Whats on your turntable tonight?

Tonight...

Handel: Concerti a due cori, Numbers 2 & 3
...Gardiner/English Baroque Soloists, Philips 411 122
...Hogwood/Academy of Ancient Music, Decca 6.43008 (a beautifully engineered recording by John Dunkerley, marred by early digital sound)

Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks
...Gardiner/English Baroque Soloists, Philips 411 122

Rutter: Gloria, Rutter/CambridgeSingers, Collegium COL 100
...a lovely performance of this work that continues to be my favorite performance, but I'm also a sucker for that English choral sound. The early digital edge on this recording is neatly ameliorated, and the LP made eminently listenable, by the addition of just a touch of tonearm damping.

The Sound of King's, Willcocks/Choir of King's College (Cambridge), EMI SEOM 5 - absolutely marvelous choral singing. What else would you expect with Willcocks and King's College? Beautiful 1968 EMI recording that well captures the acoustic of King's College Chapel.

Last night...
"Porgy and Bess" (scenes from) with Leontyne Price, Paul Warfield, McHenry Boatwright and John Bubbles - was there ever a greater Sportin' Life than John Bubbles? RCA LSC 2679.

Bruckner, Symphony No. 6, Stein/VPO, London CS 6880 -- the luscious horns of the Vienna Philharmonic make this a special recording.
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Pink Floyd the final cut

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Rushton - glad you liked the play list from yesterday. I always get some inspiration for new LP's from your listings. Please keep 'em coming
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Here is this afternoon's / night's list:
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Mendelssohn Violin Concerto / Henryk Szeryng / London Symphony Orchestra / Dorati - Mercury Living Presence 130-575 MLY
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Schumann Violin Concerto / Henry Szeryng / London Symphony Orchestra - Mercury Living Presence 130-575 MLY
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Dvorak Cello Concerto / Janos Starker / London Symphony Orchestra / Antal Dorati - Mercury Living Presence 35MM - SR90303
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Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto/ Tartini Devil's Trill - Szeryng / Boston Symphony Orchestra / Munch RCA vics-1037 (Second night in a row - just too good).
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Well I guess the party is over for now - back to work tomorrow.
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Rgds, Larry
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Brian Wilson - Smile - First full listen. So much hype to live up to, it will be a challenge. This was a xmas gift from my wife. She's great at picking up on pathetic hints.

Laurindo Almeida - Virtuoso Guitar - 45rpm white vinyl direct-to-disc WOW, OH MY GOD! This is on first couple of listens, one of my top 5 all time best sounding records.

Garr Karr - Adagio d'Albinoni - King/Cisco Super Analogue Disc; Just received vinyl to replace what had been a reference quality CD. Vinyl even better. Never before have I purchased two amazing sounding records at the same time. If you don't know this version, it is simply a ~1600 Amati double bass accompanied by an organ. The bass sounds like a giant cello, but deeper. It will silence a roomful of snooty audiofools in 10 seconds.

Borodin - Sym 2 & 3, Ansermet; London ffrr
Hot Tuna - First Pull Up, Then Pull Down
Oscar Peterson Trio w/Milt Jackson - Very Tall

Preceeded by with Slipknot1:
Charles Mingus Band - Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus (Impulse 180g import)
Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstasy/Freedom Sessions (180g Classic Rec.)
Bill Evans w/Jeremy Steig - What's New(verve)
Happy NewYear,
Spencer

Sbank, agree with you about the Gary Karr - Adagio d'Albinoni on vinyl; that King SuperAnalogue pressing is awfully good. The double bass is alternately massively overwhelming, and then very delicate and subtle.

So, what did you think of "Smile" after all the Fremer-hype?

Tonight...

Deep-diving into the past with the Dave Grusin d-to-d Sheffield LP "Discovered Again", Sheffield LAB 5. Obsessively multi-miked, but with incredible detail. I just can't get into the music.

Albert Fuller playing some of Rameau's harpsichord music on Reference Recordings RR 27. You'd never hear this sound live because you're listening from practically inside the harpsichord, but this recording captures exceedingly well the tonality and texture of a superb sounding harpsichord. If you still don't care for the sound of a harpsichord after listening to this LP, then bless you and move on to something else.

Allison Kinnaird, "The Harp Key", Temple 001, traditional Scottish music for harp at its best, played by the great traditional music harpist, teacher and scholar. Kinnaird is considered one of the leading scholars of traditional Scottish/Celtic music today, and has been instrumental in rediscovering the Scottish music tradition and the Scottish harp and wire strung clarsach (which of course preceded anything going on in Ireland ;-) ).
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