Complete Quintet Recordings - Earl Bostic

Advantages: Haunting, passionate music to get lost in.
Disadvantages: It's classical and this puts people off before they even try it.

...recalls the adagio and must have provoked a few tears itself over the years. I can only quote the notes which describes it as “tortured innocence painfully suggests the composer’s increasing awareness of his own mortality (he died just over two weeks after completing the quintet).” Woken by the raucous scherzo the heart begins to pound. Allegretto [9’41] Schubert finally worked though the anger and frustration and the fourth movement has a more relaxed happy feel. The dance music reminiscent of gypsy violins plays quite cheerfully and by the end of the quintet one feels truly satisfied in some way and ready for anything in spite of the strange ending. String Trio Movement in B Flat Major, D471 [11’50] This short piece by Schubert, placed first on the cd, is much lighter and brighter than the quintet. The Raphael Ensemble The notes explain... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Sublime, soulful songs by Schubert
Disadvantages: Sung in German

...and anxiety. Pounding piano accompaniment symbolises the horse’s hooves. The Composer Franz Peter Schubert was born in Vienna on 31st January 1797 in Vienna. (During a rainy day in Vienna last year, I actually visited the home and birthplace of Schubert). In 1815, Schubert became a schoolmaster. In that year alone, he composed 150 songs including the Earl King. A prolific composer Schubert was at ease writing in many different forms including symphonies, string and piano quartets and of course Lieder. The Performers Ian Bostridge is a Tenor. He did not originally intend to become a singer instead studying philosophy and history at Cambridge University. He made his first public appearance at the Wigmore Hall in London. In 1995, he signed an exclusive record deal with EMI. Julius Drake was born in London. He has accompanied Ian Bostridge... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Jaunty space pop With 3 good ears for melody.
Disadvantages: Familiarity may breed something much less damning than contempt.

...electric spirit that recalls the easy living and good vibes of 1969. Never a band to jump on a bandwagon they have ploughed their own furrow for almost a decade now. In recent years they have tended to release ever increasingly obscure records like the 'Music for the Amorphous Body Study Centre' experiment which attempted to create a visual for their sounds. 'Mars Audiac Quintet' has a fairly clear mission, however, to stun the senses with straight forward alien pop sensibilities. To a large extent it succeeds with distinction but taken as a whole this record does suffer a little from the law of diminishing returns, i.e. too much of it and you could become despondent. With 15 tracks 'Mars Audiac Quintet' leaves a lot to chew on and i find that when the tracks are taken out of this environment they are slightly more effective. Take 'Nihilist... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful