BaL 21.02.15 - J.S. Bach: Magnificat

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes I remember that group Cali! Not much cop though!

No; that was the Village People.

[Nick Armstrong]

No; that was the Village People.

You sure 'bout that?

[Don Petter]

Did anyone else have the recording on l'Oiseau-Lyre with Eileen McLoughlan, Heather Harper, Alfred Deller, Wilfred Brown and Maurice Bevan?

(St Anthony Singers and Kalmar Orchestra, cond. Pierre Colombo)

I must still have it boxed up somewhere, but can't remember anything about the performance. Can't fault the singers at that time, anyway.

[Pulcinella]

I knew there was something familiar about the name of the modern label that recorded Belohlavek's Martinu cycle!

The Martinu is on ONYX, ferney!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The Martinu is on ONYX, ferney!

"ORYX"/"ONYX"/SCHMORNYX - I said "something familiar"! I mean, not only a mere letter difference (ie a 75% idnetification) but those two very letters are next to each other* on the QWERTY keyboard!








And what are all you people doing in my room, anyway??!!









EDIT: * = well, they would be if the "R" is read as a "B".


I'm going back to bed - I was safe there.

[LeMartinPecheur]

"ORYX"/"ONYX"/SCHMORNYX - I said "something familiar"! I mean, not only a mere letter difference (ie a 75% idnetification) but those two very letters are next to each other* on the QWERTY keyboard! - I was safe there.

Won't everyone on these boards be using a Dvorak keyboard?

[Nick Armstrong]

Interesting to hear Simon Heighes being slightly subversive with his conclusions to this BaL - as often noted in these parts, the programme seems generally to be regarded as aiming to provide a version of the relevant piece primarily for someone who doesn't yet have one - a 'safe' library choice, uniting as many virtues as possible.

SH provided such choices, one in each of the two versions: Hickox and Suzuki (yep Bbm, 'the Japan people'). But intriguing then to relegate them to second place in each case, saying "we deserve" to learn something more: the "we" being, not the newcomer, but the seasoned listener presumably, who needs a bit extra... so, Herreweghe in the 'supplemented' original version, and Pierlot with his 'one to a part' approach to the revised version.

Personally, I like this 'cake and eat it' approach which caters for all listeners, beginners and established 'collectors' alike, all of whom are entitled to 'build their library' albeit from a different starting-point.

It was Bbm's Japan people that I want to investigate further I think. My hitherto/lately favoured Fasolis got a right kicking from Mr Heighes

I was glad to hear him sum up my feelings about those early JEG Bach recordings with the phrase "heartless brilliance" - precisely why I took back to the shop the various vaunted Passions etc in those Gardiner/Archiv boxes in the 80s. Unlistenable-to, I found, as was the Magnificat performance illustrated today (and the horrible one by McCreesh ; let alone Richter ).

Good BaL

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Another interesting BaL with D & E flat recommendations.

Just for the record, I love the Richter.

[edashtav]

.
[...]
Good BaL

I'm in agreement with Maurice's perceptive critique of Simon Heighes' BaL technique. This was a difficult BaL to survey in the time allotted because of many recordings available, the wide spectrum of those interpretations, and the two discrete editions produced by JSB. I was left gasping for more - but I suspect that few would follow me and vote for a 1.5 hour Bal each Saturday morning- but I was intrigued by what I heard, my ears were freshened, and my brain was energised to think more deeply over what makes a perfect performance for me. I salute Simon's ability to use the short excerpt with pointed illumination.

For the first time, I realise the flaw in JEG's approach: emotional sterility.

I learned a lot and must acquire a copy of Pierlot.

Another Saturday triumph for good, OLD Radio 3.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Cali's #37 sums up my own response to this rather splendid BaL, too; the caveat being that it's going to result in a depletion of the ferney funds. (Well - the money would otherwise only get squandered on food and heating otherwise, I suppose.)


Kuijken not even mentioned? (NLA?)

[french frank]

Another Saturday triumph for good, OLD Radio 3.

CAPS stuck, dashers???

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

an expensive BAL methinks; excellent to hear and such a well founded elucidation of the suggested versions ...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Kuijken not even mentioned? (NLA?)

Deleted on CD (presumably), but available as a download:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Magnificat-Cantata-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00004YU7J/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1424527754&sr=1-2&keywords=bach+magnificat+kuijken

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Deleted on CD (presumably), but available as a download:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Magnifi...ificat+kuijken

Ah - thanks for that, Alpie. I bought my copy for pennies (literally - under a pound) when that large store in Leeds (with a name like "Zoo") was having its closing down sale about six years ago. Very good performance - and of the coupled Cantata, too.

[Nick Armstrong]

Ah the joys of a marginally-excessive collection

I find I already had the recommended Herreweghe disc upon the shelf