Latest Acquisitions

For those who wish something daring from a very solid Jazz musician, try Chick Corea's The Continents, on DG. It's surprisingly good music and written down (at least for the orchestral parts) for the posterity.

Parla

Sounds like a a good recipe for a great Father's day.   I'll be awaiting your report!

One of my superb latest CD acquisitions is the brand new recording of the very consistent French label Zig-Zag, with two Symphonies by Beethoven, namely Nos 2 & 6, in the transcription by Liszt, performed by the brilliant pianist Yuri Martynov, on an excellent Erard piano of 1837. A truly Symphonic Piano recording!

Martynov, performing this very beautiful old piano, adds a quite considerable sense of the symphonic nuances and tones Liszt envisaged for these two great Beethovenian works, proposing a very lucid reading, where every single note is noticeable without any difficulty. The recording restitutes, in a glorious way, the colours and the amazing dynamics of the great Erard, in a very beautiful spatial ambience. Don't miss it!

Parla

Fathers Day brought the Rattle/Bruckner 9 and the Ticciati Symphonie Fantastique.

I see the former is garnering plaudits and laurels all over the place. Even Hurwitzer gave it a 9/9!

This is, without doubt an astonishing performance even without the last movement and I found that more convincing as Brucknerian than have some I've read.

Having said that I am biased because I do not subscribe to the view that Rattle "micro-manages" the music he conducts or that the quality of the BPO has suffered under his tenure-the orchestra recruit personnel, not the conductor-and when I hear or read that somebody does not like his recordings but prefer him live are the also saying they do not like his live recordings which most, if not all, his recordings with BPO are or are they just voicing the conventional (American?) wisdom of the likes of Hurwitzer?

On my player the recording and Rattle's management enables details to be heard.

These are first reactions and I may modify, or change, my opinion after other listenings.

I, also, like what I've heard of Ticciati's work and the use of a small orchestra only bothered me with the loss of body to the string sound. A chamber orchestra, although it sounds more of a "smaller" orchestra than a true chamber orchestra, enables Ticciati to bring out the detail and if the performance were less impressive it would be valuable for that alone.

I did not find the Witches Sabbath lacked excitement although the bells do not sound as strong as the ones on my front door but how many times has that been the case in this work? Is it the weak bells (a quiet Sabbath-day of rest and all that?)that has provoked some reviewers to find the finale lacking excitement, I wonder, because, in my view, Ticciati builds up a fair head of steam otherwise.

Again, these are first impressions and may change but Ticciati is going to be top of my playlist for this work for months to come.

Now, what else do I want?

More Casella?

I too enjoyed the Ticciati Berlioz.  The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is on tremendous form lately.

My latest batch included the new Delius Mass of Life in an attempt to get closer to a composer I have not previously warmed to.  Initial impressions are very favourable indeed.  I must say that I was first attracted to the non-religious, Nietzsche-themed "mass" setting, and now find the music quite surprisingly wonderful.  A real find for me thanks to excellent reviews.

The latest two Shostakovich Symphonies (2 and 15) were very much enjoyed too, but the real gem has been I Fagiolini's 1612 Italian Vespers.  I just love the music of this period and this disc, following on from the equally amazing Striggio Mass in 40 Parts, makes a wonderful listening experience.  Also looking forward to re-viewing Harry Christopher's (ridiculously entitled) God's Composer - a dvd of a selection by Victoria, first broadcast on BBC4.

I took a gamble (after dipping into extracts on the Presto Classical site and reading reviews) of Rued Langgaard String Quartets.  I expect more of a challenge there, but I'm well up for it. 

What a garden of earthly delights we have available to us, despite what the gloom and doom merchants would have us believe.

Vic.

I must investigate. This sounds very interesting, thanks (to all) for the recommendation.

I couldn't agree more. It really is an astonishing - and I use the word advisedly - period with seemingly endless riches to be discovered. It astonishes now; what must people have thought when this was new music(a thought that often occurs to me about many many other pieces from all sorts of periods)?

I trust though, Vic, you didn't come under the sway of lowly human emotions and just 'enjoy' the music, but embarked on a prior course of intensive academic study, consultation with acknowledged musical experts and detailed score-reading to prepare yourself adequately for a semi-mystical experience held, of course, in absolute silence. It's the only way, apparently.