I haven't posted in this thread for a while because, frankly, I haven't been buying many BC's lately. Well, I got a couple a few weeks ago and between the TP releases and some other tapes that have been keeping my attention, I hadn't listened to them till now. They are both excellent for very different reasons. The first is William Boyce, Symphonies 1-7. These 18th century symphonies are 6-10 minutes in length and played by Nevelle Marriner and St. Martin In-The-Fields with a harpsichord continuo. Marriner and the small ensemble do their usual wonderful job of keeping the balance between energy and respect for the composers original intentions sound just plain fun. The tape probably sounds better than it would have if it had been a more extensive gathering. There's nothing like being able to hear around period instuments in a nice reverberant hall. This is a wonderful sounding tape and if you enjoy the contrast between a group of musicians enjoying themselves with the discipline of harmonic theory, this may be just what the doctor ordered.
The second BC is Saint-Saens "Carnaval des Animaux" and Ravel " Ma Mere l'Oye". This is dup'ed from a "digital" master! Yikes! Memories of those awful records cut from PCM masters that were all boom and no heart. Well, the sound is all that. And while the playback
may not have a whole lot of body, the heart is supplied by the Pittsburgh Symphony and Andre' Previn. I can't remember the name of that Sunday afternoon show that Previn hosted back in the '70s but the way he could coax the best out of a large ensemble really pays off in this performance. There's an ease to his reading of complex polyrhythms that really puts the piece in order. I think this adds to the depth of the listeners understanding and ultimately the enjoyment of other similar works. This might not be the best sounding BC in my collection, but it's right up there with the most memorable.