What did Father Christmas bring?

People have been very kind, and I've some interesting additions to my collection. The highlight is:
"The Canticle of the Sun" by Sofia Gubaidulina.
I'd never heard of her, but this is a magical work for solo cello and voices, superbly performed by Pieter Wispelwey and Collgium Vocale, Gent. It sounds great on SACD.

Also on SACD, I was given:
Carlos V (Spanish music from the reign of) / Jordi Savall / Hespèrion XXI
Bach Cantatas 4 / 12 /106 / 196 Cantus Cölln / Junghänel
Midnight at Notre-Dame - organ transcriptions / Olivier Latry

and on CD, an 8 disc Virgin set called Espagna Antigua, collecting the late lamented EMI reflexe's recordings by Hespèrion XX / Savall of spanish music.

What interesting things did you get, or have record sales really collapsed, as the companies would have us believe?

 

All classical this year, with a few that were recommended here,

Bruckner - Symphonie 4 - Karajan
Bruckner - Symphonie 8 - Giulini
Brahms - Requiem - Gardiner
Beethoven - 2 & 4 - Berstein
Williams - Sea Symphonie - ?
Verdi - Rigoletto the CD as well as tickets for new year!

Most excited about the Opera tickets for new year, but the rest sounded good during the first play, into Bruckner just now, can't get enough of the his 8th, wonderful stuff.

 

Saint-Saens complete works for piano and orchestra (5 concerti and various bits and pieces), Stephen Hough with the CBSO under Sakari Oramo. I only knew the 2nd concerto before, the others are interesting, esp. the 5th with it's Spanish and Asian influences.

Recording quality is stunning, amongst the best I have heard. Not surprising really as Tony Faulkner was the engineer.

Michael.

 

My Mum must have been reading reviews in papers or magazines (or taken advice from her daughter-in-law)... she got me the new Martha Argerich recordings of Beethoven 2nd and 3rd Concerti with Abbado. Hopefully will get a chance to listen soon.

My hints at home towards either Jansons or Gergiev's Shostakovich no.4 fell on deaf ears, as you might think circling in thick black ink the G'Phone review of complete Rachmaninov Concerti on SACD with Steven Hough and Andrew Litton might have got results.... looks like I'll have to buy them myself!

 

I got nothing, but then I'm still on the 170 CDs of the complete Bach Hänssler collection - I anticipate being there for some time.

 

I got Handel airs by Renée Fleming. Very good, easy listening. Plus some Jazz stuff.

And I received this morning the complete Bach Hännsler collection, but that's a present from myself ...

 

Bach's French suites played by Keith Jarrett, the greatest harpsichordist in the world.
The record is absolutely fantastic.

 

Dear Bat
Well, it is to some extent a matter of taste ,but you cant have heard the French suites played by Leonhardt, Curtis, Moroney, Gilbert, Hogwood et.c. et.c
Venlig hilsen

 

I have heard Hogwood but I prefer Jarrett. KJ's approach is probably not at all historically accurate etc., but I find it etheric and therapeutic, almost hypnotic. In fact, after some serious listening and pondering that I have been doing, I would rather listen to KJ's Bach than Leonhardt's, whose English suites I have. It's a pity that KJ has not recorded the English suites.

 

Father Christmas is bringing
Vinyl
Now how to break it to her indoors

 

Nice!

 

Father Christmas brought no Cds or LPs:
he said I first have to listen to a few thousand that are neatly standing on my shelves.

 

Bat
I have never heard K.Jarret play Bach. Oh, that is not completely true, since I own a CD with him and Michala Petri playing Bachsonatas -flutesonatas for recorder and harpsichord-, but he plays rather "normal" here. I shall order his French suites
soon to get a fuller picture of his playing.

 

Good - play them LOUD! I even like that certain mannerism or trill that he throws now and then. Maybe I am sick and it is bad harpsichord playing but I really like the angelic result and keep on turning the volume control clockwise.

 

I just listened again Jarrett's French suites for a while. I must add that IMHO they are the best classical record of the whole decade. I must be very sick.

 

Yes, now I am sure... what immense joy... superb sound too... certainly the best classical album of the nineties... probably the best classical album of all times... strange that nobody else has noticed... maybe you pe-zulu will agree... but avoid his Goldberg variations, they are too stiff !

 

Bat
You have convinced me, that Jarrets French suites are very good,
though I still have to hear them. But "the best classical album of all times" , isn't that something of a big mouthful?
A propos, do you know his WTC?

 

Currently I feel that his WTC2 is not as successful, it has its moments, it is very fluent and rhytmical, very nice to listen while studying or something, but it may lack some depth. But I don't have other harpsichord WTC2's around for comparision. KJ's WTC1 is on piano.

 

Bach's French Suites

Hi guys,

Besides Keith Jarrett, the following artists have also recorded the French Suites recently: Blandine Rannou, David Cates and most recently, Christophe Rousset. The two earlier recordings are outstanding, but I have not heard Rousset's set yet. Is it as good or even better?

Cheers.

 

Indeed. Have you seen a psychiatrist? Or listened to Rousset, Leonhardt or even Moroney?

I'll search for an adequate smiley, now.

:crazy: Well, perhaps this one...

I'm joking, of course...