Outstanding 2021 cds

gggg gggg

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Nov 20, 2021, 2:53:39 AM11/20/21

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??????????????????

HT

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Nov 20, 2021, 5:22:58 AM11/20/21

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Op zaterdag 20 november 2021 om 08:53:39 UTC+1 schreef gggg gggg:
> ??????????????????

Beatrice Rana's Chopin études and scherzi.

Henk

gggg gggg

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Nov 24, 2021, 7:00:57 PM11/24/21

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On Friday, November 19, 2021 at 11:53:39 PM UTC-8, gggg gggg wrote:
> ??????????????????

Grammy classical nominees:

75. Best Engineered Album, Classical
An Engineer's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)

Archetypes
Jonathan Lackey, Bill Maylone & Dan Nichols, engineers; Bill Maylone, mastering engineer (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad & Third Coast Percussion)

Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope Amid Tears
Richard King, engineer (Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax)

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Mark Donahue, engineer; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Manfred Honeck, Mendelssohn Choir Of Pittsburgh & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)
Chanticleer Sings Christmas
Leslie Ann Jones, engineer (Chanticleer)

Mahler: Symphony No. 8, 'Symphony Of A Thousand'
Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, engineers; Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, mastering engineers (Gustavo Dudamel, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Luke McEndarfer, Robert Istad, Grant Gershon, Los Angeles Children's Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children's Chorus, Pacific Chorale & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
76. Producer Of The Year, Classical
A Producer's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.)

Blanton Alspaugh
Appear And Inspire (James Franklin & The East Carolina University Chamber Singers) (A)
Howells: Requiem (Brian Schmidt & Baylor University A Cappella Choir) (A)
Hymns Of Kassianí (Alexander Lingas & Cappella Romana) (A)
Kyr: In Praise Of Music (Joshua Copeland & Antioch Chamber Ensemble) (A)
More Honourable Than The Cherubim (Vladimir Gorbik & PaTRAM Institute Male Choir) (A)
O'Regan: The Phoenix (Patrick Summers, Thomas Hampson, Chad Shelton, Rihab Chaieb, Lauren Snouffer, Houston Grand Opera & Houston Grand Opera Orchestra) (A)
Sheehan: Liturgy Of Saint John Chrysostom (Benedict Sheehan & The Saint Tikhon Choir) (A)

Steven Epstein
Bach And Brahms Re-Imagined (Jens Lindemann, James Ehnes & Jon Kimura Parker) (A)
Bartók: Quartet No. 3; Beethoven: Op. 59, No. 2; Dvořák: American Quartet (Juilliard String Quartet) (A)
Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope Amid Tears (Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax) (A)
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 9 & 17, Arr. For Piano, String Quartet And Double Bass (Alon Goldstein, Alexander Bickard & Fine Arts Quartet) (A)
Songs Of Comfort And Hope (Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott) (A)

David Frost
Chamber Works By Dmitri Klebanov (ARC Ensemble) (A)
Glass: Akhnaten (Karen Kamensek, J’Nai Bridges, Dísella Lárusdóttir, Zachary James, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra) (A)
Mon Ami, Mon Amour (Matt Haimovitz & Mari Kodama) (A)
One Movement Symphonies - Barber, Sibelius, Scriabin (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony) (A)
Poulenc: Dialogues Des Carmélites (Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Isabel Leonard, Erin Morley, Adrianne Pieczonka, Karita Mattila, Karen Cargill, Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orchestra) (A)
Primavera I - The Wind (Matt Haimovitz) (A)
Roots (Randall Goosby & Zhu Wang) (A)

Elaine Martone
Archetypes (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad & Third Coast Percussion) (A)
Beneath The Sky (Zoe Allen & Levi Hernandez) (A)
Davis: Family Secrets - Kith & Kin (Timothy Myers, Andrea Edith Moore & Jane Holding) (A)
Quest (Elisabeth Remy Johnson) (A)
Schubert: Symphony In C Major, 'The Great'; Krenek: Static & Ecstatic (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)

Judith Sherman
Alone Together (Jennifer Koh) (A)
Bach & Beyond Part 3 (Jennifer Koh) (A)
Bruits (Imani Winds) (A)
Eryilmaz: Dances Of The Yogurt Maker (Erberk Eryilmaz & Carpe Diem String Quartet) (A)
Fantasy - Oppens Plays Kaminsky (Ursula Oppens) (A)
Home (Blythe Gaissert) (A)
Mendelssohn, Visconti & Golijov (Jasper String Quartet & Jupiter String Quartet) (A)
A Schubert Journey (Llŷr Williams) (A)
Vers Le Silence - William Bolcom & Frédéric Chopin (Ran Dank) (A)
CLASSICAL
77. Best Orchestral Performance
Award to the Conductor and to the Orchestra.

Adams: My Father Knew Charles Ives; Harmonielehre
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Nashville Symphony Orchestra)

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Manfred Honeck, conductor (Mendelssohn Choir Of Pittsburgh & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra)

Muhly: Throughline
Nico Muhly, conductor (San Francisco Symphony)

Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra)

Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra; Scriabin: The Poem Of Ecstasy
Thomas Dausgaard, conductor (Seattle Symphony Orchestra)
78. Best Opera Recording
Award to the Conductor, Album Producer(s) and Principal Soloists.

Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle
Susanna Mälkki, conductor; Mika Kares & Szilvia Vörös; Robert Suff, producer (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra)

Glass: Akhnaten
Karen Kamensek, conductor; J’Nai Bridges, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Zachary James & Dísella Lárusdóttir; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

Janáček: Cunning Little Vixen
Simon Rattle, conductor; Sophia Burgos, Lucy Crowe, Gerald Finley, Peter Hoare, Anna Lapkovskaja, Paulina Malefane, Jan Martinik & Hanno Müller-Brachmann; Andrew Cornall, producer (London Symphony Orchestra; London Symphony Chorus & LSO Discovery Voices)

Little: Soldier Songs
Corrado Rovaris, conductor; Johnathan McCullough; James Darrah & John Toia, producers (The Opera Philadelphia Orchestra)

Poulenc: Dialogues Des Carmélites
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Karen Cargill, Isabel Leonard, Karita Mattila, Erin Morley & Adrianne Pieczonka; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
79. Best Choral Performance

Award to the Conductor, and to the Choral Director and/or Chorus Master where applicable and to the Choral Organization/Ensemble.

It's A Long Way
Matthew Guard, conductor (Jonas Budris, Carrie Cheron, Fiona Gillespie, Nathan Hodgson, Helen Karloski, Enrico Lagasca, Megan Roth, Alissa Ruth Suver & Dana Whiteside; Skylark Vocal Ensemble)

Mahler: Symphony No. 8, 'Symphony Of A Thousand'
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Grant Gershon, Robert Istad, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz & Luke McEndarfer, chorus masters (Leah Crocetto, Mihoko Fujimura, Ryan McKinny, Erin Morley, Tamara Mumford, Simon O'Neill, Morris Robinson & Tamara Wilson; Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Children's Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children’s Chorus & Pacific Chorale)

Rising w/The Crossing
Donald Nally, conductor (International Contemporary Ensemble & Quicksilver; The Crossing)

Schnittke: Choir Concerto; Three Sacred Hymns; Pärt: Seven Magnificat-Antiphons
Kaspars Putniņš, conductor; Heli Jürgenson, chorus master (Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir)

Sheehan: Liturgy Of Saint John Chrysostom
Benedict Sheehan, conductor (Michael Hawes, Timothy Parsons & Jason Thoms; The Saint Tikhon Choir)

The Singing Guitar
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Estelí Gomez; Austin Guitar Quartet, Douglas Harvey, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet & Texas Guitar Quartet; Conspirare)
80. Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

For new recordings of works with chamber or small ensemble (twenty-four or fewer members, not including the conductor). One Award to the ensemble and one Award to the conductor, if applicable.

Adams, John Luther: Lines Made By Walking
JACK Quartet

Akiho: Seven Pillars
Sandbox Percussion

Archetypes
Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad & Third Coast Percussion

Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope Amid Tears
Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax

Bruits
Imani Winds
81. Best Classical Instrumental Solo
Award to the Instrumental Soloist(s) and to the Conductor when applicable.

Alone Together
Jennifer Koh

An American Mosaic
Simone Dinnerstein

Bach: Sonatas & Partitas
Augustin Hadelich

Beethoven & Brahms: Violin Concertos
Gil Shaham; Eric Jacobsen, conductor (The Knights)

Mak Bach
Mak Grgić

Of Power
Curtis Stewart
82. Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Award to: Vocalist(s), Collaborative Artist(s) (Ex: pianists, conductors, chamber groups) Producer(s), Recording Engineers/Mixers with 51% or more playing time of new material.

Confessions
Laura Strickling; Joy Schreier, pianist

Dreams Of A New Day - Songs By Black Composers
Will Liverman; Paul Sánchez, pianist

Mythologies
Sangeeta Kaur & Hila Plitmann (Virginie D'Avezac De Castera, Lili Haydn, Wouter Kellerman, Nadeem Majdalany, Eru Matsumoto & Emilio D. Miler)

Schubert: Winterreise
Joyce DiDonato; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, pianist

Unexpected Shadows
Jamie Barton; Jake Heggie, pianist (Matt Haimovitz)
83. Best Classical Compendium
Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s) and Engineer(s) of over 51% playing time of the album, if other than the artist.

American Originals - A New World, A New Canon
AGAVE & Reginald L. Mobley; Geoffrey Silver, producer

Berg: Violin Concerto; Seven Early Songs & Three Pieces For Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Jack Vad, producer

Cerrone: The Arching Path
Timo Andres & Ian Rosenbaum; Mike Tierney, producer

Plays
Chick Corea; Chick Corea & Birnie Kirsh, producers

Women Warriors - The Voices Of Change
Amy Andersson, conductor; Amy Andersson, Mark Mattson & Lolita Ritmanis, producers
84. Best Contemporary Classical Composition

A Composer's Award. (For a contemporary classical composition composed within the last 25 years, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year.) Award to the librettist, if applicable.

Akiho: Seven Pillars
Andy Akiho, composer (Sandbox Percussion)

Andriessen: The Only One
Louis Andriessen, composer (Esa-Pekka Salonen, Nora Fischer & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Assad, Clarice & Sérgio, Connors, Dillon, Martin & Skidmore: Archetypes
Clarice Assad, Sérgio Assad, Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin & David Skidmore, composers (Sérgio Assad, Clarice Assad & Third Coast Percussion)

Batiste: Movement 11'
Jon Batiste, composer (Jon Batiste)

Shaw: Narrow Sea
Caroline Shaw, composer (Dawn Upshaw, Gilbert Kalish & Sō Percussion)

https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2022-grammys-complete-winners-nominees-nominations-list

gggg gggg

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Dec 17, 2021, 2:49:13 AM12/17/21

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On Friday, November 19, 2021 at 9:53:39 PM UTC-10, wrote:
> ??????????????????

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/dec/16/unearthing-gems-the-best-classical-releases-of-2021

gggg gggg

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Dec 17, 2021, 2:50:29 AM12/17/21

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On Friday, November 19, 2021 at 9:53:39 PM UTC-10, wrote:
> ??????????????????

https://news.google.com/search?q=classical%20music%20recordings&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

Mandryka

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Dec 17, 2021, 1:41:54 PM12/17/21

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Thanks for these links, much appreciated.

Frank Berger

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Dec 17, 2021, 3:53:50 PM12/17/21

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On 12/17/2021 1:41 PM, Mandryka wrote:
>
> Thanks for these links, much appreciated.

FWIW, from Presto:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/articles/4397--awards-recordings-of-the-year-2021-our-top-10

Andrew Clarke

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Dec 18, 2021, 9:59:33 AM12/18/21

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The Presto Classical list happens to include

English Music For Strings / Sinfonia of London, John Wilson

When I mentioned this man earlier on this list, I was howled down because he'd conducted a pops concert of Rogers and Hammerstein at the Proms with an orchestra named after himself. Maybe there's just a little bit more to the man than that?

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

HT

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Dec 18, 2021, 11:01:50 AM12/18/21

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Op zaterdag 18 december 2021 om 15:59:33 UTC+1 schreef andrewc...@gmail.com:

"More" according to Presto, and probably also Gramophone. No surprise: it's English music, by an English orchestra and an English conductor.

Henk

Chris from Lafayette

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Dec 18, 2021, 2:44:46 PM12/18/21

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On Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 6:59:33 AM UTC-8, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:

> The Presto Classical list happens to include
>
> English Music For Strings / Sinfonia of London, John Wilson
>
> When I mentioned this man earlier on this list, I was howled down because he'd conducted a pops concert of Rogers and Hammerstein at the Proms with an orchestra named after himself. Maybe there's just a little bit more to the man than that?
>
> Andrew Clarke
> Canberra

I don't think I was in on that previous discussion. I generally like Wilson's conducting - quite a bit actually, including his four volumes of Copland, his Respighi Roman Trilogy, his "Escales" (French music) album, and his album of Brass Fanfares - all on Chandos. He has a bit of a predilection for fast tempos, which I mostly don't mind. In fact, his tempos on his "Escales" album remind me of those of Paul Paray - and you can't get more classic than that IMHO. Oh yes. . . I like his lighter music Proms concerts on YouTube which you alluded to also (R&H, Broadway, Hollywood, Gershwin). He's very fortunate in that he receives such fine engineering (of the MCh persuasion!) from Chandos.

Andrew Clarke

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Dec 18, 2021, 4:32:17 PM12/18/21

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Unfortunately for this theory, Mr Wilson is renowned for his conducting of French and American music ...

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

Todd M. McComb

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Dec 18, 2021, 10:29:35 PM12/18/21

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I decided to check out the Ligeti Etudes. Anyone a big fan of
those?

Dan Koren

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Dec 19, 2021, 1:25:19 AM12/19/21

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On Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 10:29:35 PM UTC-5, Todd M. McComb wrote:
>
> I decided to check out the Ligeti
> Etudes. Anyone a big fan of those?

Big fan, probably not. How big is big
anyways? They are certainly worth
listening to and practicing. I do not
plan however to listen to or buy every
version ever recorded as I do for the
Chopin, Scriabin and Rachmaninov
etudes, or for the Treifscendentals.

I will probably get one complete set
for ease of reference, then download
outstanding singletons from YouTube
or other sources.

dk

HT

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Dec 19, 2021, 5:06:18 AM12/19/21

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Op zondag 19 december 2021 om 04:29:35 UTC+1 schreef Todd M. McComb:

> I decided to check out the Ligeti Etudes. Anyone a big fan of
> those?

Not as big a fan as of the Debussy études but they are easy to listen to.

Henk

Andy Evans

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Dec 19, 2021, 7:16:12 AM12/19/21

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Heard this on the BBC - not a follower of early music but this was fun.

Amazone https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8933523--amazone

I hated the Rattle Cunning Little Vixen, the singing was entirely wrong in style and I can't say much more for the conducting.

I'm very fond of the Prague National Theatre performance on Supraphon. I've seen this opera three times in Prague and Brno and there is absolutely nothing like an authentic Czech performance. Stick to the Supraphon versions of Janacek's operas and leave Mackerras and the rest strictly alone. Don't be fooled by reviews praising these.

Ricardo Jimenez

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Dec 19, 2021, 11:19:05 AM12/19/21

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Then it is unfortunate that their is no Prague or Brno performance on
DVD. I have three Vixen DVDs of non Czech performances, all
delightful to me:
1. An abreviated cartoon version in English from the BBC.
2. Mackerras' 1995 Paris performance with Thomas Allen.
3. Ozawa's 2009 blu-ray Florence performance.

The latter two are sung in Czech with English subtitles.

Frank Berger

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Dec 19, 2021, 11:39:01 AM12/19/21

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It would be useful if a statement like this were supported by some explanation of why you feel this way. If it's primarily because of the language, then the comment would be pretty useless to me and others that wouldn't know good Czech from bad Czech If it's something else, why not tell us what it is?

Mandryka

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Dec 19, 2021, 11:45:55 AM12/19/21

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On Sunday, December 19, 2021 at 3:29:35 AM UTC, Todd M. McComb wrote:
> I decided to check out the Ligeti Etudes. Anyone a big fan of
> those?

I think I like Kei Takumi‘s recording more than Danny Driver’s.

Todd M. McComb

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Dec 19, 2021, 12:52:31 PM12/19/21

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In article <4503a73b-7da9-4b72...@googlegroups.com>,

Dan Koren <dan....@gmail.com> wrote:
>How big is big anyways?

That part will likely need to remain a thought experiment, but
perhaps, "big enough to advocate for the works...."

gggg gggg

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Dec 19, 2021, 2:59:40 PM12/19/21

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(From the Comments section of the following recent Y. upload):

- ...What is wrong with some British critics' ears most if not all of whom have been partly responsible for the reputations of these recordings? You guys in the States are lucky...

"BitchFest 2021: The Most Overrated Recordings in the Universe"

Dec 19, 2021, 8:05:24 PM12/19/21

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On Sunday, 19 December 2021 at 16:39:01 UTC, Frank Berger wrote:
> It would be useful if a statement like this were supported by some explanation of why you feel this way. If it's primarily because of the language, then the comment would be pretty useless to me and others that wouldn't know good Czech from bad Czech If it's something else, why not tell us what it is?

Sure. Janacek was very open about writing his vocal parts in such a way as they would be spoken. So it's more than just pronouncing the Czech language, it's getting the inflexions right and understanding how to sing the parts. If you are familiar with Czech singers you will also know that they have very clear bell-like voices, and this is pretty important in how to sing the parts. These are the kind of voices that Janacek wrote for. So for example, listen to The Cunning Little Vixen: Act III, Scene VII, "A Vixen's Running Through The Woods..." in the Prague Theatre/Gregor version. Wonderfully clean and rhythmic and very idiomatic. And then listen to Rattle/LSO. Woolly, unidiomatic singing. His first version with the BPO is even worse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYaDXVVOAVs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSQDwtbtnFs

And now Prague/Gregor from 1.15.45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g69DoApIv8&t=264s It's so comprehensively cleaner, better sung and authentic.

In addition, there are dances in some of Janacek's operas, notably Daleko Siroko in Act 1 of Jenufa. In the Prague Theatre/Jilek this swings in an authentic way. In Mackerras, for instance, it just doesn't.

Jilek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0W1n8KrloI
Jilek Brno from 20.20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cudg8JY5j_U

The award winning BBC animated version of Cunning Little Vixen with Nagano was mentioned, and this is indeed wonderful. No singing but the animation is utterly charming. A real gem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CocUdAVOuVA

Andy Evans

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Dec 19, 2021, 8:26:23 PM12/19/21

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On Sunday, 19 December 2021 at 23:55:27 UTC, raymond....@gmail.com wrote:
> I have Neumann's earliest recording with Prague forces (recorded 1957). It still sounds terrific despite its age and being in mono. > Ray Hall, Taree

I have Neumann and it is indeed a good version. But I prefer Gregor in almost all respects, and a much better recording. All the Supraphon Janacek operas are worth having. Marvellous operas and I listen to them all a lot. It was a cherished memory seeing some of these live in Prague and Brno. Prague is a smallish and very traditional theatre with quite dead acoustics. Brno is much larger and more resonant. Both good, but very different.

gggg gggg

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Dec 20, 2021, 2:46:20 AM12/20/21

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On Friday, November 19, 2021 at 9:53:39 PM UTC-10, wrote:
> ??????????????????

https://www.wfmt.com/2021/12/15/2021s-top-9-classical-christmas-albums

mINE109

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Dec 20, 2021, 11:03:57 AM12/20/21

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On 12/19/21 7:05 PM, Andy Evans wrote:
> Sure. Janacek was very open about writing his vocal parts in such a
> way as they would be spoken. So it's more than just pronouncing the
> Czech language, it's getting the inflexions right and understanding
> how to sing the parts. If you are familiar with Czech singers you
> will also know that they have very clear bell-like voices, and this
> is pretty important in how to sing the parts. These are the kind of
> voices that Janacek wrote for. So for example, listen to The Cunning
> Little Vixen: Act III, Scene VII, "A Vixen's Running Through The
> Woods..." in the Prague Theatre/Gregor version. Wonderfully clean and
> rhythmic and very idiomatic. And then listen to Rattle/LSO. Woolly,
> unidiomatic singing. His first version with the BPO is even worse.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYaDXVVOAVs
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSQDwtbtnFs
>
> And now Prague/Gregor from 1.15.45
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g69DoApIv8&t=264s It's so
> comprehensively cleaner, better sung and authentic.

Thanks for these specific examples! I've seen many references to the
character of the Czech language but haven't been able to hear them in
the versions available when I listened.

Chris from Lafayette

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Dec 20, 2021, 5:10:10 PM12/20/21

to

Yes - I've now seen it on one of the MWI reviewers' "Best of the Year" lists. I checked that reviewer's original review, and what he seems to hear in the Driver performances is a "sense of poetry and fun". Of course, he does acknowledge that the Aimard recording had the imprimatur of the composer.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2021/Apr/Ligeti-etudes-CDA68286.htm

Actually, I think that these Ligeti Etudes are about as far into the mainstream as a "modern" piece can go these days!

Todd M. McComb

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Dec 20, 2021, 5:13:45 PM12/20/21

to

In article <da6d1e2f-382c-4be3...@googlegroups.com>,

Chris from Lafayette <CSal...@operamail.com> wrote:
>Actually, I think that these Ligeti Etudes are about as far into
>the mainstream as a "modern" piece can go these days!

Yes, I guess I was surprised that pieces by Ligeti had become
"popular"....

Chris from Lafayette

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Dec 20, 2021, 5:18:25 PM12/20/21

to

Even aside from the Czech/Supraphon performances, I think there is something fundamentally more honest about the Czech engineering on some of those Janacek opera albums. I'm thinking in particular of the Krombholc recording of Katya Kabanova, where I'm just not as aware of the forests of microphones and "storm consoles" so typical of the Decca/London sound after a certain point in their history.

Andy Evans

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Dec 20, 2021, 5:39:00 PM12/20/21

to

On Monday, 20 December 2021 at 22:18:25 UTC, Chris from Lafayette wrote:
> Even aside from the Czech/Supraphon performances, I think there is something fundamentally more honest about the Czech engineering on some of those Janacek opera albums. I'm thinking in particular of the Krombholc recording of Katya Kabanova, where I'm just not as aware of the forests of microphones and "storm consoles" so typical of the Decca/London sound after a certain point in their history.

Yes, agree totally. The engineering really serves the performances. All the guys seem to understand each other very well. When I was in Prague I became aware of the teamwork everyone developed while resisting the Soviet occupation. May be fanciful to apply that to recordings, but could be something.

Frank Berger

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Dec 20, 2021, 6:20:27 PM12/20/21

to

I have several Krombholc-led recordings that I'm fond of -

Dvorak's The Spectre's Bride, violin concerto (with Prihoda) and 9th symphony
Milhaud's Concertino d'hiver for trombone and strings
Novak's The Storm
Smetana's Bartered Bride, Dalibor and Ma Vlast

unread,

Dec 21, 2021, 11:20:30 AM12/21/21

to

On Friday, November 19, 2021 at 11:53:39 PM UTC-8, wrote:
> ??????????????????

(Recent Y. upload):

The KOLA (Keep On Listening Awards)! Featuring the 10 Best Recordings of 2021

Al Eisner

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Dec 22, 2021, 10:59:29 AM12/22/21

to

If some here are thinking of purchasing the Driver Ligeti or the several
other Hyperion CDs on that Presto list, it is worth noting that these
have just appeared at Berkshire. (By the way, I watched the Hurwitz
video on his top ten, and two of the same CDs are included: the
Armstrong Byrd/Bull set and Hough's Chopin Nocturnes.)
--
Al Eisner

James Goodzeit

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Dec 22, 2021, 11:39:16 AM12/22/21

to

On Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 2:53:39 AM UTC-5, gggg gggg wrote:
> ??????????????????

Really enjoying https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099C8F91X

number_six

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Dec 22, 2021, 2:54:27 PM12/22/21

to

On Sunday, December 19, 2021 at 5:05:24 PM UTC-8, Andy Evans wrote:
> If you are familiar with Czech singers you will also know that they have very clear bell-like voices, and this is pretty important in how to sing the parts. These are the kind of voices that Janacek wrote for.

I think you can also hear that kind of singing in certain folk songs -- Tece Voda, Tece and Tancuj, Tancuj come to mind, even with Slovak origins in the second case?

Frank Berger

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Dec 22, 2021, 6:08:36 PM12/22/21

to

On 12/22/2021 2:54 PM, number_six wrote:
> On Sunday, December 19, 2021 at 5:05:24 PM UTC-8, Andy Evans wrote:
>> If you are familiar with Czech singers you will also know that they have very clear bell-like voices, and this is pretty important in how to sing the parts. These are the kind of voices that Janacek wrote for.
>

Is that because

a) All Czechs are physically endowed with bell-like voices or
b) Czech singers are trained to make bell-like sounds or
c) Only singers with bell-like voices are acceptable in the Czech Republic or
d) some combination of these or
e) something else.

Whatever it is, does it apply to Slovakian singers as well?

Andrew Clarke

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Dec 22, 2021, 6:42:58 PM12/22/21

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On Sunday, December 19, 2021 at 6:44:46 AM UTC+11, Chris from Lafayette wrote:

> On Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 6:59:33 AM UTC-8, andrewc...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > The Presto Classical list happens to include
> >
> > English Music For Strings / Sinfonia of London, John Wilson
> >
> > When I mentioned this man earlier on this list, I was howled down because he'd conducted a pops concert of Rogers and Hammerstein at the Proms with an orchestra named after himself. Maybe there's just a little bit more to the man than that?
> >
> > Andrew Clarke
> > Canberra

> I don't think I was in on that previous discussion. I generally like Wilson's conducting - quite a bit actually, including his four volumes of Copland, his Respighi Roman Trilogy, his "Escales" (French music) album, and his album of Brass Fanfares - all on Chandos. He has a bit of a predilection for fast tempos, which I mostly don't mind. In fact, his tempos on his "Escales" album remind me of those of Paul Paray - and you can't get more classic than that IMHO. Oh yes. . . I like his lighter music Proms concerts on YouTube which you alluded to also (R&H, Broadway, Hollywood, Gershwin). He's very fortunate in that he receives such fine engineering (of the MCh persuasion!) from Chandos.

The previous discussion was, IIRR, part of a thread about the advancing age of better known conductors with reassuringly Central European names, which led to a discussion of who they could get for the Concertgebouw. I don't know if Mr Wilson is interested in the job, but here are a selection of tracks from his forthcoming Chandos recording:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJmt7_RYHeU>
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSi10BuGCDU>
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LZ9TGOGt04>
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEhS9Y9HYjU>

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

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Dec 23, 2021, 8:51:04 AM12/23/21

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Kožená is the lead in Rattle's Enfant et les Sortileges, another ill-fated production. I knew Rattle a little in college though we didn't hang out - he hung out with Irving Arditti and Lennie McKenzie both of whom went on to distinguished careers. We were all oblivious to Annie Lennox who played flute in the same orchestra as me. Anyway, Simon and I shared a harmony class for a year. I had a pretty good ear and could write treble and bass parts fairly easily, but he could write out the inner parts as well at the same speed. He had an excellent ear. In terms of personality he was easy going and fun - not intense in any obvious way, though he was always very focussed. I think his personality shows up in the Ravel, which is easy-going and fun but not particularly memorable. Same for his Cunning Little Vixen, which is quite sloppy in places.

So no, I don't think Kožená did him any good that I can notice. Rattle did a production of the Ravel in college, so it was always a favourite of his. Shame he doesn't put anything deeper into it. Fun by itself doesn't cut it in L'Enfant - it's much more subtle than that and Collette's writing is a masterpiece.

Frank Berger

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Dec 23, 2021, 9:23:02 AM12/23/21

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Thanks for the reply. I didn't really expect a serious response to my questions but got one, and I appreciate it.

Andrew Clarke

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Dec 23, 2021, 5:59:04 PM12/23/21

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Ask me, how do I feel? little me with my quiet upbringing ...

Andrew Clarke
Canberra

MickeyBoy

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Dec 23, 2021, 6:54:54 PM12/23/21

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Very nice posts, Andy. I particularly liked your brief bit about Ravel's subtlety, a lot of which I am afraid I miss, alas. He was a familier at Mallarme's mardis, so subtlety is of course an under statement.

I would be interested in your opinion about the best Ravel recordings of the last few years, or decades.

cheregi

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Dec 23, 2021, 7:18:02 PM12/23/21

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On Thursday, December 23, 2021 at 6:04:34 AM UTC-5, Andy Evans wrote:

This kind of stuff is fascinating. A friend of mine who works in trumpet design told me that even now, trumpets popular in France tend to be have significantly brighter sound than those that sell well in Germany. And the Chinese market prefers trumpets brighter still. cf. these languages' relative degrees of nasality, of course...

gggg gggg

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Dec 24, 2021, 3:32:27 AM12/24/21

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https://groups.google.com/g/rec.music.classical.recordings/c/XFRjYUGlFAI/m/-In1Z0T1CgAJ

gggg gggg

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Dec 24, 2021, 3:41:43 AM12/24/21

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https://groups.google.com/g/rec.music.classical.recordings/c/GFxehDJtSIU/m/ctnhW4F_AgAJ

Andy Evans

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Dec 24, 2021, 5:05:05 AM12/24/21

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On Thursday, 23 December 2021 at 23:54:54 UTC, MickeyBoy wrote:
< Fun by itself doesn't cut it in L'Enfant - it's much more subtle than that and Collette's writing is a masterpiece.
> Very nice posts, Andy. I particularly liked your brief bit about Ravel's subtlety, a lot of which I am afraid I miss, alas. He was a familier at Mallarme's mardis, so subtlety is of course an under statement. I would be interested in your opinion about the best Ravel recordings of the last few years, or decades.>

Well, for L'Enfant et les Sortileges my main man is Maazel, but the original recording not the remastered version. Ernest Bour is very good too. And also the French Radio version under Frank. Ansermet is also worth hearing. You really need a French speaking cast here - the text is very idiomatic. And one of the best texts for any vocal work ever. How about this for creative brilliance:

Teapot:
"Black and costaud
Black and chic, jolly fellow
I punch, Sir, I punch the nose
I knock you out, stupid chose
Black and thick, un vrai beau gosse
I box you, I marmelade you!

Chris from Lafayette

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Dec 24, 2021, 5:42:41 PM12/24/21

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I think that Ms. Simon Rattle was perhaps more influenced by her husband than he was by her. ;-)

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Jan 18, 2022, 3:13:19 PM1/18/22

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Among other things! ;-)

BTW, getting back to the original subject of this thread, I've gotta put some links to my own posts for 2021 faves:

https://www.audioasylum.com/audio/music/classical/messages/3/31170.html

https://www.audioasylum.com/audio/music/classical/messages/3/31183.html

All told, there are about 20 recordings split between these two lists.