Recommended.
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I found this album in TIDAL while searching for something else and the cover was too tempting so I had to listen.
Really exciting with intriguing colors. I will listen a few times because the album has more I want to peel away.
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When going through my classical albums in roon, I noticed I had not been owning a local version of Schumann´s `Dichterliebe´ yet. So I obtained this one giving me the satisfying feeling that now my local collection is completed and I can call off the search for additional recordings of all my favorite compositions.
It is an unusual but very good one giving the feeling that tenor Christoph Prégardien is after a long career still developing his style of Lied singing. Away from FIscher-Dieskau´s style I would assume, very natural, decent declamation, nothing is exaggerated, and you would not find any operatic showmanship here. At times it feels as he is not as young as on his 1993 recording, particularly high notes come with a bit of delay and respect if that makes sense.
Nevertheless a very dense and emotional ´Dichterliebe´ thanks to the contribution of pianist Michael Gees who is just a genius when it comes to romantic Lieder.
The program on this SACD takes some detours afterwards: Wagner’s ´Wesendonk-Lieder´ for tenor and piano is a rare version (as is was written specifically for a female voice and most people seem to prefer orchestrated versions when it is sung by a man). Interpretation here is very far from any reminiscence of Wagner´s operatic style in general and Tristan acts II and III in particular (Michael Gees seems to avoid the legato and transitional style intentionally), but a fascinating listen. Closer to what one would call a composition study on the long road to ´Tristan´ maybe.
Schumann´s rarely recorded Lenau-Lieder conclude the program and the first 5 and a half sound pretty natural, at times a bit naive, here as well. The ´Requiem´ might leave you with a lot of open questions as it is not really clear how Schumann meant it to be. Nevertheless just beautiful music and the recording is awesome!
What is your favorite version of ´Dichterliebe´?
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Thank you for the recommendation. I greatly enjoyed Noriko Ogawa’s Erik Satie on an 1890 Erard piano (period), recently mentioned in International Piano. Another BIS gem.
I’m on a deep dive into luthiers and guitar history. Came across one of the best matches between guitar and performer/performance I’ve heard. The guitar is by French luthier Daniel Friederich, described in the excellent Orfeo classical guitar magazine (Orfeo Magazine #2 - English edition - Autumn 2013 by ALBERTO MARTINEZ - Issuu) and the performer is Roberto Aussel. Some of the most liquid, beautiful tones and colors played to as near perfection as I’ve ever heard. I’m not certain it would sound as good on another guitar. Exquisite.
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Lost Recordings did a nice job with this, the sound is very good, quiet, and the voices are clear. and what voices, what singing, Callas, Di Stefano, Panerai, Zaccaria, all in excellent, often stupendous, form.
an amazing performance, well worth the $25 for the 24/176 download.
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Fantastic reminder of a truly great work.
My favourite version has Barbara Hendricks as the most adorable Sandman.
Other Christmas albums that always get played this time of year…
And if you want something more traditional, Karajan brings a special concentration to support Price in her prime.
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Thanks for this recommendation, have put in on the list. Am I getting it right that this is the Munich radio recording with Marjana Lipovsek as the witch and some strange panoramic panning in the mix? Very vaguely recalling that I dismissed it because of the latter.
Very good idea as well, but I am going for a leaner reading with fantastic recording quality:
Bergen Philharmonic, Neeme Järvi
Tate’s is the one, for sure, and the recording quality is fabulous. a special recording.
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Absolutely!
I have purchased this in its various Warner editions, the last in Hi Res. I don’t seem to be able to download the sample track, so wanted to ask if you found significantly superior to this version?
this version is certainly listenable, but appears to be cut “hotter”, it’s a bit loud and forward. the new version sounds more natural, with greater front/back depth.
this from a very cursory listen to the Warner mastering. depending on your system, I could see how one might prefer one or the other.
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This year has been a banner year for me discovering late 19th/early 20th century greats:
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As I was enjoying Marc-André Hamelin’s discography, I came upon a Nikolai Kapustin recording. Delighted by this fully-notated form of jazz, I learned that Mr. Kapustin was unique in this regard and a composer well-regarded in the then Soviet Union. I had no idea that such adventuresomeness was tolerated and even embraced in the USSR. Jazz adapted to classical forms, Mr. Hamelin’s recording is another demonstration of his virtuosity.
Steven Osborne’s 2000 Kapustin recording is another stunning performance of this composer’s work. There must have been something in the water at Hyperion in the early 2000’s.
Another and excellent more recent recording of this composer’s work is 2021’s Yeol Eum Son Kapustin Jazz Concert Etudes. If you enjoy Gershwin, you will greatly enjoy this.
Another artist strongly advocating Nikolai Kapustin’s oeuvre is German multi-instrumentalist Frank Dupree (recently discussed in Gramophone). If you wish to stretch out your auditory cortex, please have a listen to his Capriccio recordings with the SWR Symphonieorchester. Recorded a bit on the loud side, so be prepared to turn down volume a smidgen and enjoy.
Lastly, finding myself in subzero weather (°F, mind), I had a listen to Siberian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov’s thoroughly enjoyable Tchaikovsky, The Seasons and Morceaux for piano, just that little bit more spicy than Bruce Liu’s (see @Richard_Graham note 2708 and mine at 2710) very nice recent recording of these musical amuse-bouche.
Liz Wright’s painting Sunset through Russian Trees on the cover captures the weather here in the upper midwest wonderfully.
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@CoralRad posted a few weeks ago about the Vivaldi Sacred Music series by The King’s Consort and Choir on Hyperion.
Since then I’ve been working my way through them. Getting close to listening to them all but jumped to Vol 10, the final magnificent issue in the series. The glowing review sums it up perfectly. Has the Gloria and Nisi Dominus.
Excellent.
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You might as well like this one… 
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I have never heard Bernstein conduct Verdi - will try to listen with an open mind. He started his career by organising the ousting of Dmitri Mitropoulos, a much underrated conductor who focused more on music than ego amd image. Arguably Bernstein was the opposite, although I acknowledge that many people love his recordings.
Personnaly I did not choose this recording only for the interpretation. The mastering is excellent!
I have not heard this, and will no doubt struggle with it due to Raimondi…
…I was fortunate to sing this piece with Martina Arroyo, in Buffalo during Semyon Bychkov’s tenure there. can confirm she was fabulous.
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listened to half the Bernstein Verdi Requiem last night. I find much of the conducting just…odd. weird tempi, dynamic changes, odd note accents. it’s interesting, but does not sound very Italianate to my ears. Not that this piece has to sound like grand opera, but there has to be a feeling of Italian soul, and this reading does not.
The women are very good (I didn’t listen to the Libera Me yet), and this may be Placido’s best recording of this piece. he’s in great voice, and sings very sensitively in the Ingemisco, the top free and ringing. and the sound/mastering is excellent.
which brings me to the elephant in the room: Raimondi sings flat, with hollow, wooden tone, that completely lacks a center or core. in a word, it’s ugly. I 
just don’t get it.
also, this recording highlights a further issue w/ Roon’s search or cataloging for classical music. If you believe Focus, this is Placido’s only recording of this piece. Off the top of my head, I know of at least three or four others. I was able to find one of them (Abbado) by searching on other terms, but Roon by no means provides a complete picture.
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The new Jorge Bolet Decca boxed set was recently reviewed by Jed Distler at ClassicsToday and mentioned his Max Reger composed Variations (Variations were favored by Herr Reger) and Fugue on a Theme of G.P. Telemann Variations recording. Quite pleasant.
I found a more recent and lively performance of the same by Marc-André Hamelin, accompanied by Reger’s Variations and Fugue on a Theme of J.S. Bach and a thoroughly delightful and much lighter and graceful Humoresques (5) for piano. Had forgotten how much I had enjoyed this latter piece.
Ever persistent, even when faced with a composer whose works I don’t typically listen to, I turned next to yet another rarely recorded Reger piece, this time recorded by young German pianist Joseph Moog (no relation to Robert), Traume am Kimin, little pieces (12) for piano. Again very pleasant and well performed. I enjoyed the Joseph Jongen pieces on this recording as well. The Scriabin Sonata performances were also highly articulated, if a bit on the fast (and some say more accurate timing-wise than other performances) side.
I enjoyed the Joseph Jongen pieces enough to do a bit of further exploration and was intrigued by a Cypres recording of his Symphony Concertante, for organ & orchestra with Olivier Latry, the longest tenured titular organist at the newly, post-fire re-awakened Notre Dame organ (to see the recent re-awakening ceremony for this, the largest organ in France with > 8000 pipes, see the YouTube video included in this post). The Jongen Symphony Concertante is thoroughly enjoyable and the recording also includes the more famous Saint-Saëns Symphony no. 3. These compositions are performed at Salle Philharmonique (Liège) with the Liège Royal Philharmonic conducted by Pascal Rophé.
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