Post by Arnaldo December 18, 2009 (1 of 13)
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Anything new by Poulenc is always welcome. But prospective buyers of this Oehms Classics release should be aware that the original orchestral parts in both the Concerto for 2 Pianos and the Harpsichord Concerto are played here instead by an organ.
As per Google's translation of the description from jpc.de, "... In the Harpsichord Concerto and the Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, Hansjörg Albrecht slips into the role of the orchestra, whose part he plays on the organ. He builds on the performance practices of the early 20th Century, where salon-organs were often used in private spaces for concerts in small groups and presented the avant-garde composers, an expert audience of new compositions."
Some of the audio samples where the combination is at work, sound a bit strange and lacking in orchestral color. And although organist Hansjörg Albrecht seems to be the diving force behind this project, I wish they had stayed with the original scores, which was clearly feasible since they had at least a string orchestra available for the Organ Concerto, played here in its original form for organ, strings and timpani.
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Post by Arthur January 14, 2010 (2 of 13)
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Thanks! This comes off my wishlist!
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Post by fotodan March 1, 2010 (3 of 13)
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This would surely be one of the discs I’d use to demonstrate the beauty of multi-channel recording to a doubting Thomas. The illusion of sitting in the 20th row of a mid-size auditorium is perfectly judged by the engineers. There is absolutely no sense of spot microphones for soloists, no need to separate the two pianos left and right nor to boost the level of the harpsichord so it can be heard. How I would love to hear these same engineers tackle violin or cello concertos! Or solo voice with orchestra. I’m keeping my eyes on Oehms.
BTW: Do not be skeptical about the arrangements of the first two works; I'll wager the composer would be extremely pleased with this recording.
Highly recommended!
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I love the audible impression of height that this disc can give in the Poulenc Organ Concerto, if one has a matching set of speakers that are in perfect balance.
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I just finally got around to listening to this. I agree with the reviewers: This disc is a delight in every way.
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Post by pgmdir August 14, 2012 (6 of 13)
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Thanks for bringing this into view again--- I gotta get it!
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Post by wehecht August 16, 2012 (7 of 13)
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Somebody get poor Arnaldo a glass of water, he's been traumatised by this disc.
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Post by Oakland August 16, 2012 (8 of 13)
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Arnaldo said:
prospective buyers of this Oehms Classics release should be aware that the original orchestral parts in both the Concerto for 2 Pianos and the Harpsichord Concerto are played here instead by an organ.
You lambasted this one pretty good. But in the process you gave pertinet information. So, I marked your review "helpful". Altogether your comments along with the comments of the site reviewers have peaked my interest. So, I ordered it!
Robert C. Lang
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wehecht said:
Somebody get poor Arnaldo a glass of water, he's been traumatised by this disc.
Drinking water while listening through headphones might ZAP Arnaldo into unconsciousness..........never mind Polenc's (at least to Arnaldo's ears) organ~grinder musak...........
BTW, the samples on Amazon were delightful........ordered one for myself.......... (where Arnaldo published a one star review, as well..............was he maybe listening to the MP3 version through (gulp) earbuds)???????
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Post by Hitters August 17, 2012 (10 of 13)
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Arnaldo said:
But prospective buyers of this Oehms Classics release should be aware that the original orchestral parts in both the Concerto for 2 Pianos and the Harpsichord Concerto are played here instead by an organ.
Oh, what a pity! I believe the concerto for two pianos is a true masterpiece that deserves to be represented in the SACD catalogue. I still treasure an old digital recording on Erato (Duchable/Collard, conducted by Conlon). An impressive performance. But the recording, though regarded as a sonic reference when released, could very well be improved with the technology available nowadays.
So, Channel, BIS, Pentatone, anybody hearing? How about a new SACD with Poulenc music for keyboard?
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