BaL 17.11.18 - Rossini: Petite messe solennelle

[Bryn]

No, I got it in its original incarnation many moons ago, when the distinctive Accent beige cover was supplemented by a light blue version, to denote live recordings. Bizarrely, the two discs were sold in separate jewel cases, not in a box. I love the resonant acoustic, which allows the period pianos to sound very ethereal.

But that new box is a very useful bargain, grouping all the Immerseel/Accent recordings together. I have them already, so can save a bit of money there! I particularly love the Beethoven sonatas/bagatelles disc, featuring a wonderful Graf. And the romantic works for oboe and fortepiano disc is delightful, too.

The Beethoven I do already have, too. I think it may have been my first HIPP keyboard CD.

[BBMmk2]

I have Sir Antonio Pappano’s recording, which received very good reviews when it was released.

[gurnemanz]

I have two versions on CD:

Cleobury with Kings College.
Creed with RIAS-Kammerchor, as mentioned above. My favourite

[Opinionated Knowall]

What a shame the 1972 Sawallisch version with Fassbaender, Schreier and Fischer-Dieskau never made it onto CD!

[verismissimo]

I've been listening lots to Rossini operas over the past year or so, but never remember hearing the PMS. Just discovered I have an unauditioned recording of it - Freni, Pavarotti, Raimondi etc with a very wobbly Coro Polifonico del Teatro alla Scala.

May need something else …

[Pulcinella]

May need something else …

Or maybe not: one exposure in a lifetime might be enough!
It has some of the worst earworms ever! I've sung in an amateur performance and needed to flush my ears out after each rehearsal!

[visualnickmos]

Funny this should be coming up as a BaL; I have only one (that's quite enough!) version - Margaret Marshall, Alfreda Hodgson, Rober Tear, Malcolm King, London Chamber Choir/Laszlo Helaty (Decca rec. 1978)

When I acquired it in the mid-90s, I rather enjoyed it. Then about a month or two ago, I gave it another spin, remembering my enjoyment of it from 20+ years back. Sadly, it didn't live up to my memory of it... maybe the BaL will give me another 'spur'.....

[BBMmk2]

Funny this should be coming up as a BaL; I have only one (that's quite enough!) version - Margaret Marshall, Alfreda Hodgson, Rober Tear, Malcolm King, London Chamber Choir/Laszlo Helaty (Decca rec. 1978)

When I acquired it in the mid-90s, I rather enjoyed it. Then about a month or two ago, I gave it another spin, remembering my enjoyment of it from 20+ years back. Sadly, it didn't live up to my memory of it... maybe the BaL will give me another 'spur'.....

Laszlo Heltay.

[verismissimo]

Laszlo Heltay.

A moment to note. :)

[HighlandDougie]

I can't say that this - very good - BaL will have me rushing to listen to the work very often but, as it is a gap in my library, I've ordered the winner (and will look for a s/hand copy of the Chailly). Ria Ginster (recorded live with Barbirolli in 1939) is, though, quite something.

[BBMmk2]

I can't say that this - very good - BaL will have me rushing to listen to the work very often but, as it is a gap in my library, I've ordered the winner (and will look for a s/hand copy of the Chailly). Ria Ginster (recorded live with Barbirolli in 1939) is, though, quite something.

I'm quite happy with the recording I have, which is the Sir Antonio Pappano's.

[ardcarp]

I am afraid I share with other posts the general tone of luke-warm-ness (is that fair?) about the piece. I think one reason why it's had a lot of amateur choral society type airings is that what they save on an orchestra they can shell out on really good soloists. I don't know if I missed something, but I would have liked the reviewer to have spent just a short time talking about the harmonium. It was surely quite unusual, outside church, for it to be used in this way. Rossini clearly intended it to provide an orchestral sustained string sound (or sometimes woodwind sound) as a 'glue' to the pianos. The huge French harmoniums, which are still to be found in dusty corners of many French churches, were really quite extraordinary instruments with a wide palette of 'voices'. The harmoniums found in the UK and the USA are really 'American organs' and generally smaller. It is the latter that I've heard used in performances of la PMS, so not quite what Rossini probably intended. I did feel that, as heard on my radio this morning, the harmonium part was generally in the background.

A really excellent demo film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBT9LP4Fbmo

[vinteuil]

.

... the work was composed for "a select audience assembled in the lavishly furnished salon of the newly built Paris town house of the comtesse Louise Pillet-Will". The instrument used on the King's Consort recording is a Debain harmonium of 1868. Pretty authentic, I should say -

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre-Fran%C3%A7ois_Debain

.

[ardcarp]

Thanks Vints. Of course we only heard a few clips from the King's Consort, not enough to appreciate the harmonium in all its glory. I'd like to say that I'll get Robert King's recording, but alas, I don't love the work enough (at all?) to rush out and do so. What we hear is what the recording engineers allow us to hear of course. The link which I added to #27 includes a Debain instrument. Mustel (maybe a bit late for Rossini's premiere?) became the byword for harmoniums and celestas.

I still wish Ben Walton had devoted at least half a minute to the harmonium, a feature which adds, if nothing else, a certain amusement to live performances!

[MickyD]

I was annoyed that the Van Immerseel version was so abruptly brushed aside.

His recording is just as "authentic" as the King, featuring two Erards of 1850 and 1852 with an 1845 Debain harmonium of 1845. I also happen to prefer his speeds and more generous acoustic.