Topic: What are you listening to now?

[SymphonicAddict]

Erwin Schulhoff: Symphony 5 (1938/39)
A magnificent work. Written in the shadow of the Munich Agreement of 1938 and the terrible betrayal of Czechoslovakia (by my own country amongst others) it conveys a terrible sense of looming catastrophe but also hopeless defiance. In this sense it reminds me of Honegger's 2nd and 3rd 'Liturgique' symphonies. I was also reminded of the 2nd and 3rd symphonies by Hilding Rosenberg at times. There is a Romain Rolland connection between the Schulhoff and the Rosenberg 3rd Symphony as well. As a Czech, Jewish communist Schulhoff stood no chance at all and perished during the Second World War. My grateful thanks to André for originally introducing me to this despairing but paradoxically inspiriting work:

I like all the Schulhoff's symphonies. Too bad the only recording of his symphonies 4 & 6 is out of print as far as I know. Terribly hard to find.

[SymphonicAddict]

Beethoven: Symphony No 7 in A major - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan (1963) - dynamic performance from HvK

One of the best recordings of my favorite Beethoven symphony.

[SymphonicAddict]

Ligeti

Melodien für Orchester (1971)
Chamber Concerto
 
Schönberg Ensemble Reinbert de Leeuw

Piano Concerto  Pierre-Laurant Aimard
 
Mysteries of the Macabre (für Trompete und Kammerorchester) (arr. von Elgar Howarth)
 
Asko Ensemble Reinbert de Leeuw

Practically all the works I've listened to from Ligeti have impressed me a lot.

[Traverso]

Practically all the works I've listened to from Ligeti have impressed me a lot.

Same here, it is very accessible to me anyway .

[aligreto]

Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony [Previn]





This is a strong but lyrical and contemplative version of this work and I like Previn’s vision of the music.

[SymphonicAddict]

A very romantic Shostakovich on this film score. Whilst not top-notch stuff, it was a quite pleasant listen.

[Madiel]

Vivaldi, La Senna Festeggiante

(Opus 111/Naive recording)

A puff piece sucking up to the French ambassador, or something like that. Mildly diverting.

[JBS]

Vivaldi, La Senna Festeggiante

(Opus 111/Naive recording)

A puff piece sucking up to the French ambassador, or something like that. Mildly diverting.

That's the one I bought from a Taiwanese Ebay dealer!

Speaking of the Red Priest, thread duty is CD 2 of this

CD4 was released by Tactus* in 2015; the other three CDs are new recordings made by/for Brilliant.

*This one

[Que]

Morning listening - just in:

This went OOP sooner than I expected.... 
I postponed, and was then preoccupied with Rousset's WTC.
But I was lucky: found this for the regular price as "like new", but it turned out to be new and still in its cellophane wrap.. 

Q

[Irons]

Mahler: Symphony 6 [Barbirolli]





This is a grand, sweeping, powerful performance with a glorious version of the magnificent slow movement. It also has a sense of foreboding throughout, especially in the final movement.

I have a story to tell of that very recording. Quite a few years ago I foolishly purchased a pair of expensive speakers. I grew to dislike the sound and more importantly owing to large chrome caps each end the wife was not overjoyed with their appearance. A young couple about to emigrate to Australia came to audition them. I played a few records and could see I was losing them, the sale was disappearing in thin air. In a moment of inspiration - doesn't happen very often! I placed Barbirolli's, Mahler 6 on the TT. From the opening bars the speakers were sold.

[Irons]

Brahms

Symphony No.2

It has always been a mystery to me that on vinyl the Klemperer Brahms is in poor sound and his Beethoven already recorded enjoys excellent sound. I have purchased many issues with always the same result. Perhaps CD is the answer.

[vandermolen]

One of the earliest Sibelius masterpieces IMO. That gentle beginning sounds like the start of a fantastic adventure as it effectively is.

+1 yes, I really like that work.

["Harry"]

Madrigals and Songs, CD IV.

John Ward.
The first set of English Madrigals to 3,4,5 & 6 parts. (1)
Apt both for Viols and voices. London 1613)
Four fantasias for Viols.

The Consort of Musicke, Anthony Rooley.

There is much I could tell, but I need just a few words to describe the excellent performances from my past. There is no way to fault what the Consort of Musicke did in the heydays of authentic music making. Its just perfect, and so is the music because of it.
Pristine recordings, very much treasured.

[vandermolen]

Derek Bourgeois Symphony No.6 "A Cotswold Symphony"

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/wLnAHa2aBmk" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/wLnAHa2aBmk</a>


Sarge

This is most interesting. I always imagined that Bourgeois was an avant garde atonal composer. There seem to be very few recordings of his music. I much preferred his Cotswold Symphony to the one by Holst.

[vandermolen]

I like all the Schulhoff's symphonies. Too bad the only recording of his symphonies 4 & 6 is out of print as far as I know. Terribly hard to find.

I think that there's a Cappriccio boxed set of them all.

[vers la flamme]

"dunkel ist das Leben, ist der Tod..."

Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde. Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, with soloists James King and Janet Baker.

@Traverso. I must get that Ligeti box. It looks excellent, and Ligeti has long been a composer I've wanted to explore in more depth. I also recently got Klemperer's Brahms cycle, I got the somewhat recent remastered box on Warner Classics, and I've been loving it, despite never having been much of a Brahms guy.

["Harry"]

Johann Gottfried Walther.
Complete Organ Works, CD 5.

Chorale settings IV.

Simone Stella plays on a Francesco Zanin Organ, 2006.

This is a wonderful set, for all those that love Bach. Unmissable me thinks.

[Traverso]

It has always been a mystery to me that on vinyl the Klemperer Brahms is in poor sound and his Beethoven already recorded enjoys excellent sound. I have purchased many issues with always the same result. Perhaps CD is the answer.

I think so too,most of the CD's I have sound better than the LP"s I had in the past,no doubt about that.

[Biffo]

One of the best recordings of my favorite Beethoven symphony.

Karajan is consistently fine in No 7 - at least in his first three cycles - I don't know the 1980s digital cycle.

Meanwhile, continuing the 1963 cycle with Symphony No 8 in F major

["Harry"]

Franz Krommer.
Orchestral Works, Volume II.

Symphony No 4, opus 102 in C minor.
No 5 opus 105 in E flat major,
No. 7 in G minor.

Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Howard Griffiths.

When I bought the first volume, it had me all in feathers, and was frequently visited by goosebumps, but the second volume even tops that. I think that a lot of classical music lovers put Krommer away as a B composer. If he is at all mentioned it's always deep in the shadow of luminaries of his time. But guess what, Krommer is his own light that shines brightly. He is a very good composer, technical as good as Beethoven, Schumann, etc, and he adds his own technical skills and genius to the works on this disc. I am awestruck, I really am. My mind is full with composers of his time, but this guy is something very special. His scoring is phenomenal, investing his music with gorgeous melodies, embedded in colourful harmonies, and punchy lines. No matter which of the three symphonies you sample, they are all of the same high quality.
This orchestra and conductor are the perfect vehicle to get just this genius out, and the display is magnificent.
Sound is superb. Should be bought post-haste.