Sure is quiet around here. I’m ripping my new CDs, which few here are likely to find of interest, then play some video games – which might encourage more discussion. Right now I’m guessing I’m three-fifths of the way through Avernum 3, then Dragon Quest 7 is next. I finally got a new Xbox controller and can play a ton more games (I can’t get used to WASD controls).

I spent my birthday money and then some on my video games for the next year, unless a new Dragon Quest or Avernum remake comes out:

Avernum 4: Greed and Glory
Beyond Shadowgate (crowdfunded sequel to the awesome point-and-click adventure game best known for its NES port. A thousand ways to die and then some – in most games you learn by practice. I’m Shadowgate you learn from death)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (all I know about it is that it’s a turn-based RPG that won every award known to man)
Geneforge 2: Infestation (the remake)
Madden ‘27 (I’m following sports closely these days since I started falling asleep to the overnight sports-radio show)
NBA 2K27 (the Wizards are supposed to be very promising this year, and for some stupid reason the NHL games don’t have PC versions, so I’m stuck with the other winter sport, the one I like less. Basketball games are intrinsically fun because of the physics involved with pressure-sensitive buttons – and now two fully analog joysticks.)
Octopath Traveler
SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered
WWE 2K26 (packs of bonus wrestlers are very lucrative. Thank God I don’t drink. I won’t tell you how many I got anyway.)
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (the remake)
Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls (I think a recent game that’s a throwback to the dungeon-crawling roots)

• Joe – I’ve stalled in Avernum 3, but buying these should get me to get up off my ass and finish it. I have a save on the far side of the bridge that drops you to your death unless you throw a switch in the cave to Blackcrag Fortress behind the smugglers’ inn, so once I do get the stomach to start it up again, I’ll be in action right away that should get me re-established.

I also went to the record store and hit up their thirty-for-$30 classical clearance CDs:

J.S. Bach - Piet Kee Plays Bach on the Müllter organ of St. Bano, Haarlem Fantasia & Fugue G minor - eight chorale-preludes from the Orgelbuchlein - preludes and fugues C Major, B minor - Two chorale-preludes
Piet Kee
Chandos CHAN 0506 (1989)

Pier Kee Plays Buxtehude and Bach: Buxtehude Praeludium A-minor - “Herr Christ, der einig Gottes Sohn” - Fantasia on “Wie schön feuchter der Morgenstern” - Passacaglia D-minor ; J.S. Bach ** Preludes & Fugues E minor, C minor - Seven chorale-preludes from the Orgelbuchlein - “Liebster Jesu, wit sind hier
Piet Kee
Chandos CHAN 0501 (1989)

Britten - Les Illuminations; Quatre chansons françaises; Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings
Felicity Lott (sop), Anthony Rolfe Johnson (ten), Michael Thompson (hn); Scottish National Orchestra/Bryden Thomson
Chandos CHAN 8657 (1989)

Delius - Florida Suite; North Country Sketches
Ulster Orchestra/Vernon Handley
Chandos CHAN 8413 (1986)

Delius - Miniatures: On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Summer-Night on the River, A Song Before Sunrise, Two Aquarelles, Hassan - Intermezzo, Serenade, Irmelin - Prelude, Late Swallows, Fennimore and Gerda - Intermezzo
The Bournemouth Sinfonietta/Norman del Mar
Chandos CHAN 8372 (1977, 1985)

Elgar - String Quartet E-minor, Piano Quintet A-minor
John Bingham, The Medici Quartet
Meridian ECD 84082 (1985)

Haydn - Symphonies 6, 7, 8 “Le Matin/Le Midi/La Soir”
The English Concert/Trevor Pinnock
Archiv Produktion 423 098-2 (1987)

Haydn - The Sturm und Drang Symphonies, Vol. 3: 41, 48 “Maria Theresia”, 65
The English Concert/Trevor Pinnock
Archiv Produktion 429 399-2 (1990)

Haydn - Paukenmesse ; Mozart - Vespers K.339
Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/George Guest
London 430 157-2 (1970, 1980)

Haydn - Schöpfungmesse ; Mozart - Spaur-Messe, K.258
Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge; Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Wren Orchestra/George Guest
London 430 161-2 (1969, 1980)

Howells - Requiem, “Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing”; Vaughan Williams - Mass in G minor, Te Deum in G
Corydon Singers/Matthew Best
Hyperion CDA66076

Mendelssohn - String Symphonies (complete)
English String Orchestra/William Boughton
Nimbus NI 5141, 5142, 5143 (1988)

Moeran - String Quartets E-Flar, A minor; String Trio G-Major
Maggini String Quartet
Naxos 8.554079 (1995)

Mozart - Piano Concertos 1-4
Daniel Barenboim/English Chamber Orchestra
EMI CDC 47957 2 (1987)

Schütz - Musikalische Exequien, Deutsches Magnificat, Herr, non lässest du deinem Diespem; Vater unser, der du bist im
The Sixteen/Harry Christophers
Collins Classics 15302 (1998)

Shostakovich - String Quartets 14, 15
The Manhattan String Quartet
Essay CD1013 (1991)

Szymanowski - String Quartets 1, 2; Webern - Langsamer Satz
Carmina Quartet
Denon 61757 5462 2 (1991)

Telemann - Musique de Table, Suite No. 3; Violin Concerto G-Major, Orchestral Suite A-Major
Chamber Orchestra of St. Petersburg
Sony Essential Classics SBK 53516 (1994)

Vaughan Williams - Serenade to Music, The Lark Ascending, Fantasia on “Greensleeves”, English Folk Song Suite, In the Fen Country, Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1
New Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult
EMI CDC 7 47218 2 (1967-71)

Vaughan Williams - Sinfonia Antartica
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Bernard Haitink
EMI CDC 7 47616 2 (1985)

Walton – Suite from Henry V, Suite from The Battle of Britain, Suite from As You Like It
London Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra/Carl Davis
EMI CDC 7 47944 2 (1987)

Walton - Symphony No. 1, Crown Imperial, Orb & Sceptre
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/André Previn
Telarc CD-80125 (1987)

The Best of the Renaissance: Allegri Miserere - Tallis Spem in alium - Byrd - Mass for Five Voices, Josquin Desprez - Missa “Pange Lingua” - Lobo Versa est in lectum - Gesualdo - from Tenebrae Responsories for Holy Saturday; Palestrina - Missa Papae Marcelli; Lasso - Osculetur me, Salve Regina; Josquin Desprez - Ave Maria; Taverner - Dum transisset Sabbatum; Cardoso - Magnificat
The Tallis Scholars/Peter Phillips
Philips 289 462 862-2 (1980-1995)

The Organ at Adlington Hall: Tomkins, Gibbons, Bull, Blow, Purcell, Byrd, Boyce
Ton Koopman
Capriccio 10 255

Kathleen Battle (sop) & Wynton Marsalis (tpt) - Baroque Duets
Sony Classical SK 48672 (1992)

Philip & Mary: Music from the Anglo-Spanish Court; Tallis - Missa Puer natus
The Sixteen/Harry Christophers
Collins Classics 15252 (1998)

…

Massenet - Werther
Victoria de los Angeles, Nicolai Gedda, Orchestre de Paris/Georges Prêtre
EMI Classics D 230038 (1969)