# ECM New Series: favorites and recommendations?



## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Greetings.

Huge fan here of the ECM New Series. I have at least a metric ton of these, but wondering what I may have missed or overlooked. Which are your favorites, and why? All genres: orchestral, chamber, vocal....

TIA,
-09


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

If you like guitarmusic, there's one with Pablo Marquez. Music by Argentinian Gustavo "Cuchi" Leguizamón.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

There's one by Kurtag of his own music and some of his Bach transcriptions which I think is great fun.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

I really like the Danish String Quartet's recording of pieces by Thomas Adès, Per Nørgård & Hans Abrahamsen.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

There's a tremendous piano recording by Alexander Lonquich, featuring an early and revealing version of Schumann's Kreisleriana, and a suite by Heinz Holliger.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

John Holloway's Bach solo violin sonatas and partitas are one of the most stimulating performances of that music I know, probably my favourite recording of it. His Biber on the same label is also rewarding. His recording of pavanes by Dowland and others impresses me more each time I rehear it.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Ensemble Moderne's recording of Heinz Holliger's Scardanelle Zyklus is the best commercial recording I've heard of this masterpiece.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

The Hilliard Ensemble's Walter Frye and Machaut are wonderful. I would have to revisit their Perotin and Gombert to comment, but I have a positive memory.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

The set of chamber music by Harrison Birtwistle is constantly fascinating, especially the trio.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Herbert Henk's way with the Barraqué sonata may well be the most convincing I've ever heard. Love it.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Valéry Afanassiev's second recording of Schubert's D960 is IMO one of the most imaginative and revealing performances of this piece ever recorded.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

I'm very keen in the simplicity and candour of Keith Jarret's Bach French Suites, and his Goldberg Variations.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

ECM's a great label with compelling cover art. My favorite recordings are:

Bach's WTC I from Till Fellner
Debussy's Preludes from Lubimov
Bach's Goldbergs from Andras Schiff

The Schiff is likely my favorite - it's so much better than his earlier version on Decca. The joy of making music and the vitality are off the charts.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

The Zehetmair Quartet's recording of Bartok 4 and 5 are exceptional, the 4 for me is unforgettable, the recording of it which means the most to me, which I love the most.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

The Orlando Trio's recording of Kurtag's Signs, Games and Messages is one of the high points of the Kurtag discography. Even more so IMO the music inspired by Samuel Beckett on the same CD.


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Mandryka said:


> The Hilliard Ensemble's Walter Frye and Machaut are wonderful. I would have to revisit their Perotin and Gombert to comment, but I have a positive memory.


Agreed; I own those. I want to hear more of Frye's work, but it's so hard to find and almost never recorded; I wonder if the Hilliard's record is all his work that survives?


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

And I'll throw out a strong recommendation and a favorite of mine since its release on ECM New Series in the early '90s:






https://www.amazon.com/Dmitri-Shost...00387281&sr=1-1&keywords=jarrett+shostakovich


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Omicron9 said:


> Agreed; I own those. I want to hear more of Frye's work, but it's so hard to find and almost never recorded; I wonder if the Hilliard's record is all his work that survives?


No, there's one of Frye's music called Northerne Wynde by The Ferrara Ensemble, with two masses. And Clerk's Group recorded a mass on a CD called Brussels.

And The Binchois Consort recorded a mass which _may_ be by him on a CD called A Marriage of England and Burgundy.

Apart from that there may be the odd song by The Orlando Consort, and there may even be some old style recordings with big choirs and trumpets and shawms etc.

The Hilliard recording is very good though!


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Cool; thanks, Mandryka. I'll have to chase those down!


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Omicron9 said:


> Greetings.
> 
> Huge fan here of the ECM New Series. I have at least a metric ton of these, but wondering what I may have missed or overlooked. Which are your favorites, and why? All genres: orchestral, chamber, vocal....
> 
> ...


So much to choose from with this series which, as Discogs reminds us, is actually a label and not a series. I've added many ECM recordings to my collection and I'm hard pressed to select from them. It seems an ECM will seldom disappoint.

As I am a fan of both jazz and modern classical music, I will offer one recommendation:










Jarrett's Shostakovich may not be able to touch Tatiana Nikolayeva's for overall overwhelming effect, but for the present time the Russian pianist is in a class by herself with the Shostakovich Preludes & Fugues, so we can forgive Jarrett and all other pianists for their missteps in this work. Still, with Jarrett's jazz sensibilities, new insights crop up throughout his reading, and his ECM recording is certainly worthy of respect.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Omicron9 said:


> Cool; thanks, Mandryka. I'll have to chase those down!


Have you heard anything by Dunstaple? I think he's at least as good as Frye.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

The Hilliard's Gesualdo Temebrae responsories, also on ECM, is a specially introspective prayerful interpretation, there's no gratuitous theatricality, it's for me a most attractive recording of this challenging music.


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