What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Catison]

I have found that Cage's Fourteen provides an absolutely perfect "prelude" for Ligeti's Cello Concerto.

To follow: Shostakovich's - Fourteenth Symphony

[karlhenning]

To follow: Shostakovich's - Fourteenth Symphony

Yum! Who's performing, Brett?

[Catison]

Yum! Who's performing, Brett?

Who else?  Barshai.  For me, this recording is the star of the Brilliant Classics box set.  The Malaguena is absolutely frightening.

[mozartsneighbor]

Overall, I am not crazy about the harpsichord, but this man's playing just has an amazing vitality to it.

[Kullervo]

[Subotnick]

After a few false starts, much human error and downloading Audacity again, I have finally ripped Charles Wuorinen's Percussion Symphony and am giving it a listen now. It's been worth the effort. Charles conducts The New Jersey Percussion Ensemble in this recording. To be honest, I'm not sure if there are any/many other recordings as I've only been listening to Charles for a few months now and I only came across this work a week or two ago. I'll go investigate.

TTFN.
Me.

[Wanderer]

 

[bhodges]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 (Welser-Möst/Cleveland, DVD) - A belated birthday viewing, and I must say, this is sumptuous.  It was taped live in 2006 at the Abbey of St. Florian, and both the video and audio quality are excellent, with careful, slow-moving camera work just where you want it.  The playing of the ensemble is pretty glorious, with some particularly stupendous brass that never overpowers the overall mix.

--Bruce

[Haffner]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 (Welser-Möst/Cleveland, DVD) - A belated birthday viewing, and I must say, this is sumptuous.  It was taped live in 2006 at the Abbey of St. Florian, and both the video and audio quality are excellent, with careful, slow-moving camera work just where you want it.  The playing of the ensemble is pretty glorious, with some particularly stupendous brass that never overpowers the overall mix.

--Bruce

OOOO!

[calvin]

Tchaikovsky symphony 4

Karajan/VSO
Rozhdestvensky/LeningradPO
Fedeseyev/Moscow RadioSO
Abbado/CSO

[ChamberNut]

Vaughn Williams

Symphony No. 6 in E minor
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

BBC Symphony Orchestra
Andrew Davis
Teldec

Terrific!  Two thumbs up from me (initial listens to these RVW orchestral works) 

[karlhenning]

Wagner
Prelude to Act I of Parsifal
Jeemie
from the Big Bayreuth Box

[Christo]

Vaughn Williams

Symphony No. 6 in E minor
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

BBC Symphony Orchestra
Andrew Davis
Teldec

Terrific!  Two thumbs up from me (initial listens to these RVW orchestral works) 

Both pieces - quite dissimilar, but both quintessentially Vaughan Williams - make a great start. And I would count both of them among his most impressive, so you could do worse. Congrats with your fresh discovery and may you enjoy even much more!  

[Haffner]

Wagner
Prelude to Act I of Parsifal
Jeemie
from the Big Bayreuth Box

GAD!



Shostakovich symphony no. 10 (Slatkin)

[karlhenning]

Wagner
Parsifal, Act I
Jeemie, conducting
(from the Big Bayreuth Box)

[Moldyoldie]

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 "Choral"
Mari Anne Häggander, soprano;   Alfreda Hodgeson, contralto;   Robert Tear, tenor;   Gwynne Howell, bass
London Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir
Klaus Tennstedt, cond.
BBC LEGENDS
This recording of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was made unexpurgated in live performance in 1985 and displays all the foibles of such an endeavor; the most noticeable being some egregious lapses in ensemble, many inaudible timbral details, and a less-than-optimum soundstage. I didn't find the occasional cough from the audience to be disconcerting. What makes up for it, however, is some excitingly spontaneous playing the likes of which are reminiscent of none other than Furtwängler! Unlike him, however, Tennstedt here seems intent on maintaining full-bore forward momentum without stopping very often to smell the roses.

The first movement moves right along with some powerful brass accents and harrowingly ominous tympani. The second movement is even more forthrightly propulsive. Here is where the orchestra has trouble keeping up, timing and ensemble often crumbling from the impetuous drive of Tennstedt's baton -- one certainly could never accuse him of being too cautious! The third movement adagio is taken at what I'd describe as a slightly slower than conventional tempo, coming in at around 17 minutes; the music's inherent rapturousness is allowed to adequately express itself. I also heard some interesting intonations coming from the horns - not necessarily bad, just "interesting". The intro to the fourth movement is marred by a bad orchestral balance as the winds come up noticeably short. Later, however, the brass sing out the big tune marvelously! I can't say that the vocal soloists are the greatest I've ever heard, but they're certainly adequate. The chorus, however, is absolutely resplendent! Offhand, I'm at a loss to think of another recording of the Ninth that displays a more marvelously broad and JOY-ous choral presence -- perhaps only Rene Leibowitz with the Royal Philharmonic and Beecham Choral Society on the Chesky label surpass them in all-out JOY-ousness. Thunderous applause erupts almost spontaneously upon hearing the final note!

Though I can't rightly recommend this to a novice listener because of its obvious shortcomings, I believe it offers enough spiritedness and other intangibles to make it a worthy addition to the collections of seasoned Beethoven's Ninth aficionados.

[SonicMan46]

Just returned a few hours ago from our short vacation to Memphis, TN - a definite touch of musical Americana - for those who may be visiting, check out the vacation & eating threads in the diner for some ideas.  But waiting on my doorstep was a Caiman order of mainly CPO discs - now listening to some 'windy' music from the 19th century:

Sobeck, Johann (1831-1914) - Wind Quintets w/ the Albert Schweitzer Quintett (one each oboe, flute, clarinet, horn, & bassoon); apparently premier recordings; first disc of this composer (not sure if he has that many more - much of his music lost!); he was a famous clarinetist himself, so the writing in general & for that instrument is quite virtuosic - good REVIEW on Amazon by Scott Morrison!

Herzogenberg, Heinrich von (1843-1900) - Wind Quintet & Trio w/ Oliver Triendl & Orsolino Quintett - both of these works include a piano - coming up next - expect these to be enjoyable, and own a number of other CDs of this composer (in the mold of Brahms) - 


 

[rickardg]

John Corigliano
Mr. Tambourine Man: 7 Poems of Bob Dylan
Hila Plitmann, soprano
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra/JoAnn Falletta

Beautiful and dramatic music with classic lyrics coupled with singing very much to my taste makes this a thoroughly enjoyable recording.

[Catison]

To follow the thread: Rubbra - Symphony No. 5

[Brian]

On the way back from college today, I sort of "listened"...

BEETHOVEN | Symphony No 9
The imaginary chorus and orchestra inside my head

TT 51' 40"