New daily deal at eclassical!

[jhwalker]

Just received an email about a new highres offer, and it took me exactly 2 min to get out my credit card:

 

eClassical - Schumann: Violin Concerto

 

Pretty much everything here was motivating me to buy: I'm a big fan of Isabelle Faust as a soloist and in the trio combination with Melnikov and Queyras, and I also really like the Freiberger Barockorchester.

 

Schumann is a great composer, and I must admit I barely know his violin concerto (only have an old Mercury Living Presence with Szeryng).

 

Downloading now, will report back.

 

It's very nice - bought it from Qobuz at about the same price a couple weeks back. You'll enjoy it.

[Russell_L]

Thanks, guys! Looks like I'll have to get this, too.

[edtsui]

Just received an email about a new highres offer, and it took me exactly 2 min to get out my credit card:

 

eClassical - Schumann: Violin Concerto

 

Pretty much everything here was motivating me to buy: I'm a big fan of Isabelle Faust as a soloist and in the trio combination with Melnikov and Queyras, and I also really like the Freiberger Barockorchester.

 

Schumann is a great composer, and I must admit I barely know his violin concerto (only have an old Mercury Living Presence with Szeryng).

 

Downloading now, will report back.

Look forward to your impression of the recording. Would be interested to download if performance and recording is good.

[Musicophile]

Look forward to your impression of the recording. Would be interested to download if performance and recording is good.

 

Recording quality is very good to my ears, and the historic instruments have a very nice sound to them, including Melnikov's 1847 fortepiano.

 

On performance, the trio does its usual magic, similar to their recent Beethoven performance.

 

On the violin concerto I'm struggling to get to a judgment given that I simply don't know the piece very well yet. In a way it is a true discovery for me, which is exciting. From what I've heard so far, Faust and the Freiburger do a good job, but I yet have to make up my mind if I actually like the concerto or if it was rightly forgotten/ignored.

[Boris75]

From what I've heard so far, Faust and the Freiburger do a good job, but I yet have to make up my mind if I actually like the concerto or if it was rightly forgotten/ignored.

 

Thanks for your impressions. I am always wary of buying forgotten works of major composers as I always fear that they were forgotten for a reason... That seems to be the case for Schumann's violin concerto if I understand your post correctly.

[mkrzych]

For Schumann I have this record: eClassical - Schumann ? Complete Works for Violin and Orchestra and I like it very much. Today there's also Daily Deal with the same violinist Ulf Wallin and Pontinen on piano for sonatas. Take a look at it as well.

 

Here is the sonatas review: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/Mar12/Schumann_violin_BISSACD1784.htm

[Musicophile]

Thanks for your impressions. I am always wary of buying forgotten works of major composers as I always fear that they were forgotten for a reason... That seems to be the case for Schumann's violin concerto if I understand your post correctly.

I'm not saying this just yet. This is basically a completely new work to me (I checked play count for this work in Itunes is 0, so I haven't listened to it in the last 4 years), and I need to listen to it at least 3-4 times to make up my mind.

 

I generally agree with your comment about being forgotten for a reason, mostly that is true (same applies to many forgotten composers actually, and I'm not a big fan of my local classical radio station of trying to "enlarge my Horizon" by constantly playing some obscure Mozart and Bach contemporaries that I could easily live without).

 

That said, I believe Schumann is a different story. For decades, his entire late work was considered to be minor, as being to close to his time in the mental asylum. There are several of his late works I appreciate (including the trio #3 included in this album) that are under-recorded. To me, the album is worth it for the trio already, and I'll see if the concerto grows on me over time.

 

By the way, I'm really looking forward to the next two releases of this 3 planned album cycle, which combines the other two piano trios each time with one of the solo concerto works, so we can be looking forward to Queyras playing the cello concerto and Melnikov the piano concerto. Given the marvelous sound of Melnikov's fortepiano on this album, plus the lean HIP sound of the Freiburgers, the latter could potentially be a revelation (although going against very tough competition, like Andsnes, Lupu, etc. etc. etc.)

[Jay-dub]

Another album on 24-bit discount now is David Watkin's Bach Cello Suites. I didn't recognize the name, so it took me a couple days to decide to try it out, but now that I've listened, I can say it is excellent. He's spent most of his career as principal cellist in the top baroque orchestras, which makes him a less familiar name than soloists who tour the world playing the Dvorak and Schumann concertos, but no less qualified to record the Cello Suites. It's a proper HIP recording: all gut strings, and a five-string cello for the sixth suite, both of which bring big benefits over recordings on a modern instrument. Among major HIP recordings, he has a remarkably full and beautiful sound, richer than Wispelwey 1997, and with more expressive, less overtly danceable rhythms than Wispelwey, but not as wayward as Bylsma.

 

Of course, unlike the Schumann, this is music that most classical-music listeners already have several fine recordings of, but it deserves as many recordings as any piece out there.

[Jud]

Another album on 24-bit discount now is David Watkin's Bach Cello Suites. I didn't recognize the name, so it took me a couple days to decide to try it out, but now that I've listened, I can say it is excellent.

 

+1

[Musicophile]

Thanks for your impressions. I am always wary of buying forgotten works of major composers as I always fear that they were forgotten for a reason... That seems to be the case for Schumann's violin concerto if I understand your post correctly.

Listening again to the violin concerto, it is certainly not on par with Beethoven or Brahms, but then who is. It sometimes is a bit "erratic", if you know what I mean, but overall it is a worthy addition to my collection and I'll certainly go back to it regularly.

[Musicophile]

Listening again to the violin concerto, it is certainly not on par with Beethoven or Brahms, but then who is. It sometimes is a bit "erratic", if you know what I mean, but overall it is a worthy addition to my collection and I'll certainly go back to it regularly.

As so often, the FT review is short but spot on:

 

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4dfb65e0-d0fa-11e4-a840-00144feab7de.html#axzz3Wq5BeXeZ

[jhwalker]

Another album on 24-bit discount now is David Watkin's Bach Cello Suites. I didn't recognize the name, so it took me a couple days to decide to try it out, but now that I've listened, I can say it is excellent. He's spent most of his career as principal cellist in the top baroque orchestras, which makes him a less familiar name than soloists who tour the world playing the Dvorak and Schumann concertos, but no less qualified to record the Cello Suites. It's a proper HIP recording: all gut strings, and a five-string cello for the sixth suite, both of which bring big benefits over recordings on a modern instrument. Among major HIP recordings, he has a remarkably full and beautiful sound, richer than Wispelwey 1997, and with more expressive, less overtly danceable rhythms than Wispelwey, but not as wayward as Bylsma.

 

Of course, unlike the Schumann, this is music that most classical-music listeners already have several fine recordings of, but it deserves as many recordings as any piece out there.

 

This is lovely - thank you so much for pointing it out!

[Bob Stern]

Schumann's violin sonatas, by Wallin and Pontinen, are 1/2 price for the next 4 hours.

 

These are MUCH better compositions than Schumann's violin concerto. Fanfare Magazine's Schumann expert, Steven Ritter, loved this recording.

[Boris75]

Today's offer is Vol. 43 of Suzuki's recording of Bach cantatas.

[Musicophile]

Today's offer is Vol. 43 of Suzuki's recording of Bach cantatas.

+1. at $6 for an excellent 24/44 recording this is a no-brainer.

[mkrzych]

Beethoven String Trios Op.9 by Trio Zimmermann. Pulled the trigger and I like it. Robert from BIS as well it seemed.

 

eClassical - daily deal

[Jud]

Beethoven String Trios Op.9 by Trio Zimmermann. Pulled the trigger and I like it. Robert from BIS as well it seemed.

 

eClassical - daily deal

 

Have this and like it very much as well.

[Boris75]

Have this and like it very much as well.

 

+1.

[khollister]

Beethoven String Trios Op.9 by Trio Zimmermann. Pulled the trigger and I like it. Robert from BIS as well it seemed.

 

eClassical - daily deal

 

Geez, another few bucks to eClassical I'm a sucker for a deal it seems

[Bob Stern]

Mozart violin concertos (3 of the 5) by Tognetti and his Australian Chamber Orch.

[Musicophile]

Mozart violin concertos (3 of the 5) by Tognetti and his Australian Chamber Orch.

Not a big fan of Mozart's Violin concertos in general, but this version is surprisingly well played. Worth checking out.

[Boris75]

Not a big fan of Mozart's Violin concertos in general, but this version is surprisingly well played. Worth checking out.

 

I am in exactly the same situation: I don't really fancy Mozart's violin concertos, but I took advantage of the special discount for Volume I last week and much enjoyed the recording; therefore, I bought Volume II yesterday.

[mkrzych]

I am in exactly the same situation: I don't really fancy Mozart's violin concertos, but I took advantage of the special discount for Vol. I last week and much enjoyed the recording; therefore, I bought volume 2 yesterday.

 

Well Tognetti and ACO are amazing. Try they Grieg as well if you don't have it already ;-)

[Boris75]

Listening again to the violin concerto, it is certainly not on par with Beethoven or Brahms, but then who is. It sometimes is a bit "erratic", if you know what I mean, but overall it is a worthy addition to my collection and I'll certainly go back to it regularly.

 

Many thanks for your posts on this album. I finally got it from eClassical and am extremely pleased with it. The opening bars of Schumann's violin concerto are terrific, and then I much enjoyed the whole concerto. I am generally fond of Schumann, and this disc makes no exception. Also, the recording quality seems to be very good. I wrote "seems" because I could only listen to it with my portable rig (Pono+Sennheiser Emperor) but not on my main system yet. I also liked the trio quite a bit, though in the end the violin concerto is my favourite piece on this album. I listened to it three times in a row, something that I do very rarely as I have little available time for listening and a fairly long list of "to-listen" albums.

[Musicophile]

Many thanks for your posts on this album. I finally got it from eClassical and am extremely pleased with it. The opening bars of Schumann's violin concerto are terrific, and then I much enjoyed the whole concerto. I am generally fond of Schumann, and this disc makes no exception. Also, the recording quality seems to be very good. I wrote "seems" because I could only listen to it with my portable rig (Pono+Sennheiser Emperor) but not on my main system yet. I also liked the trio quite a bit, though in the end the violin concerto is my favourite piece on this album. I listened to it three times in a row, something that I do very rarely as I have little available time for listening and a fairly long list of "to-listen" albums.

 

It really is a nice album. By the way, in the most recent issue, of Classica, it gets 4 stars (plus 4 headphones for the SQ). Can confirm the SQ as well, both over speakers and HD800 it is very good.