnificent direction of Maestro Claudio Abbado. What a performance! I expect that it was originally released on DVD with Yuja Wang performing Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto. I missed the Prokofiev, never mind, I have recorded it.

It will be on again @ 00.50 in the morning. I will create a separate thread.

Jared wrote:

..because I just fancied doing so, this evening...

And why not if the fancy takes you?!?!

I have it myself and it is a good un too!

DonKC wrote:

That one reminds me of a CD that I had resurrected and recently listened to; a set of 40 poems by Edith Sitwell set to music by William Walton....





I cannot describe this work in any other way than it is half sung, half spoken (very well) by Pamela Hunter and the very 1920s-feel music (very early Walton apparently) has a score for flute/piccolo, saxophone, trumpet, clarinet/bass clarinet, cello and percussion. It was devised apparently to counter what was going on in Paris at that time with Stravinsky’s and other’s music. The stated aim to be the “vanguard of London’s avant-garde” was achieved when the work’s sonic world and presentation caused uproar among critics and public alike.
I enjoy it about once every year or so but, once again it would not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Meanwhile, for something completely different as they say; beautiful cello music by John Taverner....

As I said, if it has to be Bach on the piano it better be András Schiff. And I ´ll be hearing him live next October 18 in our Palace of Fine Arts playing the Diabelli Variations AND the Goldberg Variations. What a treat!

this is my first listen to this lovely sounding disk, which only arrived in the post this morning.... I also previously posted about it in the bargain thread....

...yep, just checked and still available at a bargain price!

Well, it seems that Warner has decided to resuscitate ERATO after over a decade of demise. And it seems they stole star countertenot Philippe Jaroussky from Virgin. Jaroussky is a huge star in France, his boyish good looks, charismatic personality and sweet voice make him a record company´s dream.
When he started his career some 8 years ago, his voice was very high and rather colorless, now it has gained weight and is more interesting, besides he knows how to carry a tune, his musicianship is of a high order. This disc is completely dedicated to the music of Nicola Porpora, Handel´s rival in London and Farinelli´s teacher. The music though -obviously- not as great as Handel´s is very good in it´s own right.
This cd makes a good companion to the fabulous all-Porpora cd made by soprano Karina Gauvin a few years ago, now let´s hope complete Porpora operas get recorded.