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#1

General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...

Last post by Todd - Today at 04:36:12 AM

#2

Great Recordings and Reviews / Re: New Releases

Last post by Todd - Today at 04:33:53 AM

I would have thought St Patrick's Day would be the time to release this, but then I don't work in marketing. 







Before the image was available, I only saw the 'Canticle of the Sun' title and got my hopes up for a new recording of Gubaidulina's masterpiece.  This ain't that.



Pity about the instrument.







Vinyl reissue.

[Match 6: FFG vs Arthur Schnabel]

#3

Great Recordings and Reviews / Re: Beethoven piano sonata sho...

Last post by Todd - Today at 04:14:16 AM

Match 6: FFG vs Arthur Schnabel

Round two starts off with a Franco-Austrian war!  Very exciting, with stakes as high as in any war.  Schnabel starts Op 28 with a measured, flowing Allegro.  Dynamic contrasts sound perfect, repeated left hand notes sound insistent, right hand runs zippy.  It sounds right.  Pretty much as right sounding is the Andante, where the primary melody sound measured and lovely, while the second section sounds lighter, funner.  Funner yet is the springy, bouncy Scherzo, and the Rondo, a bit chunky rhythmically, nonetheless just kind of cruises along to the end.  Superb.  FFG starts the piece almost like a pianistic representation of waking up, gently and deliberately building up the music, culminating in a more tense climax to the development section than Schnabel.  FFG maintains a broader overall approach, yet manages to maintain nice tension in the Andante, with nicely contrasted sections, which continues with the Scherzo.  The stormy middle section and strong coda aside, FFG opts to bubble along gently in the Rondo.  This here's a tough call, but Schnabel takes it, just barely.

Op 78 finds Schnabel playing the opening Adagio cantabile in a very beautiful manner, and then going for a tense take on the Allegro ma non troppo.  He treats the piece very seriously, and some of the playing sounds as weighty as other middle period masterpieces.  The Allegro vivace is all energy and snap and drive.  Nice.  FFG starts off darker, richer sounding, then moves into zippy but almost dreamy playing, thanks to some fine legato.  I suspect some people may find it too much.  The Allegro vivace is zippy and punchy by turns.  Nice, again.  It's kinda touch to choose between the two pianists here.   

Winner: Schnabel

#4

General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...

Last post by AnotherSpin - Today at 04:06:02 AM

Op. 106 (live rec. 1956, USA)

#5

GMG News / Re: Bug Report 2024

Last post by Pohjolas Daughter - Today at 04:05:55 AM

@Dungeon Master   What about installing one of those "Prove that you are not a bot" guards that one has to do before they can access the website?  Too expensive or complicated to set up?  And how effective are they?

Just a thought. 

PD

#6

The Diner / Re: What TV series are you cur...

Last post by George - Today at 03:43:33 AM

Resident Alien

#7

GMG News / Re: Bug Report 2024

Last post by George - Today at 03:42:22 AM

Page created in 1.341 seconds with 20 queries.

This is incorrect. I used my own chronometer and it showed 5.06 seconds.

I am getting similar discrepancies.

#8

Composer Discussion / Re: Vitezslaw Novak (1870-1949...

Last post by lunar22 - Today at 03:32:12 AM

I know that I'm in the minority but I much prefer the South Bohemian Suite

vive la difference as far as I'm concerned. Life would be boring of we all shared the same opinions! I did also play the South Bohemian Suite when listening to my record of the Slovak Suite a number of weeks ago but my own view remains that this work is still very much the B side of the album, despite some attractive moments.

As for The Storm, there was a performance at the Prague National Theatre last November but I suspect even there, they are pretty limited.

#9

GMG News / Re: Bug Report 2024

Last post by Florestan - Today at 03:03:33 AM

Page created in 1.341 seconds with 20 queries.

This is incorrect. I used my own chronometer and it showed 5.06 seconds.

[Walter Braunfels.Orchestral works.See back cover for details.]

#10

General Classical Music Discussion / Re: What are you listening 2 n...

Last post by Harry - Today at 02:24:04 AM

Walter Braunfels.
Orchestral works.
See back cover for details.

I start all over again with these series. It was a year ago, that I listen to all the recordings of Braunfels on this label. Some of them I left out,mostly lieder and masses. So, the 2 Hölderin songs I skipped on this disc. I simply love his orchestral works. The performances are excellent as is the sound.