To cheer the hearts of vinylphiles

[Feanor]

Elvis Costello is to release his next album, Momofuku, only in LP form plus a free digital download ...
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/0...et_costello_dc

[bubslewis]

Hey Feanor,
Elvis Costello not one of my favorites... but do you have any recommendations for outstanding recordings that feature the harpsicord? I've always liked the way the harpsicord sounds thru the Maggies. I mostly listen to rock and alternative, but I'm always searching for high quality recordings, particulalry with instruments that sound fantastic with Magnaplaner speakers.

While I'm here. How important do you feel your subwoofer is with your 1.6's. I've been dickering with the thought of adding a good sub, but haven't gotten past that stage yet (I've got a cheap subwoofwer from an HT-in-a-box system that sounds terrible with the Maggies and I'm concerned that it might be too difficult to match up any kind of subwoofer with planar speakers).

tx,
Bill

[Feanor]

Hey Feanor,
Elvis Costello not one of my favorites... but do you have any recommendations for outstanding recordings that feature the harpsicord? I've always liked the way the harpsicord sounds thru the Maggies. I mostly listen to rock and alternative, but I'm always searching for high quality recordings, particulalry with instruments that sound fantastic with Magnaplaner speakers.

While I'm here. How important do you feel your subwoofer is with your 1.6's. I've been dickering with the thought of adding a good sub, but haven't gotten past that stage yet (I've got a cheap subwoofwer from an HT-in-a-box system that sounds terrible with the Maggies and I'm concerned that it might be too difficult to match up any kind of subwoofer with planar speakers).

tx,
Bill

I meant to post in the Vinyl forum but ended up posting here instead. Oh well.


I don't have a lot ot harpsicord music or that I even like it particularly, but I like this one:

Couperin: Pièces de clavecin played by Christophe Rousset on Harmonia Mundi, HMX 2901885.86

I don't consider a subwoofer vital with the MG 1.6QR's, but there are some recordings that have content below 45Hz or so where the 1.6's roll off. These are the minority however. My sub is a modest PSB Subsonic 5. It integrates well with the Maggies in my room, but integration is quite room and position dependant.
...

[Mr Peabody]

I'm not crazy about Harpsichord either. A recording that comes to mind with it in the concerto is Vivaldi's, Four Seasons. My favorite recording of this is done by the Ancient Music Society. The tone of the period Harpsichord has a more pleasant tone to me. Besides that anyone remotely interested in Classical music should have a recording of Four Seasons.

I'm not exactly a Costello fan either. I do have an album of his with Allyson. Are we really going back in time though? A vinyl release and not CD or SACD? Maybe the companies feel at $20.00 and up, a pop, that vinyl is where the money is at now.

[Mr Peabody]

I'm sure the title of the thread will get some attention so if readers aren't into Costello, Metallica is reissuing their catalog on high quality vinyl at 45 rpm. High fidelity head banging. I know these can be found at www.amusicdirect.com

[bubslewis]

Feanor and Mr. P,

Thanks for recommendations. I'll have to check out the two (Couperin or Vivaldi's 4 Seasons) to see if I like either.

Bill

[Paul W.]

Mikhail Pletnev ~ Domenico Scarlatti - Keyboard Sonatas

This is a two-C.D. set of the works of the most reknowned and proliferous cembalo (harpisichord) composer of the baroque era. EMI-2001.

[Gab]

ill look for it

[Auricauricle]

Hi, bub!

I don't listen to harpsicord, generally, but I will mention a couple of CD's featuring the harpsicord for your listening. The first is Christopher Hogwood's recording of the Brandenburg Concertos. It is played on period instrument and may not sound as refined as renditions played on contemporary instruments. That's not much of a sacrifice when one considers that not only has the construction of these instruments changed, but so has the playing of them. Anyway, one of the concertos (I think No.1?) uses harpicord with recorders, and is a lot of fun to listen to. The second recording is Keith Jarrett performing the Goldberg Variations. Yes, Keith Jarrett plays these peices with all the elan and verve he's put into his other performances. Only thing is, I prefer Gould, whose playing is a little dryer, but very appealing for capturing the aesthetic delicacy. (Am I a pedant or what?!)

[Feanor]

Hi, bub!

I don't listen to harpsicord, generally, but I will mention a couple of CD's featuring the harpsicord for your listening. The first is Christopher Hogwood's recording of the Brandenburg Concertos. It is played on period instrument and may not sound as refined as renditions played on contemporary instruments. That's not much of a sacrifice when one considers that not only has the construction of these instruments changed, but so has the playing of them. Anyway, one of the concertos (I think No.1?) uses harpicord with recorders, and is a lot of fun to listen to. The second recording is Keith Jarrett performing the Goldberg Variations. Yes, Keith Jarrett plays these peices with all the elan and verve he's put into his other performances. Only thing is, I prefer Gould, whose playing is a little dryer, but very appealing for capturing the aesthetic delicacy. (Am I a pedant or what?!)

I don't have Hogwood's Brandenbergs: maybe I ought to check them out.

Keith Jarrett, eh? Well, I do have Gould's 1983 Goldberg Variations that I enjoy a lot. I also have a harpsichord version played by Kenneth Gilbert. Of course there are about a bazillion versions of the Goldbergs.

[Auricauricle]

Any played on theremin?

[VinylHaven]

Hi,

Wanda Landowska has a collection of harpsicord music. The one I own is called J. S. Bach The Well Tempered Clavier Book II. If you love harpsicord this should collection should be satisfying. It is very moving.