Record Review: non-BaL discs reviewed, etc.

[DracoM]

Will they clock up more gush-fest cliches than AMcG does when doing one of his potted reviews?

CollectaClicheforChristmasRUs.

Short list of 'favourites'?

e.g. characterful - what the heck does that mean?

[Sir Velo]

Let's hope Harriet picked up some tips from Nicholas Andersons wider use of vocabulary last week.

Anyone want to do some spread betting on how long before McGregor says "traversal"?

[Thropplenoggin]

Not sure why AMcG felt the need to play 5 minutes of Bach as an amuse-bouche for the Gush-fest®*, which would have been better spent on the BaL.

*Caliban

[Nick Armstrong]

That dreadful bloated arrangement of Mussorgsky's Pictures orchestrated by someone called Breiner. Even worse was the simpering admiration lavished upon it by Sarah Walker.

(I need to rush to the bathroom to throw up.)

Incidentally, did no one find anything enjoyable in the rest of the programme?

She is good at enthusiasm, and there is a place for it. Not sure it's on CD review though.

At last caught up with this programme segment yesterday. I'm inclined towards teamsaint's view of La Walker's positive approach to things - perhaps I was in a good mood. The actual music covered I would be inclined instinctively to be dismissive about - the wretched Mussorgsky certainly, that insane Breiner arrangement (is there room in the bathroom, johnb?) and the Tchaikovsky in particular. Also, Little's violin playing I'm allergic to (it all seems ever so slightly out of tune to me, I think it's just my ears and certain players' approach to vibrato), and the Shostakovich string pieces aren't my favourites.

But Walker had me listening to the music, trying to overcome my antipathy (though I did fast forward through the Tchaik). No success with the Breiner arrangements, that's for sure. But I listened to the Enescu pieces more attentively than I otherwise would have done, thanks to Walker's enthusisam - her contribution on that unusual music was helpful, I thought (Plus interesting to hear Hannu Lintu, whom teamsaint and I were impressed by at the RFH some weeks back, and with whom I was able to have a natter as he and his agent came and sat at the next table afterwards...)

So yes, stuff to enjoy - but I won't be buying any of the recordings, I think.

[Nick Armstrong]

Anyone want to do some spread betting on how long before McGregor says "traversal"?

This made me guffaw coffee via my nose

Much as I like AMcG, your remark's got to go down as 'fair comment'

[Nick Armstrong]

Caption Competition




Any suggestions?

'Waiter, there's a girl on my piano' was as far as I got....

Actually the Legrand-Dessay disc from which extracts were played on yesterday's CD Review tempted me as a bit of a Legrand fan - perfect in the car when motoring through France, it struck me.

http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/12/cd-review-natalie-dessay-michel-legrand.html

[MickyD]

How about "I've always preferred an upright, myself."

I love Legrand and this is an interesting disc, but nothing can really replace the original recordings...Deneuve et al in "Les Desmoiselles de Rochefort" ...it can't be bettered.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

How about "I've always preferred an upright, myself."

Ah! But which one is saying this?

[amateur51]

Ah! But which one is saying this?

The one who is not saying "Oh Ambassador, you are spoiling us"

[Nick Armstrong]

"I sink you misunderstand me when I say 'Try B flat', ma chérie"

[Thropplenoggin]

1930s Violin Concertos
BARBER: Violin Concerto Op.14 New York Philharmonic, David Robertson (conductor)
BERG: Violin Concerto ‘To the Memory of an Angel’ Staatskapelle Dresden, David Robertson (conductor)
HARTMANN: Concerto funebre for solo violin and string orchestra, Gil Shaham, violin and director
STRAVINSKY: Violin Concerto in D, BBC Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson (conductor)
BRITTEN: Violin Concerto in D minor Op.15, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Juanjo Mena (conductor)
CANARY CLASSICS CC12 (2CD)
(CD widely available from 3rd March and on Canary Classics website from 21st Feb. See www.canaryclassics.com )

I wasn't expecting to like this Gil Shaham violin section. I don't often warm to violins or violinists, finding the tone too shrill or brittle, but Shaham's tone is exquisite (the end of the Britten was especially lovely). The playing has been utterly transfixing, and Hartmann a new discovery for me. His CD is looking very enticing, esp. as I don't have ANY of these VCs on disc!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Violin-Concertos-Shaham-Robertson-Classics/dp/B00HZVLX7Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1392461959&sr=1-2&keywords=hartmann+violin+concerto

[soileduk]

Any suggestions?

'Waiter, there's a girl on my piano' was as far as I got....

Actually the Legrand-Dessay disc from which extracts were played on yesterday's CD Review tempted me as a bit of a Legrand fan - perfect in the car when motoring through France, it struck me.

http://www.londonjazznews.com/2013/1...l-legrand.html

I'm sorry my dear but Clemency Burton-Hill got the job.

[soileduk]

1930s Violin Concertos
BARBER: Violin Concerto Op.14 New York Philharmonic, David Robertson (conductor)
BERG: Violin Concerto ‘To the Memory of an Angel’ Staatskapelle Dresden, David Robertson (conductor)
HARTMANN: Concerto funebre for solo violin and string orchestra, Gil Shaham, violin and director
STRAVINSKY: Violin Concerto in D, BBC Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson (conductor)
BRITTEN: Violin Concerto in D minor Op.15, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Juanjo Mena (conductor)
CANARY CLASSICS CC12 (2CD)
(CD widely available from 3rd March and on Canary Classics website from 21st Feb. See www.canaryclassics.com )

I wasn't expecting to like this Gil Shaham violin section. I don't often warm to violins or violinists, finding the tone too shrill or brittle, but Shaham's tone is exquisite (the end of the Britten was especially lovely). The playing has been utterly transfixing, and Hartmann a new discovery for me. His CD is looking very enticing, esp. as I don't have ANY of these VCs on disc!



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Violin-Conce...iolin+concerto

Monsieur @noggo,
I have the exact opposite situation, a nice selection of all of these pieces. Both the Berg and Hartmann concertos have piqued my curiosity though and I feel a purchase coming on,if cheap enough, as the whole set sounded good. I wonder how good the next installments will be.

[teamsaint]

1930s Violin Concertos
BARBER: Violin Concerto Op.14 New York Philharmonic, David Robertson (conductor)
BERG: Violin Concerto ‘To the Memory of an Angel’ Staatskapelle Dresden, David Robertson (conductor)
HARTMANN: Concerto funebre for solo violin and string orchestra, Gil Shaham, violin and director
STRAVINSKY: Violin Concerto in D, BBC Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson (conductor)
BRITTEN: Violin Concerto in D minor Op.15, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Juanjo Mena (conductor)
CANARY CLASSICS CC12 (2CD)
(CD widely available from 3rd March and on Canary Classics website from 21st Feb. See www.canaryclassics.com )

I wasn't expecting to like this Gil Shaham violin section. I don't often warm to violins or violinists, finding the tone too shrill or brittle, but Shaham's tone is exquisite (the end of the Britten was especially lovely). The playing has been utterly transfixing, and Hartmann a new discovery for me. His CD is looking very enticing, esp. as I don't have ANY of these VCs on disc!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Violin-Conce...iolin+concerto

looks tempting indeed, with some wonderful works.

Hartmann seems to be in vogue, so I'll give the VC a spin.

I think there is a (another) performance of the Stravinsky upcoming at the RFH soon...... perhaps.... can't remember for sure.

[Thropplenoggin]

Monsieur @noggo,
I have the exact opposite situation, a nice selection of all of these pieces. Both the Berg and Hartmann concertos have piqued my curiosity though and I feel a purchase coming on,if cheap enough, as the whole set sounded good. I wonder how good the next installments will be.

Indeed, soileduk. A nice idea for a CD 'programme', I thought. If you do purchase, please let me know how you get on with it.

--

TS: if you find a link, please post it.