What download have you bought?

[teamsaint]

Sofia Gubaidulina - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, 'In Tempus Praesens'

I had a listen to the sample and found it irresistible!

Thanks for the steer Jayne

And of course it was bought from eClassical as a Hi-Res recording for £4.10. Not bad for 34 minutes of music - it’s their per second billing policy, you see.




Edit: I’ve just listened to it all the way through and was surprised to find that it is a live performance. The well-deserved tumultuous applause is left on, which is the way I prefer it. A wonderful work, calling for creative violin playing and sometimes powerful, sometimes tender orchestral accompaniment. SG is not afraid to use percussion, either!

Irresistable is a good word for this. Although so far I have listenened on spotty and resisted buying.

Honestly, I don't think this per second billing policy will survive if 12" remixes make a big comeback.

[jayne lee wilson]

Floored by Kagan & Rozh's stunningly vivid Gubaidulina Offertorium on this via Qobuz HiFi, I went back to buy the download itself (booklet-free sadly, but the info is out there if you look...). I guess this must be the same performance as the one on the 2004 Live Classics Kagan Edition, but until that CD gets here I won't know for sure! On the Qobuz stream the Melodiya includes applause, the Live Classics doesn't... I thought the latter had the nicer sound though - a little sweeter and warmer.

Remember this is the Original, longer version from the Russian premiere, about 3-4 minutes longer than those of say, Kremer or Krysa. But the main attraction is the sheer drama and characterisation of the performance itself...(despite some shifting orchestral perspectives & a too-close soloist - the Melodiya we know and love....)

[Beef Oven!]

Steve Reich - New York Counterpoint (Transcription for saxophone orchestra by Olaf Mühlenhardt)

FLAC 16 bit CD quality download from eClassical $1.70 (it’s their per-second charging, you see!).

[Beef Oven!]

After listening to Richard Barrett’s life-form this morning (a work for 'cello and electronics), I remembered this Kagel 'cello recording that was being discussed on here a few weeks ago - I had listened to it via streaming and decided to buy it, but promptly forgot!!

Happily, it is available as a 16 bit CD quality download from Qobuz for just £3.99. Bought, downloaded, she in my iTunes library, will listen to it later on!

[Pulcinella]

Steve Reich - New York Counterpoint (Transcription for saxophone orchestra by Olaf Mühlenhardt)

FLAC 16 bit CD quality download from eClassical $1.70 (it’s their per-second charging, you see!).

So did you just buy a second's worth, and made it into an endless loop?

[Beef Oven!]

So did you just buy a second's worth, and made it into an endless loop?

Good idea!

[teamsaint]

Good idea!

The minimal cost option.

[teamsaint]

I haven't bought any of these, but there are some good prices for 2 of The Darmstadt Aural Documents boxes on Quboz.

http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/darmstadt-aural-documents-box-1-composers-conductors-various-artists/4260063110603

http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/darmstadt-aural-documents-box-4-pianists-various-artists/4260063116308

[Beef Oven!]

[Beef Oven!]

I recommend this (see post #12 on the "Can Anyone recommend a recording" thread).

Good value at £7.99 for a 16 bit CD quality recording from Qobuz

[Beef Oven!]

I bought this, this morning. A real bargain at £1.59 for a 16 bit CD quality download from Qobuz!

I’ve had 'Isabel Goudie' since it’s release, soon after it’s composition in 1990, but I got it for "The World's Ransoming", which is a very strong piece IMV, with some wonderful Cor Anglaise playing throughout the piece (it’s also good to have an alternative version of Goudie). I’ve listened to both works through once, and I’m very pleased with the performances.

http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/james-macmillan-the-worlds-ransoming-the-confession-of-isobel-gowdie-sir-colin-davis-london-symphony-orchestra/0822231112426

It also comes with an excellent e-booklet.

[Beef Oven!]

Floored by Kagan & Rozh's stunningly vivid Gubaidulina Offertorium on this via Qobuz HiFi, I went back to buy the download itself (booklet-free sadly, but the info is out there if you look...). I guess this must be the same performance as the one on the 2004 Live Classics Kagan Edition, but until that CD gets here I won't know for sure! On the Qobuz stream the Melodiya includes applause, the Live Classics doesn't... I thought the latter had the nicer sound though - a little sweeter and warmer.

Remember this is the Original, longer version from the Russian premiere, about 3-4 minutes longer than those of say, Kremer or Krysa. But the main attraction is the sheer drama and characterisation of the performance itself...(despite some shifting orchestral perspectives & a too-close soloist - the Melodiya we know and love....)

Jayne, I was blown away by your recommendation of Gubaidulina's "In tempus praesens" (Violin Concerto No. 1) Op. 77 - and my assertion that "Offertorium" was quite enough for now in this type of composition, was so wrong, that I now feel compelled to add this recording to my collection.

My poor, beloved, trusted Deutsche Grammophon, Gidon Kremer/Charles Dutoit/Boston Symphony orchestra CD that has done me proud down the years feels like an old has-been And with your Lutoslawski recommendations, you are costing me a fortune!!!

[jayne lee wilson]

Well that's great....

Just to confirm the Live Classics CD of the Kagan Gubaidulina Offertorium is exactly the same 1982 one as the Melodiya, though with less attractive coupling - "Rejoice", the violin/cello duo....it did sound different via Qobuz, but haven't played the disc yet....
... The Real Life is somewhat demanding just now, knocking me out of the Luto-Hindemith-Toscanini etc groove... and I would go & spend 2 late hours watching the stunning Nightcrawler again. Film noir made new - Fantastic movie!

Back with the sounds soon I hope...



...tbc...

[Beef Oven!]

Well that's great....

Just to confirm the Live Classics CD of the Kagan Gubaidulina Offertorium is exactly the same 1982 one as the Melodiya, though with less attractive coupling - "Rejoice", the violin/cello duo....it did sound different via Qobuz, but haven't played the disc yet....
... The Real Life is somewhat demanding just now, knocking me out of the Luto-Hindemith-Toscanini etc groove... and I would go & spend 2 late hours watching the stunning Nightcrawler again. Film noir made new - Fantastic movie!

Back with the sounds soon I hope...



...tbc...

Hope you get The Real life under control and get back to the music.

[Beef Oven!]

This is a strange thing for me to do. I attended the Prom that this live recording is taken from and could not stand the MacMillan symphony - I couldn’t wait for it to end and it seemed to pointlessly meander for an eternity. Fortunately it was followed by an absolutely stonking Mahler 5, Runnicles and the BBC Scottish SO were on fire!

I’d been a fan of MacMillan in 1990 but couldn’t go with him after the excellent Goudie & Veni and a few others around the early 90s. I’ve tried to get back into him a few times, but no luck.

What prompted me to buy this was that I figured it’d be a good recording to highlight the strengths of my new Astell & Kern DAP. And I wasn’t wrong - sonically it’s terrific. I’m also enjoying the actual music! Shame I didn’t like it when it was premiered at the 2015 Proms. https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/eb3zc8

I only downloaded the symphony, not the violin concerto, from eClassical - $10 for a Hi-Res recording, I may at some point go back for the violin concerto.

I have parked the Martinu that I was listening to and I’m listening to this symphony now. Really enjoying it. I’ll return to the Martinu at some point, I was just having an initial listen to get a feel for it.

I have also dipped into his string quartets. I quite liked them, and will get a download today. Maybe the time is coming where I can get back into his music after all these years. I will try some choral works next and if anyone has got a recommendation as to where to start on this, I’d very much appreciate it.

Edit: I bought this download yesterday afternoon and I’m currently on my fifth listen (second this morning). I can’t help thinking that it’s got something to do with the amazing sound quality. So if you’ve got a new pair of headphones or some other piece of kit that you want to test out, this download will do the trick!