Discovered this recently. Fabulous. Being a chamber musician myself it’s great that these are still recorded. I know that some will poo-poo it because it’s an arrangement, but this is how people listened to Beethoven before the phono age and when you couldn’t necessarily attend an orchestra (which were largely for the privileged). You played it or you had a salon with chamber musicians.
So here’s Beethoven symphonies as arranged by Hummel for a chamber quartet–flute, violin, cello, fortepiano.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) you’ll have to cough up real dough to buy the CD. Not available by streaming.
Thank you. Reminds me of the recently recorded and streaming-available Beethoven for Three by Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma. They were inspired to record these by Michael Tilson Thomas. I find the “reduced” Beethoven Symphonies in some ways a more digestible listen (metaphors, whew!). Different instruments and transcriptions, but quite enjoyable. They’ve also recorded trio-transcribed Beethoven Symphony 6 along with a nice Beethoven piano trio.
I got/get a huge kick out of the pedal-worn shoes on the album cover and in the liner notes. The third/bass voice. Would have loved seeing the master (JSB) performing this, engaging in the “insouciant athleticism” required for performing these amazing compositions. I quite like Yearsley’s performance and the organ’s sound in its youth.
Yes, those shoes are striking! In my youth I sometimes had the honor to pedal for wind at a church where I was part of a small musical ensemble… later the organ was rebuilt and pedaling was no more required…
Tonight I am listening to music for natural trumpet and natural horn…
I like this. The sound quality is very good. The performance from the ensemble is powerful. I like Vivaldi played with energy and dynamics. I don’t know a lot about Marianne Piketty. Some further investigation needed…
Review venues quiet on the Marianne Piketty/Le Concert Idéal front. A few in Gramophone that are favorable. Nothing in the Strad, BBC Music, ClassicsToday, Classical.net. Please let folks know what you find and thank you for the recommendation.
I too like Marianne Piketty with her ensemble Le Concert Idéal. Her releases are superbly produced on Evidence. My first encounter with these young French musicians was by means of their 2019 release with music by Locatelli and a contemporary composer, which I find quite compelling.
Touching on the subject of excellence in sound production, the French label Evidence is one that merits to be explored. I have several albums in my library, from various artists, and they are all superb, both artistically and in terms of sound production. By exploring the label’s artist roster I discovered the work of yet another excellent young French harpsichordist. Marie van Rhijn released in 2016 an album dedicated to Marais (harpsichord music by Marais!), and then followed up two years later with this excellent release, covering music by the female harpsichordist and composer Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre (1665–1729).
Due to similarity to R van Rijn I think it stuck to my head (usually do not remember names). I was looking for another album and passed over when I did not find that on Tidal. Maybe you get better luck with Qobuz.
Yes, this is on Qobuz. This is in fact her latest release from March 2022. I may have posted this album last year on the other thread.
If you want to listen to the Dieupart suites, you can look for Bob van Asperen’s recent release on Aeolus. Or maybe you have seen van Asperen’s album, and so came to look for other recordings… In that case, this here may be the reference:
I’m agnostic, but curious. Liked the idea of the Locatelli alternating with Alex Dante compositions. Sounds like oil and vinegar, but I often enjoy such “odd” combinations. Sounds like Marianne Piketty conducted Le Concert Idéal on Evidence label is worth a listen.
I’m alternating between Trio Sonatas and Béla Bartók recordings just now. Talk about oil and vinegar , but I love both.
Thank you Traian. A pleasure learning about the gallichone (aka calichon, gallishon, calchedon, colachon, galizona), essentially a 5-6 course lute, easier to play (than 8-10 course lutes) for Bavarian nobles early-mid 18th century.
Even though Davide Rebuffa does it better than most, the playing is glissando heavy, something I never enjoyed as a player or listener. I find glissando a plucking cheat or a form of slurring. Knowing that it is perfectly acceptable, I still don’t prefer it. This is not to say that this isn’t very nice music. It is. I also enjoy the up-close microphoning and hearing the player’s work on the strings. I so enjoy hearing music making.
Spending more time out of doors doing forest restoration on our property and listening to courtship birdsong, so less time for listening to recorded music.
The “Hellier” 1679 violin and the “Sabionari” 1679 guitar are two wonderful instruments made in the same year by Antonio Stradivari, the greatest violin maker of the history. For this recording, effected in the Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi at Museo del Violino di Cremona, the Hellier violin and Sabionari guitar have been made available on an entirely exceptional basis to two famous Italian artists: Federico Guglielmo and Diego Cantalupi . The exceptional nature of the two instruments, and in particular the wonderful decorations of the Hellier violin, inspired the choice of musical pieces and the title of the cd: Baroque extravagances.
, but I love both.
