Classical Music Finds

[Xann]

Aldo Ciccolini album on EMI/HMV

This is rated in the Penguin guide. Had it and let it go, it didn't do much for me.

... I am very much doing the same thing with post-war UK composers...

Lyrita are generally pretty good at the Brit composers, but the majority of the material isn't post war.

However, type NMC sampler into Amazon - These are a great intro to the stuff you seek.

[Sonovox]

Lyrita are generally pretty good at the Brit composers, but the majority of the material isn't post war.

Lyrita veers a little too far to the tonal/pastoral side of things for me - I do like Frank Bridge and I would probably pick up Humphrey Searle, but not sure what else.

However, type NMC sampler into Amazon - These are a great intro to the stuff you seek.

Yes, NMC is on the right wavelength, I do have a couple of discs from them, including a Gerald Barry one which I picked up the other day for 25p. On the whole I do prefer getting as much as possible on vinyl if it was ever released that way! Currently tracking down as much Roberto Gerhard as possible.

[Xann]

Lyrita veers a little too far to the tonal/pastoral side of things for me

You're being kind. There's a lot of dull British stuff Lyrita reflects that.

They are good when they're good though. There's great Holst, Arnold and I really like the Grace Williams - though she's more in the light category.

Hoddinott is a bag of tricks, you might like some of his gear.

[Sonovox]

Hoddinott is a bag of tricks, you might like some of his gear.

Yes, a while ago I had an LP with Roman Dream on but moved it on - regret that now.

Holst too, I would like to dig a bit deeper than just The Planets. Rig Veda sounds interesting...

[Grim Lounge Cowboy]

Just back from trawling the 'dollar' bins at my occasional weekend spot. Starting to eye some classical pieces in the light of this thread. Thinking back, there were a few that I should have picked up. Sheer tight-fistedness on my part!

[amidar]

Picked these up last week among others:



Nielsen - Symphony No 1 in G minor Danish Composer from more recent times. I picked this up for the cover more than anything as am a big op-art lover so its going into a frame. The music itself is rather staid and uptight in a 'Jerusalem' kind of way, not my thing at all. I notice online there is a sister album to this with an equally good if not better cover.

[IMG][/IMG]

Piatigorsky - Walton Cello Concerto/Bloch Schelemo This is more like it a cello concerto written specifically for Gregor Piatigorsky by William Walton in the 50's on side a which is the highlight. Dark, brooding almost gypsy sounding and then becomes all Avant Garde in the final quarter.

[medlar]

Picked these up last week among others:



Nielsen - Symphony No 1 in G minor Danish Composer from more recent times. I picked this up for the cover more than anything as am a big op-art lover so its going into a frame. The music itself is rather staid and uptight in a 'Jerusalem' kind of way, not my thing at all. I notice online there is a sister album to this with an equally good if not better cover.

I posted up the Clarinet concerto some time ago that has a similarly cool cover, seeing yours it must have been part of a set. BTW, I'd recommend Nielsen's 5th, it goes right out there, must have been a shock back in the day! I think Shostakovich must have been aware of it at some point too

[amidar]

Yeah I noticed there was a similar cover when searching for info. Funnily enough I picked up this from the same stack of classical but not listened yet:

[IMG][/IMG]

I posted up the Clarinet concerto some time ago that has a similarly cool cover, seeing yours it must have been part of a set. BTW, I'd recommend Nielsen's 5th, it goes right out there, must have been a shock back in the day! I think Shostakovich must have been aware of it at some point too

[Xann]

Oistrakh is a wonderful player.

If the Russian violin repertoire floats your boats? Also look out for Leonid Kogan, who is marvelous at Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich.

[amidar]

Worth looking out for if you come across it in a chazza: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Decca-SXL2...p2047675.l2557

[giantchicken]

Worth looking out for if you come across it in a chazza: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Decca-SXL2...p2047675.l2557

Wow - and all because of the 'pancake' label - it's the classical equivalent of the 'Darrell Banks' incident!

I've acquired a few classical finds in the last week or two employing some of the tips I've had since this thread started and have now listened through a few of them (all vinyl, all pre-digital incidentally)....photos are stock, let's start with this...



Chopin: 24 Preludes Op.28 - Maurizio Pollini (Deutsche Grammophon, 1975)

Thought I'd buy a decent interpretation of Chopin's preludes so this seemed a no-brainer for a quid. The record looked fine but perhaps I should have taken more notice of the very small sticker on the label which closer inspection now reveals to say 'public library' - the album sounds tired and has clearly been round the clock a few times...no good as a serious listener...luckily there's just a bit of minor tarnish on the 'Vivace' in E Minor so I can still use it as an 'in-key' prelude to Jane Birkin's 'Jane B' when DJing! - will have to track down another...doh!!!



]Beethoven: Piano Quartets - Christoph Eschenbach/Amadeus Quartet (Deutsche Grammophon, 1970)

My Beethoven odyssey continues; this seemed a good compromise between my playing it safe with piano music and my apprehension about the symphonies. I still haven't really got a handle on timeline where classical is concerned, so I was a bit shocked when I got it home to discover these three quartets were largely the work of the teenage Ludwig. You can't fail to be impressed by that fact (although apparently some doubt his authorship), but I try to never let worthiness or a good back story cloud my judgement of music. In truth these didn't do a lot for me - pretty and clever for sure, but nothing particularly remarkable about them - scholarly outings, perhaps unsurprisingly.



Tchaikovsky - 'Violin Concerto in D'/ Tartini - 'The Devil's Trill' - Hans Szeryng, Charles Reiner, Boston Symphony Orchestra - Charles Munch (RCA Camden Classics Victrola, 1969)

Bought for the flipside, if you will...haven't even dropped the needle on the Tchaikovsky yet. If Beethoven's 5th is the 'Smoke On The Water' of classical, then presumably the 'Devil's Trill' Sonata is it's 'Paranoid'. First became aware of this by dint of a BBC radio piece by RNCM alumnus Richard Witts, formerly of the excellent 80's Manchester post-punk electronicists The Passage and contributor of 'hey kids, classical is cool' bits to 'The Oxford Road Show'.

Think I liked the idea of an 18th century violinist causing unspeakable moistness and fainting fits amongst the reputable ladyfolk of the time. Not sure if it's Szeryng's violin or the recording, but this version doesn't seem quite as evil or energetic as I remember it from the radio - perhaps the irresistible urge to market the piece as a sort of proto-heavy metal riff informs more modern performances...has Mr Kennedy done a version, I wonder?...

Schubert/Beethoven/Bach/Benda E.P. - Linha Singers (Supraphon 45, 1974)

Can't tell you much about this blind punt - can't find another on the web (and don't understand Czech...) A nice little sleeve (although slightly damaged by the Red Cross shop's gratuitous application of 'Gift Aid' stickers) - I guessed they might be some kind of Czech Swingle-alikes and I wasn't far wide of the mark...light classical for sure but rather pleasant...any love for classical EPs btw? - I know I love my 'Debussy by Firkusny'...



Couperin/Rameau/Daquin/D'Anglebert - 'French Tone Paintings For Harpsichord' - Silvia Kind (Turnabout, 1968)

Isn't music just great sometimes? A couple of years ago in the midst of a sleepless night, I slipped on the bedside cans and surfed the airwaves, happening on one of the classical stations and hearing some just gorgeous harpsichord music - now even a dilettante like me recognised the styling as 'baroque' but the chord progressions and basslines sounded so modern (in the wider sense) that this could have been Michel Legrand composing out of his skin - I was blown away to discover that this was the work of Jean Philippe Rameau from the 1720s. Within a couple of weeks I'd acquired Alan Cuckston's 'Pieces de clavecin' CD (from those nice people at Naxos) and have been enjoying it ever since.

So when the above record (a minter incidentally) popped up in a charity shop, I jumped at the chance and I'm very glad I did so. I wasn't familiar with Turnabout, but clearly it was Vox's budget wing (the original '99p' sticker was a clue) and it seemed a safe bet. 'At last', I thought, 'a chance to own some Rameau on vinyl...I might even play some out...' The six Rameau pieces here include two from 'Pieces de clavecin' and I prefer these versions; Madame Kind's playing seems a bit less frenetic than Mr Cuckston's and I now have some pointers for further Rameau works to investigate. The notion of the 'warmth' of vinyl over CD definitely has some currency here as well.

All this would be cause for celebration in itself, but my introduction to the works of Francois Couperin (Le Grand) included herein doubles my pleasure. 'Les Fastes de la grande et anciennes Menestrandise' ('The Splendid Procession of the Great and Venerable Minstrelsy') and 'Les Folies francaises' ('French Carnival') are indeed 'tone paintings', replete with humour and as important as any oil on canvas as historical documents. I never realised mincing around the lawns at Versailles in a wig and too much slap could be so much fun. Throw in a couple more pieces from Jean D'Anglebert and Louis Claude Daquin, factor in the added charm of Madame Kind introducing and translating each piece in her lovely French accent and this album is a totally recommended winner. Well chuffed. Any further recommendations for music in this genre would be much appreciated.

...and finally...



'George Gershwin: Orchestral Music' - Michael Tilson-Thomas, Philippe Entremont, Eugene Ormandy (CBS Masterworks 3LP Box Set)

...'Rhapsody In Blue', 'American In Paris', 'Porgy & Bess', etc. etc. with the best orchestras in the USA...and all for a totally measly three quid...haven't even played this yet, but surely it can't disappoint can it?....

[smashingcheesegromit]

Found an argenta last year ��. Found this in a chazza last year as well.
http://www.popsike.com/COLUMBIA-33CX...676852323.html

[Xann]

Any further recommendations for music in this genre would be much appreciated.

The D'Anglebert Lully transcriptions sound like they're your sort of thing. You could also maybe try Domenico Scarlatti who penned a small mountain of harpsichord tunes.

I'd like to see Skip play!

[amidar]

You've sold me on the harpsichord album, love things like that, maybe because its so far removed from anything contemporary its literally like transporting yourself back to some Renaissance kings court



Couperin/Rameau/Daquin/D'Anglebert - 'French Tone Paintings For Harpsichord' - Silvia Kind (Turnabout, 1968)

Isn't music just great sometimes? A couple of years ago in the midst of a sleepless night, I slipped on the bedside cans and surfed the airwaves, happening on one of the classical stations and hearing some just gorgeous harpsichord music - now even a dilettante like me recognised the styling as 'baroque' but the chord progressions and basslines sounded so modern (in the wider sense) that this could have been Michel Legrand composing out of his skin - I was blown away to discover that this was the work of Jean Philippe Rameau from the 1720s. Within a couple of weeks I'd acquired Alan Cuckston's 'Pieces de clavecin' CD (from those nice people at Naxos) and have been enjoying it ever since.

So when the above record (a minter incidentally) popped up in a charity shop, I jumped at the chance and I'm very glad I did so. I wasn't familiar with Turnabout, but clearly it was Vox's budget wing (the original '99p' sticker was a clue) and it seemed a safe bet. 'At last', I thought, 'a chance to own some Rameau on vinyl...I might even play some out...' The six Rameau pieces here include two from 'Pieces de clavecin' and I prefer these versions; Madame Kind's playing seems a bit less frenetic than Mr Cuckston's and I now have some pointers for further Rameau works to investigate. The notion of the 'warmth' of vinyl over CD definitely has some currency here as well.

All this would be cause for celebration in itself, but my introduction to the works of Francois Couperin (Le Grand) included herein doubles my pleasure. 'Les Fastes de la grande et anciennes Menestrandise' ('The Splendid Procession of the Great and Venerable Minstrelsy') and 'Les Folies francaises' ('French Carnival') are indeed 'tone paintings', replete with humour and as important as any oil on canvas as historical documents. I never realised mincing around the lawns at Versailles in a wig and too much slap could be so much fun. Throw in a couple more pieces from Jean D'Anglebert and Louis Claude Daquin, factor in the added charm of Madame Kind introducing and translating each piece in her lovely French accent and this album is a totally recommended winner. Well chuffed. Any further recommendations for music in this genre would be much appreciated.

Wow!

Found an argenta last year ��. Found this in a chazza last year as well.
http://www.popsike.com/COLUMBIA-33CX...676852323.html

[peretti]

Couperin and Rameau are both lovely. Reinhard Goebel's Musica Antiqua Koln ensemble made some really nice records on Archiv around French music from this period also covering composers like Marais and Leclair. For beautiful baroque harpsichord check recordings by Kenneth Gilbert or Gustav Leonhardt.