Jazz for aficionados

The Frogman:

The links worked the second time. VIVA CUBA!!!

What was that 'toy' saxophone? Soprano?

Cheers

Various -- THE BEST JAZZ TUNES OF 1960
Various -- THE BEST JAZZ TUNES OF 1961

From the same people that produced the "100 Best Jazz Tunes of the 1950s"

The sound quality is of the same high standard. As before, all top tier players and groups. More lesser known tunes, but that is a good thing.

Nice notes in the inserts with good pictures. Nice package. 2 CDs in each set.

I felt that the 'middle' was sort of weak on Coltrane's 'Giant Steps' and Ornette Coleman's 'Blues Connotation'. At low levels it can disappear. That Ornette gets better every time I hear him.

ANDY BEY AND THE BEY SISTERS. This is great singing with awesome arrangements. Ain't got it, git it. This is the one on the 'prestige' label.

I am listening to my second CD by Bey and his sisters now. Another great one I think!

Cheers

That was a curved (as opposed the more common straight) soprano.

The Frogman:

English Baroque Soloists / Gardiner -- WATER-FIREWORKS

Received this yesterday. It's on 'Authentic' Instruments.
I noticed that the horn sound was much smoother and rounder than the horns on the Proms/French piece. They sounded almost liked modern valved horns.

Is it possible that the French horn players, played the piece exactly as they intended. Could it be that that's the way the horns would have sounded when Handel wrote the piece. The BBC presenter did say the sound would be 'different' to modern ears.

Why isn't all, or at least most, Classical music played on the instruments in use when the music was first written and performed?

Cheers

Excellent questions.

****Is it possible that the French horn players, played the piece exactly as they intended. ****

Unlikely. Choice of volume, blend and tone, possibly. Those are aesthetic choices in part dictated by the conductor. However, out of tune playing is never a desirable choice. The French players were very out of tune; better in tune playing can sometimes be perceived as "smoother". The English Baroque players are simply better players. Having said that, it is probably true that orchestras back then did not demonstrate the often flawless intonation heard from modern orchestras. This is due not only to today's, overall, much higher technical standard on the part of players, but also the superiority of modern instruments. I suppose an argument could be made that "rough-around-the-edges" playing was, in fact, what was often heard back then; but, I would wager that composers back then often cringed and wished that the playing were more refined.

****Why isn't all, or at least most, Classical music played on the instruments in use when the music was first written and performed?****

Assuming the availability of enough period instruments (still intact) to go around (not a safe assumption), playing those instruments presents special challenges to players. These instruments were not fully developed design-wise with fewer (or no) keys or valves in the case of the winds. These same orchestral players would also need to be ready to play more contemporary works that require the sophistication and more complete design of modern instruments without which much of the more modern (1800 or so +) repertory would simply be unplayable. It would be almost impossible for players to keep and stay up to speed on such a wide-range arsenal of different instruments for each historical period of music.