Bach in Leipzig, Montserrat Figueras and CD Review

[doversoul1]

Saturday
Montserrat Figueras
Catherine Bott talks to harpist Andrew-Lawrence King about Catalan soprano and early music specialist Montserrat Figueras, who passed away late last year. Featuring some of the best of her many recordings.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01d0v9r

Sunday
Bach in Leipzig
After his time working for Prince Leopold of Anhalt in Cöthen, Johann Sebastian Bach took a substantial drop in salary and public standing to work as Cantor in Leipzig. The role primarily involved teaching at St Thomas School, but also meant that Bach was responsible for the music in the German town's four churches. Lucie Skeaping takes a closer look at Bach's time in the German town, where Bach remained from 1723 until his death in 1750.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01d0vkp

CD Review 9.05am

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01d0v9m

1600 Masterpieces of 17th-century Italian Instrumental Music
Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini

Pisendel – Violin Concertos from Dresden
Johannes Pramsoler (violin), International Baroque Players

Frederick the Great - Music for the Berlin Court
Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin

Sonatas for Viola da gamba and Fortepiano
Rekeba Ruso (viola da gamba), Sebastian Wienand (fortepiano)

[vinteuil]

... thanks for that, doversoul.

The first half hour of CD Review does look interesting. After that, I'm free for a walk in the Chilterns, I think...

[Old Grumpy]

A beacon of hope

This is what Radio 3 programming is about! I have just listened to today's Early Music Show featuring the music of Montserrat Figueras:

Catherine Bott talks to harpist Andrew-Lawrence King about Catalan soprano and early music specialist Montserrat Figueras, who passed away late last year. Featuring some of the best of her many recordings.

What a sad loss - but what a way to remember her.

Catch it while you can.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01d0v9r

OG

[french frank]

And I have just had an email echoing the same sentiment.

I've already flagged up tomorrow's programme elsewhere (as has doversoul): Bach in Leipzig as a forerunner to The Choir on the Thomanerchor.

[Roehre]

From the 1970s onwards (then in EMI's Reflexe series - the ones with Hesperion XX obviously) Montserrat Figueras figured quite dominantly among my early music LPs (and now of course CDs).
A great loss for all early music addicts and admirers, and on top of that for Jordi Savall personally obviously even more.
Good programme (from what I've heard - the skipped the tracks which I've got on my shelves).

[Black Swan]

I agree totally, I now want to further explore the recordings Montserrat made. I was totally impressed. What a loss.

John

[ardcarp]

The tribute programme to Montserrat Figueras was brilliant. Andrew Laurence King and Ms Bott made a fine pair and the musical examples showed Montserrat in a range of her best genres. The only bit I disagreed with was the assertion that Montserrat's voice was love-it-or-hate-it, like Marmite. Well, that never occurred to me before. Her voice is so right for the Mediterranean repertory, expressive, yes, but pure and in no way wobbly. One of my treasured possessions (is it a book? is it a CD?) is Le Royaume Oublie [sorry no accents] from Hesperion XX with Jordi Savall and MF. Great reading; great listening; and in my case an inspiration to rush off and see all those improbable Cathar castles in Southern France. And I do recommend the EMS programme with Laurence King's amazing harp contributions.

[doversoul1]

ardcarp

The only bit I disagreed with was the assertion that Montserrat's voice was love-it-or-hate-it, like Marmite.

I thought it was rather good way of putting it. For a long time, I wasn’t at all keen on her voice. It was too... well, distinct. But at one point, it kind of clicked. There was no 'gradually getting used to' in between.

The way Andrew Laurence King talked about Montserrat Figueras was deeply moving. The EMS at its best (yet again)

[Roehre]

One of my treasured possessions (is it a book? is it a CD?) is Le Royaume Oublie [sorry no accents] from Hesperion XX with Jordi Savall and MF. Great reading; great listening; and in my case in inspiration to rush off and see all those improbable Cathar castles in Southern France.

Le Royaume oublié IMO is a set of 3 CDs in a book which is six times too bulky -though with excellent and brilliant contents (but having the text in 6 different languages, including Provencal, is a bit OTT, as it stops me taking it on holiday; btw, there are interesting differences in the listings of the contents of the CDs, and only one listing gives the timings).
But it is such a brilliant set altogether - knowing a couple of the places quite well it gives a real in-depth feeling being there, and having the music with you.

Ardcarp, have you by any chance the Jerusalem "book/CD"-set?

[french frank]

By request: OG's 'Beacon of Hope' thread merged with this one. This may be a bit muddly if people are discussing today's EMS here too. I will set up a thread for today's The Choir (about the Thomanerchor) on The Choir board and the EMS 'Bach in Leipzig' might fit well there too, depending on which works are being discussed. See how it develops.

Thread set up on The Choir board here for the St Thomas discussions.

[ardcarp]

Ardcarp, have you by any chance the Jerusalem "book/CD"-set?

Next on my list for a birthday present!