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  1. J.S. Bach and the Mass in B-minor

    Today yet another Bach purchase arrived in the mail... although in this instance the work is something of the Holy Grail of Bach recordings:



    Last December I had planned upon purchasing this set of Bach recordings by Gardiner...



    ... but I ended up putting off this purchase wanting to save the money ...
  2. French Mélodies part 3

    French Mélodies Part 3

    I was looking over my CD shelves today and found myself somewhat (OK... not really) surprised that I own far more music by Russian composers than I do by French composers... in spite of my expressed preference (and in spite of the fact that my collection of the greatest Russian composer, Tchaikovsky, is woefully malnourished). What I have come to recognize is that there is a huge gaping void in French music that limits the amount of music I have by French composers ...

    Updated 02-14-2010 at 07:38 PM by stlukesguild

    Categories
    , Musical Explorations
  3. French Mélodies Part 2

    French Mélodies Part 2: Gérard Souzay

    My preference has long been for female singers... at least when dealing with the repertoire of the French Mélodies. The music and the poems both have such a degree of sensuality that they seem to call out for the female voice. Obviously with Philippe Jaroussky I have made an exception... then again, his artful and artificial countertenor is almost a perversely decadent exception.

    Recently, however, I discovered Gérard Souzay. ...
  4. Peter Lieberson and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson: Neruda Songs

    I've been listening quite a bit to a number of absolutely gorgeous vocal collections. The first of these, in my opinion, is an absolute must-have disc... an expression of the triumph of love... even in the face of tragedy... and death:



    This recording is is an absolutely heart-wrenching experience. The composer, Peter Lieberson (born 1945), studied music and composition with Milton Babbitt and ...

    Updated 01-17-2010 at 01:01 AM by stlukesguild

    Categories
    , Musical Explorations