What are you listening 2 now?

[Que]

Revisiting. Songs are mostly anonymous, a few motets by Machaut and Pycard.

https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/sept08/Study_of_love_CDH55295.htm

[Harry]

Allegrezza Nuovo Maggio.
Biagio Marini.
Scherzi e Canzonette.
Emanuela Galli, soprano.
Ensemble Galilei, Paul Beier, Conductor and Lute.
Recorded: 1996?
No PDF file attached to this recording.

A wonderful recording. This ensemble plus the Soprano are first rate authenticity. Marini is a composer not often recorded, so this somewhat older performance is a treat for me.  A good recording too.

[Que]

Revisiting these seminal pieces in performances I wasn't familiar wit, even though this was already recorded in 2001/2002. But ARCANA once used to be expensive and hard to find. But not now the label has been resurrected and with the advent of streaming.

Kuijken's approach is in Dutch/Flemish HIP tradition but very relaxed and laid back with very generous tempi. Unhurried and reflective, but also without much excitement or tension, a bit aimless... The recorded sound of the cello is beautiful BTW.

Not my cup of tea, but I can imagine this might appeal to some.

[Que]

Allegrezza Nuovo Maggio.
Biagio Marini.
Scherzi e Canzonette.
Emanuela Galli, soprano.
Ensemble Galilei, Paul Beier, Conductor and Lute.
Recorded: 1996?
No PDF file attached to this recording.

A wonderful recording. This ensemble plus the Soprano are first rate authenticity. Marini is a composer not often recorded, so this somewhat older recording is a treat in the old style. A good recording too.

Lined it up for a listen! 

[Florestan]

In memoriam Maria Tipo and my mother (would have turned 84 today)



Goldberg Variations

[Madiel]

Mozart

Currently, Divertimento no.10 in F, K.247
A little later, Divertimento no.11 in D, K.251



I think I will have to go back to try certain things on the first 2 volumes again... it's not that I didn't like them, but volumes 3 and 4 have been completely delightful and I'm not sure whether that's due to Vegh and his orchestra truly hitting their stride or whether I just wasn't in the right frame of mind (I was having some issues last week).

Anyway, K.247 is striking me as having a delightful combination of energy and grace. I'm sure the Lodron family was very happy with their divertimento/serenade. After all, they did order a second one the next year. Which is on Volume 5...

[Que]

Harpsichord music from mid 18th England, with firm nods to Händel and CPE Bach.

https://www.classicalacarte.net/Production/Production_10_16/GCD921808_awards_16_gram.htm

http://www.musica-dei-donum.org/cd_reviews/Glossa_GCD921808.html

[Madiel]

Bugger it, I've gone back to volume 1 of Vegh's Mozart and I'm listening again to Divertimento no.17 (K.334), because it's structurally it's very similar to Divertimento no.10 (K.247) that I just heard.



Though K.334 is longer, especially because the 2nd movement is a lengthy theme and variations. I'll see whether my attention is sufficiently kept.

Then I'll have to decide whether I can still listen to K.251 as originally planned. Is 3 divertimenti too many for one night? Somewhat similar structure, but with oboes!

[Florestan]

Is 3 divertimenti too many for one night?

No.

[Madiel]

No.

Does it matter that I'm going for a 40-minute one not a 10-minute one?

------------

Honestly, the labelling and numbering of these pieces is a real mess. It's possible to a degree to argue that a "serenade" has more movements and larger scale than a "divertimento", but then there are works that fail to fit with that idea. And the 2 "divertimenti" for the Lodron family are also known as "Lodronische Nachtmusik".

Also the "cassations" are more like serenades, and one work is sometimes known as a cassation and sometimes as Serenade no.1

Between Vegh's works for strings (often with a few extra instruments) and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble box, I have almost all of the serenades and divertimenti, but it makes very little sense that each numbered series jumps in and out of works for strings and works for winds. Surely someone could have at least called them serenades FOR string/winds so that I didn't have to remember that serenades 10, 11 and 12 are the ones for winds.

The divertimenti are worse: strings are 1, 2, 7, 10, 11, 15, 17, winds are 3, 4, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16 (the last probably not Mozart).  I think number 5 is strings though it's not by Mozart, and as for number 6 that's something else entirely.

And then some don't even get numbered... 

------------

Enjoying the repeat of Divertimento no.17 thoroughly so far. Though possibly that 1st menuet could have been just a fraction faster. But I get the impression that Vegh likes giving the 2 menuets very distinct characters. The 2nd one, which is longer anyway, is bouncing nicely.

[ChamberNut]

Allegrezza Nuovo Maggio.
Biagio Marini.
Scherzi e Canzonette.
Emanuela Galli, soprano.
Ensemble Galilei, Paul Beier, Conductor and Lute.
Recorded: 1996?
No PDF file attached to this recording.

A wonderful recording. This ensemble plus the Soprano are first rate authenticity. Marini is a composer not often recorded, so this somewhat older performance is a treat for me.  A good recording too.

Bonjour, l'ours miteux. 🐻

[Florestan]

[Madiel]

Righto, I guess I can fit in K.251 while I have a cup of tea. It's shorter, and it has an oboe. But it's almost midnight so that's going to be the end.



EDIT: The start is fantastic. But far too invigorating. This is going to wake me up.

[Harry]

Bonjour, l'ours miteux. 🐻

It is ME, indeed, Shabby Bear.....    

[Que]

Last of the series! 

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2021/May/Telemann-concertos-5554142.htm

[Harry]

Kurt Schwertsik (b. 1935)
Orchestral works.
BBC Philharmonic, HK Grube.
Recording venue: Studio 7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester from the 4–6 August 2010.

A Rerun this time, and boy is this impressive. He is not much liked and virtually unknown, but he writes beautiful music anyways. SOTA recording, and ditto performance. It's worth your while to listen to his music. He's full of surprises.

[Traverso]

Bach

[Harry]

Lluis Del Mila.
Fantasies, Pavanes & Gallardes, (1536)
See back cover for all details.

This is one of the finest by Jordi Savall and his musical brothers and sisters. Perfectly recorded, and makes the time fly by, though not the music.

[Traverso]

Bach

[hopefullytrusting]

Alfred Mendelsohn's Sonata for Solo Cello: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCYOnvrWULs

Bare and sparse, digs deep for that lovely bass sonority. Fragmented, in almost a staccato-like fashion, but enough connective elements to prevent it from crossing that bridge to the avant garde. It is a beautifully-limited piece; constrained, likely, by the politics of the time, I suspect. But I am a fan of anyone who dares such a piece, as the cello is a difficult instrument all on its own, especially when compared to most of the other instruments of the orchestra (in fact, I'd wager, that only the bass and the lower brass are more difficult to wrangle on their own).

Well worth your time.