I’m writing this while the LP is still on the turntable, and that’s because I already know it’s a keeper. I know nothing about Franck, although I have heard of him which is a start. We might be classical numptys but have generally heard of the main composers! The only downside now that we’re on side 2 is that it’s a bit crackly, the odd scratch on it. I don’t have the classical music language Continue Reading
Handel – The Gods Go A Begging (1969, World Record Club ST 837)
And so at the third attempt tonight, we get something we actually want to listen to. This is a bit of a compilation job, not just Handel but Mozart and Rossini as well. Conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Actually not half bad – quite listenable, quite stirring in places (in the music, not places in me – it’s not that good). I even recognised a couple of bits – Arrival of Continue Reading
Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire (1973, CBS 32280)
Ah, one of the non-classical albums in my dad’s collection. Most of the non-classical stuff is folk (and most of that is already in boxes for disposal), but there are occasional ones you might not expect. The Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix for example – but at least they’re renowned and classic albums. Then we have this – John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, 70s noodling at it’s worst. I didn’t have high hopes for this – Continue Reading
Richard Strauss – Der Rosenkavalier (1954, Decca LXT 2956 & 2967)
This one had a couple of things going against it, which meant it didn’t even make it onto the turntable tonight.1) We picked out a recording of Der Rosenkavalier yesterday and didn’t feel the need to keep it2) We first thought it was another abridged version of the opera, but no it’s worse than that – it’s discs 2 & 3 of a 4 LP set. Why oh why did my dad have the middle Continue Reading