Topic: What are you listening to now?

[Judith]

Beethoven String Quartet opus 95 "Quartetto Serioso"

Endellion String Quartet

From the Beethoven String Quartet Box Set.

This work was mentioned on Twitter and was curious. First movement is very sublime. The rest is beautiful also🎼🎼

[Brian]

I am waiting for that one..will be delivered soon. Would like to know your opinion. The samples sounded very good to me.

I think you will find much to appreciate here - the dance from the Spanish Fantasia is quite evocative and well-written for violin, the Serenade is a nice 11-minute miniature piece, and the short works evoking Hasidic melodies and Gershwin tunes are quite attractive. I wasn't especially fond of the violin concerto but the performances are all quite good.

[Draško]

Saint-Saëns - Violin Concerto No 3
Philharmonia / Anatole Fistoulari ('63)

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Beethoven String Quartet opus 95 "Quartetto Serioso"

Endellion String Quartet

From the Beethoven String Quartet Box Set.

This work was mentioned on Twitter and was curious. First movement is very sublime. The rest is beautiful also🎼🎼

By some coincidence, I listened to the very same recording yesterday, along with the Endellion's recording of Op 74, the "Harp" quartet.

The Harp is the first of Beethoven's quartets that strikes me as a transcendent masterpiece from the first bar to the last. The slow movement is particularly fine and, perhaps uncharacteristic of Beethoven, derives its power from conventionally beautiful melody.

My reaction to the Serioso quartet is similar, sublime from beginning to tend, with a particularly moving slow movement.



Then I decided to switch gears and listen to the Quartetto Italiano recording of the Harp Quartet. Sublimer! What masters they were and the 1973 Philips recording is more pleasing to my ear than the engineering Warner gave the Endellion quartet.



If there is a more essential big box than this one, I don't know of it.

[aligreto]

Stanford: Organ Sonatas Nos. 1-3 [Hunter]

[aligreto]

If there is a more essential big box than this one, I don't know of it.

Of course there is and this is it....




 

[Toccata&Fugue]

I had forgotten how tepid this performance is. Berman claimed he wanted to emphasize the concerto's lyrical elements--I guess he succeeded in that endeavor.

[aligreto]

Volans: String Quartet No. 2 “Hunting : Gathering” [Balanescu Quartet]





Elemental, primordial components are at play throughout the work via “references to several different pieces of African music”.

[aligreto]

Schumann: Symphony No. 1 [Sawallisch]

[Daverz]

William Schuman. Orchestral Works.
Symphony No. 8. (1962)

Lenny recorded No. 8.  He may make more of the music (I like it, but haven't heard the Schwarz).

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8117721--schuman-symphonies-nos-3-5-8

[Traverso]

Schütz

[aligreto]

Sibelius: Symphony No. 6 [Collins]





I find this to be a very lyrical version. The 1956 recorded sound quality shows its age but it certainly does not detract from a very fine interpretation and performance. The performance is wonderfully charged and alive throughout. The wood winds, so essential to the fabric of the music, are wonderfully controlled and presented.

[aligreto]

Strauss:



Romance for Cello and Orchestra
Serenade for 13 Wind Instruments


These are two early works which are definitely worthy of investigation if you do not know them. I particularly like the Wind Serenade.

[Brewski]

Stefano Gervasoni: Clamour (2014-15) (Quatuor Diotima) -- Heard the U.S. premiere of this a few weeks ago by the terrific Mivos Quartet, and then found this version -- apparently the Diotima commissioned it.

Highly recommended for devotees of contemporary string quartet repertoire.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/OFSILBy1lpA&amp;t" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/OFSILBy1lpA&amp;t</a>

--Bruce

[San Antone]

Stefano Gervasoni: Clamour (2014-15) (Quatuor Diotima) -- Heard the U.S. premiere of this a few weeks ago by the terrific Mivos Quartet, and then found this version -- apparently the Diotima commissioned it.

Highly recommended for devotees of contemporary string quartet repertoire.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/OFSILBy1lpA&amp;t" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/OFSILBy1lpA&amp;t</a>

--Bruce

Fascinating work - many thanks for posting this clip.

[Ken B]

Max Richter
Nor Earth, nor boundless sea

[Que]

This morning returning to:



A recording from 1990 of 16th c. Italian madrigals, some are performed with (subtle) instrumental accompaniment.

Q

["Harry"]

I think you will find much to appreciate here - the dance from the Spanish Fantasia is quite evocative and well-written for violin, the Serenade is a nice 11-minute miniature piece, and the short works evoking Hasidic melodies and Gershwin tunes are quite attractive. I wasn't especially fond of the violin concerto but the performances are all quite good.

Thank you, that sounds like a good acquisition

[Irons]

Sibelius: Symphony No. 6 [Collins]





I find this to be a very lyrical version. The 1956 recorded sound quality shows its age but it certainly does not detract from a very fine interpretation and performance. The performance is wonderfully charged and alive throughout. The wood winds, so essential to the fabric of the music, are wonderfully controlled and presented.

A problematic symphony that is difficult to bring off. I must give Collins a spin after your advocacy. You would think the 6th would be the one most of all to benefit from a stereo recording but the recording I like most of all is also mono, Karajan with the Philharmonia.

[Irons]

Then I decided to switch gears and listen to the Quartetto Italiano recording of the Harp Quartet. Sublimer! What masters they were and the 1973 Philips recording is more pleasing to my ear than the engineering Warner gave the Endellion quartet.



If there is a more essential big box than this one, I don't know of it.

Sublime is a perfect description of the Italians. Also, they were fortunate to record with Philips in their prime. Close to perfection. They do have an Achilles heel though, other SQ ensembles of their time were rhythmically stronger.