The Art-Music, Literature and Linguistics Forum
March 29, 2024, 12:20:08 pm
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
News: Here you may discover hundreds of little-known composers, hear thousands of long-forgotten compositions, contribute your own rare recordings, and discuss the Arts, Literature and Linguistics in an erudite and decorous atmosphere full of freedom and delight.
 
  Home Help Search Gallery Staff List Login Register  

What are you currently listening to?

Pages: 1 ... 208 209 [210] 211 212 ... 239   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: What are you currently listening to?  (Read 97254 times)
0 Members and 9 Guests are viewing this topic.
Albion
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 2750
Offline Offline

Posts: 1683


Frederic Cowen (1852-1935)


View Profile
« Reply #3135 on: October 19, 2021, 05:01:08 pm »

Cd 2 of this Sony/Columbia set:







I listened to this classic set a bit earlier. (It seems I can't get enough of The Beggars Opera at the moment!) For the cast & exuberance of the recording this has got to be one of the most enjoyable.
I've got to say,the Tom Jones highlight's on cd 2 are fantastic! What a great cast! They must have been mad not to record the whole lot with those singers! :o. Admirer's of Edward German only had to wait 41 years for that complete Naxos recording! Although,there was,apparently,a virtually complete,BBC broadcast recording with dialogue in 1972 (is it here,by the way? It's a bit late/early,actually,to look!). Lionel Monckton /Howard Talbot's The Arcadians is another scandalously neglected operetta! It has been described as operetta meets the music hall and it's a favourite of mine! A fantastic score! The old emi highlights are well sung,but lack fun,imho! The Ohio Light Opera 'complete' recording,with dialogue,has a,decidedly,uneven cast;but the women are very good and it captures more of the joie de vivre! Why oh why it hasn't had a complete professional recording by now,simply beggars belief! Somehow,I'm not surprised,though! ::)

Talk about mix and match.

 :D

Yes, the Naxos recording of Edward German's Tom Jones is wonderful! Regarding Monckton, late-Victorian/ Edwardian musical comedy (or operetta) is sadly under-represented by recordings. Sadly, much of the performing material has been lost. Most of the repertoire was published by Chappell: when their warehouse burnt down in 1964 a whole generation of musical theatre was lost...

 ::)
Report Spam   Logged

"A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it." (Sydney Grew, 1922)
cilgwyn
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 49
Offline Offline

Posts: 1914



View Profile
« Reply #3136 on: October 19, 2021, 05:50:57 pm »

Bad news about Chappell! I didn't know that! :( But,if the American's can do it,they could still record The Arcadians. The Ohio Light Opera recordings have had their critics; (I like some of their recordings) but I do I admire their enterprise. I looked up details of the 1972 broadcast of Edward German's Tom Jones,and I was surprised to see that Myer Fredman was the conductor! No sign of it online or on Youtube,however! I suppose someone has an off-air tape,somewhere? Or maybe,as it was being broadcast,it vanished into the ether,forever?!! ::)
Report Spam   Logged
cilgwyn
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 49
Offline Offline

Posts: 1914



View Profile
« Reply #3137 on: October 19, 2021, 07:23:13 pm »

Round the Horne on Radio 4 Extra! Lionel got me listening to this. I remember,my late mother used to like it! :)
Report Spam   Logged
cilgwyn
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 49
Offline Offline

Posts: 1914



View Profile
« Reply #3138 on: October 20, 2021, 12:58:32 pm »

My "Like New" copy of Ethel Smyth's The Boatswain's Mate for £5.06p arrived today;and it was "Like New"! Brand new,actually & still in it's shrink wrap! Absolutely pristine,too! Considering I paid around £16.95 for my new ::) copy & some idiot had put a small sticker on the front,that when peeled off wiith some difficulty,discoloured the card underneath! £16.95!! And I could have waited a bit longer & got it for a fiver! (I had it on 2 cd-r's!) What's that phrase? "I feel as sick as a parrott"!! ::) ;D Thank you to that ebay seller,though! :) And,nice to know Retrospect Opera got something for the sale,even if I end up having to sell my shirt's! ::) ;D
Report Spam   Logged
Albion
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 2750
Offline Offline

Posts: 1683


Frederic Cowen (1852-1935)


View Profile
« Reply #3139 on: October 20, 2021, 02:32:41 pm »

The most complete recording of



Surprisingly, there is no modern recording of this opera, German's most popular. This version includes a couple of songs which are often cut in performance, When a man is a lover and The Big Brass Band. As far as I know no recording has ever included Imagination. No wonder, it's Basil Hood at his pun-fest worst and German just doodling around in aimless fashion. There are many splendid numbers nevertheless - but oh, those dreary Morris Dancers who do their best to scupper the end of the Act I finale by popping up for no discernible reason (knicky-knocky, knick-knock indeed - I'd happily bash 'em all over the head with a bloody big stick)



and the curse of the tedious jig (German had a chronic addiction to 6/8, Jig, Saltarello or Tarantella didn't much seem to matter as long as it went diddly-diddly)...

 ::)
Report Spam   Logged

"A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it." (Sydney Grew, 1922)
Albion
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 2750
Offline Offline

Posts: 1683


Frederic Cowen (1852-1935)


View Profile
« Reply #3140 on: October 20, 2021, 03:18:30 pm »

oh, those dreary Morris Dancers who do their best to scupper the end of the Act I finale by popping up for no discernible reason (knicky-knocky, knick-knock indeed - I'd happily bash 'em all over the head with a bloody big stick)


Yep, they've just effectively knackered the Act I finale "With a hey, Robin, jolly, jolly Robin". Utterly dismal cobblers, after the dramatic confrontation between Queen Elizabeth, Walter Raleigh and Bessie Throckmorton. On to Act II...

 ;)
Report Spam   Logged

"A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it." (Sydney Grew, 1922)
cilgwyn
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 49
Offline Offline

Posts: 1914



View Profile
« Reply #3141 on: October 20, 2021, 05:11:23 pm »

I've got to say,I think the singing on that old recording of Merrie England is great,imho,and I'm dubious it could be bettered these days. I had it on Lp and cassette and I used to play it allot! The worst thing about the recording,imo,was the chorus who sounded like a hyperactive version of the Radio 2 show,Sing Something Simple! They were ridiculously perky sounding! They sounded like they'd drunk too much orange juice! You felt like shouting." For god's sake stop sounding so jolly!" I keep meaning to get the cd set. I recently discovered that the second tape in my cfp musicassette had been chewed up! (Even the cassette deck couldn't handle the jolliness! ::)) I like Peter Dawson's old recording's of individual song's too! His chorus are a bit mechanical;but at least they're not manic!!


I read a review on Amazon that states that the recording of Tom Jones does not include the dialogue,because they were refused permission on copyright reasons. Is this true?
Did Naxos,originally,intend to include some dialogue? I'm in the minority who actually quite like a bit of dialogue in between numbers;although,I can,certainly,live without it! I While you might argue the case for the inclusion of the dialogue in G & S,because WS Gilbert was a clever wordsmith & wit,I doubt if the dialogue in Tom Jones would be much fun,minus the stage 'action'?!!





 
Report Spam   Logged
Albion
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 2750
Offline Offline

Posts: 1683


Frederic Cowen (1852-1935)


View Profile
« Reply #3142 on: October 20, 2021, 05:31:56 pm »

chorus who sounded like a hyperactive version of the Radio 2 show,Sing Something Simple! They were ridiculously perky sounding! They sounded like they'd drunk too much orange juice! You felt like shouting." For god's sake stop sounding so jolly!"

Nope, the recording ain't of the best (distortion aplenty) and "The Williams Singers" (Kenneth perhaps) were probably on LSD. I think our friend may have nipped round to the studio with her little "soothers"...



...With Florrie it's a jolly holiday - that's what comes of too much jigging!

 :D
Report Spam   Logged

"A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it." (Sydney Grew, 1922)
cilgwyn
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 49
Offline Offline

Posts: 1914



View Profile
« Reply #3143 on: October 20, 2021, 06:59:53 pm »

     

I wonder what they're like in Chu-Chin-Chow?!! ::)                           Maybe,Shirley Bassey was more their scene?!!
Report Spam   Logged
cilgwyn
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 49
Offline Offline

Posts: 1914



View Profile
« Reply #3144 on: October 20, 2021, 10:38:58 pm »

Playing Now!



Another excellent recording of The Beggars Opera. Albion is right to call it a masterpiece. The Beggars Opera is grrreeeat! :) :) :) :) :)
The artwork in this photo is a bit blurry! Thankfully,it's not really like that! (Or I just need new glasses?!! ::))
Report Spam   Logged
Albion
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 2750
Offline Offline

Posts: 1683


Frederic Cowen (1852-1935)


View Profile
« Reply #3145 on: October 21, 2021, 12:07:27 am »

Maybe,Shirley Bassey was more their scene?!!

 :D



Thanks, Russ, no need to look so anxious - at 20p nobody can grumble about the quality of the performance. After all, not many concertos feature drugged-up chorus...



 ;)

Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

Report Spam   Logged

"A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it." (Sydney Grew, 1922)
Albion
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 2750
Offline Offline

Posts: 1683


Frederic Cowen (1852-1935)


View Profile
« Reply #3146 on: October 21, 2021, 09:23:57 am »



A very useful disc to have, as it includes the Oboe and Trumpet Concertos which were not in the Decca 4-disc box (2006). Plus you get recordings by two of the original performers, Richard Adeney (flute) and John Wallace (trumpet). This disc was released in 1990 but reissued in 2006 as part of EMI's "British Composers" collection (0946 3 70563 2 5).

 :)
Report Spam   Logged

"A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it." (Sydney Grew, 1922)
cilgwyn
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 49
Offline Offline

Posts: 1914



View Profile
« Reply #3147 on: October 21, 2021, 01:47:56 pm »

The Williams singers are just wrong for that kind of music! They remind me of that old Radio 2 program,Sing something Simple,where popular songs were all sung at the same tempi. The Williams Singers are like a hyperactive,manic,version! They're just so cheerful,it's almost as if they can't wait to jump in! As John Bercow might say (bellow) " Calm down! Take up yoga! Take some soothing medication!" Imagine them doing the choruses in Gilbert and Sullivan! Oh wait a minute! Nobody could possibly want to! ::)



Take up yoga,guys!


Report Spam   Logged
cilgwyn
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 49
Offline Offline

Posts: 1914



View Profile
« Reply #3148 on: October 21, 2021, 05:22:12 pm »



A concoction of Strauss Waltzes,Polka's and Marches arranged in the form of a,quite lovely,operetta,by Erich Wolfgang Korngold,Julius Bittner & Eugene Cool.First performed in Vienna in 1930, English versions were performed in London & on Broadway.There was even a film version by Hitchcock! This 1972 recording has a fine cast,Mady Mesplé on top form & the orchestra is expertly conducted by Jean Doussard. You get The Blue Danube in a sung,and quite beautiful choral arrangement,amongst other well known numbers! What not to enjoy in this 2 cd set?! Oh yes,no Williams Singers!! :)
Report Spam   Logged
Albion
Level 7
*******

Times thanked: 2750
Offline Offline

Posts: 1683


Frederic Cowen (1852-1935)


View Profile
« Reply #3149 on: October 21, 2021, 07:07:36 pm »



A concoction of Strauss Waltzes,Polka's and Marches arranged in the form of a,quite lovely,operetta,by Erich Wolfgang Korngold,Julius Bittner & Eugene Cool.First performed in Vienna in 1930, English versions were performed in London & on Broadway.There was even a film version by Hitchcock! This 1972 recording has a fine cast,Mady Mesplé on top form & the orchestra is expertly conducted by Jean Doussard. You get The Blue Danube in a sung,and quite beautiful choral arrangement,amongst other well known numbers! What not to enjoy in this 2 cd set?! Oh yes,no Williams Singers!! :)

Here they are in a recent performance of Mozart's Requiem...



...a bit of razzle-dazzle can liven up the gloomiest of evenings. Dies eerie...

 :D
Report Spam   Logged

"A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it." (Sydney Grew, 1922)

Pages: 1 ... 208 209 [210] 211 212 ... 239   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
SMF For Free - Create your own Forum


Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy