January 8, 2011

Playlist Week of 1-08-11

Thermometer

* J.S. Bach: B Minor Mass (Coll. Vocale Gent/Herreweghe): Schwarzenberg, Germany 9-03-10 (FM 2CDR)
* Beethoven: Missa Solemnis (La Chapelle Royale, et al./Herreweghe) (Harmonia Mundi CD)
* Dizzy Gillespie & Charlie Parker: Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945 (Uptown CD)
* Sun Ra & His Mythic Science Arkestra: The Paris Tapes 1971 (Art Yard/Kindred Spirits 2CD)
* Sun Ra & His Space Arkestra: What Planet Is This? (Leo/GY 2CD)
* John Coltrane: Om (Impulse! CD)
* Bill Evans: Trio ’64 (Verve CD)
* Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil (Blue Note LP)
* Wayne Shorter: The Soothsayer (Blue Note CD)
* Muhal Richard Abrams: Vision Towards Essence (Pi CD)
* Anthony Braxton & Gerry Hemingway: Old Dogs (2007) (d.3)(Mode/Avant 4CD)
* Nina Simone: The Anthology (d.1) (RCA 2CD)
* Gigi: Gigi (Palm/Ryko CD)
* The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (2009 stereo) (Apple/EMI CD)
* The Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour (2009 stereo) (Apple/EMI CD)
* The Beatles: Yellow Submarine (2009 stereo) (Apple/EMI CD)
* The Who: Tommy (Deluxe Edition) (d.1) (Geffen 2SACD)
* The Who: Quadrophenia (Track/Polydor 2LP)
* Grateful Dead: Cal Expo Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA 5-25-93 (SBD 3CDR)‡
* Grateful Dead: Cal Expo Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA 5-26-93 (SBD 3CDR)‡
* Grateful Dead: Cal Expo Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA 5-27-93 (d.1-2) (SBD 3CDR)‡
* Grateful Dead: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 6-05-93 (SBD 3CDR)(‡)
* Anton Fier: Dreamspeed/Blind Light (1992-1994) (Tzadik 2CD)
* Sonic Youth/Mats Gustafsson/Merzbow: Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth (SYR-8 CD)
* Royal Trux: Sweet Sixteen (Virgin CD)
* Robert Pollard: Crickets: The Best of the Fading Captain Series (d.2) (FCS 2CD)†
* Robert Pollard: Moses On A Snail (GBV, Inc. CD)†
* Beck: Guero (Interscope DVD-A/CD)
* Beck: The Information (Interscope DVD-A/CD)
* Wilco: The Riviera, Chicago, IL 2-19-08 (FM 3CDR)

†=iPod
‡=car

Commentary:

Philippe Herreweghe is probably the finest choral conductor of our age, bringing coherence—not mention supreme musicality—to some of the most unwieldy works in the repertoire. His (second) recording of Bach’s B Minor Mass (Harmonia Mundi) is utterly sublime—and a recent live performance in Germany is clearly just as inspired. Even more impressive is his recording of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis (also Harmonia Mundi). Herreweghe tackles this notoriously difficult work with breathtaking authority, bringing out the inherent tensions of a “secular Mass,” yet summoning forth a moving, indeed, deeply spiritual performance. The difference between Bach and Beethoven is stark: every note Bach ever wrote is imbued with unquestioned faith and religiosity, while Beethoven’s Mass is an anguished and uncertain act of will. Herreweghe understand this and allows the music speak these profundities without resorting to artificial histrionics or overblown production. This is “historically-informed performance” at its most convincing. To hear them is to believe.

1 comment:

Sam said...

Hey Rodger! The big thing for me this past week has been digging into the Mosaic Ellington box--amazing stuff and highly recommended. That, plus the new Braxton, made for a very fulfilling week of listening! Glad to see you got the Paris Ra set--it's got some great stuff on it, and I can't wait to read about it in a future Sun Ra Sunday.

Playlist 2011-01-10

*Stockhausen/Lachenmann: Musikfest Berlin 2008-09-17 (CDR)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1987-03-08 Cambridge, MA (CDR)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1987-08-27 Willisau, Switzerland (CDR)
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: The Alternate Express
*Art Ensemble of Chicago: 1989-04-14 Atlanta, GA (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton Diamond Curtain Wall Quartet: 2010-10-05 Mannheim, Germany (CDR)
*Anthony Braxton Septet: 2010-10-07 Strasbourg, France (CDR)
*Miles Davis: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings Of The Miles Davis Quintet January 1965 To June 1968 (discs 3 & 4)
*Miles Davis Quintet: 1967-11-07 Karlsruhe (CDR)
*Miles Davis: Bitches Brew
*Duke Ellington: The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (discs 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10)
*Coleman Hawkins: The Bebop Years (disc 1)
*Charles Mingus: Mingus Plays Piano
*Sun Ra and His Mythic Science Arkestra: The Paris Tapes
*These Arches: 2010-11-19 New Haven, CT (CDR)
*Animal Collective: Grass
*Animal Collective: Water Curses
*Animal Collective: Fall Be Kind
*Captain Beefheart: Doc at the Radar Station
*Fela: Gentleman
*Fela: Confusion
*Jimi Hendrix: West Coast Seattle Boy (single disc version)
*Buddy Holly: Down the Line: Rarities (disc 1)
*Loretta Lynn: van Lear Rose
*Sean O'Hagan & Jean Pierre Muller: The Musical Paintings, Vol. 1
*Robert Pollard: Crickets: The Best of The Fading Captain Series
*Prince & the Revolution: The Avenue (1983-08-03 Minneapolis) (boot CDR) disc 2
*Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet

Reading log 2011-01-10

*Canniff, Milton. Terry & the Pirates Color Sundays Vol. 7 1941 (started)
*Canniff, Milton. Terry & the Pirates Color Sundays Vol. 6 1940 (started/finished)
*Richards, Keith. Life (started)
*Canniff, Milton. Terry & the Pirates Color Sundays Vol. 5 1939 (finished)
*Oates, Joyce Carol. Blonde (finished)
*O'Brien, Geoffrey. The Phantom Empire (finished)
*Moore, Steven. The Novel: An Alternative History: Beginnings to 1600 (in progress)