What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[bart]

Schubert - Die Schöne Müllerin
[B]Christian Gerhaher
Gerold Huber[B]
via Tidal




Another recommendation in the 'Stereo' magazine (Jan 18).
This might be the best Müllerin I've heard so far.
(I'll have to compare with Fischer-Dieskau one of these days).
Simply delicious.

The 5 poems of Wilhelm Müller, not used by Schubert in this Lieder cycle, are welcome intermezzos.
They do nog disturb at all.
Beautifully read by Gerhaher.

Stream it (good quality!) of buy the album, if you are a Schubert fan!

[Antonmb]

Prokofiev: Piano Concertos No’s. 2 & 5
Olli Mustonen, Piano
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hannu Lintu conducting
Ondine (2017), 24/48 flac files

Quite a contrast to the Field piano concertos I was playing a couple of days ago: the music is not as lyrical, more serious and thought-provoking, but just as beautiful it it’s own way. Very well played and recorded.

[Formerly YB-2]

Luciano Pavarotti, "O Holy Night" with Kurt Herbert Adler, the National Philharmonic Orchestra and the Wandsworth Boys Choir on a London pressing from some time ago. This album shows Pavarotti at his best, for me.

[Antonmb]

Dvorak: Quintets Op. 81 & 97
Panel Haas Quartet
Boris Giltburg, piano
Panel Nikl, viola
Supraphon (2017)

Carlos recently played and praised this, and it’s indeed a fine recording.

[bart]

J.S. Bach - Sonatas For Violin & Harpsichord
Isabelle Faust - Kristian Bezuidenhout
via Qobuz 24/96




First listen.
Seems utterly magnificent.
Great sound.
I just subscribed to Qobuz Hifi Sublime + (Tidal didn't work with my temporary streaming solution Google Chromecast Audio).

[cma29]

Continuing to explore this remastering...

Carlos Kleiber, Wiener Philharmoniker
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
Schubert: Symphony No. 3 in D major, D200
Schubert: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D759 'Unfinished'



Played the Brahms. I have the Original-Image Bit-Processing DG remaster and this Blu-ray newcomer reveals more nuances from the VPO orchestral playing. It's as you can see deeper into the complex orchestration and better understand what's going on with all the melodies and harmonies. Very nice. I'm leaving the warhorse Beethoven recordings for later.

Here is a synopsis on the release:

3 CDs/Blu-ray Audio

With a deluxe four-disc set of newly remastered recordings we celebrate the unique, iconic art of Carlos Kleiber, who died on 13 July 2004. Without a doubt, Carlos Kleiber was the most charismatic conductor in the second half of the 20th century.

Exclusive to Deutsche Grammophon, he made few recordings of symphonic music – just one CD each of Beethoven (Fifth and Seventh Symphonies), Schubert (Third and “Unfinished” Symphonies) and Brahms (Fourth Symphony). These are among the greatest treasures of the DG catalogue. On CD alone, the Beethoven has sold over 600,000 copies since 1992 (and many more LPs and CDs before that).

Now, in commemoration of Kleiber’s death in 2004, we are offering a deluxe, limited-edition set (slipcase, hardcover book in the style of the Martha Argerich Lugano Concertos, 4779884), with newly remastered versions of these recordings at 24 bit / 96 kHz (CD 1 – Beethoven 5 & 7; CD 2 – Schubert 3 & 8; CD 3 – Brahms 4) .

Includes a Blu-ray Audio disc containing all the works and a 70-minute audio documentary, tracing Kleiber’s career and his extraordinary ability to inspire the musicians he worked with. Contributors include Ileana Cotrubas, Felicity Lott, Dale Clevenger, Thomas Hampson, Clemens Hellsberg, Peter Jonas. With specially selected musical excerpts from Kleiber’s orchestral and opera recordings.

The 32-page booklet has a new article and timeline by journalist and author Jon Tolansky, who worked with Kleiber. The booklet also includes original covers and new rare photos of the conductor in the recording studio in Vienna, 1973 – moving documents of his passionate search for perfection. This set represents the best-ever version of these iconic recordings.

In addition to this deluxe set, early August will see the delicious release of a numbered, limited-edition 4-LP Set, every LP to be expertly re-mastered at Optimal from analogue sources (LP 1: Beethoven 5, LP 2: Beethoven 7; LP 3 Schubert 3 & 8; LP 4: Brahms 4). The pressings from Optimal will be on 180-gram vinyl stock. Original LP front and back covers.

Audio documentary: Carlos Kleiber - A Memoir

[bart]

Händel - Arias
Franco Fagioli, countertenor
Il Pomo D'Oro, Zefira Valova
via Qobuz 24/96




We saw this countertenor in a Händel opera in '16.
He moved me to tears.
This new album is wonderful, with powerful yet delicate singing, and a brilliantly supporting orchestra.
Very good recording.

[ehoove]

Mozart
Piano Concertos No.17, G Major, K.453
No. 21, C Major, K. 467
Camerata Academica of Salzburg Mozarteum
Geza Anda - Conductor and Soloist
Wonderful recording!
Deutsche Grammaphon 138783 (West German Pressing)
Regards,
Jim

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by ehoove

Mozart
Piano Concertos No.17, G Major, K.453
No. 21, C Major, K. 467
Camerata Academica of Salzburg Mozarteum
Geza Anda - Conductor and Soloist
Wonderful recording!
Deutsche Grammaphon 138783 (West German Pressing)
Regards,
Jim

I have this on vinyl as well, and I don’t think I’ve played it in years. I’ll have to pull it out this evening.

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by Antonmb

Echo: The Glory Of Gabrieli
Canadian Brass
Opening Day (2010)

Works of Gabrieli and Monteverde, impeccably performed and well recorded the serious side of Canadian Brass. From the Canadian Brass website:

“...an album exploring the Baroque innovations pioneered by Gabrieli at Venice's Basilica San Marco. Because of the Basilica's unique design, which included two choir lofts separated by a cavernous interior, it was difficult for choirs to sing in unison. Gabrieli used this to his advantage in his music for brass, creating works where one brass choir echoes or responds to the other -- a technique that proved immensely popular in his time and is recreated in our own by Canadian Brass.

In the words of Canadian Brass founding member Chuck Daellenbach, ‘Most Gabrieli-era recordings are blast fests -- fun to be part of, but not that wonderful to listen to, and certainly not authentic. When we started this project, I urged all participants, starting with the adapters/arrangers, to exercise intelligent authenticity. Simply stated, I wanted a result that took advantage of modern instruments without sacrificing the musical intent of the composers. Consequently, we observed as best we could the scholarship that abounds regarding this period, and combined it with advances in instrument quality, performer standards, and of course, state-of-the-art recording techniques.’”

Playing this again, it’s gorgeous music.