What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[Antonmb]

Telemann: Don Quichotte Suite; Concerto in G for Viola; Overture in D for Two Oboes & Two Horns
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Neville Marriner conducting
Argo (1976), from the box set “The Argo Years”

Old hat, I know, but wonderful performance and excellent sound, with the possible exception that the soundstage seems a bit narrow.

[cma29]

Now in the mood to go with some baroque...

Johann Christian Bach: Berlin Harpsichord Concertos in D, B flat & F
The Hanover Band, Anthony Halstead



This is music from JS Bach's other son, Johann Christian. JC Bach's and CPE Bach's music sound similar particularly these harpsichord concerti. Charming music with some inventive touches. Playing is alert and the balance between strings (no winds used here) and harpsichord is excellent. The CPO recording is quite fine.

I might get the full 6-disc set now on sale at Presto

[eljr]

Leonard Bernstein, Gidon Kremer, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Serenade • Fancy Free

Country:
Germany
Released:
1979
Genre:
Classical
Style:
Contemporary

[bart]

Händel - Opera Arias
Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano
Les Talens Lyriques, Christophe Rousset
via Tidal




Listening to this again.
What a voice!
Händel, when sung by such a talent, moves me in a very special way.

[bart]

Vivaldi - The 4 Seasons - Violin Concertos
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Itzhak Perlman
via Tidal




This was highly recommended on another site.
It is a top performance.
However, I find the sound a bit dated, meaning: I hate quite some of those early digital recordings.

[bart]

Originally Posted by bart

More harpsichord... or not?!

C.P.E. Bach - Tangere
Alexei Lubimov




Lubimov plays a modern copy (by Chris Maene from Belgium) of a tangent piano made in 1794 by the Regenburg-based firm of Späth & Schmahl.




The pieces sound very fresh and lively.
Light, but not cheap.
The playing is very subtle.

Listening to this album for the second time.
Enjoyable.
Very much so.

[aardvarkbark]

In the mood for some Schubert solo piano this mid-Saturday.

hmmm.....Lupu or Schiff, Lupu or Schiff....

can't go wrong with either, but spinning now....

[Haydn]

Alexander Tharaud
Ravel: Piano works
2 CDs
Harmonia Mundi

Not convincing.

[bart]

Debussy - Quatuor & Danses
Caplet - Les Prières & Conte Fantastique
Quatuor Debussy - Marielle Nordmann - Françoise Masset - Yann Dubost
via Qobuz




We just heard the Danses and the Conte Fantastique live, albeit with another string quartet, the Quatuor Zaïde, and for the harp pieces, with Anneleen Lenaerts, a Flemish harpist, soloist of the Wiener Philharmoniker (!).
They also played a piece from her brother Wouter Lenaerts, similar in style, Visions.
And a, splendidly played, Ravel String Quartet.
Lenaerts brought Claire de Lune, arrangement for harp, by herself.
All 5 young ladies were outstanding.

This album is very enjoyable too.
Good recording.

By the way, Caplet is a composer that I didn't know before this concert, but that I am going to examine closer.
The work they played and that I'm listening to right now is very beautiful (Conte Fantastique, after a tale from Edgar Allen Poe).

[bart]

Leoš Janáček - String Quartets nos. 1 & 2
Bohuslav Jan Martinů - String Quartet no. 5
Quatuor Zaïde




On this album, these fine young musicians play with the same zeal as they showed us yesterday.