SPOTLIGHT The classical music general discussion thread

[mkt]

How did you listen to it? Headphones or speakers? If the latter, how was it decoded?

Apple Music app on Mac -> USB -> Okto dac8 pro -> 5.1 speakers

 

[humprof]

R.I.P. Louis Andriessen:
https://nyti.ms/3ydIGMn
This is the only thing I can find of his work in surround:
https://www.discogs.com/Royal-Conce...aeys-Louis-Andriessen-Janine-/release/8215501
A tough week for contemporary classical.

Here's an interview with Robert Hurwitz, Chairman Emeritus of Nonesuch Records, who signed both Andriessen and Rzewski:
https://www.nonesuch.com/journal/louis-andriessen-frederic-rzewski-bob-hurwitz-2021-07-12

 

[4-earredwonder]

Why don't they just sell us the BDA? I have no use for the CDs. (Actually, I have no use for any discs and would prefer just a download.)

Well, KAL, you're going to LOVE this: 41 RBCDs and 1 BD~A 2.0 192/24:

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=14946#resolutions
Beethoven and Bebop, Debussy and The Doors, Mozart and Mash-Ups. Such pairings are strange, even improbable bedfellows, yet the pianist Friedrich Gulda, one of 20th-century music’s most capricious rebels, managed to connect the dots and bring these disparate musical worlds together throughout his life, to the delight of many and perhaps the disdain of others. Gulda signed to Decca as a teenager, and his first recordings (presented in this set for the first time internationally) are indicative of the repertoire he would continue championing to the end. His complete recordings on Decca are brought together in one edition for the very first time, 40 years after he recorded his last recording for the label, the Beethoven Concertos with the Wiener Philharmoniker and conductor Horst Stein.
This 41CD + Blu-ray Audio disc edition includes many benchmark recordings, including the Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Decca & Amadeo), the Decca cycle remastered at 24bit 96kHz and available on Blu-ray audio for the first time; Debussy’s Préludes Books I & II, Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.1 with Sir Adrian Boult, and Richard Strauss’ Lieder with the soprano Hilde Gueden; and a work Gulda wholeheartedly embraced – the youthful Burleske. The set also includes a collection of recordings made for the Amadeo label from 1960-1981 and a live recording of improvisations with Chick Corea.
The booklet includes new liner notes by musicologist Jed Distler, rare photographs and facsimiles of the original LP cover art.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Well, KAL, you're going to LOVE this: 41 RBCDs and 1 BD~A 2.0 192/24:

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=14946#resolutions
Beethoven and Bebop, Debussy and The Doors, Mozart and Mash-Ups. Such pairings are strange, even improbable bedfellows, yet the pianist Friedrich Gulda, one of 20th-century music’s most capricious rebels, managed to connect the dots and bring these disparate musical worlds together throughout his life, to the delight of many and perhaps the disdain of others. Gulda signed to Decca as a teenager, and his first recordings (presented in this set for the first time internationally) are indicative of the repertoire he would continue championing to the end. His complete recordings on Decca are brought together in one edition for the very first time, 40 years after he recorded his last recording for the label, the Beethoven Concertos with the Wiener Philharmoniker and conductor Horst Stein.
This 41CD + Blu-ray Audio disc edition includes many benchmark recordings, including the Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Decca & Amadeo), the Decca cycle remastered at 24bit 96kHz and available on Blu-ray audio for the first time; Debussy’s Préludes Books I & II, Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.1 with Sir Adrian Boult, and Richard Strauss’ Lieder with the soprano Hilde Gueden; and a work Gulda wholeheartedly embraced – the youthful Burleske. The set also includes a collection of recordings made for the Amadeo label from 1960-1981 and a live recording of improvisations with Chick Corea.
The booklet includes new liner notes by musicologist Jed Distler, rare photographs and facsimiles of the original LP cover art.

I'll wait for the download.

 

[ubertrout]

Well, KAL, you're going to LOVE this: 41 RBCDs and 1 BD~A 2.0 192/24:

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=14946#resolutions
Beethoven and Bebop, Debussy and The Doors, Mozart and Mash-Ups. Such pairings are strange, even improbable bedfellows, yet the pianist Friedrich Gulda, one of 20th-century music’s most capricious rebels, managed to connect the dots and bring these disparate musical worlds together throughout his life, to the delight of many and perhaps the disdain of others. Gulda signed to Decca as a teenager, and his first recordings (presented in this set for the first time internationally) are indicative of the repertoire he would continue championing to the end. His complete recordings on Decca are brought together in one edition for the very first time, 40 years after he recorded his last recording for the label, the Beethoven Concertos with the Wiener Philharmoniker and conductor Horst Stein.
This 41CD + Blu-ray Audio disc edition includes many benchmark recordings, including the Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Decca & Amadeo), the Decca cycle remastered at 24bit 96kHz and available on Blu-ray audio for the first time; Debussy’s Préludes Books I & II, Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.1 with Sir Adrian Boult, and Richard Strauss’ Lieder with the soprano Hilde Gueden; and a work Gulda wholeheartedly embraced – the youthful Burleske. The set also includes a collection of recordings made for the Amadeo label from 1960-1981 and a live recording of improvisations with Chick Corea.
The booklet includes new liner notes by musicologist Jed Distler, rare photographs and facsimiles of the original LP cover art.

The material on CD is pretty much OOP as I understand it (although I'm sure it will be released to streaming as well)

Edit to add: Looks like the BD-Audio is the Beethoven Piano Concerto Cycle. I'm interested and will likely pick it up. Note that this is mostly for completists; it contains two full Beethoven piano sonata cycles (the mono/stereo 50s Decca version and the later version originally on Amadeo) Track listing and more info: Friedrich Gulda - The Complete Decca Recordings (41 CDs und 1 Blu-ray Disc) – jpc

 

[humprof]

Yeah--I like the last album So Percussion did with Caroline Shaw, too (and earlier albums & compositions both of them have done on their own or with other composers & ensembles). Lucky you, hearing this music live! Hoping the label finds a way to release the Atmos mix beyond streaming services.

Wonderful profile of Shaw (with discussion of the latest album) on NPR's Deceptive Cadence website:
https://www.npr.org/sections/decept...cal-profile-let-the-soil-play-its-simple-part

 

[ubertrout]

Today's daily deal on eClassical is the BIS recording of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, with Suzuki conducting his Bach Collegium Japan. Hard to go wrong at under $9 for 24/96 surround FLAC - eClassical - Beethoven – Missa solemnis

 

[mkt]

New from 2L Booklet

24/96 MCH & more formats
24 euros 2L shop
$17.60 Highresaudio
If you have to ask ... NativeDSD

 

[humprof]

New from 2L Booklet
View attachment 69619
24/96 MCH & more formats
24 euros 2L shop
$17.60 Highresaudio
If you have to ask ... NativeDSD

How do you like the music? I find his Mass ponderous and dreary, but I like his two shorter pieces included on the Trondheim Solistene Lux album.

 

[mkt]

How do you like the music? I find his Mass ponderous and dreary, but I like his two shorter pieces included on the Trondheim Solistene Lux album.

Have not heard it yet. I might wait for it to appear on the streaming services and test drive.

I have this (which also includes a violin concerto) and like it fine.

https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-15024/

 

[mkt]

Ugh
https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/mu...om-public-appearances-following-brain-surgery

 

[gene_stl]

Brain surgery is the lesser of two evils but not very much less.

 

[paligap]

I was listening to the BFO Brahms Symphony no. 4 I recently downloaded, and I recognized the third track as the same melody of "Cans and Brahms" on the Yes Fragile album. I guess I always knew it was a Brahms melody, but it was interesting to finally hear the original.

 

[mkt]

ICYMI all titles from 2019 and 2020 on sale through Sep 22.
https://www.sonoluminus.com/sale

 

[mkt]

For those keeping score at home, I notice 2 surround BIS recordings in the September 2021 Gramophone Editor's Choice

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/gramophone-editor-s-choice-september-2021
PS. And as a Gramophone bonus,
https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/what-does-spatial-audio-with-dolby-atmos-sound-like

 

[oxenholme]

New SACD from MDG on its way - Diabelli music for guitar & flute. The samples at jpc.de sounded very promising.

 

[mkt]

"better browsing and search capabilities by composer and by repertoire, detailed displays of classical music metadata"

"Apple Music plans to launch a dedicated classical music app next year combining Primephonic’s classical user interface that fans have grown to love with more added features. In the meantime, current Primephonic subscribers will receive six months of Apple Music for free, providing access to hundreds of thousands of classical albums, all in Lossless and high-resolution audio, as well as hundreds of classical albums in Apple Music’s Spatial Audio, with new albums added regularly."
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/08/apple-acquires-classical-music-streaming-service-primephonic/

 

[ubertrout]

"better browsing and search capabilities by composer and by repertoire, detailed displays of classical music metadata"

"Apple Music plans to launch a dedicated classical music app next year combining Primephonic’s classical user interface that fans have grown to love with more added features. In the meantime, current Primephonic subscribers will receive six months of Apple Music for free, providing access to hundreds of thousands of classical albums, all in Lossless and high-resolution audio, as well as hundreds of classical albums in Apple Music’s Spatial Audio, with new albums added regularly."
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/08/apple-acquires-classical-music-streaming-service-primephonic/

Interesting. Primephonic was from the folks behind Pentatone, which has (a) been funded by Getty and (b) recorded a great deal of his music. And it makes sense that Getty was a major investor in Primephonic. Looks like this paid off for him.

 

[ubertrout]

Speaking of Pentatone, they're selling everything at their site for 50% off. I picked up Janowski's recent Beethoven cycle - only 5 & 6 were ever released in surround SACD, but the whole cycle is EUR 17.50 as a surround FLAC: Beethoven - Complete Symphonies

 

[humprof]

I'm still just a classical piker, so I'd never heard of this wacky piece. It's not in quad, exactly, but wouldn't it be great if it were?

Helikopter Streichquartett (The Arditti String Quartet Play Stockhausen) – Berkshire Record Outlet (broinc.com)