What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[bart]

I have posted this before.
It remains one of our most treasured sets.

Rachmaninoff - Études -tableaux - Préludes (Complete)
Nikolai Lugansky
Marietta Petkova, piano

[bart]

One of Julian's favourites again, by one of my favourite ensembles:




Unfortunately the SACD is unobtainable for me, but the Qobuz stream does a good job.

[bart]

Domenico Scarlatti - Sonatas
Jean Rondeau, harpsichord
Qobuz 24/96




I've become a fan of this young musician.
Scarlatti's works are always a joy to hear, but Rondeau plays them with so much vigour... a real uplift!
Splendid sound.

[jimtranr]

In its 24/96 incarnation, a performance and sonic gem.

[bart]

Classical...?
Crossover...?

Vivaldi - The Four Seasons - Recomposed
Max Richter
Qobuz 24/44.1

[bart]

Christoph Graupner - Concertos & Ouvertures
L'arpa festante, Rien Voskuilen
via Qobuz




This is lovely music.
I appreciate it very much that ensembles revive this overlooked composer.

In 1709, the music-loving Landgraf Ernst Ludwig from Darmstadt had discovered Christoph Graupner as a harpsichordist at the Hamburg Opera in 1709 and had hired him on the spot. The Landgraf had made a real stroke of luck with Graupner, because he was not only an outstanding musician but also a perfect organizer of the courtly musical life and especially for the church music which had to be performed weekly. Over the years, more than 1,400 works of sacred music and more than 250 concertos and orchestral works have gathered from his pen and paper. L’arpa festante and Rien Voskuilen have put together an exquisite selection with orchestral music from this repertoire for the present album: two concertos for oboes and trumpets and two Ouvertures for transverse flute in the French style, probably all from the first half of the 1730’s. © Accent

[bart]

Jean-Marie Leclair - Violin Concerto Op. 7
Les Muffatti, Peter Van Heyghen
Luis Otavio Santos, violin
Qobuz 24/96




This is a recommendation of Cédric, my amp maker.
As usual, an exceedingly good recording.
But it is more than that.
It is catching music, played with vigour.
Recommended by me also!

[bart]

John Dowland - The Complete Solo Lute Music
Jakob Lindberg
via Qobuz




A wonderful Indian summer Sunday, and we're playing all tracks (4 CDs).

[bart]

Händel - Italian Cantatas
The King's Consort, Robert King
Carolyn Sampson
Qobuz 24/96




I love Sampson's voice, also here, but she's even better in her mother tongue (her Purcell recordings).
The ensemble is good, the sound very decent.

[bart]

Mozart / Beethoven - Quintets for Piano and Winds
Ensemble Dialoghi
Qobuz 24/96




I was a bit hesitant, watching the cover.
But "Stereoplay", one of the leading German magazines, encouraged me to listen to it.
And it is fantastic!
What a good recording!
The playing is equally top notch.