[DISCOUNT EXPIRED] New David Chesky Album, The Venetian Concertos!
May 13, 2016 at 10:33 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 20
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"It's a marvelous re-thinking of an old form that really works and is contemporary music for those who don't like contemporary music." - KPBX Classical Radio[/h2]

David Chesky's newest radically original powerful compositions, The Venetian Concertos, are a tribute to the classic Italian Concerto Grosso form. Chesky uses his fondness for the Baroque as a starting point. However, influenced and inspired by Brazilian, Urban, and Latin music, he then replaces the Baroque line contour with dense chromatic polyphony. The collision of styles creates a powerful new definition of the Orchestral Concerto form, one which embraces a more contemporary and relevant approach to both counterpoint and energy.

Track Listing
Venetian Concertos No. 3
Track 1: Movement 1 (5:27)
Track 2: Movement 2 (4:36)
Track 3: Movement 3 (3:42)

Venetian Concerto No. 1
Track 4: Movement 1 (6:04)
Track 5: Movement 2 (5:22)
Track 6: Movement 3 (4:11)

Venetian Concerto No. 2
Track 7: Movement 1 (6:33)
Track 8: Movement 2 (6:17)
Track 9: Movement 3 (3:59)

Venetian Concerto No. 4
Track 9: Movement 1 (5:41)
Track 10: Movement 2 (6:06)
Track 11: Movement 3 (4:03)
 
Last edited:
May 14, 2016 at 2:38 AM Post #3 of 20
Baroque? I like.. spot this album on Spotify, I'm gonna give it a try.
 
edit, are the track supposed to sound too bassy? 
 
May 15, 2016 at 3:13 AM Post #5 of 20
I'm a huge Baroque music fan. This looks super exciting. Chesky recording quality with music I love, that must be a thing!
 
Sadly, this was a big letdown. It's not a Baroque music, but contemporary compositions "inspired" by Concerto Grosso form. And by "Brazilian, Urban, and Latin music". With "Baroque line contour" replaced "with dense chromatic polyphony". Except for the three movement form there's little that resembles actual Baroque concerts. It's almost like "It's weird, I tried something like Baroque, but it sounds like Latin. Ok, whatever, let's snap Inspired by Brazilian, Urban and Latin music on it and call it a day".
 
It's expected that the result will feel weird. But it also feels uninspired*, unexciting and, especially in contrast to the super easy-to-listen Vivaldi, sort of difficult. Little memorable melodies, no logical harmonic advancements Concerti Grossi are famous for. Few hooks to feel excited about.
 
Check out this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXBWrNN64z8
 
Heck, even sound quality is better, with crappy YouTube sound. And there are real emotions both in the music itself and in the performance.
 
 
* Uninspired is a word that comes to mind with Chesky records more often. Amber Rubarth recordings are a great showcase of what are modern recordings techniques capable of. Yet there's more to enjoy in a 128kB MP3 of Suzanne Vega than in hi-res Amber Rubarth.
 
May 15, 2016 at 9:32 AM Post #6 of 20
  I'm a huge Baroque music fan. This looks super exciting. Chesky recording quality with music I love, that must be a thing!
 
Sadly, this was a big letdown. It's not a Baroque music, but contemporary compositions "inspired" by Concerto Grosso form. And by "Brazilian, Urban, and Latin music". With "Baroque line contour" replaced "with dense chromatic polyphony". Except for the three movement form there's little that resembles actual Baroque concerts. It's almost like "It's weird, I tried something like Baroque, but it sounds like Latin. Ok, whatever, let's snap Inspired by Brazilian, Urban and Latin music on it and call it a day".
 
It's expected that the result will feel weird. But it also feels uninspired*, unexciting and, especially in contrast to the super easy-to-listen Vivaldi, sort of difficult. Little memorable melodies, no logical harmonic advancements Concerti Grossi are famous for. Few hooks to feel excited about.
 
Check out this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXBWrNN64z8
 
Heck, even sound quality is better, with crappy YouTube sound. And there are real emotions both in the music itself and in the performance.
 
 
* Uninspired is a word that comes to mind with Chesky records more often. Amber Rubarth recordings are a great showcase of what are modern recordings techniques capable of. Yet there's more to enjoy in a 128kB MP3 of Suzanne Vega than in hi-res Amber Rubarth.

 
Thanks for your short write-up; I will refrain from buying...
 
I couldn't agree more with you about Chesky's development over the recent years. "Mostly uninspired" is how I perceive it too... and luckily I still have some of Suzanne's stuff on vinyl...
 
May 16, 2016 at 1:11 PM Post #9 of 20
  * Uninspired is a word that comes to mind with Chesky records more often. Amber Rubarth recordings are a great showcase of what are modern recordings techniques capable of. Yet there's more to enjoy in a 128kB MP3 of Suzanne Vega than in hi-res Amber Rubarth.

 
I heartily agree. I keep trying to find some level of musical enjoyment in Chesky records but always seem to fail. And it's not for me not trying. Every few months or so I go back and take a listen and just can't do it. Everything on the label is just so...meh.
 
Edit: I have had a bit more success with 2L Nordic Sound though, worth a look if anyone hasn't yet.
 
May 17, 2016 at 1:10 AM Post #11 of 20
 
* Uninspired is a word that comes to mind with Chesky records more often. Amber Rubarth recordings are a great showcase of what are modern recordings techniques capable of. Yet there's more to enjoy in a 128kB MP3 of Suzanne Vega than in hi-res Amber Rubarth.


I heartily agree. I keep trying to find some level of musical enjoyment in Chesky records but always seem to fail. And it's not for me not trying. Every few months or so I go back and take a listen and just can't do it. Everything on the label is just so...meh.

Edit: I have had a bit more success with 2L Nordic Sound though, worth a look if anyone hasn't yet.

Yup, I concur too. Amber Rubarth's first album sounds great, fidelity-wise*, but I can never get myself to listen to more than 1 track in a sitting, if even. I think people at local meets have listened to that album on my setup more than I have. >.>

Some of 2L's music really is awesome!


*Although I still can't quite grasp the Binaural+ concept either. Most of the recordings to me sound like: stationary left channel instrument, stationary right channel instrument, stationary center channel instrument, or something along those lines. It's not really a great demonstration of binaural recordings in my experience, but I guess it works okay for speakers to get a "binaural" sensation?? If that even makes sense. Ottmar Lieber's Up Close album is still kind of my reference for a musical binaural album done right and demonstrates an effective use of the binaural recording technique. I dunno why Chesky Records moved away from that kind of binaural recording.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecOrBqQAuXg[/video]

I still can't get enough of that track.
 
May 17, 2016 at 10:53 PM Post #12 of 20
*Although I still can't quite grasp the Binaural+ concept either. Most of the recordings to me sound like: stationary left channel instrument, stationary right channel instrument, stationary center channel instrument, or something along those lines. It's not really a great demonstration of binaural recordings in my experience, but I guess it works okay for speakers to get a "binaural" sensation?? If that even makes sense. Ottmar Lieber's Up Close album is still kind of my reference for a musical binaural album done right and demonstrates an effective use of the binaural recording technique. I dunno why Chesky Records moved away from that kind of binaural recording.

 
Exactly my thoughts! I love this Snakecharmer recording, it's one of my references for what can be done on headphones.
 
Also, it seems binaural+ just doesn't work for me. I listened to 8 albums (using HD800) and most tracks sounded like miniature instruments near my head. Nothing impressive, I often get better soundstage and imaging from regular stereo tracks...
 
Snakecharmer, on the other hand, sounds like full-sized instruments are actually in my room. I can feel them and almost see their bodies.
 
Maybe my HRTFs are highly incompatible with the binaural+ technique.
 
(And then, there were some exceptions, most notably in the "You're Surrounded" album... the "When The Saints Go Marching In" version from that album made my jaw drop.)
 
I'll give a look at 2L and Reference Recordings...
 
May 18, 2016 at 2:00 AM Post #13 of 20
  Is this recording part of the Binaural+ series?

I don't know, but even if it was, there shouldn't be much difference anyway. Binaural doesn't really make sense with classical and especially orchestral music. When we sit in the audience, the whole orchestra is in front of us. Violins slightly to the left, cellos slightly to the right. Regular stereo can capture this pretty well. Effects with guitar player walking around the dummy head don't make sense with an orchestra.
 

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