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Sunday 30 May 2010

CARL LOEWE - LIEDER (sung by Karl Ridderbusch, DGG, 1977) @320!

Carl Loewe (1796-1869) composed about 400 songs and ballads  and being pianist and singer himself, he would tour Europe performing them in the concerts he gave.  Some years ago an integral of his vocal works was published, but as to the singers' choice, the whole manoeuvre left me me quite unsatisfied.

 These are nine songs sung by one of the greatest basses existed, Karl Ridderbusch, famous especially in the Wagner repertoire.  Here he shows an extremely refined intelligence and sensibility in the interpretation, together with his vocal instruments, a widely extended voice, warm and dark and powerful at the same time.  He died in 1997, and this is one more masterpiece that's quite hard to get on a CD reprint, multinational labels seem to privilege these legions of newcomers, extremely busy in showing off their charicaturial outlooks more than digging the furrows of their "art".  So many idols with feet of clay around...  These colonies of fake singers get their nourishment from people who gather in flocks stuffing themselves in record shops to buy the latest farts of the most reclamized stars, fundamentally demonstrating that a certain audience deserves a certain fake-artist: somehow they are similar to one another.  This is the principal reason why, besides, I keep holding all my "old" vinyl records tight to my heart, as long as the record companies keep showing their carelessness about quality.  And to conclude, I repeat it here: maybe my visitors - unlike me - are not much interested in classical and lyrical music, but for those few who are, this is a musical jewel, so take the chance, Karl Ridderbusch is in great form.  Three songs at least, I feel like recommending: "Der Nöck", which opens the album, "Prinz Eugen" and "Meeresleuchten".  My copy is in perfect conditions, the rendering is absolutely first class, like practically every record I published so far, there4 enjoy.








Friday 28 May 2010

SCHUBERT... Impossible

MORNING LISTENINGS:
SCHUBERT - Piano sonata D 960 - Lazar Berman, Piano (EMI Angel, 1978)
This album is something divine for me. This Klaviersonata is already a masterpiece itself, and Berman in my opinion gives an interpretation that isn't second to anyone.
Franz Schubert wrote this Sonata wo months before he died in 1828, at the untimely age of 31, heavily ill, in deep pauperty and abandoned by almost all who knew him. A friend reported a comment of the musician: "sometimes it seems to me as though I no longer belong to this world..."  Nevertheless 1828 was an extremely creative year for him, with deep and mature masterworks coming out of his pen, things that influenced legions of other musicians for generations. 
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Unfortunately this LP of mine was not new when I bought it, and also not exactly in perfect conditions, so from 1978 I've been searching like hell for a better copy, even from other classical music lovers whom I know... but without success.  Finally I ran into a digital reissue thru internet! So at last, THIRTY years later, this extraordinary works leads me to heaven again with its clean and noble sound..!   It's one of those albums that I always carry with myself on my Ipod 160 GB... I know there may be really quite a few people interested among those visiting me, but I anyway decided to share this Sonata  here, because the best I can wish to you all is that you too get tears coming when listening to this music... So please check the column on the right side and enjoy!  :-)

For collectors: the EMI Angel label on the USA editons. Precisely, the second variation of the label....  But if we also consider the "Seraphim", this must be counted as the third.

Thursday 27 May 2010

DIARY nr. 5 - The GOWN BUILDER LADY and FAIRPORT

Happy birthday to the Lady who builds Gowns
Her next "creature" will be built for me, three month construction... I can't wait...!!   :-)

To think back about beautiful times, listen to "White dress", sung by Sandy Denny, and happy memories flood again... Follow the arrow on the cover :-)


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Friends are waiting for this album to be re-posted - OK, it won't take long ;)





Tuesday 25 May 2010

DIARY nr. 4 - BEATLES, BUTCHER and TRUNK

While writing the text for my Floh De Cologne album, last night, I decided to add a picture of my Butcher album, but then I realized how neglected is the poor "Trunk Cover" edition of "Yesterday and today"... Everybody selling souls for the Butcher album and no one ever interested in this trunk foto, which at that time had the duty to hold distance from the terrible "butcher menace", while humanity could keep sleeping tranquil slumbers, same as it ever was (with the only exception of Lennon's declaration about being more famous than Christ)...

The cover of the EP "Strawberry fileds forever" / "And your bird can sing" / "Penny Lane" / "I'm only sleeping", published in France in 1968, on Odeon /MEO 134. According to the authoritative magazine "BEATLOLOGY" (Jan/Feb. 2000, p. 20), only two photos were taken from this trunk session, and this second picture appeared only two years later on this French EP.


 The first Trunk cover, 1966 (where no leaflet has been stuck on the original Butcher foto underneath) and the French EP, 1968.

Monday 24 May 2010

DIARY nr. 3 - FRIENDS

This morning I got a very nice letter from a great friend of mine, Peter. 
So far we were just "online friends", but from today our friendship increased because we both have gay preferences, and we both found a way to tell it to each other!  :-)  Isn't it nice?  So thank you again for your kindness and closeness! :-)
The not easy thing, now, was to choose a picture to celebrate this mutual outing, so among the 100000000  I have, I decided to post this, a labyrinth of the Renaissance age, in order to represent two things: first, the  complexity of the human mind and soul, and second, how easy - instead - is to find a way out and a way in if you just manage to put yourself above the (fighting) parts...
As a musical tip, I might suggest to listen to a great album by Nucleus, "Labyrinth", exactly, which for me is their best, and specifically to the song "Ariadne", where a gorgeous Norma Winstone gives an exceptional performance, something which I find no less than adorable!


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Sunday 23 May 2010

DIARY nr. 2 - DAILY LISTENINGS

What I listened to today

I like to start the blog with this LP which still today I love so much, the only "difficulty" is to choose among the editions... they all sound so wonderfully "retro-60's"... :-))
[from the top: USA and UK original first editions]
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The score of a marvellous song: "Auf ein altes Bild", by Hugo Wolf
("Before an old painting")



Some Lieder by Hugo Wolf, sung by Brigitte Fassbander,
a great Mezzosopran - Decca, 1993

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"DIARY", 
a fantastic album by Ralph Towner,
which I took inspiration from for the name of this new blog :-)


DIARY nr. 1 - Painting and Views


A PALACE IN VENICE

VIEW FROM MY TERRACE:

VIEW ON ONE SIDE OF MY GARDEN
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