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The classical what are you listening to now ? thread.

Marvellous late night listening.

https://www.amazon.com/String-Quartets-Op-71-1-3/dp/B0000013QJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MVT25M6QSO96&keywords=Haydn+op.71+naxos&qid=1641603672&s=music&sprefix=haydn+op.71+naxos,music-intl-ship,132&sr=1-1

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I have been watching a Blu-Ray of Strauss's Elektra from the Salzburg Festival this year..... Franz Wesler Most conducting the Vienna Phil splendidly. Aušrinė Stundytė in the title role (never heard of her before) but Asmik Grigorian as little-sister Chrystothemis steals the show IMO. The production was a bit high-concept but effective, lots of blood, human sacrifice going on in the background, and the characters spend a good deal of time writhing around on the floor to show their emotional states.

The music is fantastic though.
Here is a taster -
 
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David Fray's Goldbergs. I came to this recording with certain expectations. Fray is as interventionist a major label pianist as is out there now, and he more or less did everything I expected right from the start. The Aria and Aria da capo are both ridiculously slow but sublimely controlled and gorgeous. Starting with the first variation, Fray plays the work in a mightily pianistic conception, with sometimes outsize dynamics, generous pedaling in spots, lovely tonal shading, etc. Some of pianissimo playing sounds meltingly lovely, and some of his outbursts sound almost Horowitzian (albeit with softer hammers). He spaces out some phrases to the Nth degree, and plays some notes with longer values than he should, yet it all works. My only quibble is with the Quodlibet, which sounds a bit rough sonically, but given the supremely fine sound throughout, that is clearly a conscious choice by all involved. At a whopping eighty-seven minutes, this is one to revel in for a while. This will definitely not be to everyone's taste, but it most certainly is to mine. I waited until this year to buy so that I would have a guaranteed purchase of the year early on. Fantastic.
 
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08X2CG1ZX/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

Was unaware of this recording until accidentally discovering the 24/96 download last night in the Presto classical shop.
Its immediately become my favourite recording of No.1 "Classical"- very sprightly and flowing. Will be listening to the 5th later.

This is my local orchestra and I have been impressed by what I've seen and heard of Sondergard with them so far - which included an absolutely stonking Mahler 6 with them before Covid.
 
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Is the Linn recording SACD? I find that Linn SACDs trigger the HDCD function on my Naim player which wrecks the sound. I agree about Sondergard.
 
I think its just a standard CD if you get the physical disc. You can get the download from Presto at various resolutions.
 
Debussy Preludes Books 1&2/Arrau/Phillips - Arrau excels in these 1979/80 recordings, IMO.
Listening to these, makes me want to dig out his Chopin Nocturnes and Beethoven Piano Sonatas, and have a mini “Arrau fest”…
 
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