New releases

[Mandryka]

I've listened to the whole of this recent Lachrimae recording, and wasn’t as worried as was johnb by the slight reticence of the treble viol; I sometimes feel that, when the director of the consort is on the top line (Dreyfus with Phantasm, Savall with Hesperion) that the balance can be too treble-dominated.

I’ve certainly noticed this in concert with Phantasm. I’ve always thought it was partly a tendency for the ear to be drawn to the higher registers. I’ve never heard Savall in concert. Les Voix Humaines do indeed ornament very imaginatively. Another imaginative one is Christiano Contadin with the Opera Primera Consort on Brilliant.

There are so many recorded performances of these things now, I can’t keep up! I certainly can’t do them all justice. I should probably stick with the ones I’ve found the most satisfying for a long period - The John Dowland Consort on BIS and The Rose Consort.

[MickyD]

Is that the 1994 recording on BIS with Jakob Lindberg?
That's the only version I have in my collection and it's good to see that despite all the newer versions, it's still held in high regard.

[Mandryka]

Is that the 1994 recording on BIS with Jakob Lindberg?
That's the only version I have in my collection and it's good to see that despite all the newer versions, it's still held in high regard.

Yes that's the one, but I wouldn't conclude from the fact that I like it that it's generally held in high regard!

[Mandryka]

https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/35/000156253.pdf

Sounds wonderful.

[RichardB]

where oh where is the top line of the viol consort.

Where it ought to be, is what I would say, equal to the other voices rather than sticking out anachronistically.

[johnb]

I now wish I hadn't commented on the Dowland recording - but having done so ...

These things are a matter of preference but I feel that in the Dowland the top line of the viol consort should be clearly heard (but not over prominent). I hesitate to call it the melody line, even is that is what it is - after all Dowland used Lachrimae Antiquae for his lute song Flow My Tears. My problem is that even though I know the music I find it very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to discern the top viol line in the Musical Humors recording.

By the way, I tend to agree that the Phantasm recording does rather over do things.

[Pulcinella]

Cappella Pratensis, Obrecht, Missa Maria Zart

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/mi.../fo13ah33ks2kc

There's an article about this in the May edition of Gramophone, just arrived.

[MickyD]

This looks like an exciting release next week - Christophe Rousset and his band in orchestral suites drawn from operas by Pancrace Royer. I heard a few excerpts on France Musique this morning - one for the shopping list!

[RichardB]

This looks like an exciting release next week - Christophe Rousset and his band in orchestral suites drawn from operas by Pancrace Royer. I heard a few excerpts on France Musique this morning - one for the shopping list!

I listened to a couple of preview tracks on Qobuz this morning- highly promising.

[Bryn]

The new recording of Mozart's Requiem, as completed by Eybler and Sussmayr, from Savall looks interesting, as do the programme notes:

https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/78/000158087.pdf

[Mandryka]

Mark R Taylor, Violin and Piano music

https://darraghmorgan.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-violin-and-piano

Moments of shattered fragments punctuated by deep ruby chords of aching beauty, this short collection of timeless reflective works by British experimental composer Mark R Taylor is released by his close advocates violinist Darragh Morgan and pianist Mary Dullea.
Shrouded within the nexus of experimental past from Satie to Feldman and Radalescu to Cardew there is an endless quality to these short works of almost postlude feel.


Actually, I don't think it's hyperbole in the longer pieces here! Big thanks to Richard for making me aware of Mark R Taylor.

[Master Jacques]

Listening to this morning's "new Identity releases", it was easy to believe that Allyson Devenish might be a disguised character from E. F. Benson. For comical pretention ("dance rustique - that means 'rustic dance'.") and worried judgementalism ("concerned" by Britten, as a white occidental male, presuming to set some Songs from the Chinese) this morning's display was very entertaining, worthy of Lucia's best, if also a cause of despair. Is it no longer considered possible by the RR producers to evaluate art music seriously for its own sake, rather than for its box-ticking qualities? Or is it simply time to give this distinguished contributor to RR a well-deserved holiday, perhaps??

[mathias broucek]

The Petrenko / Berlin DSCH 8-10 is on eclassical for only £10 or so in 24 bit. Have purchased but not yet listened

[Alison]

Listening to this morning's "new Identity releases", it was easy to believe that Allyson Devenish might be a disguised character from E. F. Benson. For comical pretention ("dance rustique - that means 'rustic dance'.") and worried judgementalism ("concerned" by Britten, as a white occidental male, presuming to set some Songs from the Chinese) this morning's display was very entertaining, worthy of Lucia's best, if also a cause of despair. Is it no longer considered possible by the RR producers to evaluate art music seriously for its own sake, rather than for its box-ticking qualities? Or is it simply time to give this distinguished contributor to RR a well-deserved holiday, perhaps??

I was thinking how horrified Mark Lowther must have been!

[Nick Armstrong]

Listening to this morning's "new Identity releases", it was easy to believe that Allyson Devenish might be a disguised character from E. F. Benson. For comical pretention ("dance rustique - that means 'rustic dance'.") and worried judgementalism ("concerned" by Britten, as a white occidental male, presuming to set some Songs from the Chinese) this morning's display was very entertaining, worthy of Lucia's best, if also a cause of despair. Is it no longer considered possible by the RR producers to evaluate art music seriously for its own sake, rather than for its box-ticking qualities? Or is it simply time to give this distinguished contributor to RR a well-deserved holiday, perhaps??

I’m glad it wasn’t just me… although ‘entertaining’ isn’t an adjective I’d have used… ‘unendurable’ is closer to the mark for me - the fast-forward button was deployed repeatedly. The ‘distinguished contributor’ had previously distinguished herself on to my ‘avoid’ list, but I let my guard down