SPOTLIGHT The classical music general discussion thread

[humprof]

Ouch
https://www.classicstoday.com/review/honecks-narcissistic-beethoven-ninth-video-review/

Ouch indeed. I haven't read enough of Hurwitz's reviews to know whether I trust his judgment. (He does concede that it sounds great, though!) Still, I don't need another 9th.

 

[mkt]

Ouch indeed. I haven't read enough of Hurwitz's reviews to know whether I trust his judgment. (He does concede that it sounds great, though!) Still, I don't need another 9th.

On sale $14.99 at
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=2308010
I usually test-drive the stereo version in Qobuz before paying for the surround. All the releases from Reference Recordings that I've heard do sound great. I wish they were a little cheaper or went on sale more often.

 

[humprof]

Two recent pieces on new recordings of music by Black composers, both historical and contemporary.

The Times piece begins with a point you could make about any piece of culture:

Music can’t survive on its own. Composers not entrenched in the canon need support: from publishers, from foundations, from performers. Without these champions, it’s all too easy to slide into obscurity.​

​

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/arts/music/black-composers-classical-music-album.html
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/black-classical-music-composers-180976924/?preview
None of the pieces mentioned are in surround, unfortunately. I can think of works by David Sanford on Pentatone and BMOP, and short pieces by John McLaughlin Williams, Jeffrey Mumford, and George Walker on Eliesha Nelson's Permutations (Sono Luminus). Then there's that wonderfully discrete recording of Scott Joplin's Tremonisha, and Anthony Braxton's For Four Orchestras. But that's about it.

Can anyone think of others?

I'd love to hear Julius Eastman's works in surround, or Anthony Davis's operas, or some of the newer work by Tyshawn Sorey. Or see the Catalyst Quartet get picked up by TACET or Sono Luminus? That'd be amazing.

 

[ted_b]

I just downloaded the multichannel Honeck Beethoven 9th in DSD256 (original recording format). I'm looking forward to hearing it early on in my first mch listening sessions in the new room soon. Note: it's nearly 25 GB.

 

[MikeMonaco]

First time posting in this thread.

Last year I ordered a couple of concert box sets that were recorded directly to vinyl by the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. I enjoyed them so much I subscribed to their digital concert hall. They have live concerts and a large archive. The sound and video are fantastic on my home theater (you need good internet). It's been fascinating to me to watch and listen to the orchestra, and it's helped me immensely getting through the pandemic. Thought I'd share in case anyone else might be interested. Here's the link -- Berliner Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall - The Berliner Philharmoniker’s Digital Concert Hall

 

[hobie1dog]

I watched an interview with Jon Anderson from the group Yes, and he described how he listened to this Symphony about six times one day and that's when he decided that they needed to write much longer songs.

 

[ubertrout]

Ouch indeed. I haven't read enough of Hurwitz's reviews to know whether I trust his judgment. (He does concede that it sounds great, though!) Still, I don't need another 9th.

I enjoy Hurwitz's scurrilous rants. They're not made to be taken entirely seriously, but there's some insights there, and he followed up his review with this video talking about a phenomenon more generally of conductors being willful because they can be, with the Honeck Beethoven 9th as an example.

 

[humprof]

RIP Eva Coutaz of Harmonia Mundi:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/arts/music/eva-coutaz-dead.html

 

[humprof]

Just when I thought the Berliner Philharmoniker had given up on its lavish box sets:
https://www.berliner-philharmoniker-recordings.com/mahler-symphonies.html?___store=rec_en

 

[humprof]

Another Mahler 10th (Vanska & Minnesota, Deryck Cooke performing version). Newly released & on sale this week at eClassical:
https://www.eclassical.com/conductors/vanska-osmo/mahler-symphony-no10.html

 

[Soundfield]

this video talking about a phenomenon more generally of conductors being willful because they can be

Much like YouTubers being self opinionated windbags because they can be?

 

[ubertrout]

Another Mahler 10th (Vanska & Minnesota, Deryck Cooke performing version). Newly released & on sale this week at eClassical:
https://www.eclassical.com/conductors/vanska-osmo/mahler-symphony-no10.html

I've purchased a few of these, but at this point I think I'm just going to spring for the inevitable box.

 

[ubertrout]

Much like YouTubers being self opinionated windbags because they can be?

I guess, but I find it mostly endearing. I suspect it might find a cultural thing? As someone from a similar cultural milieu as Hurwitz I'm much more used to his style than folks in the UK are.

 

[mkt]

Any favorites from Neos?
NEOS Music | your online shop for contemporary music, jazz and special classics

This is their US distributor
NEOS - Forced Exposure

They have quite a few SACD releases, mostly but not limited to contemporary composers. The only one that is have is
https://neos-music.com/images/covers-240/NEOS_11127_Weinberg_3.jpg

 

[humprof]

Any favorites from Neos?
NEOS Music | your online shop for contemporary music, jazz and special classics

This is their US distributor
NEOS - Forced Exposure

They have quite a few SACD releases, mostly but not limited to contemporary composers. The only one that is have is
https://neos-music.com/images/covers-240/NEOS_11127_Weinberg_3.jpg

Not familiar with the label. I'd be interested in knowing whether they have a "house style" with regard to mixing for multi-channel.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Not familiar with the label. I'd be interested in knowing whether they have a "house style" with regard to mixing for multi-channel.

Neos' multi Channel SACD recordings are very avant garde. I have a few but find them atonal but did come across this title which will be released in March 2021 on SACD:

https://neos-music.com/images/covers-large/NEOS_12104_Boulez.jpg

 

[mkt]

Neos' multi Channel SACD recordings are very avant garde.

That is a kind assessment. Some of them are really out there.

I am test-driving the stereo version of this
https://www.forcedexposure.com/Cata...max-string-quintets-cd-sacd/NEOS.30901CD.htmlPS. I hope SACD = mch

 

[4-earredwonder]

That is a kind assessment. Some of them are really out there.

I am test-driving the stereo version of this
https://www.forcedexposure.com/Cata...max-string-quintets-cd-sacd/NEOS.30901CD.htmlPS. I hope SACD = mch

ImportCD lists 83 Neos SACD titles but most of them are available as SPECIAL ORDERS:

https://www.importcds.com/search?mod=AP&q=NEOS&ft=SACD

 

[ubertrout]

Any favorites from Neos?
NEOS Music | your online shop for contemporary music, jazz and special classics

This is their US distributor
NEOS - Forced Exposure

They have quite a few SACD releases, mostly but not limited to contemporary composers. The only one that is have is
https://neos-music.com/images/covers-240/NEOS_11127_Weinberg_3.jpg

There's a few there that are somewhat interesting. Bernstein recorded the Ben-Haim works they have on SACD for Columbia, but I don't know if many other recordings are available. A lot of this is only interesting to fans of atonal music though.

 

[humprof]

RIP former New York Times music critic Peter G. Davis:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/arts/music/peter-g-davis-dead.html