Pergolesi's Stabat Mater performed by the Czech Philharmonic Chorus. Dark, emotional and beautiful. The record is old, worn, and noisy and some spots are quite noisy but the music shines through. Goose bumps and tears guaranteed.
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After four nights of packing and repacking boxes to send off and not getting any listening in, I have a day of respite and it has been a good day so far... Tchaikovsky Sextet 'Souvenir de Florence', Melodiya (Russian label) Mozart Complete Masonic Music, Edinburgh Festival Chorus & LSO (London, Japanese pressing by King) Contemporary Music for the Viola (music by Shebalin, Svetlanov, Kryukov, Kirkor played by Mikhail Tolpygo), Melodiya on now is... Modern Jazz Quartet Concert in Tokyo, Volume 1 next up is one of my favorite pieces, the Hebraic Suite for Viola and Orchestra by Ernest Bloch, but a version I have just picked up and never heard before; one played by Andras von Toszeghi and the BBC Northen Symphony Orchestra. |
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! . |
Today it is Verdi's la Forza Del Destino... I am listening to a 1980 Japanese pressing by King Records off the original 1955 London/Decca recording with Renata Tebaldi in the role of Donna Leonora, and Mario del Monaco (one of my favorite Italian tenors) singing Don Alvaro. What a pair of lungs on that lady... Other than being a really nice pressing, it is a fabulous recording. Can't beat it for $2. |
The second movement of Mahler's Fourth Symphony fascinates me. I've been enjoying a comparison between my favorite versions: Kubelik/Bavarian Radio Sym. on DGG; Klemperer/Philharmonia Orch. on EMI; Solti/Amsterdam Concertgebouw on Decca; Horenstein/London Phil. on Classics For Pleasure and Bernstein/New York Philharmonic on Columbia. |
Hank Mobley - "Soul Station' Music Matters/Blue Note 45 RPM Fantastic artist and fantastic recording. These Music Matters 45 RPM's are expensive, but to my ears, are better than the impulse 45 RPM releases or the Acoustic Sounds 45 ROM releases. This album is got something for everyone who loves vintage jazz..... |
* Vetiver- Things of the Past on Gnomonsong Records A great cover album, only to be topped their own stuff. fun. * Mono- Hymn to the Immortal Winds on Human Highway Records beautiful, dense, euphoric * Sting- The Soul Cages on A&M Polygram a Russian pressing, sonically precious but, surface noise to challenge the best (worst) Lost Highway vinyl. * Ryan Adams- Heartbreaker on Blood Shot Records This is the newerrr 2x 180 gm. pressing, much nicer. Can't quit playing this one. * The Violet Archers- Sunshine at night on Saved by Vinyl another very cool little indie Canadian band Happy Listening! |
humble pie: performance/rockin the fillmore--it's been sitting on my stack for about a 100 years before i actually deigned to put it on. surprisingly, it's pretty great--the pre-megastardom peter frampton was a pretty good guitarist who eschewed alot of blues cliches, while steve marriott was arguably the great white soul shouter--check out "four day creep". i'd sorta remebered their rhythm section as somewhat lumbering, but in fact they keep up nicely, and overall it's a helluva ride. you might also check out their first two studio records (as safe as yesterday and twon and country), which are suprisingly folky/acoustic and sound not wildly dissimilar to what led zeppellin did in their less electric moments. |
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) . |
I am currently listening in the Man Cave to Joni Mitchell's "Song to a Seagull". For those who know me,know that it is my favorite Joni LP or CD.Preferably vinyl. Her first recording with David Crosby producing and Stephen Stills on bass(on one track).The rest is just Joni and her guitar.Very simple and very beautiful. It is before her high production and jazz influence.More like a folk art song form.Though not folk. Deeply personal with tremendous text painting and imagery. and oddly enough her least well known. e |
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) . |
Tonight I am listening to a LP I just got from Brazil.Chris Isaak "Heart shaped World". This seems to be a fairly rare piece on vinyl.It is a wonderful recording with great presence,bass,and smooth mid bass.Too bad the version I have is not in the best shape,though it was listed as "EX". this one is not even VG! The music makes up for it. |
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 . |
I am breaking the rules and listening to digital tonight with the trick or treaters coming around. The Bryston DAC is stellar, not analog mind you, but it does sound good. In fact I hate to admit, but the Norah Jones vinyl version I have of Come Away with Me does not sound as good as the digital file through my DAC. I hate to admit it, but this is really convenient. |
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) . |
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker (complete) Artur Rodzinski, with the London Philharomonic Journey - Escape Joni Mitchell - Blue Carol King - Tapestry The Who - Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncey And a variety of Beethoween and Mozart from some great old records a friend brought over where her father is either the Concertmaster or Soloist. Very cool. |
"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. . |
Last week I was at the local record store and browsing though the "newly arrived" used records and something made me check out a particularly bad looking Dark Side Of the Moon. I think it was the fact that they were asking $30 bucks for an album that had a terrible cover, I thought it was a mistake, but it wasn't. When I took the record out, I realized it was first pressing from 1973, and even though it was dusty, it looked amost new. I played it on in the store, and it sounded fine, but I knew I wouldn't really to be able to tell if it was noisy or not until I got home, cleaned it Walker/VPI 16.5, and it's just sublime. Much less noisy than any of the 3 "new" copies I have tried this year. It does sound different from the new pressings, it's more open and extended, not at warm. Not better or worse, just different. What a find. |