All Things Classical

One or two of their recent albums also had versions with 2 CDs, the second CD being only the orchestral arrangements, without the guitars and drums even, I think.

2 Likes

Interesting, will have to see what the_ do with that! Sang it in college.

Gould was particularly known for Bach: debut and final recordings were of the Goldberg variations… I want to say 1955 and 1981; generally the last is the most celebrated.

Colm Feore played Gould in a great film showing aspects of who he was and what he did… maybe a bit “arty” and disjointed if you haven’t read a biography but… maybe not:

2 Likes

@LeDechaine post on the metal thread reminded of this. The third movement of Moonlight Sonata is my all time favorite classical work.

Valentina Lisitsa’s rendition is my favorite so far.

Her performance of Totentanz is also REALLY GREAT.

EDIT: this video can only be played on the native website or app

1 Like

She is a powerhouse all right… first I’ve heard her. Thanks for sharing.

Ck out her Rachmaninov concertos with London on Decca. Reall_ well recorded. Movement 2 of the first is BEAUTIFUL!
I often listen to that just before bedtime.

1 Like

I will do that. These pieces (Rachmaninov piano concertos, Beethoven Sonatas) are such warhorses, hundreds of great recordings, picking a favorite would be impossible for me. But Ms Lisitsa definitely has the goods.

One of about half dozen that came to mind for the Moonlight… I couldn’t find the 3rd movement isolated on youtube, but if you want to go right there it starts at 7:55… I have this box set on CD (remember those?):

@wagstaff The streaming services offer us so man_ opportunities to hear differing performances, recordings, hall resonances, etc. It’s wonderful but sometimes daunting! A nice problem to have, eh? PS Thanks for your tip, will ck it out.

1 Like

Oh to be in that room…

2 Likes

Sumina is certainly the best of the new generation of violin stars to look at!

1 Like

No video, but Ion Voicu isn’t as pretty as Sumina, so not really such a loss… breathtaking player of a couple/few generations ago:

2 Likes

Sumina is so young she’s not even on Wikipedia. :smile:
Definitely someone to follow. TALENT (and practice!)

1 Like

She’s been in major competitions… (at least one, which Ray Chen won…) and she has a YouTube channel, or did last I checked. Content is “a day as a student at Juilliard” kind of stuff, not much in the way of performances. Again, last I checked.

I’ll have to check to see if Ray Chen is on Wikipedia, lol. Didn’t think of that as a measure of success, but it might be!

Edit — yeah, he is on Wikipedia. But he’s made a bunch of records already. What I didn’t know and found through googling is that he and Sumina were a couple for a while… classical celeb gossip fodder. In addition to amazing violin artistry.

1 Like

Can’t find/remember who liked Helene Grimaud (me too) but Deutsch Grammophone has been releasing video promos on Youtube and she popped up today…Mozart concerto 20 d minor, mvt 3 rondo.
Tho better qual. on Primephonic or other hi res, I do so enjoy watching her play. This is recent because the orch is soc. distanced.

2 Likes

I’ve been getting my non-classical downloads from the Qobuz shop lately, but Presto Classical (https://www.prestomusic.com/classical) has been a great resource for art music - I recommend it highly. You can get CDs and downloads - quite a few standard res lossless flac, mp3 is an option, some high res. There are regular updates, news, features, and suggestions. It’s easily searchable, and the samples are generous. Digital liner notes are also available for some albums. Occasionally CDs will go on sale for cheaper than the downloads and I have ordered the CDs to save some $.

2 Likes

3 phenomenal albums
image

and 2 more
image

4 Likes

Way back in the day I developed a taste for Peter Schickele and his demented alter ego, P.D.Q. Bach. One cassette I listened to over and over was “Music For an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion.” (I have since changed formats and now own the CD.) The album takes the form of a band concert for an extremely unenthusiastic audience, played by a hostile and unwilling ensemble. At one point, Professor Schickele, who is hosting the festivities, mentions a Chopin quote how two guitars sound better than one, and goes on to posit that the sound of four bassoons may be even lovelier than the sound of two guitars. The disc closes with one of Schickele’s own compositions, Last Tango in Bayreuth for bassoon quartet. What a wonderful piece! Who would have thought that adding a gentle tango lilt to Wagner’s Desire/Longing motive from Tristan and Isolde and arranging it for double reeds would have such beautiful results?

PDQALOWAP

Years later, I got a CD of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra playing a variety of miniatures by Igor Stravinsky. This disc includes a 1940 tango, arranged in 1953 for chamber orchestra. Stravinsky’s menacing, stalking, tango rhythm presents a stark contrast to the Schickele piece.

OCOSSD

Quite a few more years went by and I happened to hear on my mom’s cable TV “Music Choice” channel a bassoon quartet playing - guess what? - the Stravinsky tango! I soon purchased a digital download of the Caliban Quartet’s outstanding album, “Bassooonatics.” The Stravinsky, arranged by the quartet’s Michael Sweeney, is one of four tangos on the album, the others being from Piazzola, Michael Welsh, and Kurt Weill. I can’t help but wonder who inspired whom here, but I think Schickele’s album came out first. Just one of those connections in the small world of specialty chamber music that few, if any, might notice.

TCQB

5 Likes

@AllegroMaestoso What a delightful story! I remember PDQ, we sat around and hooted a lot. Those “coincidences” you mention are sooo cool. It is said that the bassoon was Stravinsky’s favorite instrument. Thanks for the memory. :smile:

3 Likes

Mahler Symphony 2 Solti/London,and Decca!! :innocent:
Primephonic. I do love these Sundaras!

1 Like

2 Likes