[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calaf I have learned to trust Frau Bunnyears: I had Herr Quasthoff in my yourmusic queue already, now he shot to the top Concerning the new Gardiner, I am also a subscriber, and with the exception of the last installment SDG118 which is, shall we say, less than involving, I find the new cycle a real thrill to listen to. Silly as it may be, the idea that these guys dished out 50+ recordings (and concerts) in one year with only two takes available for each cantata, projects an aura of adventure on the music...

Be careful. I liked it so much I also had to buy it in SACD as well. I only wish yourmusic offered more of the SACDS as well as the regular stereo. I'd be happy to pay an extra dollar for those.

 

[LFF]

Bunny, how much is the price to subscribe to Gardiner's series?

 

[calaf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF Bunny, how much is the price to subscribe to Gardiner's series?

since Bunny is offline here's the info
http://www.solideogloria.co.uk/shop/...TOKEN=77983576
with the 25% subscriber discount it comes out to about $26 per 2 CD-issue (shipping is included).

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calaf I have learned to trust Frau Bunnyears: I had Herr Quasthoff in my yourmusic queue already, now he shot to the top Concerning the new Gardiner, I am also a subscriber, and with the exception of the last installment SDG118 which is, shall we say, less than involving, I find the new cycle a real thrill to listen to. Silly as it may be, the idea that these guys dished out 50+ recordings (and concerts) in one year with only two takes available for each cantata, projects an aura of adventure on the music...

Cher Papa Strumpf,

Thanks for the kind words and thanks for giving LFF the information about the Gardiner Cantatas. I certainly don't remember the price of the subscription at this point.

Meanwhile I just found the gardiner Vespro at overstock.com for about $23. Oops! that's gone now. They also have the complete Mackerras Mozart Symphonies for a pretty decent price as well as 5 other pages of Monteverdi and 80+ pages of Mozart and Bach.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calaf since Bunny is offline here's the info http://www.solideogloria.co.uk/shop/...TOKEN=77983576 with the 25% subscriber discount it comes out to about $26 per 2 CD-issue (shipping is included).

Thanks.

 

[zumaro]

I think the main reason I haven't subscribed to the Gardiner series, is that unlike these SDG releases, the first CDs of the pilgrimage released on DG were not of the highest quality. While I am not sure why DG would release less impressive performances first, I seem to remember some fairly unpleasant countertenor singing that I found quite offputting. Certainly the performances seemed no match for Suzuki at the time, although on the latest evidence Gardiner's approach and quality of performance now seem very similar to Suzuki's.

So maybe worse is to come, but the SDG releases so far have been excellent.

 

[Hell_Gopher]

Does anyone know if that Quasthoff cantatas disc is pure or hybrid SACD? Amazon.co.uk and Mdt.co.uk only offer the SACD version - I wonder if that will play on my old-school CD player too...

 

[Bunnyears]

Hell_Gopher,

No need to worry. I have it and it's a hybrid. I don't know why they didn't list it that way, but nowadays all SACD releases are hybrids except for some TACET releases.

 

[Hell_Gopher]

Thanks! Although now I have to buy it, damn.

BTW For anyone who likes Gardiner's take on the cantatas, a 9-cd boxset of his Matthew and John Passions, Christmas Oratorio and B Minor Mass is selling very cheap on http://www.mdt.co.uk at the moment - €43. I have it and it's pretty good (bar the B Minor Mass). It's very much in the same style as his cantata releases.

 

[calaf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hell_Gopher Thanks! Although now I have to buy it, damn. BTW For anyone who likes Gardiner's take on the cantatas, a 9-cd boxset of his Matthew and John Passions, Christmas Oratorio and B Minor Mass is selling very cheap on http://www.mdt.co.uk at the moment - €43. I have it and it's pretty good (bar the B Minor Mass). It's very much in the same style as his cantata releases.

I don't know why so many dislike Gardiner's B minor Mass. I actually find his strict/brisk tempi quite fitting to the "big Mass". And it's not like there is no poetry: think about the "Laudamus te" in the Gloria, or the Soprano/Alto duet in the Credo (can't remember what is called). And with the chorals being so dominant (peace Rilling) Gardiner's secret weapon (his choir) really shines.
What I like much less in that set is the Matthew Passion. There I would agree, Gardiner's "big show" style does not match the character of the music. Also I don't care much for Rolfe-Johnson as the Evangelist: his delivery may be accurate (what do I know?) but he comes out as flat, uninvolved.

 

[Hell_Gopher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calaf What I like much less in that set is the Matthew Passion. There I would agree, Gardiner's "big show" style does not match the character of the music. Also I don't care much for Rolfe-Johnson as the Evangelist: his delivery may be accurate (what do I know?) but he comes out as flat, uninvolved.

While I take your point on the Mass, I have to disagree about the Matthew. It's one of my favourites (others I own: Harnoncourt, Netherlands Bach Society). Agreed that the evangelist isn't the greatest, but the other soloists - and the choir, of course - are superb. Particularly Bonney, with Chance perhaps being the weakest. I actually like Gardiner's bombastic style in most Bach.

Edit:

I said: The main thing I dislike about the Mass are the soloists, who are perhaps not up to par with some other recordings.

Let me change my story a little (Your post prompted me to stick it on again ^^): It's not so much the soloists, but some of the choral parts. They seem to bug me in some way. Not as powerful and rich as they could be - surprising to me, since I love the Monteverdi Choir.

 

[calaf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hell_Gopher Let me change my story a little (Your post prompted me to stick it on again ^^): It's not so much the soloists, but some of the choral parts. They seem to bug me in some way. Not as powerful and rich as they could be - surprising to me, since I love the Monteverdi Choir.

if you started from the beginning, I agree there something in the chorals that bugs me too there. I figure Gardiner keeps the Monteverdis under wraps because after all the Kyrie is (originally) funeral music. But if you put on disk 2 and listen to the Credo, particularly when they explode in the "Resurrexit" (or what ever it is, I haven't got the disk in front of me), there is no shortage of power and joy there...