A Lark Ascending

You should see me trying to use my smartphone.

And when they grow up they'll probably buy a derelict property to do up in Victorian style. (actually, that's over-harsh. They'll never afford a property unless they have reasonably well-off parents to start them off).

The decade leading up to WWI has some of my favourite classical music - Mahler, Elgar, Strauss, early RVW, Bridge, Sibelius, Stravinsky, Ravel, Debussy, the dissolvings of Schoenberg and Co. etc (though I'm also keen on the decade that followed). The decade from around 1966-76 - but that was when I was young and everything sounded new, fresh, alive and an opening to new worlds (I suspect we all feel like that about the decade of our teenage to early 20s years). I've really enjoyed the last couple of decades too - lots happening in various musical areas; especially nice to see new, young talent emerge.

Come on you amateur photographers (professionals too). Help resurrect this lovely thread. After a walk today I uploaded my camera for the first time in months. Found an image of oncoming autumn from October: And then some of our early spring:

I'm not sure they hate it. They just don't know what it is. Diana Krall? Hugh Laurie? Acker Bilk? Jamiroquai? Classical music is even more diverse but there are clearer signposts. Both are used to signify sophistication - but I think jazz gets used to indicate something a bit rebellious; classical music invites you into the establishment.

I'm sure there will be 'hand crafted' physical products for a long time to come. I expected the physical thing to die out much more quickly than it has. There's clearly a substantial market there. My conservatism runs in another direction. I like to explore in bite-sized chunks. An individual album here, a specific symphony or string quartet there. Although I do buy boxes when I know there is a mass of music there I will enjoy exploring, I still prefer to go step by step. The permanently online approach works best for me in that respect - I'm less likely to gobble up everything in one go for fear it might not be there tomorrow.

I wish just half the energy put into creating boxed sets was put into creating some permanent online archives of this music as mp3. FLAC, studio quality downloads or whatever. Within licencing limits it could be there permanently for people to acquire when and where they wanted. Handled sensibly, it could allow people to take the bits they want or the whole package if preferred. Proper details of who is playing, notes if available. The whole limited edition thing strikes me as having as much to do with creating collectable artefacts as it is a means to acquiring desired music. Given the advances in technology I'm sure it would be possible to produce a home-made package if the 'conspicuous display' that the box set allows is required to impress the neighbours. Jazz will always have a much harder time than classical in this respect. Classical is recognised far more widely as a signifier of good taste, cultural aspiration etc which is why there are many more of them. I like a good boxed set as well as anyone - one that puts together things otherwise unavailable or hard to get; and can see the appeal of those 'all major works in one place' sets to people coming new to a performer. But I can't be doing with all the brick-a-brac that many throw in to entice the completist.

Been in the main room a couple of times - the Jerusalem Quartet doing Haydn (very much in keeping with the surroundings) and Bartok (perhaps not!). And in a smaller room for Bobo Stenson and Keith Tippett (not together!).

I liked watching Suzy Klein trying to do a minuet.

Finished it last night. Not a great book but one that does the job and would interest anyone with a feel for McLaughlin or those times. Part of the trouble seems to be that McLaughlin is such a private man that it's hard to really get a full picture of him. Harper makes up for this with lots of detail about things going on around him without really illuminating the subject of the book. The only time McLaughlin seems to come out of his shell is in the early American and Mahavishnu years. The influence of Sri Chimnoy (which made my skin creep) seemed to turn him from a shy individual into a somewhat priggish individual who had seen the light and insisted on sharing that with all. When everything fell apart round about 1975/6 he seems to returned to the more retiring character. Harper lost my sympathy towards the end - at one point he declares 'Birds of Fire' 'the pinnacle of all 20thC music'!!!!!! (to be fair in his footnote he does mention the silliness of rating music, but...). He also has a rant at the modern world - he's clearly had some hard times in the public services. The sort of personal axe-grinding that should have been edited out.

Second programme of 'Rule Britannia' was excellent - the emergence of 'public' concerts. Things I'd come across in bits but put together coherently here. Very engaging programme. Friday night is all Jimi Hendrix. Not sure if I've seen the documentary before. Hear My Train A-Comin'

No problem. PM me an address.

It is - but there's lots of grandeur and Bourbon razzmatazz too! You can give it a preview on Spotify.

I have a loft full of the things. For space saving purposes I took all the packaging out out of the jewel cases some years back, dumped the unnecessary bits (those silly cardboard slip cases), and put everything in PVC sleeves. Stupidly I didn't send the cases directly to recycling but put them in the loft. At some point I'm going to have to get them out of the loft again and to the recycling centre.

There are often notes on the Alia Vox site - at a glance you only get them in French for that disc. What's your French like? Give this one a listen: I know I keep raving about it but it has remained my favourite recent record since dling it in late December. Just has you leaping around the place. Got a 5 star review in this month's BBC Music Magazine. So it's not just me!

Interesting interview here: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=39526#.U0t4w1VdWa8 This record sneaked out quietly last year: A framework of early music, Biber and Kurtag with improvisations interspersed. Very beautiful. *************************** His baroque discography is pretty impressive: 1974, Monteverdi - Vespers 1610, Decca Set 593-4 (Vinyl) The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, John Eliot Gardiner 1977, H.Purcell,Music for Queen Mary , Erato STU 70911 The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, John Eliot Gardiner 1978, G.F. Handel, The Water Music, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca DSLO-543 (Vinyl), The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1978, F.J. Haydn, Missa Sancti Nicolai, Missa Brevis, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca DSLO-538 (Vinyl) The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1979, G.F. Handel, The Ways of Zion do Mourn, Erato STU 71173, The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, John Eliot Gardiner 1979, J.P. Rameau, La Danse, Erato STU 71089 The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, John Eliot Gardiner 1980, G.F. Handel, Utrecht Te Deum / Jubilate, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca DSLO-582 (Vinyl) The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1980, Music of the “Chapels Royal” Erato STU 71276 The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, John Eliot Gardiner 1980, H.Purcell, The Indian Queen, Erato STU 71275 The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, John Eliot Gardiner 1980, G.F. Handel, Alceste , L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca DSLO-581 (Vinyl), The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1980, F.J. Haydn, Missa Sanctae Caeciliae, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca DSLO-583-4 (Vinyl) The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1981, G.F. Handel, The Musick For The Royal Fireworks, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca DSLO-548 (Vinyl) The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1981, Pachelbel Canon, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca DSLO-594 (Vinyl), The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1981, A.Vivaldi, L’Estro Armonico Op 3, L’Oiseau-Lyre / D245D2 (Vinyl), The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1982, G. Muffat, Florilegium Secundum , L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca DSLO-591 (Vinyl) The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1982, G.F. Handel, La Resurrezione, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca 421 132-2, The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1982, Mozart, Symphonies, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca D167D3 to D173D3 (Vinyl) The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1983, F.J. Haydn, Cello Concertos, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca DSDL 711, The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1983, A.Vivaldi, 12 Concertos Op 8, L’Oiseau-Lyre / D279D2 (Vinyl), The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1983, A.Vivaldi, Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons), L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca 410126-1 (Vinyl) The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1984, W.A. Mozart, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca, 411 720-2, Salomon Quartet / The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1984, W.A. Mozart, Exsultate Jubilate, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca 411 832-1, The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1984, W.A. Mozart, Requiem, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca 411 712-1 (Vinyl), The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1984, Johann Theile, Matthäus Passion, Harmonia Mundi HMA1951159, London Baroque 1985, G.F. Handel, Esther, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca 414423-2CD, 414423-1 (Vinyl), The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1987, J.S.Bach, Coffee Cantata/Peasant Cantata, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca, 417 621-2, The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1988, J.S.Bach, Orchestral Suites BWV1066-1069, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca, 417 834-2, The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1987-1989, Beethoven, 9 Symphonies, EMI 7498522, The London Classical Players, Roger Norrington 1983-1989, Beethoven, The Symphonies, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca 452 551-2, The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1990, Haydn Symphonies Volune 4, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca 430 082-2, The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1990, J.S.Bach, F. Schubert, Octet in F major, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca, 425 519-2, The Academy of Ancient Music Chamber Ensemble 1992, Haydn Symphonies Volume 3, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca 433 661-2, The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1992, Haydn Symphonies Volume 5, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca 433 012-2, The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood 1994, L.V. Beethoven / C.M.v. Weber, Septet /Clarinet Quintet, L’Oiseau-Lyre / Decca 433 044-2, The Academy of Ancient Music Chamber Ensemble 2006, Biber Mystery Sonatas, Maya MCD 0603, Maya Homburger with Camerata Kilkenny 2009, J.S. Bach, Cantatas BWV186,107,187, Soli Deo Gloria SDG156, The English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner 2009, J.S. Bach, Cantatas BWV148,114,47,226, Soli Deo Gloria SDG159, The English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner 2009, J.S. Bach, Cantatas BWV61,62,36, Soli Deo Gloria SDG162, The English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner 2010, J.S. Bach, Cantatas BWV21,135,1044, Soli Deo Gloria SDG165, The English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner (from: http://www.mayarecordings.com/discography/barry_disc/index.html)

Says at the top "Immediate download of 2-track album in the high-quality format of your choice (MP3, FLAC, and more)". My ears aren't that fussy so I always go for mp3 (unless it's obviously down at 128). The handful of discs I've taken from here have sounded fine.

Neil Diamond fan who downloaded album while on holiday in South Africa is charged £2,600 by Orange

If you are not averse to a download: http://destination-out.bandcamp.com/album/nailed A lot of FMP discs there.

The first couple of episodes of the recent 'Endeavour' series. Contrived plots and the main character overdoes the 'I've just had a brainwave' facial expressions but an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. I've got to the stage where when I'm in Oxford I hear Barrington Pheloung scores in my brain. Also Ian Hislop's 'Olden Days' - episode 1 about the changing fortunes of Arthur and Alfred over the centuries in British perception. Popular historiography - the construction of the past, a subject dear to my heart. He'd have a field day with jazz....or music in general.

Can't make head nor tail of these but they look lovely: Graphic Scores

Just had a listen. Marvellous music. And the chat did clear up a few things about them - I could never work out what came first, the jazz or the baroque. Seems it was the jazz. And Homburger did explain how she was drawn into more contemporary music after getting to know Guy.

So near, so far... If it was on a Saturday...or a week later during half term...

Surprised to find no thread about Barry Guy and his many projects. I'm no expert - though I seem to have rather a lot of recordings - so would be interested in people's thoughts. I just love the sound he gets on bass; and the way he balances light-touch composition and improvisation in his larger pieces. Listening to a BBC broadcast of 'Portraits' on a drive back from London in the late 90s opened my ears up to a whole world of music I'd previously only dabbled with.

Lucky you! tomorrow - Barry Guy and Maya Homburger in a church somewhere in Hampstead, London There's a little bit of them on In Tune last Wednesday. Haven't listened yet so I'm not sure if they chat: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04007hk