Concerts
Christian Tetzlaff plays Mozart: Violinkonzert D-dur. The orchestra are the Camerata Salzburg, conducted by Roger Norrington in this concert dating from 2001. Enjoy :-)
markfromireland
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This speaks so eloquently for itself that saying anything other than:
Would be superfluous.
markfromireland
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Perhaps it's ungracious to start by saying that like many I consider the attribution of this setting of the Magnificat to Pergolesi to be more than somewhat dubious. I think on stylistic grounds that it's far more likely to have been composed by Pergolesi's teacher Francesco Durante (1684-1755). In a way it's not desperately important who composed it as this particular setting of the Magnificat has a wonderfully expressive simplicity that, when it's well sung, sounds as though it's very easy to sing but is in fact a very demanding piece of music for soloists, choir, and orchestra alike.
The superb quality of The Atlanta Boy Choir's performance in the video below gives no indication of the difficulties of the piece. The accompaniment which can often be overwhelmed by the chorus has been given its proper weight, the soloists are more than up to their task, and the choir respond magnificently to the text and to Fletcher Wolfe's conducting. If I have a quibble – and it is a quibble, I would have liked the tempo to be just a touch slower. But otherwise this is one of the best performances of the piece I've ever heard. Kudos to the Atlanta Boy Choir and their Alumni Men's Choir both for the performance and for making it on available on YouTube. The music video, performer information, text and translations all below the fold. Enjoy :-).
markfromireland
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This live performance of Rossini's Stabat Mater was given by the Philharmonia Orchestra on August 23rd 1981 at the Royal Albert Hall, London,, the conductor was Carlo Maria Giulini and the soloists Katia Ricciarelli (soprano), Lucia Valentini Terrani (mezzo), Dalmacio Gonzalez (tenor), Ruggero Raimondi (bass). More than thirty years later it still sounds good to me – quite as good as the Deutsche Gramophon recording with the same cast issued two years later in 1983. As you might expect of a Stabat Mater set by Rossini it's both gloriously uplifting and profoundly operatic piece of music. I find it impossible to single out a part of this Stabat Mater setting that I prefer above others. From the austerity of the orchestral introduction to the hushed tension of the opening chorus, the dramatic interludes, the unmistakably Italian melodies, the sumptious duet at Quis est homo …, the magnificent solos, are all deeply thrilling and if I were given the choice between listening to his Stabat Mater and listening to one of his later operas I would invariably plump for the Stabat Mater simply because Rossini scaled musical peak after musical peak to compose it. But I've raved on far too long. You'll find it and its text below. Enjoy :-).
markfromireland
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For Vivi, Tchaikovsky's - Symphony No 1 "Winter Daydreams" in G Minor played by the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov. Enjoy :-)
markfromireland
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