This is the last of the CDs in the Philips Compact Complete Mozart Edition boxed set. It is also the last post I’ll make to this web site. It’s been fun. I’m glad today’s CD was performed entirely by the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and conducted by Sir Neville Marriner. That’s a perfect way to […]
Entries Tagged as 'Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields'
Of the End (Theatre and Ballet Music, Box 17)
June 8th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Box 17: Theatre and Ballet Music, K299c, K446, KApp10, Mozart at 22, Mozart at 27, Sir Neville Marriner
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Of Beginnings and Endings (Theatre and Ballet Music, Box 17)
June 4th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Box 17: Theatre and Ballet Music, K15 (various), K33, Kochel catalogue, London (1764-5), London Sketchbook, Mozart at 8, Mozart at 9, Sir Neville Marriner
I just opened the last box of CDs, box 17 Theatre and Ballet Music * Rarities * Surprises. I’ve been listening to Mozart non-stop for a few days shy of six months. This box of CDs represents the final five days in my journey. And a fitting end it’ll be, too. We’re back to instrumental […]
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Of Cold Saturdays and Warm Operas (Box 14, Middle Italian Operas)
May 8th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Agenore, Alessandro, Aminta, Angela Maria Blasi, Box 14: Middle Italian Operas, Briony Shaw, Claes H Ahnsjo, Elisa, Il re pastore, Iris Vermillion, Jerry Hadley, John Constable, K208, K208 (Part II), Mozart at 19, Salzburg (Spring 1775), Sir Neville Marriner, Strato, Sylvia McNair, Tamiri
It’s an ugly day here in Grand Rapids. It’s overcast, rainy, and very chilly. Yuck. Happily, I have today’s CD to lift my spirits. Which is rare because this is CD 2 of Mozart’s opera Il re pastore, K208. And I still like it. For me, Il re pastore is the best of Mozart’s Early […]
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Of Classical Pianists and Shepherd Kings (Box 14, Middle Italian Operas)
May 7th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Agenore, Alessandro, Aminta, Angela Maria Blasi, Box 14: Middle Italian Operas, Briony Shaw, Castrato (definition), Chico Marx, Claes H Ahnsjo, Elisa, Il re pastore, Ingrid Fliter, Iris Vermillion, Jerry Hadley, John Constable, K208, K208 (Part I), Maynard Solomon, Mozart at 19, Mozart's Letters Mozart's Life, Mozart: A Life, Robert Spaethling, Salzburg (Spring 1775), Shoot piano keys, Sir Neville Marriner, Sylvia McNair, Tamiri, Tommaso Consoli
Famed Classical pianist Ingrid Fliter was in town last night. She performed at St. Cecilia Music Center. She was terrific, very technically proficient. Her choices showcased her talent well: Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann. I wasn’t particularly moved, though. I don’t know why. The concert seemed to lack magic. Maybe it was me. Or the sparse […]
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Of Wandering Minds and Rolling Rs (Arias, Vocal Ensembles, Canons, Box 12)
April 17th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Anton Scharinger, Box 12: Arias Vocal Ensembles Canons Lieder Notturni, Bryn Terfel, Dresdner Philharmonie, Eva Lind, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Jörg-Peter Weigle, Julie Kaufmann, K434, K441, K479, K480, K492, K527, K532, K540b, K577, K579, K584, K625, KApp25, KApp5, Mozart at 26, Mozart at 29, Mozart at 30, Mozart at 31, Mozart at 33, Mozart at 34, Muncher RFO, Peter Schreier, Prague (October 28 1787), Rene Pape, Rudolf Jansen, Sir Neville Marriner, Vienna, Vienna (1785-6), Vienna (1786), Vienna (1787), Vienna (April 29 1786), Vienna (August 11 1788), Vienna (August 1789), Vienna (August 1790), Vienna (December 1790), Vienna (January 1790), Vienna (July 1789), Vienna (Late 1782), Vienna (November 21 1785), Vienna (November 5 1785)
Today’s CD is a fest of rolling Rs. It wasn’t compelling enough to stop my mind from wandering (isn’t that a line from a Beatles song?). But it was entertaining. A few selections from the Marriage of Figaro are represented here. And more songs from the superb Eva Lind. (I wonder if she’s related to […]
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Of Plants and Linds (Arias, Vocal Ensembles, Canons, Box 12)
April 15th, 2010 · No Comments · 1783, Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Box 12: Arias Vocal Ensembles Canons Lieder Notturni, Christiane Eda-Pierre, Dresdner Philharmonie, Eva Lind, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Jörg-Peter Weigle, Julie Kaufmann, K119, K178, K293e, K294, K295, K433, K435, K440, K580, K83, Mannheim (February 12 1778), Mannheim (February 24 1778), Mannheim (February 27 1778), Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Mozart at 14, Mozart at 22, Mozart at 26, Mozart at 27, Mozart at 29, Mozart at 30, Mozart at 33, Robert Lloyd, Robert Plant, Rome (April-May 1770), Sir Colin Davis, Stuart Burrows, Vienna (1782), Vienna (early 1782), Vienna (Early 1785-6), Vienna (June 1783), Vienna (September 17 1789)
I wish I could like this music. I know soprano Julie Kaufmann is considered one of the world’s finest. But her singing leaves me cold. There’s something about her timbre that doesn’t sooth me. She has the power I respect. She has the range I like. But her singing just doesn’t do it for me. […]
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Of Wow and More Wow (Violin & Wind Concertos, Box 5)
February 5th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Alan Civil, Beatles, Box 5: Violin & Wind Concertos, Flute Concerto in D, For No One, Irena Grafenauer, Jack Brymer, Mannheim (January-February 1778), Michael Chapman, Mozart at 21, Mozart at 22, Neil Black, Paris (Spring 1778), Sinfonia Concerto in E Flat (doubtful), Sir Neville Marriner
Out-freakin’-standing! What an amazing CD! This was the perfect way to start a dark, cold winter’s day. It’s hard to beat Irena Grafenauer‘s inspired flute playing. My eyes lit up the second she broke into Movement 1 (Allegro aperto) of Flute Concerto No.2 in D, K.314. Listen to 1:06 onwards, especially the note she holds […]
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Of Happy Oboes and Clever Reconstructionists (Violin & Wind Concertos, Box 5)
February 4th, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Aurèle Nicolet, Heinz Holliger, Hermann Baumann, K(314)/K271k, KApp. 9/K297B, Klaus Thunemann, Mozart at 21, Mozart at 22, Paris (Spring 1778), Reconstructed From Concerto K314/K285d, Salzburg (1777), Sinfonia Concertante in E flat, Sir Neville Marriner
More oboe, bassoon, and flute. Terrific music. Oboe is another instrument I enjoy a lot. Whereas French horns, to me, often sound melancholy, oboes sound happy. So do flutes. Also making an appearance today is another “reconstruction” of Mozart’s work. In this case, it’s Sinfonia Concertante in E flat, KApp 9/297B, reconstructed by American pianist […]
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Of Red Roses and French Horns (Violin & Wind Concertos, Box 5)
February 3rd, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Anvil Films, Beethoven Horn Sonata, Denis Matthews, Dennis Brain, French Horns, Herbert von Karajan, Horn Concerto in D, Horn Concerto in E flat, K371, K412/K514, K417, K447, K495, Mozart at 25, Mozart at 27, Mozart at 30, Mozart at 31, Mozart at 35, Peter Damm, Philharmonia Orchestra, Rondo for Horn & Orchestra in E flat, Sir Neville Marriner, Vienna (1787), Vienna (1791), Vienna (May 27 1783)
I’ve waited to hear this CD since I started my Mozart project. You see, some of my all-time favorite Mozart compositions are his Horn Concertos. And my all-time favorite French horn player is the late Dennis Brain, (1921-1957). So I couldn’t wait to compare the Dennis Brain recordings (Herbert von Karjan, conductor) to these with […]
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Of LIfelike GWTW and Lighthearted BCBF (Violin & Wind Concertos, Box 5)
February 2nd, 2010 · No Comments · Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Bassoon Concerto in B flat, Box 5: Violin & Wind Concertos, Clarinet Concerto in A, Gone With the Wind, K191, K622, Karl Leister, Klaus Thunemann, Mozart at 18, Mozart at 35, Salzburg (June 4 1774), Sir Neville Marriner, Vienna (October 1791)
We bought a 42″ flat-screen TV last night, a Philips 6000 series with 50,000:1 Wide Dynamic Contrast. The picture is so life-like that when we watched the Blu-ray version of Gone With the Wind it was like looking out a window at real people. I’m not kidding. I’ve never seen the pores on Vivien Leigh’s […]
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You can call me Amadeus. But don't expect me to answer to that.