Post by Beagle May 15, 2006 (1 of 12)
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If any are considering acquiring these 2 discs, the best buy is pre-ordering now from Amazon Canada (CN $42.99 Cn = US$38.78). I don't know how this works for europe & appendages, but in n. america it looks rather attractive.
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Post by brenda May 15, 2006 (2 of 12)
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Beagle said:
If any are considering acquiring these 2 discs, the best buy is pre-ordering now from Amazon Canada (CN $42.99 Cn = US$38.78). I don't know how this works for europe & appendages, but in n. america it looks rather attractive.
beagle, yes, but for european buyers, the cost of trans-at postage and the long delay time from Canada means that jpc or amazon.uk are probably the best bets. B
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Post by Beagle June 1, 2006 (3 of 12)
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Interesting bit from the liner notes:
"In the first chapter of 'An Equal Music' by the English-speaking Indian writer Vikram Seth ... the protagonist, Michael, who is a violinist in a quartet, looks for a printed edition and a recording of Beethoven's String Quintet Op.104, which he has just recently discovered and is eager to know better. He will find both, but with considerable difficulty, uncovering the only seemingly strange fact -- considering the oddities of the world of discography -- that in 1999 (year in which the novel was published), no complete recording of Beethoven's String Quintets existed; a gap which the present double CD, following Vikram Seth's indirect suggestion, finally seeks to fill."
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Post by brenda June 2, 2006 (4 of 12)
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Beagle said:in 1999 (year in which the novel was published), no complete recording of Beethoven's String Quintets existed; a gap which the present double CD, following Vikram Seth's indirect suggestion, finally seeks to fill."
hi beagle, -
there's also a new release from Brilliant classics (RBCD only) of the compl. string quintnets. You wait for ages for a bus and then .....
By the way, caiman had this listed at £16 the set yesterday, - a very good price if its still there (amazon.co.uk). Cheers, B
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Post by Beagle October 22, 2006 (5 of 12)
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'AN EQUAL MUSIC' by Vikram Seth
I picked this peculiar book up last Monday, and it has been my reading-of-choice all week. I hope the author will allow a brief quote here, to show what stuff it is made of. Apparently musicians like a good squabble just as much as any forum user. Here the music critic Nicholas takes the mickey out of first violinist, Piers:
[Piers says] "It's people like you, who're only interested in what's glamorous or trendy. You'd rather go to the world première of some trash than a great performance of something that you'd find boring because it's good." Nicholas Spare basks in the attack. "I do love it when you get passionate, Piers," he says provocatively. "What would you say if I came to the Wig[more] and reviewed you? And put it in my weekly highlights of future concerts?"
"I'd be speechless," says Piers.
"Well, I promise to. That's my word of honour. What are you playing?"
"Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven," says Piers. "And there's a thematic connection between them that you might find interesting. Each quartet has a fugal movement."
"Fugal? Marvellous," says Nicholas, his attention wandering. "And in Vienna?"
"All Schubert: Quartettsatz, Trout Quintet, string quintet."
"Oh, the Trout," says Nicholas, sighing. "How sweet. All that tedious charm. I hate the Trout. It's so county."
"F--k you, Nicholas," says Piers.
"Yes!" says Nicholas, brightening up. "I hate it. I loathe it. it makes me ill. It's so kitsch. It knows exactly what the right moves are, and it makes them all. It's light and it's trite. I'm astonished that anyone still plays it. No, on second thoughts, I'm not astonished. Some people should have their ears tested. Actually, Piers, do you know, your ears are far too big. Well, as I was saying, I'm not a snob -- I like a lot of light music -- but..."
Piers, livid, pours a glass of warm punch on his host's head.
--So, thanks to Mr Seth and his quirky characters, I'm listening to Beethoven's Piano Trio Op. 1 no. 3 which he wrote when he was 25 and the New Kid in Wien, and then the Quintet op. 104 which he based upon the trio, 22 years later. Thankfully, I don't have to haunt old vinyl shoppes in London like Seth's feckless hero, in order to hear this almost-lost quint. Listen to the book*, read the music, have some fun.
*Available as an audio-book, read by Alan Bates.
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Post by andrewb October 23, 2006 (6 of 12)
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Beagle said:
'AN EQUAL MUSIC' by Vikram Seth
I picked this peculiar book up last Monday, and it has been my reading-of-choice all week.
...
Vikram Seth's novel is excellent, and for me it easily rates 5 stars but the discs only 4 stars for both performance and MC recording.
The SACD set is enjoyable but is rather spoiled by the lead violinist being too prominent for much of the time, which often upsets the balance. By far the best quintet of the set is the most well known, the C major, Opus 29.
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Post by Beagle October 23, 2006 (7 of 12)
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andrewb said:
The SACD set is enjoyable but is rather spoiled by the lead violinist being too prominent for much of the time
In the novel, that would be the irrascible Piers (see above), so Andrea Vio is only being true to character here. And it is in the nature of the primarius to play brillante; when I'm in the audience, I can see the Other Violinist's fingers move, but all I can hear is the First. --Another flaw perhaps in the fundamentals of Western Civilisation, like the inaudibility of violas, and the difficulty of sitting for more than an hour....
I find this recording quite enjoyable -- and a sharp contrast to its source, Trio op. 1 no. 3. Same tune, different message. Quite the study in musical statements, since virtually the same music says "Watch out Vienna, Beethoven's here!" in the early trio, and "All together now, let's make nice" in the quint.
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Post by Darwin October 23, 2006 (8 of 12)
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Andrew/Beagle -
Would either of you care to say a bit more about what you think of this set? It doesn't look like anyone has done an actual review yet. I'm tempted to get it but for some reason I always feel a bit apprehensive about "Complete" recordings.
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Post by Beagle October 23, 2006 (9 of 12)
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Darwin said:
Would either of you care to say a bit more about what you think of this set?
Dear D,
What is to say? It is good Beethoven, not at all difficult, moody but good-moody. My remarks here are devoted to the op 104 to which I have been listening non-stop all week. You can judge the rest from it. (But be warned, I am an 'unintelligent, stubborn, going-deaf' two-channeler.)
OPUS 104
The music-making is less manneristic than my old fave recording of op. 1 by the Castle Trio, but that's okay. Ludwig is no longer on stage, smashing the ivories; he is sitting this one out, while his friends have a happy ménage-à-cinq romp. A fivesome is less spunky than a three- or foursome, somewhat more difficult to focus on individual playaers (who indeed can hear two violas at once?). The sound is neither planar nor pointillist, just a good solid band of string sound from far left to far right.
'Tis true, the first violin, aka left-hand corner, holds sway with his insistent treble notes, making the 1st mvt rather quintuor-brillante (but the cello has some good licks too -- some stolen from the piano in the original trio). The 2nd mvt is more concertante, unison playing and Very Sweet, perhaps a valentine to a female student? The 3rd is a very 'dancey' minuet, moody in a peculiar way... Sturm und Tanz? The 4th, Finale prestissimo, is just that. It evokes the 'Dammit, I KNOW that tune...' reflex.
All in all, I can imagine a more outrageous performance -- but I won't hold my breath waiting for it. As mentioned above, the quint playing is less manic than that of the trio -- but one can't be unhinged all the time. The world is SO fortunate to have this recording of the quints, and it's a thoroughly pleasant pair of discs (especially if you get a joli prix like I did). WARNING: Purchase of the book will multiply your pleasure in this recording more than you can imagine.
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Post by Darwin October 25, 2006 (10 of 12)
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Beagle said:
(But be warned, I am an 'unintelligent, stubborn, going-deaf' two-channeler.)
I'm not quite as hard core about multichannel as Mr. Popp's description. (I do like it though :) )
Thanks for the comments....maybe this will make a nice Xmas present to myself. I think winter is the best time to crawl under a blanket and do some serious evening listening.
P.S. I think violas are like altos: missed in their absence, snubbed when present...
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