BaL 2.07.22 - Beethoven: Missa Solemnis

[MickyD]

I've absolutely no idea what all that stuff means, but I have no problem listening. Just go to the relevant site, and you're there!

Exactly...the quality of sound is pretty good for me here in France when I listen to programmes past. What you can't do in Europe is watch BBC TV programmes on iPlayer. That's a pain.

[Mario]

Sorry, I got it wrong again!

I wasn’t suggesting NOT to buy on a BAL recommendation, merely expressing a surprise that some would on the basis of a very short extract.

Still, I stand corrected, and pleased no one regrets that decision.

[BBMmk2]

I thought HvK wasn’t going to win, but seems like he’s coming back into vogue now?

[RichardB]

Mario, the principal intended audience of "Building a Library" (the clue is in the name!) is people who have no recording of the work in question and want some guidance. Of course the programme has existed much longer than internet forums and streaming services, both of which are by now IMO a far better way of achieving the same thing: if someone started a thread here with "which recording of the Missa do you recommend?" there would be dozens of informed replies in no time. The reason members of this forum listen to and discuss BaL is usually to find out how the presenter's choices relate to their own preferences, and sometimes even, as visualnickmos says, to be open to making new discoveries. Most discussions of BaL here begin with posts of the form "I have the 1853 Beecham recording and I don't think I need another one" and then morph into some extensive discussions in which the actual programme is fairly incidental!

[Bryn]

Exactly...the quality of sound is pretty good for me here in France when I listen to programmes past. What you can't do in Europe is watch BBC TV programmes on iPlayer. That's a pain.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/questions/listening-outside-the-uk/listen-outside-uk

However, no mention is made of the data rates available outside the U.K. Could someone here. based outside the U.K and with basic computer competence, try playing a Sounds offering of a past Radio 3 concert though, say, VLC Player, and note the data rate via "tools/Codec information/statistics/Input bitrate", please.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Lying here fairly immobile while my wife is watching her sweetheart play at Wimbledon, I have time to reflect…

Antongould, you were the first to recommend “Sounds”. I’ve sent you a PM in thanks. I’ve now listened to BAL’s Missa Solemnis.

Retune, I have indeed used your link (thanks for that), and BAL is not available here. Why do licensing laws apply to BAL, but not to Sounds?

I’m very grateful to Cockney Sparrow for his generosity. I’ve sent him a PM.

As one of those people with no other options who must be content with what is offered (i.e., beggars can’t be choosers), I cannot choose to complain about the quality of the signal. I only wanted to hear who won and why. I couldn’t care less if it was relayed in mono!

I know this thread is about Building a Library, and last Saturday was specifically about LvB’s MS, but can I go slightly off topic?

So, I now learn, Ms Elin’s Manahan Thomas’ choice was the Karajan – fair enough. She and AMcG very kindly played a section of it for us. They also played Toscanini’s version, all 95 secs of a work of over an hour long!

Please don’t be angry with me. As a non-licence fee paying listener enjoying the service that YOU pay for (and which I’m using for free of course), I know I’m sounding ungrateful and boorish and maybe even Victor Meldrew-ish, but what am I supposed to do with this information? Go check HvK’s out? How? Downloading? Streaming? Borrowing? YouTubing? Copying from a friend? Purchasing? A few of these options are illegal, correct? I know the programme cannot play each one chosen in its entirety, but couldn’t longer sections be played, and I don’t mean entire movements?

Am I missing the whole point of BAL?

More pertinently, has anyone ever taken up BAL’s recommendation and purchased a performance based purely on what little they heard on BAL?

You shoul be able to listen to the BAL by going back through the R3 schedules on Sounds. What you won’t be able to do is download it though

[Mario]

Erm, would love to help but…

Bryn, how do I get VLC to play the “Sounds” website?

[Bryn]

You shoul be able to listen to the BAL by going back through the R3 schedules on Sounds. What you won’t be able to do is download it though

Software to enable downloading is freely available. Search for "get_iplayer".

[Mario]

Incidentally, I'm now listening to HvK on Sounds.

Impressive, as is Klemperer, but neither displaces Toscanini.

I wonder if AT is discarded because of the sound quality?

[Bryn]

Incidentally, I'm now listening to HvK on Sounds.

Impressive, as is Klemperer, but neither displaces Toscanini.

I wonder if AT is discarded because of the sound quality?

Almost certainly. Which digital transfer do you favour? I only have the 'Sony' transfer in the big Toscanini box but the Andrew Rose transfer looks tempting.

https://www.pristineclassical.com/blogs/most-recent-releases/toscanini-beethoven-missa-solemnis

[Mario]

Almost certainly. Which digital transfer do you favour? I only have the 'Sony' transfer in the big Toscanini box but the Andrew Rose transfer looks tempting.

I have the RCA 84 CD + 1 DVD box, purchased from Forsyth in Manchester last time I went there for the football pre-Covid days.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-CD-Arturo-Toscanini-Collection/dp/B00C3ADCQ4/ref=sr_1_12?crid=2COD7NC0CFI1K&keywords=toscanini+box&qid=1657011392&sprefix=toscanini+bo%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-12

I agree that the Rose looks tempting!

Bryn, post 112 please?

Thanks

[Bryn]

Erm, would love to help but…

Bryn, how do I get VLC to play the “Sounds” website?

Sorry, not as straightforward as I thought. I tend to use get_iplayer to save the relevant programme in m4a format, then play that in VLC media player. It seems that streaming from the programme's URL does not work as expected. See https://www.techyv.com/questions/how...er-vlc-player/

[Ein Heldenleben]

Software to enable downloading is freely available. Search for "get_iplayer".

I don’t think you can download abroad can you ?

[Petrushka]

We seem to have left the Missa Solemnis far, far behind...

[Bryn]

We seem to have left the Missa Solemnis far, far behind...

Not really. The consideration of the chosen Karajan recording, as available via BBC Sounds in varying audio quality depending upon where is accessed from, is more of a continuation of the discussion than a diversion.