Sorry, that should be spelled: "Maconchy" - a simply wonderful 20th century English composer.
Showing 50 responses by rushton
Hubert Parry, "Symphony No. 5", "Symphonic Variations", "Elegy for Brahms" - Boult/LPO - EMI ASD 3725 (another gorgeous large orchestra recording effort by the "two Christophers" EMI recording partnership: Christopher Bishop and Christoper Parker.) ... While the English composer Hubert Parry is often considered a composer "of relative insignificance,"* I find many of his works enjoyable if not intellectually challenging. I'm not sure I "get" the sprawling Sym 5, but it sure makes for wonderful sheets of symphonic sound. The Symphonic Variations and Elegy for Brahms, on the other hand, are very engaging works. I'd still choose the Lyrita SRCS48 recording of the Variations and Elegy for the even better recording quality from Kenneth Wilkinson, also with Boult conducting. Josquin Des Pres, "Missa Pange Lingua" - Peres/Ensemble Organum - Harmonia Mundi HMC 1239 - (The Ensemble Organum gets a most unusual choral blend of voices and textures. Well worth hearing in this recording of Missa Pange Lingua, one of the great pieces of choral music in the literature.) . |
Dvorak's "Piano Trio in F minor, op65" - The Jung Trio - Groove Note GRV 1043 (This is a new direct to disc, 45 rpm, recording, mastered by Bernie Grundman and produced by Ying Tan and Joe Harley. Mike Fremer's recent review is on target about the sound quality here. The recording and engineering superbly capture the instruments in a very realistic and natural soncis. Excellent performance by this young trio. Highly recommended - the listening partner liked it!) Sibelius, "Karelia Overture," "The Bard," and "Festivo" - Gibson/ScottishNO from 1967 on EMI HQS 1070 (yes, yes - nice performances and recording) Stravinsky's "Le Sacre du Printemps (Rite of Spring)" - Ansermet/OSR, London LL 1730 mono (a lean, taut, driving performance by Ansermet, with L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande's uniquely piquant timbre in the winds and astringency of the strings, this is a wonderful record. It also has a great album cover!) . |
Jennifer Warnes, "Famous Blue Raincoat" - 45 rpm reissue ...I continue to be impressed with just how good this 45 rpm reissue sounds. Just a great mastering job by Bernie Grundman. These are going fast, so if you have any interest in an outstanding pressing of this music, act soon. Of course, if the music is not for you... . |
"The Thelonius Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall" - Mosaic MQ1-321 (Wow!! To think that the tapes of this live 1957 performance sat in the Library of Congress archives untouched and never released for over 40 years is just an amazing story unto itself. Notwithstanding the erroneous jacket credits duplicated from the CD cover, this LP is mastered from the original analog mastertapes and the sound quality is excellent. The interplay of Monk and Coltrane in this live setting is something to treasure! Highly recommended.) "Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz" Smithsonian P6 11891 - coming as primarily a classical music listener, I've been trying to learn more about jazz over these past half dozen years. This 6LP Smithsonian Collection has been on my shelf for a dozen years and I'm sorry not to have started working my way through its contents earlier. Listening to just one side at a time and reading the extensive materials in the enclosed booklet is serving as an excellent tutorial on the history of jazz and its development. Much of what I'm listening to elsewhere is making a lot more sense now. Ken Burns "History of Jazz" series -- OK, this is a DVD. But the photos, film clips, commentary and soundtracks are great for this jazz novice. I know this has been a controversial series among jazz cognoscenti, but it's serving as a great resource for me to gain context and some appreciation for the history of the music. . |
Vivaldi "The Four Seasons, op 8" - Marco Fornaciari and the Fone Ensemble on Fone 007 (2LPs) - a muscular, full-tone performace with a "big sound" from this small ensemble, playing with just one instrument per part. This recording is very closely miked (albeit with all-tube microphones) and cut at a high level, with overload apparent periodically. I ended up raising my tracking force just a touch to help tame it. Overall, a very enjoyable performance that sounded delightfully "different" in this day of more demure HIP performances. Using Strativari, Guarneri and Amati instruments, the group gets a big, full and forceful presentation of this music that was a pleasure. I just wish the miking were not quite so close and that the LP cutting had not been at quite such a high level. Still, a keeper that I will come back to. |
Orlando Gibbons, "Fantaisies Royales" - Jordi Savall, viola da gamba; Christopher Coin, baroque violin; Sergi Casademunt, harpsichord and organ positif - Astree AS 43 (Renaissance chamber music at its best! Outstanding musicians captured in a superb recording by Astree that beautifully presents the nuance, timbre and tonal color of these period instruments.) . |
I love the story, Jim! The closest I can come at the moment is admitting to listening to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in the summer time. I'm currently hooked on the 45 rpm reissue of this classic as re-mastered by Hoffman and Gray (Fantasy 8431-45, Analogue Productions). I have to listen to this after my wife has gone to bed. . |
Russ, I agree with you completely about this 45 rpm Speakers Corner reissue. It's a shame they didn't continue with more 45 rpm reissues from the Decca catalog because this one is certainly superb. For some reason I can't fathom, it got poor write-ups by some of the reviewers when it was originally issued and it didn't sell well. Kai Seeman (the force behind Speakers Corner) decided not to continue the experiment in 45s. Such a shame. I'd love to see more of the wonderful Decca catalog released in 45 rpm with the same care that went into this one. Not only is this one of the great Decca recordings and one of the great performances of this music, the sonics of the reissue place it firmly in the top tier of my orchestral LPs. I have recently acquired and listened the one-sided 45 RPM version of the Decca Mendelssohn in Scotland recording with Maag conducting reissued by Speakers Corner |
We're just pulling on your chain, Joe. As I'm sure you know. ;-) Michael Jackson was a supreme entertainer. For all his personal tragedy, his accomplishments in the music industry are to be respected. Even I have a copy of Thriller (and "Off the Wall" and "Bad"). He's part of our late 20th C culture. |
Mississippi John Hurt - Best of... - Vanguard VSD 19/20 Mississippi John Hurt - Today! - Vanguard VSD 79220 Pure Pleasure Ry Cooder, V.M. Bhatt - A Meeting by the River - WaterLily APW029-45 Analog Productions Papa John Creach - s/t - Grunt Records FTR 1003 Crosby, Stills & Nash - s/t - Atlantic SD 8229-45 Classic Records . |
Holst - Savitri; Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda - Argo Allegri - Misere Re - Tallis Scholars - CFP Ravel - Rapsodie Espagnol - Reiner - RCA (45 reissue) Cannonball Adderly - Know What I Mean? - Riverside (45 reissue) Lee Morgan - Tomcat - Blue Note (45 reissue) Bach - Suites for Solo Cello - Starker - Mercury (original and Speakers Corner reissue, the Speakers Corner had better sonics) |
20th century music by British composers last night, a sampler evening with some friends: Hamilton Harty, "A John Field Suite" George Butterworth, "The Banks of Green Willow" - Dilkes/EngSinfonia, EMI CSD 3696 Malcolm Arnold, "Second Set of English Dances" - Arnold/LPO, Lyrita SRCS 109 Malcolm Arnold, "Oboe Sonatina, op28" and other chamber pieces - Nash Ensemble, Hyperion A66172 E.J. Moeran, "Concerto for Violin & Orchestra" - Handley/LPO, Georgiades -vn, Lyrita SRCS 105 Elizabeth Maconchy, "Symphony for Double String Orchestra" - Handley/LPO, Lyrita SRCS 116 Harrison Birtwhisle, "Tragoedia" - Melos Ensemble, Argo ZRG 759 Britten, "Sonata for Cello and Piano" - Rostropovich -vc, Britten -pf, Decca SXL 2298 (Speakers Corner reissue) . |
Clifford Brown and Max Roach, "Study in Brown" - EmArcy MG 36036 (Japanese reissue) Mississippi Fred McDowell, "I do not play no rock 'n' roll" - Pure Pleasure reissue PPAN ST409 Johnny Cash, "American I" - American 5101-12792 Gershwin, "An American in Paris" - Vox, Reference Recordings Master Cut RM 1005 (one of the great Marc Aubort recordings) Kenny Drew, "Undercurrent" - Blue Note ST 84059 -45 (Music Matters 45 rpm reissue) . |
T_Bone, I have three performances, but not the Yo-Yo Ma. The performances I have are: Bernstein/OrchNatFra, Rostropovich (EMI on a MHS reissue) Mehta/Israel PO, Starker (Decca) Ormandy/PhilO, L.Rose (Columbia) All are very interestingly different. I'll check the library for the Ma recording since you recommend it. Thanks! . |
Bach, Mass in b minor - Harnoncourt/Concentus Musicus Wien, Telefunken 6.35019 (a compelling performance and recording, even after 40 years) Telemann, 12 Fantasies for blockflute - B.Kuijken, solo blockflute, Accent ACC 7803 (the Accent label continues to provide some of the most natural sounding chamber music on my shelves) . |
Townes Van Zandt, Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas - Fat Possum FP 1118 Michael Murray, "Marcel Dupre Organ Recital" - Advent Records 5014 (a Bob Woods and Jack Renner analog recording before they started Telarc) Lief Segerstam, String Quartet No 6 - Segerstam Qt, BIS LP 20 (ann excellent late 20th century composer whose works will really challenge one and will reward with the effort) . |
Clifford Brown & Max Roach, Study on Brown, EmArcy MG 36037 Cannonball Adderley, Somethin' Else, Blue Note 1595 (Classic Records reissue) Louis Armstrong, Ambassador Satch. Philips B07138L Chausson, Piano Qt, Les Musiciens, Harmonia Mundi HM 1116 Berlioz, Les Nuits d'ete, Janet Baker, Barbirolli/NewPO, EMI ASD 2444 . |
With friends over for several hours, a bit of this and a bit of that... Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No 3 - Dorati/LSO, Byron Janis, Mercury SR 90283 Arnold, English Dances - Arnold/LPO, Lyrita SRCS 109 Rossini, Overture to Barber of Seville - Chung/Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di S.Cecilia, Fone 016 -45 Verdi, Rigoletto - selections transcribed for String Quartet - Quartetto d'Archi della Scala, Fone 027J Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker Ballet - Ansermet/OSR, Decca SXL 2092-2 (Speakers Corner) Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy - Columbia CL 591 (Pure Pleasure) Cannonball Adderley, Somethin' Else - Blue Note 1595-45 (Analogue Productions) Various songs in comparative performances by Anita O'Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London, June Christy from various albums Dave Grusin, Discovered Again - Sheffield LAB 5 Keith Jarrett, The Koln Concert - ECM 1064/5 ZZ Top, Tres Hombres - London XPS 631 (Rhino reissue) Yuyachifca - Opus 3 7902 . |
Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges, Side By Side - Verve MGVS-6109-45 (Classic Records reissue - Oh, yes, this is a sonic treat to enjoy) Tchaikovsky, Nutcracker, Ansermet/OSR -- (had to come back to this and play all of it after just a sampling on Saturday. Also cleaned it with Walker Prelude for a huge improvement in the sound quality. My wife, who listened on Saturday says: "What did you do to the system? This sounds so much better today than it did before." And the vinyl had been previously cleaned with Disc Doctor fluid. It all makes a difference...) Elizabeth Machonchy, String Quartet No 5, Allegri String Qt - Argo ZRG 5329 (the more I listen to this work, the more I find in it and the more I like it) . |
"Power of the Orchestra" - Leibowitz/RPO, RCA-VCS-2659 (Analogue Productions 45 rpm reissue) - Oh, yes! This is an amazing 45 rpm reissue, with all the power, extension, dynamic range and resolution that any of us on the lunatic fringe could ask for. This exceptional Kenneth Wilkinson / Charles Gerhardt recording can now be heard in all its sonic glory. Well worth the cost to acquire no matter how many other performances of "Night on Bare Mountain" and "Pictures at an Exhibition" one may already own. Keep in mind that this performance of "Night on Bare ("Bald") Mountain" is not the traditional Rimsky-Korsakov orchestration you may be used to hearing. It is a different orchestration by Liebowitz that is very effective, and nicely different. . |
Stevie Ray Vaughan, "Couldn't Stand the Weather" - Pure Pleasure PPAN 39304 - another excellent mastering and pressing from Pure Pleasure; a great addition to the shelves both musically and sonically. . |
Yesterday with friends over... Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3, with Horowitz and Ormandy Shostakovich Symphonies Nos. 6 and 11, with Berglund/EMI Jennifer Warnes, Famous Blue Raincoat, Cisco reissue Paul Winter Consort, Roads Natalie Merchant "Tiger Lily," Mobile Fidelity Holst, Savitri with Janet Baker, Argo Shostakovich Piano Concerto, Bernstein on piano . |
Elvis Presley "Elvis is Back!" (Speakers Corner reissue) Frank Sinatra "Songs for swingin' lovers" (Capitol gray label) Stefan Wolpe "Trio" for flute, piano and cello, CRI 233 Beethoven "Archduke Trio" Barenboim, du Pre, Zukerman, EMI ASD 2572 Victoria de los Angeles "Zarzuela Arias," EMI ASD 2415 (superb) Vivaldi "Gloria in D Major," Academy of Ancient Music, Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, L'Oiseau Lyre DSLO 554 The Organ in St Dominic's Priory London, Thomas Murray organist, Vista VPS 1069 (these Vista organ recordings are always incredibly good!) The Cozens Lute Book, Anthony Rooley, L'Oiseau Lyre DSLO 510 (outstanding) . |
Prokofiev, Piano Conc No. 3, Kondrashin/MoscowPO, Byron Janis, Rachmaninov, Piano Conc No. 1, Kondrashin/MoscowPO, Byron Janis, .. Mercury SR 90300 Speakers Corner reissue Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 8, Borodin Quartet Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 4, Borodin Quartet .. Mercury SR 90309, Speakers Corner reissue Working my way through the 5LP box set of the recordings made by Mercury as the "First recordings ever made in the Soviet Union by American technical and musical staff and equipment. Recorded by Mercury on location in Moscow." What a set! . |
Music is what sustains us, is it not? Today: Handel's Messiah with McGegan and The PhilharmoniavBaroque with the incomparable Lorraine Hunt (a glorious performance only available on CD, unfortunately) Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 1, Abbado/LSO, Argerich -pf, DGG 139 383 Sibelius, Symphony No. 2, Barbirolli/RPO, Chesky reissue Joan Baez, "Any Day Now - Songs of Bob Dylan," Vanguard VSD 79306/7 (Well, the first LP of two. By then she wore me out.) Bill Monroe, "7th Annual Bluegrass Festival at Bean Blossom" MCA 2-8002 (great music making!) . |
Shelley Manne & Friends, "Modern Jazz Performances Of Songs From My Fair Lady" Louis Armstrong, "Live from the Crescent, Vol 1" Charles Mingus / Thad Jones, "Jazz Collaborations, Vol. 1" Art Pepper, "Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section" Eiji Kitamura, "Swing Sessions" Rossini, Overtures - Gamba/LSO Rossini, Overtures - Chung/Orch Accademia N. di S.Cecilia Holst, "Savitri" Rossini-Respighi, "La Boutique Fantasque" Ansermet Enescu, Sonata for Violin & Pf No. 3 in Romanian Folkstyle" Arne Domnerus, "Antiphone Blues" . |
Stunned again tonight by how incredibly good this record is: "Power of the Orchestra: Mussorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain and Pictures at an Exhibition," RCA VICS 2659 -45 (45 rpm reissue from Analogue Productions) (The Kenneth Wilkinson engineering is simply awe inspiring in this superb new 45 rpm mastering.) . |
Emorrisiv, I agree that we seem to travel similar paths musically. It would be a lot of fun to get together and share some music. If you're ever near Richmond, Virginia, you have an open invitation to join me here! I think we will also find Slipknot1 traveling along many of the same roads with us. Cheers! |
e, my three favorite labels are Decca, Harmonia Mundi and Lyrita. With most of their recordings, these three labels capture exceptionally natural and realistic renderings of acoustic performances. A common denominator for Lyrita and Decca is Kenneth Wilkinson, a recording engineer whom I greatly admire when allowed to follow his own aesthetic values, as is most consistently reflected the work he did for Lyrita. What an incredible legacy. . |
e, we continue to agree about Hyperion and Proprius. Over the years, I've tended to watch for certain recording engineers and have rarely been disappointed with the work by a number whom I value highly, starting with Kenneth Wilkinson. See the following thread on Labels and Recording Engineers to which we've both contributed in the past. As to the Decca stamper letters, I believe "G" stands for Ted Burkett, one of the best Decca mastering engineers. See Arthur Salvatore's comments about the "G" "W" and "K" mastering engineer designations. Cheers, |