Beethoven symphonies

Collecting classical recordings often seems daunting with many hundreds of recordings being issued over the decades and made available in differing forms. Beethoven was an early passion of mine from hearing many of his works on the radio or through borrowed discs.

When I first started collecting recordings as a teenager this disc and several others that were issued on Classics For Pleasure were what I bought in the lp era and recently they were issued by Warner Japan who bought the rights to EMI's classical output on hybrid Super Audio cds that also have a layer that play on regular cd players.

The set comes in a thick card box holding the discs in a high quality card set of digipak cases with clearly labelled spines and a gorgeous booklet with reproductions of the French lp covers and commentary in Japanese about the recordings and of course Beethoven himself  printed on top quality paper.

 
To me at least there is a difference between seeking out outstanding versions of individual symphonies and finding a set to live with, and while there are undoubtedly performances of single symphonies available which could compete with the best, it is as a coherent and aesthetically consistent survey that Cluytens accounts - available in this set - are best considered.

I feel there is a rightness to his judgement which proves enormously satisfying on repeated listening's and there is a special interest in hearing the fruits of a combination of several stellar talents: the virile, robust sound of the pre-Karajan Berlin Philharmonic, the production genius of Walter Legge working in a congenial recording acoustic, the Romantic but never indulgent interpretations of am under-rated conductor who died all too soon, and the especially fine vocal contributions from an unusual team of soloists and the wholly committed choir of St Hedwig's Cathedral - wrapped up in a set bought from a Japanese owned Ebay store.

In my teens I became acquainted with Beethoven's symphonies through these performances when they were available as budget LP's on the EMI Classics for Pleasure label collecting the complete set and was worried that many years later my judgement would be clouded by sentimental attachment, however having listened intently to a good many other versions, I find that this set stands up remarkably well. 

The Pastoral (my favourite of the lot) and the Ninth have long been praised but you will find equally enthusiastic endorsements of every symphony here in one review or you'll be hard pressed to find a discouraging word. 

They are not the last word in individuality, nor do they bear the stamp of a particular approach, but Cluytens seems to understand and appreciate the spirit and heart of this music. Absolutely no-one captures the cat-like tread of the opening of the Fourth the way Cluytens does; rhythms and accents are beautifully sprung and he pays close attention to dynamics. I was also especially pleased to discover that Nicolai Gedda, was much more impressive than I remembered him in the Choral, and the soaring refulgence of Gre Brouwenstijn's soprano is a special treat.

Herbert von Karajans recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic are often interesting but to me he's never conducted an even as set as this Cluytens set with the same orchestra.

The set had been issued in 2010 as a budget five cd box set of pretty decent sound but comparing that with the new set shows the remastered stereo sound is warmer and more spacious preserving a sense of being present at the session that show the excellence of the recordings made between 1957 and 1959.

Recorded and included on the original lp issues were a series of six overtures which are not on the sacd issue.

Fortunately at the same time the symphonies box set was issued, Warner Japan issued this separate Super Audio disc that gathers them all together with firmer more improved sound.

Around the same time but this time with the French National Radio Orchestra, EMI recorded André Cluyten's conducting Beethoven's Violin Concerto with the celebrated violinist David Oistrakh.

This also was issued in this format newly remastered and I recently picked up a copy.

Gurl world

The world of the sissy gurl can prove to be an interesting place...

Nigel would end up becoming Nigella as they ceased being a boy in any everyday observed sense, finding their rightful place as a gurl amongst and at the beck and call of girls their own age.

Soon you began to crave to have new outfits to match your ever increasing number of dollies you play with your girl friends with.

You find yourself learning how to walk the walk and talk the talk as a sweet young gurl with deportment classes to attend.

Things were never going to be the same but then you never wanted that in the first place cos you knew you were a gurl.

The bonds and emotions of a LSG

It's not that often I talk about emotions least of all what feels to be me  but there are times when I think it makes sense to not least for everything really comes together for me and this whole journey I've been through so far in. 

One thing is a childhood routed in fear, fear of how other kids could and did ill treat me from 'being sent to Coventry' though bullying, of a homelife where domestic tension to the point of things being thrown and calls to the police being made lead to me being at times even now feeling gripped by crippling anxiety. 

That's before all the stuff around being a sissy gurl comes into it.

The problems I have with my disabilities as much as admit to using them as an excuse to be lazy and for adults to allow that to happen, compounded it with difficulties in making myself understood, difficulties in understanding others, in having a understood secure sense of place that I had a working knowledge of 'The Rules'. 

The whole thing leads to a "crippling terror of existence" for me so it's hardly surprising that a protective practically Child to Adult relationship is where I find myself in where the physical expression of affection in the way of cuddles and hugs, the love that is shown in overseeing, guiding me anew and the loving hands that have me at my most vulnerable over their lap spanking me feels so good.

R.I.P David Bowie (1947-2016)

Like most of you I woke up, Monday (1/11/2016) around a quarter of Seven to the shock news that David Bowie had dead at the age of Sixty-Nine something the shocking for Blackstar, his last album had only been released Friday to glowing reviews. 

I'm feeling rather numb even now about this but in looking at his achievements, the first thing I would say is he seldom if ever repeated himself, sometimes to a fault, always reinventing himself and working with new ideas and exploring whole different genres.

His catalogue could never be described as being in anyway samey, indeed you find some fans have one period they major on although perhaps basic I have a more wider interest in music and music-making I'm not in that camp.

He broke new ground in the topics he sang and wrote about, brought new sounds to the mainstreams ears...and moved on to the next.

I could never just pick a half dozen of his albums although Hunky Dory, Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs Station to Station and Scary Monsters sure would feature.

The other area I'd say was outside of music, he was a proper actor who did star in three films not least The Man Who Fell To Earth and in several stage productions, did understand the importance of creating personas, costumes and staging  which in conjunction with the use of music videos which he was a pioneer of, provided the total package.

It's quite probable that the American Hard Rockers Kiss were influence by aspects of his work, the story telling and that total package from Hunky Dory and Ziggy era.

The other area was in being open about his sexuality, exploring gender presentation together with  Lou Reed and to an extent Elton John collectively they opened up a conversation around what it means to have a sexual and gender identity, how we express it and how that differs for all of us. 

For anyone who was Lgbtqi in the 70's and 80's you don't need me to say just how being himself, David give us space and aided the greater toleration of difference. 

We owe him that regardless of our music tastes and I suspect for a good number of the depth of feeling we have in mourning him is influenced by that, it has a personal quality to it.

He also to his credit took on MTV in its lack of music of black origin in it's early days and even of the faces of People of Colour from its programming and got that changed.

Rest in Peace David.

You're gonna be a Gurl

It's the first "proper" post of the year so rather than look at presents I thought we'd look at something really rather important.

Life as a child wasn't easy in an era where things were very rigid roles, presentations and even styles of play depending on whither or not the world saw you as a girl or a boy.

It made or broke friendships, could get you not invited to play or attend things such as birthday parties with class mates.

It did get you beaten up by other kids.

You generally had to be older and find others away from all that to really be who you were.

Tammy always knew in a world of boisterous boys they were a sissy even if by hur terms they were tougher than most boys were and could join in some more rougher play but it was that you liked to be feminine and do things that girls did.

In reality Tammy really needed an Auntie who'd arrange for periods of time for hur dressed in a very girlie way, learning along the way to enjoy being what they really were even if they needed to pushed along the way from time to time.

Tammy always was a SISSY.

Christmas and New Year round up

 Phew, Christmas is over and we start a New Year but we start from there this edition.

Some of the outstanding Christmas presents  arrived after the combination of the Christmas and New Year vacations, not that I've ever had an issue with people like Postmen and women having proper time off and that plus with some coming from outside of the UK.

I'll write a bit more about each later on I think and I actually found a HMV music store voucher that had got lost down the side of a chair , unopened from Christmas day!

I had a couple of diaries 

 The slim A6 one is really for me to take to places such as meets as it is easier to carry in my small Hello Kitty flight bag and I can add things like activity times and note any chores I'm to do in whenever I'm out

The larger A5 one is more for at home use  keeping important dates and reminders in as one thing I do struggle with is organizing, remembering when I'm to do things and then staying focused so this more little ones should help me this year with it.

 As the week itself went, I went to the barbers on Tuesday for the first time in the New Year for a cut and dry and generally speaking I've been very good this week keeping to bedtimes and following the rules. 

I also found out the name for the problem I have around hearing and being understood - it is apparently Auditory Processing Disorder - and it does tie in with developmental dyslexia which why it may of been overlooked when I was younger.