Current Listening Projects

[Mirror Image]

Hello Everyone,

I'm sure a thread of this type has been created before, but here we all can discuss our ongoing listening projects and/or recordings that we're each going to get around to.

My current listening projects:

1. Listen to some of my R. Strauss' opera recordings: Elektra, Salome, and finish Der Rosenkavalier. I also want to get to Capriccio, Daphne, and Die Frau ohne Schatten at some point as well.

2. Finish up Jun Markl's Debussy box set. I have 4-5 discs to go.

3. Listen to Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina (w/ Abbado). I've heard nothing but great things about it.

4. Explore, examine, and absorb more of Tippett's music. I'm quite familiar with a good bit of his music, but I'm still very much in discovery, and rediscovery, phases right now.

5. Finish listening to Kondrashin's Shostakovich cycle.

What about you guys?

[Henk]

I'm not that disciplined I think.

However I'm going through Piano Sonata's by Mozart performed by Pires and Mozart opera's. I think this is a listening project, but I don't like to call it that way.

[springrite]

I have about 100 CDs recently arrived, with another 100 or so to come in the coming weeks. So my project is simply to listen to all these new CDs first. After that, I will go though my collection and find the other almost-never-listened-to CDs. (I have listen to everything I have, but frankly some never so attentively, like some operas and boxsets.)

That should keep me busy for about 3 months or 4. After that, I want to listen to and learn some things that I can sing. Some Schubert and Schumann lieder, a few arias. I already have some of the scores (not to mention lyrics since my German and Italian ain't that good).

[The new erato]

I have lots of boxes to listen to, but don't consider that as projects. I intend to aquaint myself somewhat better with Spanish music in the coming year, and do more Scandinavian/Finnish stuff within the usual deluge, and perhaps explore some french and Irish byways.

[Ataraxia]

I don't like turning my listening time into a "project." So, whichever way the wind blows, I guess. 

[Karl Henning]

I don't like turning my listening time into a "project." So, whichever way the wind blows, I guess. 

I like that.

[Ataraxia]

 

I like that you like that.

[Karl Henning]

Current listening project: Deciding what my ears are hungry to hear . . . .

[springrite]

I don't like turning my listening time into a "project." So, whichever way the wind blows, I guess. 

Winds can be fickle...

[Ataraxia]

Winds can be fickle...

Indeed.

[Karl Henning]

Winds can be fickle...

Unless broken . . . .

[mahler10th]

I have a Shosty set (Haitink RCO) yet to finish.  Will do that over coming 2 weeks.
I must also listen to some Hans Rott, who is a composer new to me (yeah, right)   
Also, some Rautavaara by my local band the RSNO and a consulation with Three Screaming Popes by Mark-Anthony Turnage, which will be interesting because I read that it is a musical response to Francis Bacons artwork.


A screaming Pope

[Conor71]

I have a few projects on the go at the moment - my main one is to listen to the Haydn Piano Trios and String Quartets in their entirety again.
I want to finish and get to know the String Quartets of Vagn Holmboe as well.
I have started a new one to listen to a bit more Brahms as I have just recieved a new set of his Symphonies - I am really happy with my Brahms collection now and think it is about time I paid a bit more attention to him.
I also have a non-classical project which is to listen to more Jazz and work my way through the Blue Note Collectors edition I recieved earlier in the month .

[Papy Oli]

1 - I have made a list in the New year of about 90 maiden-to-me (or as good as maiden) composers that I wanted to start and explore in 2012. I am making a conscious effort of focusing purchases to that goal and I have actually not bought any alternative recordings so far this year. The list goes from Aho to Zemlinsky, from Lully to Stockhausen....I have crossed off 11 names so far (some listening in progress) :

Albinoni, Barber, Delius, Galuppi, Mompou, Ravel, Shostakovitch, Stenhammar, Villa Lobos, Clementi, Biber.

Probably next in will be Kodaly, Bartok, Janacek... or Wagner....or Ligeti....or Ives... i dunno.... 


2 - Going through Scott Ross / Scarlatti Boxset - great fun !!! (about 24 to go  )

3 - Revisit Vaughan-Williams symphonies a second time

4 - Finish my 1st exploration of Shostakovitch's symphonies (at the 9th at the moment)

5 - Give a fair listen to sibelius' symphonies off the Blomstedt cycle and see if I open up to it

[Lethevich]

I am going to try to properly explore George Lloyd's output soon, although I am very poor at sticking to my plans

[Papy Oli]

George Lloyd

91... damn...this won't stop...

[Lethevich]

How can a music fan truly claim to have lived without having experienced Lloyd's three operas, twelve symphonies and seven concertos... *flees*

[madaboutmahler]

I have a lot on my listening pile....

Debussy Orchestral Works (Martinon) around half way through this outstanding set. Absolutely loving it.
Wagner Ring Cycle (Karajan) - very very excited.
Simpson Symphonies - also very very excited!
Mahler Symphonies (both Sinopoli and Bertini cycles)
revisiting:
Prokofiev Symphonies (Jarvi)
Vaughan Williams Symphonies (Haitink)
many other cds on the listening pile too....

[Papy Oli]

How can a music fan truly claim to have lived without having experienced Lloyd's three operas, twelve symphonies and seven concertos... *flees*

or his symphonic Mass.... 

(I had to look him up and listen to samples - had never heard of him....  0:))

[eyeresist]

I was going to say that I don't really set myself listening programs and the like, but then remembered I have been working on a list of Shostakovich quartet timings, preparatory to buying further sets. My prime criteria is that the slow movements be taken properly slowly, which would in theory make Sorrel the best choice, but then Rubio have much better playing and a much better sound...

I won't post my list of timings. It's a text file full of notations and symbolic cross-references.