Two really inspired, convincing and moving interpretations.
590417
These performances of the Missa Solemnis Op. 123 and of the Mass in C Major Op. 86 are both inspired, rich of sensitiveness, deep, well balanced, but vivid and not obvious. Colin Davis smoothly matches the global vision and the richness of details.

The two works are often considered of different artistic levels. The Missa Solemnis is unanimously judged as one of Beethoven's absolute masterpieces and, at the same time, his "most diverse" work. Its atypicality derives from the echoes of an earlier tradition that Beethoven deeply studied to prepare the composition. The result is a peculiar work which, consequently, poses enormous interpretative problems.
Davis tackles this difficulty proposing a convincing and warm solution, driven by musical insight, rather than by an intellectualistic approach. Beethoven's symphonic approach is rendered in all its glory and Davis' paces (often hastily judged too slow) in my opinion give to this masterwork the needed depth, breath and "spaciousness", without any loss in terms of tension and vividness. To force tempos to artificially gain brilliancy and momentum is an abused and trivial expedient, which very often results in superficiality, never adopted by Davis.

The earlier Mass in C Major is a work directly linked with Haydn's tradition, seemingly showing a lower degree of originality. Consequently, for a long time, it has been underestimated, while, more recently, the critics are gradually rediscovering it and increasingly acknowledging its high artistic value and innovativeness.
As unanimously recognized, Colin Davis is one of the greatest specialist both in Haydn's symphonies and Masses; therefore here he is able to masterfully melt what in the work is "traditional" with what is innovative. The result is a very very convincing and really moving interpretation.

All the soloists (Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Patricia Payne, Robert Tear, Robert Lloyd in the Missa Solemnis; Christiane Eda-Pierre, Patricia Payne, Robert Tear, Kurt Moll in the Mass Op. 86) are top level singers and put their fine artistry in the service of an harmonius melting. All of them sing wholeheartedly and are really moving and involving.

Exceptionally well also do the London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus (the latter, both powerful and delicate, attentive and involved is directed by the talented Richard Hickox). The very strong "team" is enriched by the gifted leader John Georgiadis (and violino solo in Op. 123) and by the great John Constable (organ), who shares his role with the talented and eclectic Leslie Pearson in Op. 86.

In conclusion, everything is deep, touching and well played, in a robust, coherent and context-sensitive interpretation. The only fault is, here and there, some a bit fastidious lack in Latin pronunciation.

A vivid and warm 1977 analogic stereo sound makes both performances perfectly enjoyable.

The booklet contains four interesting comments in English, German, French and Italian, by four different critics and I think it is a better solution than to have only one comment translated in the other three languages.
4819782
This two-disc set brings us another of Jordi Savall's themed programmes. It is imaginatively conceived, with a mixture of familiar and lesser-known baroque orchestral pieces all played with enjoyable commitment and style. The first disc begins with Jean-Fry Rebel's suite Les lments, opening with a brilliant depiction of Cahos - an exciting and original piece which gets a fabulously imaginative, colourful and delicately shaded performance from Savall and his Concert des Nations ensemble. The rest of Rebel's suite goes just as well, including an exuberant Chaconne and some lively passages for horn in the Loure and Caprice movements. The work has been recorded a few times before, but for my taste this is the best version so far.

Other works in the programme are not all equally expressive of the dramatic-sounding subtitle of 'Temptes, Orages et Ftes Marines'. Matthew Locke's suite to accompany a performance of Shakespeare's The Tempest starts with a nicely evocative slow Introduction; the remaining movements are not especially tempestuous in character but contain some fine music. Savall and the ensemble do their best with it, with the aid of a stage wind machine in places. The first disc ends with Vivaldi's 'La Tempesta di Mare' flute concerto.

On disc 2, Marin Marais' suite of Airs pour les Matelots et Tritons from the opera 'Alcione' is another highlight of the programme. This is music full of character and atmosphere, ending with an extremely engaging Chaconne, and again it is all delivered with great panache. Telemann's oft-recorded suite 'Wassermusik  Hamburger Ebb und Fluth' is another favourite which gets an atmospheric performance. Here, the live-concert recording shows itself in occasional imprecisions in the ensemble playing, but these are nothing to get upset about. The programme closes with a selection of five stormy instrumental extracts from Rameau's operas  again nicely done, although in Rameau's case his instrumental interludes are definitely heard at their best in context rather than extracted and lumped together as they are here. All the same, this is dramatic, colourful music, and the final 'Contredanse trs vive' brings the collection to a lively and rousing conclusion.

The two-disc set is accompanied by a sumptuous booklet and excellent notes, including a plea from Savall to save the planet which seems like a good idea to me. This collection is perhaps not as cohesive as some of Savall's very best themed programmes; but there is some exciting and extremely enjoyable baroque music here, with the Frenchies making an especially distinguished contribution.
138077
"Grand Guignol" is John Zorn's tribute to the infamous Parisian Museum of the macabre and to the darker side of us all.  It begins with renditions of selected (roundabouts) 20th Century classical pieces, including Debussy's impressionst, "The Sunken Cathedral."  I love Zorn's interpretations of these pieces, especially the Debussy.  I have heard criticism of Zorn's interpretive abilities before, regarding this record as well as "Spy Vs. Spy," "The Big Gundown," and others.  Well, I see it differently.  Even on the rare occasion that he makes a choice that I don't agree with, I still appreciate where he is coming from.  He is very specific in his intent as an interpreter and he does not, as detractors have stated, simply eliminate or replace the original emotion of the piece, but rather, magnifies certain aspects, modifies others; he uses his imagination and filters the music through his own very strong personality and paradigm.  In short, he does what an interpreter/arranger should do.  It is what any composer does when he assumes this role.  I digress.
Suddenly, Grand Guignol changes directions severely and assaults the listener with the most cynical, brutal music imaginable.  The cacaphony is interspersed with snippets of cliched, calculted insincerity.  This music is heartless, but it is this heartlessness that gives it its heart.  It is that strange post-modern phenomenon when irony turns back in on itself and becomes sincerity.  In a chaotic world that is only becoming more and more so, truly nihilistic art can strike a sentimental chord.
You cannot escape the grotesque, detatched, ugliness of this record.  If you let it, it will take you places.  Great performances from the whole band.
4455356
This book is a collection of essential texts concerning the bridge between Neo-Classicism and, reaching its zenith, Romanticism in German Aesthetic thought. Today, I believe these texts are one of the most important in the history of ideas, because it is the first time thinkers have questioned their ethical place in society, and under what conditions the Good is, in fact, a representation of the Beautiful. This is not only a reaction to Immanuel Kant's two books, Critique of Practical Reason and Judgment, but is also a reformation of the battle to weaken Reason in the face of the rising development of technology.

The first half, Neo-Classicism, are essays by Hamann, Lessing, and Moritz. They are excellent essays that deal with reviving themes put forth by Greek Mythology, Virgil, and Homer. The last half, the romantics, Schiller, Holderlin, Novalis, and Shlegel, rethink Neo-Classicism and puts them under a new aesthetic light, which not only believe in the classical concept of perfection and beauty, but how it relates to ethics, where at its ultimate peak, all man strives to become "a work of art."

The essays may be very technical prima facie, but through reading other texts, such as Frederick Beiser's The Romantic Imperative, you understand the central concerns of the German romantics, and how these concepts are useful today.
4592840
One of Johannes Brahms great final statements.  Although other fine works were composed in his last years, including his clarinet quintet and trio, I believe none are as notable, none are as unusual and as outstanding, as the two sonatas for Piano and clarinet (opus 120).  With this disc one has the beautiful rendition by the young men Romain Guyot on clarinet, and Francois-Frederic Guy, accompanied by a strong and clear recording.

  Commentating on the aesthetics of the Sonatas a generation ago, Herbert Russcol described them as being "placid, monochromatic.", and although I understand and appreciate this assessment, there is more going on than a prima facie analysis would reveal.  With repeated listenings, one can see Brahms summing up the musical conceptions, thoughts, and revelations of a lifetime, and closing them with humility and grace.  Such is the case, too, with his gorgeous 2nd String Quintet, opus 111.

  Further, I believe it is acceptable to offer the works without any other: aesthetically, and otherwise.  Perhaps the two young gentlemen felt uncomfortable teaming up with a cellist; and (anyway) these two works are so unique in themselves that perhaps they very well should be so offered.  A very beautiful, albeit expensive, disc.
2465632
The Fourth and Sixth Symphonies of Vaughan Williams obviously share a good deal of the same emotional traits, but I find the Sixth more enjoyable---its coloring and musical design more to my liking. I have commented before on the Fourth ( See two of my recent reviews of recordings by Haitink and the composer. ) While I consider Boult's interpretation to be a pretty good one, I'm afraid I have been spoiled by the composer's own mono reading from 1937. It is absolutely scorching. I want to move then to the Sixth, but first, a few comments about that work in general. I could imagine various listeners initially experiencing some difficulty in making a connection with this somewhat arcane but spellbinding symphony. Further, seeking written explanations in an effort to render it programmatically comprehensible is probably fruitless. The best or perhaps only sensible thing to do is simply listen. Boult's performance is about the best place to start. For me, at least, it reveals more than the accounts of Previn, Handley, Thomson or Andrew Davis. Right from the start, Boult demonstrates a take charge attitude that doesn't quit. It is reflected in his bold rhythms and incisive accents during the opening movement. His way with the cynical, intensely charged third movement scherzo sparkles with an almost iridescent quality. And he is virtually ideal in setting the mood for the curious second movement moderato, and portraying the sense of eerieness and loneliness characteristic of the mesmerizing epilogue. For a conception that's a bit more somber, I would recommend Andrew Davis with the BBC Symphony. However, though well recorded, the sound on his Teldec disc is set at a lower volume level. By contrast, Boult's EMI recording tends to emphasize a brighter, slightly brassier sound. Also, Davis' approach intermittently scores on tautness, while Boult gains points with his slightly more open, free-wheeling interpretation. Overall, I find him decidedly more convincing. Along with the First ( "Sea" Symphony ) and Seventh ( Sinfonia Antartica ) this Sixth might be the finest contribution in his traversal of the Vaughan Williams Symphonies.
4238048
Fourty-two poets read their own work on three CDs. The accompanying text is a large and rather weighty book with a chapter for each of the poets. Each chapter includes a one-page biography, a two or three page essay on the works, and several representative poems including those read on the CD. Poetry fans of all stripe will be fascinated by the readings, which range from early (and difficult to understand) recordings by Lord Tennyson to fairly recent (and good quality) recordings by Sylvia Plath. Some of the recordings are quite rare and hard to find; others have been widely available for many years.
The great interest in this collection, of course, is the opportunity to actually hear a great poet--and possibly one of your own favorites--read their own work. And the result can be disconcerting, magical, and sometimes both. The earlier poets found in the collection do not read their poems so much for content as they do for rhyme, giving the rythms of their work emphasis above all else; later poets, however, are prone to read very dramatically, sometimes to the exclusion of all else. And there are a number of suprises. Carl Sandburg reads with a significant accent and such a lilt that he often sounds as if he is about to flow into song. Gertrude Stein and Dorothy Parker, two poets as different as night and day, have unexpectedly rich and warm voices. e.e. cummings reads very, very slowly--almost to a point at which you'd like to shake him by the shoulders and ask him to speed it up! Interestingly, it becomes increasingly obvious to the listener that a poet is not necessarily the best reader of his own work, for some are clearly more successful readers than others.
The recordings, be they good or bad, are always interesting. The same cannot be said for the text. The short biographies of each poet are reasonable, but the essays concerning their works are a very mixed lot. Some are quite interesting, addressing elements in both the poetry and the poet's reading of it; a few are so completely spurious that one wonders why the editors bother to include them at all. (I also find it a bit frustrating that two personal favorites--Marianne Moore and Stevie Smith--are not included in the collection, but this of course is a matter of personal taste.) In spite of the very occasional short-comings in the text, POETRY SPEAKS would be an ideal purchase for both budding and lifelong poetry lovers. It would also be ideal for the English teachers, literature professors, and librarians in your life.
Since none of the editorial reviews actually include the poets found in this collection, I note them here: Lord Tennyson; Robert Browning; Walt Whitman; William Butler Yeats; Gertrude Stein; Robert Frost; Carl Sandburg; Wallace Stevens; William Carlos Williams; Ezra Pound; H.D.; Robinson Jeffers; John Crowe Ransom; T.S. Eliot; Edna St. Vincent Millay; Dorothy Parker; e.e. cummings; Louise Bogan; Melvin B. Tolson; Laura Riding Jackson; Langston Hughes; Ogden Nash; W.H. Auden; Louis MacNeice; Theodore Roethke; Elizabeth Bishop; Robert Hayden; Muriel Rukeyser; William Stafford; Randall Jarrell; John Berryman; Dylan Thomas; Robert Lowell; Gwendolyn Brooks; Robert Duncan; Philip Larkin; Denise Levertov; Allen Ginsberg; Frank O'Hara; Anne Sexton; Etheridge Knight; and Sylvia Plath.
3693358
Beautiful inspired music with deep and meaningful texts.  A new favorite of mine!
1277355
I would HIGHLY recommend this CD to devotees of composers like Arvo Part, Giya Kancheli, and John Tavener.
The first work, the Symphony No. 2 (_Heroic_), protests the brutality of war and commemorates the victims and  other honored dead.  Not surprisingly, it calls to mind pieces like  Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony Op. 110a ("In Memory of the Victims of  Fascism and War") and Kancheli's newly-released _Lament_.  All in all,  a powerful, dramatic piece--a sort of symphonic requiem.
The second work  on the album, the Symphony No. 1 (_Sinfonia Larga_) for sixteen strings, is  no less powerful.  It is a haunting work, dreamy, almost surreal at times.  If I set about to somehow translate--or should I say  "transliterate"?--this work into fiction, I would think instantly  of writers like Lovecraft, Kafka, and Bruce Sterling (e.g.,  "Taklamakan" [_A Good Old-Fashioned Future_]).
The final  piece, the Symphony No. 4 (_Sinfonia Lirica_), is composed for sixteen  strings and solo cello.  Again, an intense, haunting work.
Why, I wonder,  are there so few works available by this remarkable composer?
3951068
"Film Works XVII" collects two very different soundtracks for documentaries-- the guitar driven score for "Notes on Maria Menkin" and the all-percussion performances for "Ray Bandar: A Life with Skulls".  Unlike previous film works records serving as anthologies of multiple scores, this time composer John Zorn has chosen to intersperse the scores together, creating a bit of a montage of sorts.

The music for "Notes on Maria Menkin" is far reaching and varied-- featuring a trio of guitarist Jon Madof, bassist Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (both of the band Rashanim) and drummer Kenny Wolleson, with Zorn joining in on several tracks on various instruments, Zorn seems to be exploring by and large the exotica flavors of "The Gift", with shades of surf ("Tango Exotique"), Morricone ("Moonplay"), frantic jazz ("Gogogo"), Derek Bailey ("Zenscapes") and that sort of breezy L.A. in the '50s sound ("Mood Mondrian") blending seemlessly.  The net result is a highly satisfying score that stands nicely from the movie with standout performances throughout, particularly from Madof, who is a revelation of sensitive guitar playing.  In some ways, it seems to me he's done himself a disservice in the environment of Rashanim, his playing here is full of mood and delicate energy and is a real highlight of the score.

Offsetting this nicely is the score for the Bandar documentary-- Zorn performs on thumb pianos and is accompanied by percussionist Cyro Baptista (and Wolleson on one track) for a really fascinating score of circular sounds-- melody and rhythm blend, it's at times difficult to discern the thumb piano from the percussion; the melodic elements from the rhythmic elements, and by and large the music works out to be downright hypnotic.  I suspect that the reason for the intercutting is that quite frankly, all five tracks laid one against another would probably not work as well as mixing them through-- they serve nicely as intriguing interludes throughout.

It seems to me that Zorn has really been on quite a roll with the film scores as of late-- in the past five years he's composed two downright masterpieces ("In the Mirror of Maya Deren" and "Invitation to a Suicide") and has maintained a consistently high level of quality with the film scores of the past several years.  The material on "Film works XVII" rates very highly, even in comparison to such great efforts.  Highly recommended.
3683538
Breathtaking in scope and depth, these two volumes are a must read for believers and skeptics alike. However this masterwork is written at a seminary level and may be a challenging undertaking for undergrads.
1396035
The glowing reviews here on Amazon are justified: this is an exceptional disc.  Exceptional both for the music  Johannes Brahms three violin sonatas contain some of his most lovely writing  and the performance  French violinist Augustin Dumay and Portuguese pianist Maria Pires project a strong interpretive vision.  The interpretation is more lyrical and thoughtful than typical, with somewhat slow tempi generally.  This is married to exquisite  and I mean, exquisite  technique from both Pires and Dumay as well as an outstanding sound engineering job from DG.  The excellence of this CD is comprehensive.

The gorgeous lyricism is immediately apparent in the 1st Violin Sonata, with Dumay and Pires playing the beautiful opening melody to project a feeling of peace.  Their approach shouldnt be identified with understatement, though, as the exciting coda of the 1st sonatas opening Vivace projects strongly.  The delicacy and refinement pervading most of the 1st and 2nd sonatas is suffused with a sort of glow, opening up a higher plane of existence, reproducing all the emotions of our innermost being, but entirely without reality and remote from its pain.

The 3rd violin sonata for me is one of the great compositions ever written.  My touchstone for many years has been the classic David Oistrakh/Sviatoslav Richter performance which, beyond its undoubted excellence, has something ineffable about it.  The way the delicate Scherzo unfolds in the hands of the Russian musicians defies technique or interpretation  like a memory recalled on a gloomy day.  Dumay and Pires play the 3rd sonata beautifully and have a very different interpretation from Oistrakh and Richter.  Though they take a gentler approach than the Russians in the Allegro and Adagio, their Scherzo and the swift Finale are done as forcefully as Ive ever heard.  The recap of the Scherzos main theme is energetic and the sweeping finale is rousing and moving.

Highest recommendation.  Treat yourself to this one.  Its a very special performance.
4967294
Max Fiedler (1859-1939) is the only conductor on record who knew Brahms over a lengthy period (Weingartner performed in front of Brahms only shortly before the composer's death).  So what we have here are genuine historical artifacts of how a major conductor performed Brahms during the composer's lifetime.  These transfers are the best I have heard - they are FAR superior to what is heard in Beulah's CD set "Original Brahms."

These interpretations are highly "romantic" in style, with numerous "luftpausen" and tempo shifts - Fiedler has no reluctance to slow down and "smell the roses" when the mood seizes him.  In many respects, this mode of Brahms conducting is an early precursor to the highly "personal" readings of Furtwangler, Abendroth, and to a certain extent, Knappertsbusch. It is certainly miles apart from the strict rectitude of Weingartner and the steady, but highly nuanced pulse of Fritz Busch.  The latter was a pupil of Fritz Steinbach, who was said to be Brahms' favorite conductor of the composer's symphonies.

The second symphony recorded here has a warmth and poetry that rank it, for me, among the finest interpretations ever, along with Furtwangler (his 1952 Berlin Phil. reading), Busch, and Schuricht (with the VPO).  The 4th strikes me as somehwat less successful:  some of the tempos drag, and several of the tempo shifts are unconvincing.  Still, a fascinating reading nevertheless.

In the 2nd Piano concerto, Fiedler provides some of the most purely beautiful orchestral playing ever heard.  To my ears, only Furtwangler (with Fischer) and Knappertsbusch (with Curzon) are in the same league.  Pianist Elly Ney was something of a cult figure in Germany. Years ago, when I first heard this reading, her playing struck me as labored and rather inept.  Perhaps I have mellowed in the mean time - while not a virtuoso, Ney does play with great feeling and is well-attuned to Fiedler's conducting.  There are quite a few wrong notes here - but Schnabel (with Boult) had even more - and in the live concert with Furtwangler, Fischer misses whole handfuls.  In the wrong notes department, the Swiss pianist wins hands down, so to speak.  Among later recordings, Gilels is certainly more fluent with Jochum - but there is a certain glibness that comes with it.

Fiedler's account of the Academic Festival Overture is rather more conventional.  A pleasure to hear, but I like Mengelberg and Knappertsbusch even more.  Music & Arts has released a lovely Brahms Violin Concerto, where Fiedler accompanies the young Siegfied Borries.  It is coupled with a very interesting reading of Schumann's "Spring" Symphony.  Fiedler deeply admired the conducting of Hans von Bulow, who premiered important works by Brahms and Wagner.  Perhaps Fiedler's Schumann gives us some idea of how Bulow would have performed it.

This is a fine set for collectors.  It provides a useful perspective on interpretive styles that prevailed during Brahms' lifetime.
728859
Moore continues his life-long study of the philosophical master in his new book, Nietzsche, an interpretation, this time exercising a sort of negative theology of what Nietzsche stood for by separating him from what he didn't stand for, in the mistaken interpretations of later writers. Such a book is more necessary for the fascinating figure of Nietzsche than for any other philosopher because Nietzsche's style, powerful and literary, is exposed to misunderstanding and misinterpretation, whether deliberate or careless. So of course John mentions the Nazi misuse of Nietzsche, as well as drawing some lines as to in what sense Nietzsche was and was not a Darwinist; Nietzsche' complicated and rich relationship with Wagner is explored for where Nazi ideology found its true inspiration, and in perhaps the books most fruitful and pregnant chapter, Moore shows how the postmodernists who celebrate Nietzsche the most may in fact represent what Nietzsche loved the least.

What makes this book especially interesting is how Moore uses a method he learned from Nietzsche in order to purify our image of him. As Moore interprets the will to power, it is especially a method for establishing which views are strongest, and the warfare between ideas and interpretations. In a sense, therefore, the book might be retitled: the Will to Power used to cut away false interpretations of Nietzsche.
4348103
This is a controversial but one of the most breathtaking performances i've ever listened of this difficult work. Only
a real Great Maestro could sustain such an overwhelming atmosphere despite a so broad tempi. So, this is a magnificently
controversial performance. Haitink shows to be the very antithesis of counterparts easily taken as references (Bernstein,
Barshai, Barbirolli, Abbado). This hugely expansive view of the Fifth seeks into the darker side of the work's nature and
makes Haitink's journey into the light a very sacabrous way. The opening Trauermarsch is tremendously imposing: very seldom
has the trumpet sounded so brilliant, but also so ominous. The Brass and Percussion departments are also in top form and the
Philips sound quality is gorgeous. Haitink's tempi are very slow, grave, its great lengths are most impressively sustained
and key moments are duly arresting. When we arrive to the second movement (Strmisch bewegt), we feel devastated. Haitink
takes us deep into the realms of Barbirolli, adopting an exceptionally weighty and emphatic line on the music, keeping all
time the same dark, oppresive and desolated atmosphere. Not for Haitink the urgency and hysteria commonly transmitted from
other competitors. This is a real sample of skillfulness and concentration. After hearing so big and dense materials from the
first two movements, the following Scherzo, beautifully and peacefully played, with its rustic humour runs as a cathartic.
The adagietto is controversially famous, since it is one of the longest on record. While many reviewers consider this as an
absurd, i find it marvelously compelling. I wonder how Haitink could hold the music line with this broad tempo, but he is
finally succesful, in fact. The playing and sostenuto of the Berlin strings are really amazing. Finally, the Rondo, that in
Haitink's hands is something really special and unforgettable. Haitink avoids schizoid thriumphalism, and i think he chooses
for a similar way as Shostakovich's 5th Finale: he goes for a resignated way into the light. His masterly approach to the
climax is perhaps more mahlerian than other more pleasant and charming performances for our ears. The transition to the very
final coda is perfectly detailed and the playing is spectacular. The final chorale is in terms of balance, glitter and detail,
the best on record (for my taste). In summary, a controversial performance (so did Mahler), but an unquestionably solid and
shielded one.
3998942
Wow, what a terrific read. I was especially inspired by two common themes:

1. Gaiman and textual desituationism

"Consciousness is fundamentally unattainable," says Sartre. The example of Baudrillardist simulation prevalent in QQQQ's Neverwhere is also evident in Stardust.

If one examines textual desituationism, one is faced with a choice: either reject neostructural dialectic theory or conclude that reality is used to oppress the Other, given that the premise of precultural socialism is invalid. It could be said that Derrida promotes the use of textual desituationism to challenge sexism. Sartre's analysis of Marxist capitalism implies that society has objective value.

In the works of PPPP, a predominant concept is the distinction between creation and destruction. But the subject is contextualised into a that includes truth as a paradox. If textual desituationism holds, we have to choose between precultural socialism and subcultural narrative.

Thus, Bataille suggests the use of deconstructivist theory to deconstruct and modify class. Lacan uses the term `postcultural materialism' to denote not, in fact, deappropriation, but subdeappropriation.

However, the premise of textual neocapitalist theory holds that art is dead, but only if language is equal to truth; if that is not the case, the State is capable of truth. Derrida uses the term `textual desituationism' to denote a structural whole.

But the main theme of PPPP's essay on precultural socialism is the bridge between sexual identity and society. Buxton suggests that we have to choose between the capitalist paradigm of context and premodernist capitalist theory.

Thus, Lyotard uses the term `postcultural materialism' to denote not theory, but subtheory. Foucault's model of precultural socialism states that the goal of the participant is significant form, given that the premise of textual desituationism is valid.

In a sense, if the neomaterialist paradigm of discourse holds, the works of PPPP are modernistic. Lacan promotes the use of precultural socialism to attack class divisions.

2. Contexts of failure

If one examines postcultural materialism, one is faced with a choice: either accept precultural socialism or conclude that discourse is created by communication. Therefore, the subject is interpolated into a that includes narrativity as a reality. Lyotard's analysis of precultural socialism implies that art is capable of intention, but only if consciousness is distinct from reality.

But Derrida uses the term `Batailleist `powerful communication" to denote the common ground between class and art. An abundance of desituationisms concerning postcultural materialism exist.

Thus, PPPP uses the term `textual desituationism' to denote a mythopoetical paradox. A number of structuralisms concerning the defining characteristic, and eventually the dialectic, of subconstructive sexual identity may be discovered.
3487290
The awe-inspiring, shambolic jumble that is Claudio Monteverdis Vespers is given a very successful and balanced performance in this 1997 release from Martin Pearlman and his Boston Baroque, one that emphasizes the musics polychoral spatial effects.  The set has many high points, absolutely beautiful sections that make the disc highly appealing.

The tuneful Ave Maria Stella is fetching throughout but Pearlmans rendition of the forceful concluding choral segment has absolutely grabbed me (end of disc 2, track 2).  Pearlman provides a choral sound that is halfway between the more analytic sound obtained by William Christie and Les Arts Florissants in their Vespers recording and the more blended sound featured in the splendid version from Frieder Bernius and Musica Fiata.  Choral sound is generally difficult to reproduce in recordings so you have to give the Telarc engineers credit for the releases clarity and its general lack of distortion.  Another highlight is the Lauda Jerusalem Psalm (disc 1, track 15), given a stirring, powerful presentation by the Boston Baroque.  This Lauda Jerusalem strikes me as notable as this portion of the Vespers had not in the past made a strong impression.  Not so here.  Capping the first big section of the Vespers, the Lauda will knock you back.  Beautifully done.

Pearlman also emphasizes the polychoral nature of Monteverdis writing, a trait key to Venetian music from this time.  Polychoral effects rely on positioning musicians in different parts of the performing space and, again partly due to the quality of the engineering, we can clearly hear this soundstaging throughout the Vespers.  This is very well heard in the Gloria Patri, towards the end of the Magnificat that constitutes the big multi-section finale of the Vespers (disc 2, track 14).  In the Gloria Patri, the two male vocalists are located far apart and use the distance to make the repeated melodic lines into an echo effect.  One of the best known parts of the Vespers, the concerto-style Duo seraphim (disc 1, track 10), also displays the emphasis on spatial effects, with the singers varying their tone colors while located far apart to fully bring out the weaving contrapuntal effects.

Any criticism of this excellent set is limited.  Id point to solo singing that is weaker than in the alternatives Ive sampled  although its important to say that these alternatives have notably impressive solo singing, so its a high bar to reach.  For example, the Nisi Dominus psalm in the first section (disc 1, track 12) contains some sloppy singing in the faster sections and the solo voices, especially the men, aren't quite as focused and precise as alternatives.  But that doesnt mean they aren't good  just not very good.

This is a consistently excellent Vespers that contains portions that are downright great, even perhaps groundbreaking.  Id want to own it just for the Ave Maria Stella and the Lauda Jerusalem, but thats just part of its attractions.  Strongly recommended.