BaL 12.11.22 - Haydn: Harmoniemesse

[RichardB]

I don't mind, I have the CD anyway, but I'm away from home and would like to stream it on Qobuz, and it isn't there. I think this is what they call a first world problem.

[BBMmk2]

Look more closely!

Ah yes!

[richardfinegold]

Missing on the list is the version by Bruno Weil on Sony, which I like very much.

I noticed that. It is my only recording. I wish Sony would enable some sort of service where deleted recordings and be ordered as a CD-R, especially since the deletions tend to result in absences from the streaming services

[Pulcinella]

I wonder if the message has finally got through to Andrew that he shouldn't interrupt so much?
Another decent BaL, I thought, with lots of extracts and a range of styles under consideration.
Happy to stick with my two: Guest and Hickox, which both got honourable mentions.

[Bryn]

I noticed that. It is my only recording

Weil, Hickox (and Koetzvelt) here. Never, as yet, listened to the latter. I note that the Kuijken is less than half the price to buy "Used: Very Good" than to download from QOBUZ.

[MickyD]

https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/12001361?ev=rb

Thanks a lot, Bryn, very helpful.

[Master Jacques]

I wonder if the message has finally got through to Andrew that he shouldn't interrupt so much?
Another decent BaL, I thought, with lots of extracts and a range of styles under consideration.
Happy to stick with my two: Guest and Hickox, which both got honourable mentions.

He only interrupts if he has an incompetent and/or tongue-tied reviewer, which happily is not the case with Richard Wigmore. He might have at least mentioned the readily-obtained American Naxos recording under Jane Glover, which is fresh and enthusiastic, if not quite the last word in musical subtlety.

[gurnemanz]

He only interrupts if he has an incompetent and/or tongue-tied reviewer, which happily is not the case with Richard Wigmore. He might have at least mentioned the readily-obtained American Naxos recording under Jane Glover, which is fresh and enthusiastic, if not quite the last word in musical subtlety.

As mentioned above, Glover is my only version, which I thought would be at least shortlisted. Not clear whether it was rejected or not bothered with.

I notice RW corrected AM's pronunciation of Harmonie, which is stressed on the the final syllable in German

[Master Jacques]

As mentioned above, Glover is my only version, which I thought would be at least shortlisted. Not clear whether it was rejected or not bothered with.

A good question. You might try emailing Richard Wigmore direct, to ask him what he thinks of the Glover CD:
richard@wigmoresworld.co.uk

Or Tweet him,
@wigmoresworld

[ardcarp]

Guest and Hickox here, both as part of box sets.

Guest here too.

If you'll forgive me. I'll just do a personal ramble. The semi-pro chamber orchestra I used to conduct had the line-up sorted for Beethoven's 8th. We often had to hire horns and trumpets. The orchestra's committee, knowing my connection with singers, suggested doing Hayndn's Harmoniemesse as half of the programme, which we did. The singers, 12 in number with step-out soliosts, did it on one rehearsal. Whilst the orchestra loved playing their core repertoire, neither the choir nor I were over-keen on the work despite Papa Haydn's obvious flair. Someone in BAL wondered why The Nelson Mass was most choirs' favourite, and I can understand why. It was also mentioned that Haydn, in his ols age, found completeing Harmoniemesse a bit of a struggle. Does anyone else have similar thoughts about the work?

Another ramble. Some in the committee thought that a complete (and not especially short) mass might be too much for a non-specialist audience. As it was nearing Christmas, I got a local retired headmaster with a wonderful speaking voice to read short extracts from Hardy's Under the Greenwood Tree, including the amusing carol singing episode, between some of the 'movements'. It went down a storm, but not with one church member who thought it sacrilegious.

And yet another. In my younger days, a friend who had been a choral scholar at John's said that George Guest conducted the recordings of Haydn masses from a vocal score!

[MickyD]

I thought this was an excellent BAL, Wigmore really knows his Haydn and he managed to pack in so much in 45 minutes with a good selection. Just a pity about the omission of the Glover and the Weil!

[ardcarp]

Put simply, Wigmore had AMcG under control.

(But I wish it was still at 0930!)

[MickyD]

Put simply, Wigmore had AMcG under control.

(But I wish it was still at 0930!)

Thank heavens...but how I wish he had been able to do it alone....I could listen to his burnished tones for hours!