It is tiring to engage in discussions of import concerning classical music
such as its ability to adapt to social/political upheavals, so I gladly
come back to the pleasureable subject of music and recordings.

I received today my last substantial packages of recordings this year and
century.  As I was opening them up (to see what the heck was in there), I
started thinking whether there was any particular historical significance
to this last buy of the century.  No - I'll probably forget in a few weeks
just which cds they were.

And they should be a fine group of recordings.  There's harpsichord
music from Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre performed by Carole Cerasi
on Metronome; women, that's nice.  But, be careful with the volume; the
first track nearly damaged my eardrum.  There are also some women involved
in Chopin's piano concertos performed and directed by Zimerman and his
handpicked Polish Festival orchestra.  And there are two fine female solo
vocalists in Mozart's Great Mass directed by Christie on Erato.

Your friend and mine, Ignaz von Beecke (1733 - 1803), now has a disc
devoted just to his string chamber music; they're string quartets performed
by the Arioso Quartet on CPO.  I've listened to some of it on the computer;
we both fell asleep from the exhaustion of taking in such intense and
probing music.

I know there are no women composing or performing on the last 5 cds.  It's
a set of the Schubert piano sonatas performed by John Damgaard on Classico.
There was some rave review, so I thought I'd give it a shot, particularly
since the price was very low.  I am already impressed with the packaging -
5 cds in a very small space just about one-quarter inch taller than the
norm.  What I've heard of the performances is impressive as well; Damgaard
is a lively performer who seems to have the Schubert idiom well in hand,
and the recorded sound is great.

Don Satz
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