Early Music on Record Review

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Anna Picard really on fire today - "bitumen bass", "oxygenated, japanned quality"

- is that what she said?! I thought it was "trepanned"!!!

[Richard Tarleton]

- is that what she said?! I thought it was "trepanned"!!!

She must have meant it had a shiny finish. You need to watch the Antiques Roadshow ferney

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

- I was imagining a particularly piercing sound that got straight to one's imagination

[Nick Armstrong]

- is that what she said?! I thought it was "trepanned"!!!

I'd rather have a full bottle in front me than a full frontal lobotomy!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

(They let me keep my clothes on when I had mine!)

[Nick Armstrong]

far worse to follow on CD Review, in my view: the folksy Purcell recording included by Anna Picard.

That was an unholy shocker wasn't it (and to be fair to Anna Picard, I suspect she was sent it to review... she certainly made no secret of her revulsion! )

[underthecountertenor]

That was an unholy shocker wasn't it (and to be fair to Anna Picard, I suspect she was sent it to review... she certainly made no secret of her revulsion! )

True enough! 'Unholy shocker' is spot on. I thought Christina Pluhar had already murdered Purcell. Then along comes this crew to give the corpse a good kicking.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

That was an unholy shocker wasn't it (and to be fair to Anna Picard, I suspect she was sent it to review... she certainly made no secret of her revulsion! )

And I so wanted it to work! I was hoping for some earthy, gutsy performances, but it just sounded as if the singer had only just encountered the Music and was trying it out for the first time. Feeble.

Mind you, I thought the Sixteen immediately after sounded prissy - the exact opposite problem: reverential, "trained" performances; pastel watercolours with no "oomph" to them, either. Equally and oppositely feeble, methunk.

[Nick Armstrong]

True enough! 'Unholy shocker' is spot on. I thought Christina Pluhar had already murdered Purcell. Then along comes this crew to give the corpse a good kicking.

I also agree about that fey 'Arpeggiata' style of performance - I was given one of their albums some years back by a well-meaning friend: she loved it, I secretly hated it but of course lied to her subsequently (I think it magically found its way to Dr Barnado's in The Great CD Clear-Out last summer )

But this gormless new thing took the limp biscuit

Mind you, I thought the Sixteen immediately after sounded prissy - the exact opposite problem: reverential, "trained" performances; pastel watercolours with no "oomph" to them, either. Equally and oppositely feeble, methunk.

I mind, I mind... I mean, I agree. Not a great 'Sixteen' fan...

[teamsaint]

I'd just like to remind members that "Purcell's Revenge" was big Norm's Album of the week in early March !!

Anyway, the whole thing is available to hear on Youtube, which is what I am doing right now, because like Ferney, I want it to work............. (though that first piece on CDR, An Evening Hymn was pretty dreadful)......

[Nick Armstrong]

big Norm's Album of the week

I didn't know former Man Utd midfielder and Northern Ireland international big Norm had a CD show now?

[teamsaint]

I didn't know former Man Utd midfielder and Northern Ireland international big Norm had a CD show now?

yes, his post -football career really took off after the Beiderbecke Affair...probably practised reviewing old " back of the lorry LPs" down in that crypt/warehouse of his....

http://www.sinfinimusic.com/uk/reviews/recordings/lebrecht-album-of-the-week/concerto-caledonia-purcells-revenge-sweeter-than-roses-feat-olivia-chaney-jim-moray-james-bowman-ana-silvera

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

yes, his post -football career really took off after the Beiderbecke Affair...probably practised reviewing old " back of the lorry LPs" down in that crypt/warehouse of his....

Nay, that was "Little Norm" (partner and brother of Big Al).

Mr Lebrecht is Dim Norm.

[teamsaint]

Nay, that was "Little Norm" (partner and brother of Big Al).

Mr Lebrecht is Dim Norm.

so it was. Failing memory....and confusion with old footy stars...right as always Ferney..... ( mind you, it was all a bit foreign and "northern " for us southern types....but what wonderful telly anyway !)


Anyway, ploughed my way through most of Purcell's Revenge, and a thoroughly mixed bag it is.

Some really excellent moments, ( Close thine eyes, What Shall I do to show....) a good bit that is just OK, and too much that really doesn't work, (to say the least) of which An evening Hymn is among the worst offenders.
A shame really. What I don't understand is why, if you are doing an album like this, you don't take great care with something like " Music for a while", either to bring something really special with it, or leave well alone.
Crossover markets, I suppose, is the answer.

Dim Norm did indeed get it wrong on this.

edit: oh, and another thing, the album doesnt seem to make any sense, have any coherence...just sounds like a greatest hits....

[Richard Tarleton]

Order, order.

That was an unholy shocker wasn't it (and to be fair to Anna Picard, I suspect she was sent it to review... she certainly made no secret of her revulsion! )

Yes I think she was reviewing it under protest, and chose the worst track she could find!

I am more puzzled than ever by the current vogue for Iestyn Davies, and was intrigued by her remark about the difference between him live and in the studio. Unfortunately the examples we heard were of course from his latest studio recording. I bought his recent one, "The Art of Melancholy", on the strength of a broadcast recital from I think the York Early Music Festival (which I enjoyed), and hate it. Biggest problem: you can't hear his words - or at best only a percentage of them The first example they played, "Never Weather-beaten Sail", was a perfect case in point. Much of it was just counter-tenor vocal mush. Even knowing the words of the song by heart I couldn't make out most of his words, and I have listened again. I refer you to the same song with Barbara Bonney/Jacob Heringman, for example. I have lots of this repertoire on CD by all sorts of people, and I'm afraid for me Davies just doesn't cut it.

As a plucker meself it would have been nice to hear a bit of "Old Bones"to hear what she meant by "guitarry" and "lutey" accompaniment, which she wasn't clear about - but as it would have meant more of Davies singing, perhaps it's just as well.