SPOTLIGHT The classical music general discussion thread

[mkt]

Skeptical but I'll probably buy it. At the same time...we have great studio recordings of these from Litton/Bergen, the Fischer recording of the Rite and Firebird Suite, and somehow three good quad recordings of the Rite now on SACD (Bernstein, Mehta, Tilson Thomas).

One track out on Apple Music for those who partake. Short but sweet
https://music.apple.com/us/album/th...ableau-disparition-du/1607354428?i=1607355252

 

[ubertrout]

Not in surround, but I've been collecting the Chicago Symphony's "From The Archives" sets for about a decade, steadfastly refusing to pay inflated premium prices. And I finally completed my set!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Do we need another Firebird [COMPLETE] Rite of Spring and Petrushka? .......Just pre~ordered this newly minted two disc multi~CH SACD set from Amazon, so I suppose the answer is YES!

A RAVE review from our friends at Hraudio.net:

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=15306#reviews

 

[humprof]

A RAVE review from our friends at Hraudio.net:

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=15306#reviews

And just added to Apple Music (in an Atmos mix):
https://music.apple.com/us/album/stravinsky-ballets/1607354428(Other recent Atmos additions include Resphigi's Pines and Fountains on Chandos, and Johann Johannson's posthumous Drone Mass.)

 

[humprof]

I just watched this week's episode of Great Performances on PBS: "The Conductor," a documentary about Marin Alsop. Kind of hagiographic, as these things tend to be, but it's not like she doesn't deserve it. If you can catch a repeat broadcast, it has a good surround soundtrack. Also possible to watch it online:
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/great-performances-the-conductor-about/13438/

 

[ClassicalSurroundFan]

I just watched this week's episode of Great Performances on PBS: "The Conductor," a documentary about Marin Alsop. Kind of hagiographic, as these things tend to be, but it's like she doesn't deserve it. If you can catch a repeat broadcast, it has a good surround soundtrack. Also possible to watch it online:
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/great-performances-the-conductor-about/13438/

Looking forward to seeing this. I wish I had some way to receive pbs in surround. Seems very hit or miss with local providers. I have wondered if using certain zip codes in the app would help.

 

[mkt]

A handful of April BIS releases already here
https://www.eclassical.com/labels/bis/The Gringolts Quartet is the one that catches my eye.

 

[humprof]

That showed up on Apple Music this past week, too. Haven't listened to it yet so can't comment on the mix, but nice to see that at least some of these new Atmos mixes are also getting physical releases.

David Allen singles this out as one "Five Classical Albums to Hear Now":
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/arts/music/classical-music-albums.htmlNoting that this is Gardiner's third recording of the same work, he says the conductor avoids a "pietistically devotional approach": "Despite the glimpse of familiarity, Gardiner’s view of this Passion, the one that best suits his operatic flair for drama, has sharpened in the 35 years since his first take."

 

[humprof]

Many Several albums with Atmos mixes among Gramophone's "Editor's Choices" for April. At the top of the list is Raphaël Pichon's reading of Bach's St Matthew Passion on Harmonia Mundi. (I like this work--and this recording & mix--better than the John Eliot Gardiner St John Passion that was also lauded recently.)
https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/js-bach-st-matthew-passion-pichon

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Many albums with Atmos mixes among Gramophone's "Editor's Choices" for April. At the top of the list is Raphaël Pichon's reading of Bach's St Matthew Passion on Harmonia Mundi. (I like this work--and this recording & mix--better than the John Eliot Gardiner St John Passion that was also lauded recently.)

Is it really in Atmos?

 

[humprof]

Is it really in Atmos?

Yes. Nothing much happening in the rear heights on my 5.1.4 system, but otherwise: all channels active, and it's a full, spacious mix.
https://music.apple.com/us/album/j-s-bach-matthäus-passion-bwv-244/1608591674

 

[Soundfield]

Many albums with Atmos mixes among Gramophone's "Editor's Choices" for April.

Are you saying a most of these releases are in ATMOS ? None of them seem to identify the fact.

 

[humprof]

Are you saying a most of these releases are in ATMOS ? None of them seem to identify the fact.

Sorry, I should have specified: the physical releases, no. (Although the BIS downloads and SACDs are 5.1.) Many are in Atmos on Apple Music (and possibly Tidal?), though. I haven't checked out everything on the list, but in addition to the St Matthew Passion: the Abrahamsen and the Martin James Bartlett, for sure. Er . . . maybe I should have said some of these releases . . . or a few . . . I'll meet you in the middle.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Sorry, I should have specified: the physical releases, no.

Sucks. Apple is annoying.

 

[mkt]

Anybody heard the 5.1 version of Shostakovich's "Jazz Suites"? Thinking of giving some business to Academy Records in New York. The one review I could find made the suites sound like an eccentric curiosity--and didn't say anything about the surround mix.

The RBCD got Audiophile Audition's "Best Disc of the Year."

https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=5.110006

Another recording
https://www.eclassical.com/conductors/litton-andrew/shostakovich-jazz-and-variety-suites.html

 

[4-earredwonder]

Another recording
https://www.eclassical.com/conductors/litton-andrew/shostakovich-jazz-and-variety-suites.html

NAXOS released this delightful Multi~CH SACD in 2007 and it comes highly recommended for both performance and sonics.

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=2833#works

 

[humprof]

NAXOS released this delightful Multi~CH SACD in 2007

https://www.hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=2833#works

Also released on DVD-A--which is what I ended up buying. One of the more discrete-ish Naxos mixes. @Kal Rubinson recommended and did not steer me wrong.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Also released on DVD-A--which is what I ended up buying. One of the more discrete-ish Naxos mixes. @Kal Rubinson recommended and did not steer me wrong.

That's the version I have, humprof. I did manage to add just about all those NAXOS MLP DVD~As and even their BD~As to my collection.

BTW, this remains one of my very favorite NAXOS MLP DVD~As......Amazing performances and sonics to match...and still affordably priced @ AmazonUS:

https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-M.../ref=tmm_dva_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

[humprof]

Well this is embarrassing... I've owned a copy of that one for years and years and although I've played it quite a few times, I forgot the Ravel piece was on it until you posted that pic - too many albums and not enough memory lol. Doh!

As you say, it's an excellent disc and a keeper for sure

Like 4EW, I ordered it, too--but only got around to giving it a listen today. Very nice indeed: great sound, interesting works, crisp performances, medium chamber-ambience surround mix. And the liner notes by Robert Kinzlinger are super informative.

 

[humprof]

Three of the newer, Frenchier Atmos additions on Apple Music. The King's College Fauré seems to be an immersive upgrade of the 2014 SACD, and it's got the most aggressive mix of the bunch, with the Sinfonia of London Ravel a reasonably close second:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/de...à-laprès-midi-dun-faune-orchestral/1616940675https://music.apple.com/us/album/ravel-orchestral-works/1598134121https://music.apple.com/us/album/fauré-requiem-messe-basse/1608958315