What are you listening to now?

[North Star]

Wimps! We're enjoying a bracing 19° F. here in Boston

Eh... -15 °C = 5 °F
-5 °F has been quite common, but this winter in general has been warmer than usual, none of the usual  -(27-20) °F temperatures, thanks to global warming, I guess.

[Karl Henning]

Yes, overall we've had quite a mild winter, the two snow storms notwithstanding.

[Fafner]

Béla Bartók - The Miraculous Mandarin / Concerto for Orchestra
Hessischer Rundfunk Orchestra, Georg Solti

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Afternoon, Harry!
Frost  That's terrible... -15 ^oC here, and 50 cm of snow   
Ought to be 10 ^oC warmer this time of the year here.

So, I take it you prefer the CPO (Trio 1790) recordings?

Thread duty:
First-listen Friday
Mussorgsky
Khovanshchina
Gergiev & Mariinsky
[asin]B005G4YDTE[/asin]

Yes overall I prefer them, but the van Swieten is not without its lures. 

[Karl Henning]

Yes overall I prefer them, but the van Swieten is not without its lures. 

They don't fish for compliments, one hopes : )

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

They don't fish for compliments, one hopes : )

Wow that made me laugh really hard.

[Karl Henning]

Wow that made me laugh really hard.

Cheers, mijn vriend! : )

Wimps! We're enjoying a bracing 19° F. here in Boston

Eh... -15 °C = 5 °F
-5 °F has been quite common, but this winter in general has been warmer than usual, none of the usual  -(27-20) °F temperatures, thanks to global warming, I guess.

Well, and the weather app did read "19° [F], feels like 5°" . . . .

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

A further exploration in the lesser known Symphonies by young Mozart. The gift for melody and finely crafted Andante's is apparent in almost every note, and polished to perfection. K. 45b/Anh 214 is in itself not an all embracing master work, but in what you hear in the first few measures of the Andante will immediately let you recognize the melody, its very distinctive. K. 51/K. 46a is all together more known, with in every movement fine embroidery in the writing. The Molto Allegro makes you say, yes I know this, and you hum along, The Andante is a ear catcher too, which reminded me quite a bit of the very first Symphony Mozart wrote, with a hauntingly beautiful second movement. As a round up Symphony No. 8 K. 48, which has quite some grandeur in the first movement, is building up quite some credit to give the Andante a fine push. All in all this feels like a more mature work, with less play and more composition. On my schedule will be the complete interpretation by Marriner on Philips which I acquired so many years ago, and has been long due to be played again, that is after I finished Pinnock, which presides dominantly in my listening room too.

[North Star]

Yes overall I prefer them, but the van Swieten is not without its lures. 

Thanks, I'll have to get the 1790 set at some point. Also the symphonies and early quartets..

Cheers, mijn vriend! : )

Eh... -15 °C = 5 °F
-5 °F has been quite common, but this winter in general has been warmer than usual, none of the usual  -(27-20) °F temperatures, thanks to global warming, I guess.


Well, and the weather app did read "19° [F], feels like 5°" . . . .

Yeah, wind, humid sea-air and all that are a 'nice' addition to the cooling effect. I live on a coast, too, though it's not that windy here, and the sea freezes in the winter, thanks to its low salinity.ll have to get the 1790 set at some point. Also the symphonies and early quartets..

[Lisztianwagner]

My overall impression is quite favourable with the works and performances, overall.  I just need a few more listens to really absorb the pieces and appreciate them on a higher level.

The only slight disappointment (but only a minor one at that) is the occasional (at times rather frequent) humming and huffing that I hear from Ashkenazy in the background.  Not a biggie, and I'm sure in time I won't even notice it. 

You got Ashkenazy's set, Ray, how wonderful!! What works have you listened to yet?

[Karl Henning]

First-Listen Fridays!

Piston
String Sextet (1964)

[asin]B00004VXDF[/asin]

[Brian]

Wimps! We're enjoying a bracing 19° F. here in Boston

55.3 °F

Expected to reach 86 (30 Celsius)

[Lisztianwagner]

For the RSMM:

Alexander Glazunov
Symphony No.7

http://www.youtube.com/v/HLw5xbErtxw

[Karl Henning]

First-Listen Fridays!

Piston
String Sextet (1964)

[asin]B00004VXDF[/asin]

Hmph, looks like they've re-colored Winslow Homer; that ain't right . . . .

[Karl Henning]

55.3 °F

Expected to reach 86 (30 Celsius)

We'll see how you like August, buddy! : )

[Wakefield]

Telemann - Tafelmusik

[asin]B002QZPVD8[/asin]

Harnoncourt delivers a highly "orchestral" performance of this music, very well played by his Concentus musicus Wien. Great sound quality, too.

As far as I can see the asking price for this 4-CD set on Amazon is mere $15. Anyway, there is a mistake about the number of discs included.

[Brahmsian]

You got Ashkenazy's set, Ray, how wonderful!! What works have you listened to yet?

All of them from the set!    It was a 'first listen' ever for Symphonies 1 & 3, and The Bells.  Wonderful pieces.  I love the beginning of the 3rd symphony.  Very unique!

[Brahmsian]

55.3 °F

Expected to reach 86 (30 Celsius)

-16 Celcius here today. 3.2 Farenheit.

Last year at this time, we had incredibly warm weather for March.  In the low/mid +20 Celcius range!

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Amazed was I when looking at the day I started listening to this fantastic set, for Disc 1 was played on 2-3-2010. It took me such a long time to reach the present discs No. 22 & 23. It made me a little sad to realize how fast the years have gone by, and seeing this set in my listening room, as if I would not think that my first love is towards ballet and the music it involves. I can honestly say that if you belong to that part of GMG that cannot live without the miracles of ballet this set is mandatory, you simply need this like the air you breath to live. And to remember that another complimentary set with 10 discs in it, is waiting too.
Well anyways, "Aschenbrodel" is on the menu now, a ballet I never saw, and its music I never heard before, it is seldom performed, if ever. Composed by Johann Strauss the II, edited by Josef Bayer, and revised by Douglas Gamley, this work counts as a rarity amongst the ballet companies. I have been involved in quite some ballet companies, and I never heard it mentioned anywhere. Well to beg the question,.... did we miss anything? O, yes we did! This is music so made for the little feet of petite ballet dancers, and calls for so much colour and a choreography that abounds with "Lebenslust" that by what I hear this would be a huge success with the audience.
The National PO, under the expert guidance of Richard Bonynge, give a performance that made me almost leap on my feet, and instead of air conducting, start air dancing. Such fine stuff!

[Fafner]

Puccini - Turandot
Molinari-Pradelli; Nilsson, Corelli, Scotto, Giaiotti (1966)



Arguably the best Turandot recording. Nilsson and Corelli are a tour de force couple, and Scotto is really killing it. Best Liú ever!