Authentic Instrument mp3s - String Quartet Op.135

[Peter]

Now available to members at www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/authentic.html

------------------
'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

And so we come to the last piece in the series, hope you enjoyed the ride.

Reasonable performances in these tracks by the Eroica Quartet, though nothing I would say particularly outstanding. I like the dry solemn tone of the strings, but their rendition of the scherzo is ridiculously slow, like a plodding andante of all things!.

The other recording I play is 'modern', by the Lindsay quartet (their first recording of it), and as such is excellent though they go a little over the top in the Lento. Their Op132 also on this disk however is awful.

Talking generally I think the first movement is just a miracle, there's nothing quite like it. The Lento as beautiful as one would expect from this period especially.




------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Sorrano]

I just discovered that I have not been able, for some reason, to download the more recent .wma files. Most of them have been loaded (saved) as html files. And clicking on the files takes me to a website and not to the mp3. Any ideas on that?

[Rod]

Originally posted by Sorrano:
I just discovered that I have not been able, for some reason, to download the more recent .wma files. Most of them have been loaded (saved) as html files. And clicking on the files takes me to a website and not to the mp3. Any ideas on that?

Poor marks for observation. The links are on the website pages if you look! You have to wait a few seconds for the link to become active (see the countdown timer on the page?). A small price to pay for otherwise free music. I look forward to your assessment.

------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 06-08-2006).]

[PDG]

Upon first listen nothing really stood out for me to make these recordings sound any different to the "modern" recordings I knew already. Apart from, maybe, the more rasping tone, especially of the viola. I'll go away and play a newer recording, then listen again to these mp3s.

[Rutradelusasa]

Originally posted by Rod:
And so we come to the last piece in the series, hope you enjoyed the ride.

Sure enjoyed it, but won't you continue with WoO?
Also, why not make a list of every recording that was available during this journey? This is a source of recommendation and could be used for further reference. This could also shed some light on what wasn't available, and maybe one of us has the piece in period instruments, bringing us closer to completion.

Thanks!

------------------
"Wer ein holdes weib errugen..."

[Chaszz]

I thought these were very good. A fitting end to the series, though I also wish it would continue in some guise.

[sjwenger]

I've very much enjoyed the music, and I heard some that I'd not been familiar with at all. I hope you'll continue. I know it's a lot of work, but the rewards (to others) are great : }

------------------
To learn about "The Port-Wine Sea," my parody of Patrick O'Brian's wonderful Aubrey-Maturin series, please contact me at
susanwenger@yahoo.com

To learn about "The Better Baby" book, ways to increase a baby's intelligence, health, and potentials, please use the same address.

[Rod]

Thanks for all the above comments, which I try to answer here. Concerning WoO pieces, I have already done this here. Before the 'Authentic' page we had the 'rare' page, in which all the best from my collection of the WoO and other lesser known opus works were given a digital airing. Peter has all this music and the text that went with it so I don't know if he is prepared to resurrect that page. I suggest if you want more from Roddy's CD collection you join my Handel site!

Concerning making a list of every recording I have already done that - you may have noticed on each page I provided the details of the CD the music came from. It is up to you guys to make use of it while its there, I haven't the energy to type it all out again.

Concerning the current music I agree PDG on first hearing there is nothing outstandingly different between this gut stringed performance and any other, but when you really listen gut and steel are not one and the same - steel is more brilliant and 'fruity', gut has a more plaintive tone, dryer. But with authentic stinged performance you are looking too in the manner of playing and use of vibrato etc.

Baring this in mind the performance here could have been a little better, more expressive, rhetorical. But they use less vibrato and less vibrato is always a good thing as far as I am concerned and all things considered it is a fitting end, as Chaszz says, to the series.

------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin



[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 06-09-2006).]

[Peter]

Many thanks to Rod for providing this invaluable service over the past few years. I don't see the need to repeat the past series (not least as I don't have all the works Rod suggests!) but if any members have other ideas I'd be interested.

------------------
'Man know thyself'

[Chaszz]

Originally posted by Peter:
Many thanks to Rod for providing this invaluable service over the past few years. I don't see the need to repeat the past series (not least as I don't have all the works Rod suggests!) but if any members have other ideas I'd be interested.

I do have an idea. The site Rod has been using recently is evidently free for use by the public. Members could possibly learn how to use it and upload their favorites for acclaim or declaim by others. This would stimulate discussion. Perhaps this could be done weekly or biweekly. Also perhaps a minor percentage of the uploads could be by composers other than Beethoven, but related to him in some artistic sense; perhaps one-fourth of the entries. Comments?

[Rutradelusasa]

Originally posted by Peter:
Many thanks to Rod for providing this invaluable service over the past few years. I don't see the need to repeat the past series (not least as I don't have all the works Rod suggests!) but if any members have other ideas I'd be interested.

I was thinking we could do a "Beethoven's friends" series, choose a composer and let everyone post (I suggest rapidshare.de for this) what they recommend from him.
If we go forward with this, I could already recommend (and post) Ries' sonata for horn and another for clarinet. I higly recommend them.

------------------
"Wer ein holdes weib errugen..."

[This message has been edited by Rutradelusasa (edited 06-09-2006).]

[Rod]

Originally posted by Chaszz:


I do have an idea. The site Rod has been using recently is evidently free for use by the public. Members could possibly learn how to use it and upload their favorites for acclaim or declaim by others. This would stimulate discussion. Perhaps this could be done weekly or biweekly. Also perhaps a minor percentage of the uploads could be by composers other than Beethoven, but related to him in some artistic sense; perhaps one-fourth of the entries. Comments?

You talk about stimulating discussion Chaszz. For me the one disappointing experience of the mp3 page was the embarrassing lack of discussion created as a result, even regarding important pieces.

But you are correct, the site I have used recently for uploading is free for all and seems reliable. Maybe the rest of you if you work together, including the moderators, can somehow make up the complete opus works on modern instruments, maybe...

------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 06-09-2006).]

[Peter]

Originally posted by Chaszz:

Originally posted by Peter:
Many thanks to Rod for providing this invaluable service over the past few years. I don't see the need to repeat the past series (not least as I don't have all the works Rod suggests!) but if any members have other ideas I'd be interested.

I do have an idea. The site Rod has been using recently is evidently free for use by the public. Members could possibly learn how to use it and upload their favorites for acclaim or declaim by others. This would stimulate discussion. Perhaps this could be done weekly or biweekly. Also perhaps a minor percentage of the uploads could be by composers other than Beethoven, but related to him in some artistic sense; perhaps one-fourth of the entries. Comments?

I think this is a very good idea!

------------------
'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
I think this is a very good idea!

Well I hope we get more than a bunch of old Brendel recordings. I look forward to your first contribution Peter.

------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin