What are you listening to now?

[kluurs]

Buniatishvili got a lot of response from her performance of Schubert's

Link to video which she milks for all it's worth. She plays it a bit slower than most other performances - and I must admit I like her performance. I haven't listened to her Schubert D960 in a while - but I remember thinking that my favorite performances were not at risk. There was a time when I looked forward to hearing a new performance of that Schubert as It is one of my favorite works for piano. My heart goes to the first recording of it that I heard - which is the Rubinstein performance that he released back in the 60s. I remember having the album and just being absorbed by it. I later learned that Rubinstein loved that work and associated it with death - Schubert's and death generally. At the time, I was impressed that Rubinstein played it a bit on the slow side - and in his hands, it worked for me. It later came out that the released recording was made just after Rubinstein had a fight with his son - so perhaps the emotion I feel that comes from that performance is tinged a bit with that quarrel. In any event, imagine my surprise when the CD version of the Rubinstein Schubert Sonata became available, and I was hugely disappointed. I wondered why. I subsequently learned that Max WIlcox, the recording engineer, preferred an earlier version that Rubinstein recorded - which is better recorded. Wilcox convinced Mrs. Rubinstein that this is the CD performance to press - not the one that the artist preferred. In any event, there are others that prefer the WIlcox version including some folks I respect - and I won't argue the point that it may be a more accurate and better performance - but I still prefer the Rubinstein authorized version.

Rubinstein did not perform or record much Schubert - especially compared to Alfred Brendel who many, back in the day, acclaimed for his Schubert. On the other hand, Gabriel Chodos made a career of studying and teaching Schubert. He made two recordings of the D960 I believe I had a preference for the first.

[George K]

@kluurs said in What are you listening to now?:

I loath Richter's recording, Brendel's as well.

This one?

Why?

[kluurs]

@George-K Brendel plays it very straight forward perfection, but it lacks soul. As near as I can tell, Brendel went through 3 phases of his career. During his younger years, he resembled Richard Goode and Mitsuko Uchida - romantic playing. I remember hearing him play the Beethoven Op 109 a week or so after having hearing Ashkenazy play the same work. There was no comparison. Both played note perfect, but Brendel's performance exuded a gorgeous interpretation - but then in his middle period, Brendel started talking about making sure that the performing artist not bring anything more to the music than was written. It is at that point where most of his recordings were made - and some termed him Brendull for his lack of interpretation. In his final years, he eased up a bit and started performing with a bit more life - and then he retired.

For the specific recording, I think he did a fair job of capturing my sense of the music. Mind you, I'm not saying he does a bad job. He plays it flawlessly - as do several other artists. Brendel specialized in this music - and I enjoy his playing and were someone to play precisely as he does, they'd do well in an audition at Juilliard- but for me as a listener, I have found some other recordings - that even when they're less technically perfect are more engaging - so the difference between an A- and A. EDIT ADD - Buniatishvili's performance is not a great performance - nor particularly well recorded.

[Aqua Letifer]

Hey @Doctor-Phibes , ever saw these guys live in your misspent youth? They're all of grandpa age now, but still at it.

You can't tell me this song is lesser than compared to Spotify's top 100.

It's amazing to me that after 40+ years, they still have something to say.

Link to video

[kluurs]

Loath for Richter - Less so for Brendel. It's at least tasteful.

[taiwan_girl]

@Aqua-Letifer Good song!!

[Aqua Letifer]

Link to video

[mark]

[mark]

A bittersweet album for me.

This is my Dad's original album from 1958. I found a box of his old albums in my basement a few weeks ago and thankfully, this was in that box. I believe this was the very first piece of music I ever heard while still in the womb. From this exact piece of vinyl too! Dad used to blast this on his Philco stereo system with 15" woofers, electrostatic tweeters, and tube amps. Mom would always ask him why he had to play it so loud. "I need to test the system!" was usually his reply. She told me that the windows in the house would rattle. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree I guess.
I cleaned it very thoroughly this morning before playing it. Unfortunately, 65 years of non-optimal storage and lack of proper record care have taken their toll on it. It has several audible scratches that are not repairable. I will be on the hunt for a better condition copy of this exact pressing. This one will never be discarded as it holds too much sentimental value for me.

Those cannons! Wow! Fortunately most of the album still sounds very good including the cannon sections.

I'm even playing it on a tube amp as he did so many years ago.

[mark]

[Catseye3]

I should have posted my Kodaline post in this thread, sorry.

Link to video

The drummer makes me crazed.

If you like them, and how could you not, here's their songography or whatever you call it.
https://www.songfacts.com/songs/kodaline

[mark]

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[mark]

Love the glow of vacuum tubes in the evening...

[Doctor Phibes]

@mark said in What are you listening to now?:

Love the glow of vacuum tubes in the evening...

That Wayne Shorter album is really a classic. I used to play the title track from time to time back in the day.

[mark]

@Doctor-Phibes I picked up both of those today. The Wayne Shorter is a Blue Note release and has incredible sound quality. Totally surface noise free and it's like they are in the room with me. Love it. The Coltrane pressing is the same. I also picked up a 1965 pressing of some Telemann played by Jean Pierre Rampal. Was blown away by the sound quality and quietness of that piece of vinyl as well.

[George K]

It's remarkable that one can buy a recording and one of the best things (besides the performance) is how "quiet" the vinyl is, and how there's no surface noise. It's almost as though you expect it to be flawed and are surprised when it's not.

Yeah...I'll get off your lawn.

[Doctor Phibes]

I'm never going back to vinyl. I did used to really enjoy buying it, but it's too much of a PITA.

Then again, I did used to really enjoy buying it, and the album covers are great, so who knows....

[mark]

@George-K What is so hard to understand? It's the hunt and the pursuit of sound in a medium that's, well, fun! Streaming is not fun. There is no going to a mom and pop record store and hunting for something that might not even be available to stream. To find, clean, and place a piece of vinyl on the turntable that is older than you are and listening to it for the first time or even having it played for the first time in 50-60 or more years.

Reading the gatefold or liner notes and caring for something that can be older, much older than you.

It is the pursuit of trying to get such a noise prone medium to be noise free and marveling at it when it happens.

And sometimes, when it is unavoidable, the noise brings back memories of days gone by.

Yes! You get off my lawn, with your newfangled, soulless, digital bits and bytes.

[mark]