Naughty but nice

What are your musical equivalents of chocolate cake? - the performances you know you really shouldn't be enjoying, but do. Here is my menu of 'naughty but nice' music dishes:
Uri Caine's Wagner E Venezia - yes, I know it is a serious taste crime to admit to enjoying the Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg played in the Piazza San Marco by an ensemble that

Karl Münchinger's Art of Fugue and Musical Offering with the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester reminds us of how Bach used to be

Wagner makes his second appearance on my ultimate 'naughty but nice' disc. This is Glenn Gould playing his own transcriptions of Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey and the

Bach sung in English may well be considered 'naughty.' But not only is my next nomination 'nice', but it is high up in my list of the greatest recordings ever made. Benjamin Britten set down his account of Bach's St John Passion in April 1971.

This recording of the St John Passion was made by Decca in Snape Maltings. It has to be said that if there is a weakness it is the engineering which falls somewhat short of Decca's signature Snape sound. Also watch out for the intrusive low frequency 'thumps' in the opening chorus which producer David Harvey really should have covered from alternative takes. But one factor places this performance in that stellar group of the greatest ever made - Britten's interpretation. Some of the tempi are surprisingly brisk, but this is one of those rare performances where musicality and humanity meet as equal partners. Naughty, but simply sublime.
Purists will consider any Bach transcription 'naughty but nice.' But my third Bach nomination comes just about as close to the spirit of the original as it is possible to get with a transcription. Paolo Pandolfo (right) was a founder member of early music group La Stravaganza, and is recognised as

To conclude with a 'naughty but nice' piece that I always find inexplicably moving - the finale to Bernstein's Candide, 'Make Our

Now read about my first classical record
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Comments
I'd add HvK's Creation (Wunderlich, Janowitz, Ludwig, F-D, Berry). Also all of the lute song recordings with Pears and Bream. And Kempff playing Bach.
"Authenticity" be damned, there are great things going on with these recordings.
Shouldn't we also add Dinu Lipatti's Bach? - particularly him playing Myra Hess' transcription of Jesu bleibet meine Freude, -see this link.
And Scott, you say you have five of my six naughty recordings. Forgive me for asking, but which is the odd man out?
The Lipatti plays as I write. Thank you for reminding me of it.
Sadly, my only complaint about this travesty is that the Grosse Fugue wasn't played as the finale, as B. originally intended.
I should probably be shot.
Incidentally Hucbald, I think you wrote your lovely comment after one of your late-night guitar gigs. The Grosse Fugue was written as the finale of the Op. 130 quartet, not Op. 131.
"Incidentally Hucbald, I think you wrote your lovely comment after one of your late-night guitar gigs. The Grosse Fugue was written as the finale of the Op. 130 quartet, not Op. 131."
Actually, I had a couple of Bombay and Tonics before that post. That should explain everything. LOL!
OF COURSE the Grosse Fugue goes with Op. 130. We all knew that. ;^)
recipe for chocolate cake.
Your contribution is the recipe for a Bombay and Tonic.
...you have five of my six naughty recordings. Forgive me for asking, but which is the odd man out?
Tha Pandolfo Bach ...
There are many good things on the Glossa label that recorded the Pandolfo, their releases are well worth seeking out.
In my opinion, all of those transcriptions and adaptions got one essential thing right: Music is supposed to live, and it does with those artists.