Always a class act, that Bissie. I have always admired that fella's posts over on eMusic.
Now I'm off to read the link you posted, amclark2.
I might use some of my hoarded Target eMu downloads for that label.
What I already like....we'll I enjoy almost all classical that I've heard, but I suppose I'm more a fan of fuller arrangements that skew towards Mozart and Tchaivkovsky's stuff than say Beethoven or Bach. Although I will also be keeping an eye on any recs that show up for amclark2's post above.
Not really sure how to give you much more information than that.
I'll start then, with Suk's Asrael symphony. Written on the death of his teacher, Dvorak, who was a father figure to him, and then the death of his wife Otilka, who was Dvorak's daughter. The symphony turned Suk from a composer of charming lyrical music to a composer of stature. The opening movement quotes from Dvorak's own requiem, and contains one of the most horrifying moments in symphonic literature - the music seems to search around, adrift, and then there is a 'false dawn': the theme of the movement returns in the major, like a ray of hope. But there is something terrible wrong - the theme is completely dislocated, without a bass line, in the utterly wrong key. And without any warning it is smashed aside by the original theme, in the minor, full orchestra, hammering percussion and howling horn section. There has been no resolution at all, the tragedy of the opening returns unchanged.
The symphony will finally reach a peaceful end. Someone said to Suk that it took almost an hour to find that last chord. Suk said, apparently, "It took me far longer"
Well, it's BIS, so you have to get Sibelius. Disc 3 of the Essential Sibelius is 7 tracks and has some of his best-known works, including the Symphony no.5. Or there's the Lemminkainen Suite, for only 4 tracks.
It is a nice anthology of bassoon music from Romantic to 20th Century Music. The Beethoven Flute Bassoon is lovely, but my favorite thing on it is the Tansman Bassoon Sonata, one of the more difficult pieces for bassoon. Some of the later tracks are fairly avant garde, but interesting. It's also a clear recording. Maybe it's just one of those things, but some recordings of bassoon music do a poor job of capturing the full timbre.
I have downloaded quite a few wonderful BIS recordings, including all discs of The Essential Sibelius. Yes, I did. I have made no secret of one of my favorites, though -- VIVALDI: The 4 Seasons.
Bissie included three tracks on the 35th Anniversary album that was free for a brief period of time. I liked those tracks so much that I wanted the entire thing, but it wasn't on eMu at the time. So I ordered the CD. It's wonderful -- no regrets here.
BTW, can we infer that IODA won't switch to album pricing anytime soon? If they were, I suspect Bissie would have stuck with that distributor rather than switch to Naxos. (I don't mind--it means Clean Feed will continue to be cheap.)
Comments
Notice how apparently he has managed to switch distributors without fucking things up for everyone.
I don't get that much classical, but I may have to start downloading BIS stuff just to support them.
Craig
Now I'm off to read the link you posted, amclark2.
I might use some of my hoarded Target eMu downloads for that label.
Hey - tell the busibodies here what you already like and we'll nominate a couple of starter BIS albums for you.
Like the man who lost the ability to say F or T, you can't say fairer than that.
Not really sure how to give you much more information than that.
Craig
The symphony will finally reach a peaceful end. Someone said to Suk that it took almost an hour to find that last chord. Suk said, apparently, "It took me far longer"
Five tracks -
http://www.emusic.com/album/Claus-Peter-Flor-SUK-J-Asrael-Malaysian-Philharmonic-Flor-MP3-Download/11618090.html
Hopefully that is one that doesn't have copyright issues so it won't go up to 12 nps before my next refresh.
Craig
Anyway, If you saw my band instrument recommendation, this rec won't be a surprise. I actually bought the CD several years ago, when the only way to get a lot of classical music was to pay import prices. But here it is on eMu: http://www.emusic.com/album/Knut-Sonstevold-VIRTUOSO-BASSOON-MP3-Download/10888452.html
It is a nice anthology of bassoon music from Romantic to 20th Century Music. The Beethoven Flute Bassoon is lovely, but my favorite thing on it is the Tansman Bassoon Sonata, one of the more difficult pieces for bassoon. Some of the later tracks are fairly avant garde, but interesting. It's also a clear recording. Maybe it's just one of those things, but some recordings of bassoon music do a poor job of capturing the full timbre.
Bissie included three tracks on the 35th Anniversary album that was free for a brief period of time. I liked those tracks so much that I wanted the entire thing, but it wasn't on eMu at the time. So I ordered the CD. It's wonderful -- no regrets here.