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Hindemith's Late Duo Sonatas

 

This new release from Harmonia Mundi is superb if you enjoy Hindemith's modern harmonies. (Modern but not atonal.)

 

These are duos for various instruments with piano that he wrote toward the end of his life. I find both the music and performances captivating. The trumpeter is especially impressive. Besides trumpet, the sonatas are for alto horn, trombone, cello and violin, respectively.

 

(In the violin sonata I prefer the sweeter style of Frank Peter Zimmermann on his BIS album of sonatas and concerto, but Faust is excellent in her own way.)

 

The discounted price for the 24/96 download typically expires after Friday.

 

http://www.eclassical.com/harmonia-mundi/hindemith-sonatas-for.html

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Just noticed a new BIS release of Vivaldi's Four Seasons this morning. It is a newer recording (March 2014, recorded at 24/96), so there likely aren't many reviews out there for this. Reading the booklet for this recording, looks like several Guarneris and a Stradivarius were used for the performance. I've been keeping watch for a good recording of this piece, one of the first pieces of any type of music I can remember from my childhood.

 

Any overall impressions on the performers in general based on past recordings? Also open to any other suggestions for the Four Seasons as well. There is also a link to a discount on Mozart Violin Concertos by the same group of performers on the page.

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Just noticed a new BIS release of Vivaldi's Four Seasons this morning. It is a newer recording (March 2014, recorded at 24/96), so there likely aren't many reviews out there for this. Reading the booklet for this recording, looks like several Guarneris and a Stradivarius were used for the performance. I've been keeping watch for a good recording of this piece, one of the first pieces of any type of music I can remember from my childhood.

 

I noticed this release as well, but I already have so many versions of the Four Seasons that I am seriously hesitating before getting a new one.

 

I am wondering: BIS released a Mozart Requiem a couple of months ago and now the Four Seasons. What's going on: do they need to improve their P&L? What's next: Carmina Burana, the Kleine Nacthmusik and the Boléro?

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Just noticed a new BIS release of Vivaldi's Four Seasons this morning. It is a newer recording (March 2014, recorded at 24/96), so there likely aren't many reviews out there for this. Reading the booklet for this recording, looks like several Guarneris and a Stradivarius were used for the performance. I've been keeping watch for a good recording of this piece, one of the first pieces of any type of music I can remember from my childhood.

 

Any overall impressions on the performers in general based on past recordings? Also open to any other suggestions for the Four Seasons as well. There is also a link to a discount on Mozart Violin Concertos by the same group of performers on the page.

 

Don't know about this release, but I have Grieg and Mozart by the same group and they're absolutely stunning!

--

Krzysztof Maj

http://mkrzych.wordpress.com/

"Music is the highest form of art. It is also the most noble. It is human emotion, captured, crystallised, encased… and then passed on to others." - By Ken Ishiwata

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What's next: Carmina Burana, the Kleine Nacthmusik and the Boléro?

 

I'm happy to see BIS using warhorses to subsidize their recordings of lesser known composers like Pettersson, Kokkonen and Aho.

 

(Eine Kleine Nachtmusik seems to have fallen out of favor around here — I never hear it on the radio!)

HQPlayer (on 3.8 GHz 8-core i7 iMac 2020) > NAA (on 2012 Mac Mini i7) > RME ADI-2 v2 > Benchmark AHB-2 > Thiel 3.7

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I'm happy to see BIS using warhorses to subsidize their recordings of lesser known composers like Pettersson, Kokkonen and Aho.

 

(Eine Kleine Nachtmusik seems to have fallen out of favor around here — I never hear it on the radio!)

 

Thanks. You're right. They have to do this, and if they didn't, they could not record Aho, Vasks etc.

 

Anyway, I am a sucker for classical blockbusters, and indeed I bought these new Four Seasons. I'll report my impressions here.

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I've just listened to this new Four Seasons. I'm not the right person to judge how it compares to other recordings -- believe it or not, I just bought my fifth complete audio recording of Wagner's Ring, but this is my first Four Seasons. I think it sounds fantastic. It's very dynamic, rapid, and energetic, and makes the most of the nature-painting. The sound quality is excellent, and the 24/96 is a substantial step up from what I sampled of the 16/44.1 version.

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Going to have to compare it to my favorite 4 Seasons, also by BIS, from the Drottningholm Baroque.

One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller

The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein

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I'm torn between the Four Seasons and the Super-bargain for the 21st Century Tuba Concertos at $7.68.

I've been waiting a long time for a good Tuba Concerto recording under $7.75.

 

Why not buy both? That's what I did anyway. I'll report on how both sound. In principle, they should contrast nicely: the most over-recorded piece of music on the one hand, and probably uniquely recorded pieces on the other hand.

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Hindemith sonatas: the music is nice and well-recorded, but I find the German poetry heavy on the ear and disrupting.

 

For Hindemith sonatas I could recommend this one, unfortunately not discounted.

 

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Paul Hindemith : Bratsche ! | Paul Hindemith par Antoine Tamestit – Télécharger et écouter l'album

--

Krzysztof Maj

http://mkrzych.wordpress.com/

"Music is the highest form of art. It is also the most noble. It is human emotion, captured, crystallised, encased… and then passed on to others." - By Ken Ishiwata

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Many of you know that Hindemith was a fine violist. The world missed a real opportunity, when Decca recorded Hindemith conducting his Violin Concerto with David Oistrakh in September of 1962 (IMHO an absolutely fabulous recording). The other side of the record was going to be the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante K364 with Hindemith on the viola part. However, after the recording session, Hindemith was said to be disgusted with his own viola playing that he cancelled the recording. Decca had to scramble and brought in Jascha Horenstein 10 days later to conduct and Oistrakh played the Bruch Scottish Fantasia. Both were with the LSO, although the Hindemith was recorded at the Decca West Hampstead Studios and the Bruch at Walthamstow. About a year later, Decca finally recorded the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with Oistrakh, but with his son Igor playing the violin and father David playing the viola, with Kondrashin conducting the Moscow Phil. These were the only two albums that Oistrakh recorded for Decca and both are featured in my Decca book (and are also separate FIM releases).

 

Larry

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  • 2 weeks later...

I love Vanska's Sibelius with the Minnesota Orch, but I dislike his Beethoven.

 

I think the 9th is even worse than some of the others. His phrasing is clipped in the entire symphony, but the last movement is especially weird, with rhythms that seem to me like spasmodic bursts.

 

In most of the other Beethoven symphonies, my objection is that he pulls back from climaxes, as if he considers grandeur unseemly. I never heard the Minnesota Orch live, but perhaps the problem is that they cannot produce a powerful sound, and they already are giving all they have in the build-up to the climaxes, so there is nothing left to do at the climax but pull back.

 

I know many people will disagree with me. I do have some company, as the reviewer for American Record Guide also gave a negative review to the 9th.

HQPlayer (on 3.8 GHz 8-core i7 iMac 2020) > NAA (on 2012 Mac Mini i7) > RME ADI-2 v2 > Benchmark AHB-2 > Thiel 3.7

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I love Vanska's Sibelius with the Minnesota Orch, but I dislike his Beethoven.

 

I think the 9th is even worse than some of the others. His phrasing is clipped in the entire symphony, but the last movement is especially weird, with rhythms that seem to me like spasmodic bursts.

 

In most of the other Beethoven symphonies, my objection is that he pulls back from climaxes, as if he considers grandeur unseemly. I never heard the Minnesota Orch live, but perhaps the problem is that they cannot produce a powerful sound, and they already are giving all they have in the build-up to the climaxes, so there is nothing left to do at the climax but pull back.

 

I know many people will disagree with me. I do have some company, as the reviewer for American Record Guide also gave a negative review to the 9th.

 

Thank you very much for your review. The shortcomings you describe, especially "grandeur seems unseemly", are show-stoppers for me.

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Handel concerti grossi for string orch, op 6

 

Today's half-price deal expires in 90 minutes (sorry).

 

The performers are a Polish group (with an Italian name) that specializes in Baroque music. Several of their recordings, including this one, were praised in Fanfare magazine.

 

I like the performance because it is gentle with lots of inflection, in contrast with the aggressive, punctuated approach of most Baroque specialists.

HQPlayer (on 3.8 GHz 8-core i7 iMac 2020) > NAA (on 2012 Mac Mini i7) > RME ADI-2 v2 > Benchmark AHB-2 > Thiel 3.7

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A new discounted 24bit release I can recommend:

 

eClassical - Mozart: Keyboard Music Vol. 7

 

Unlike his recordings of the piano concertos, I really like Bezuidenhout's Mozart solo piano cycle, if you like Mozart's piano music and the sound of a Fortepiano, give it a try.

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Thank you very much for your review. The shortcomings you describe, especially "grandeur seems unseemly", are show-stoppers for me.

 

FWIW, I feel quite the opposite. I find the Minnesota set to be a refreshing counterpoint to the over-the-top bombast of Karajan.

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Clarinet Concertos played by Martin Fröst

 

For those of you who enjoy the clarinet concertos of Weber and Mozart, I recommend today's half-price special: 3 clarinet concertos by Crusell. Like Weber, Crusell was on the cusp between the Classical and Romantic styles.

 

Op 5 in F Minor is the last composed and generally considered the best of the three; better than Weber in my opinion. Op 1 in E-flat Major is the middle in order of composition and is comparable in quality to Weber. I haven't listened to the earliest, Op 11.

HQPlayer (on 3.8 GHz 8-core i7 iMac 2020) > NAA (on 2012 Mac Mini i7) > RME ADI-2 v2 > Benchmark AHB-2 > Thiel 3.7

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