New releases

[Bryn]

Just received the CD of this from Presto, I've been waiting for Gardiner to do it ever since I marvelled at his second Brahms' German Requiem... but THAT was in the sympathetic acoustic of Usher Hall, and the Barbican is a bigger challenge. I thought the Behlolavek Martinu on Onyx was well made, and one of the engineers for those (for No.4) is the same - Philip Burwell. But the Barbican can be recalcitrant.

I guess, DJ - listen and report back; now if I only can squeeze it in somewhere....

What is the date of the recording? Just wondering if I might have a recording of the broadcast lurking on a hard disc somewhere.

[jayne lee wilson]

What is the date of the recording? Just wondering if I might have a recording of the broadcast lurking on a hard disc somewhere.

"Recorded live at the Barbican Hall 17 October 2012. Live broadcast by BBC Radio 3".

[DublinJimbo]

I guess, DJ - listen and report back; now if I only can squeeze it in somewhere....

Will do. Not just yet though. Listening priority has already been given to Stephen Hough's new release of the Brahms piano concertos. I've just finished No. 2. I was enthralled by the slow movement (what wonderful music it is!) and the opening of the concerto is superb (perfectly judged interplay between horn and piano), but I was surprised at Stephen's measured and rather heavy-handed approach in the first movement, and he indulges in some affected rubato in the finale which disturbs the otherwise delightful flow. That said, I suspect that this may well turn out to be a performance which grows on me — it's definitely crying out for another hearing.

[Bryn]

"Recorded live at the Barbican Hall 17 October 2012. Live broadcast by BBC Radio 3".

Thanks. I will now go searching through my USB hard drives.

Oh dear. Seems the broadcast itself was the following Sunday afternoon, starting at 14:00, and I failed to save it.

Please do report back on it. How does it compare with the old Archiv recording?

[Jonathan]

Thanks for the thoughts on the Stephen Hough recording DublinJimbo, another one for my wishlist I think!

[DublinJimbo]

Just received the CD of this [Gardiner et al: Missa Solemnis] from Presto, I've been waiting for Gardiner to do it ever since I marvelled at his second Brahms' German Requiem... but THAT was in the sympathetic acoustic of Usher Hall, and the Barbican is a bigger challenge. I thought the Behlolavek Martinu on Onyx was well made, and one of the engineers for those (for No.4) is the same - Philip Burwell. But the Barbican can be recalcitrant.

I guess, DJ - listen and report back; now if I only can squeeze it in somewhere....

I listened to the Kyrie and Gloria earlier this evening. Oh dear! The sound is desperately lacking in bloom, fails to open out, and has a generally edgy quality which is very distracting. It's a shame the recording is a let-down, as the performance must have been a wonderful experience in the hall. The Gloria is especially good, with a speedy coda which is packed with excitement and irresistibly sweeps the listener along. (The Gloria in this performance clocks in at 15'34", compared with 16'26" in the Archiv version. Harnoncourt's 1992 Teldec recording takes 17'26". The pace of the new Gardiner is totally convincing and wonderfully uplifting.)

I'll try the rest later on, but I fear that the recording will prevent me from listening to this over-often. It's a shame, as I'd expect the rest of the performance to live up to what I've heard so far.

[Ferretfancy]

I've just been listening to the new Albion Records issue of early and late Vaughan Williams, entitled The Solent --Albion ALBCD 016

The Solent is the second and longest of Three Impressions for Orchestra written in 1903 and included here, anybody who enjoys In the Fen Country or the Norfolk Rhapsody will enjoy this. Roland Wood gives us a robust performance of three of the Songs of Travel which RVW orchestrated himself, and moving on to just before WW1 Andrew Kennedy songs Four Hymns for Tenor, Viola Obbligato and Strings. The rest of the disc has some very short links for a radio production of The Mayor of Casterbridge and a very nice Prelude on an Old Carol Tune.

I've always been a bit resistant to the jauntiness of the Songs of Travel, but I very much enjoyed the rest,the RlPO is very well conducted by Paul Daniel.
All in all, this is a nice discovery.

[Petrushka]

Here's an interesting issue for Horenstein fans:

http://www.mdt.co.uk/mahler-symphony-no-3-helen-chorus-jascha-horenstein-archipel-2cds.html

It says 'excellent sound' and I hope it is as my experience of some Archipel discs is mixed.

[Bryn]

Here's an interesting issue for Horenstein fans:

http://www.mdt.co.uk/mahler-symphony-no-3-helen-chorus-jascha-horenstein-archipel-2cds.html

It says 'excellent sound' and I hope it is as my experience of some Archipel discs is mixed.

£5.83 including p&p via ebay. Just search using the catalogue number.

[Petrushka]

£5.83 including p&p via ebay. Just search using the catalogue number.

[amateur51]

£5.83 including p&p via ebay. Just search using the catalogue number.

£4.79 inc P&P on Amazon Prime

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00GBQBRRC/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

[cloughie]

£4.79 inc P&P on Amazon Prime

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00GBQBRRC/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

Thanks for the lead ams - duly ordered - the Brahms looks an ample bonus.

[amateur51]

Thanks for the lead ams - duly ordered - the Brahms looks an ample bonus.

Doesn't it just, cloughie - could be a major issue

[Bryn]

Doesn't it just, cloughie - could be a major issue

The pit-fall is that it means the symphony being spit over the two CDs after the 4th movement. Not, by any means, the most musical solution. I intend to rip, edit and burn with the CD change coming after Part 1, rather than half way through Part 2.

Anyone know the venue? The very sparse information merely offers "London" with the date "16.11.1961", and claims it to be the first professional public performance of the work in the U.K.

The mono sound is indeed pretty good for a live recording of the vintage, (the discs arrived this afternoon).

[HighlandDougie]

There is reference elsewhere on the web to it being the Festival Hall