What are you listening to now?

[North Star]

Szymanowski
String Quartets
Webern
Langsamer Satz
Carmina Quartet


Now:
Szymanowski
Violin Concertos
Zehetmair, Rattle & CoBSO

[Sergeant Rock]

Actually he may have (we'll never know). All he would have to do is write him out of the opera! Someone once mentioned it was originally entitled Orfeo and the Nasty, Smelly Balrog before he decided to bow to conventional wisdom and run with Euridice!

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten. Didn't that have a working title of Orpheus in the Mines of Moria?

Sarge

[mc ukrneal]

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten. Didn't that have a working title of Orpheus in the Mines of Moria?

Sarge

See! I knew you would be familiar with it!

[Todd]

[Lisztianwagner]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Violin Concerto No.1

[asin]B004AUUNVC[/asin]

[PaulR]

.[asin]B0054QZ8QQ[/asin]

[Fafner]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Violin Concerto No.1

[asin]B004AUUNVC[/asin]

How is it? I have been thinking about getting it and Hurwitz was not exactly favourable in his review of the disc.

[Coopmv]

Now playing DVD1 from the following twofer for a first watch ...     

[Karl Henning]

Дмитри Дмитриевич [ Dmitri Dmitriyevich (Shostakovich) ]
Симфония № 4 c-moll, соч. 43 [ Symphony № 4 in c minor, Opus 43 ]
WDR Sinfonieorchester
Рудольф Борисович [ Rudolf Borisovich (Barshai) ]

[asin]B00005UW2B[/asin]

Hmm, the big disappointment here: not at all sure that the pell-mell string fugato in the first movement is quite together.

I've probably listened to at least half of the Barshai cycle, and I substantially agree with the Amazon reviewer below (emphasis below, mine):

Much has been said about Rudolf Barshai's close association with Shostakovich. Barshai is considered an authority on Shostakovich, has arranged Shostakovich's string quartets into symphonies for small orchestra, has recorded much of Shostakovich's works, and yet hasn't left much of a stamp on Shostakovich's legacy via recordings. This 11-CD set of the complete Shostakovich symphonies with the WDR Symphony Orchestra is consistently good, but definitely not in the realm of "definitive." There is none of the gravitas and electricity of Bernstein's or Solti's interpretations, none of the edgy realism from the leading Russian recordings, and none of the polish of newer sets by Jansons, Jarvi and others. It's almost as though these performances are virtually stripped of interpretation--nothing but the notes, yet played well. Nonetheless, it was interesting to hear these works from that perspective; it forced me to focus on Shostakovich's writing instead of the orchestra or conductor. While this is certainly not the best complete set, and by far the best of the best can only be obtained by buying individual recordings of the best performances, at Brilliant Classics' bargain price this was worthwhile.

[Karl Henning]

Дмитри Дмитриевич [ Dmitri Dmitriyevich (Shostakovich) ]
Симфония № 4 c-moll, соч. 43 [ Symphony № 4 in c minor, Opus 43 ]
WDR Sinfonieorchester
Рудольф Борисович [ Rudolf Borisovich (Barshai) ]

[asin]B00005UW2B[/asin]

Oh, the huge brass peroration in the third movement is far too fast. Sounds as if Barshai cannot control the horse; and, is so fast, it loses its weight and grandeur.

[Coopmv]

Now playing DVD1 from the following twofer for a first watch ...     

[listener]

DELIUS: 2 Unaccompanied Part-songs,  VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: 3 Shakespeare Songs
BRITTEN: 5 Flower songs    and more.... Elgar, Holst, Stanford, Grainger,,,
The Cambridge Singers     John Rutter, cond.   
(no Rutter pieces though, in cas you are worried)
Camillo SIVORI (Paganini's only pupil):  Fantasias on Un Ballo in Maschera and Il Trovatore, 2 Fantasias, Tarantella  SIVORI & SELIGMANN: 3 opera selections arr. for violin, cello and piano
Bruno Pignata, violin   Riccardo Agosti, cello   Franco Giacosa, violin

[Lisztianwagner]

How is it? I have been thinking about getting it and Hurwitz was not exactly favourable in his review of the disc.

I mainly listen to the Shostakovich and the Rachmaninov, I'm not very familiar with the other composers included (but I like Part's Spiegel im Spiegel very much) Anyway, I think it's a great disc, very well played and recorded. Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No.1 is amazing, one of the best performances I've listened to so far; Lisa Batishvili and Salonen did an excellent job in the Scherzo, expressing a fine virtuosity and creating a suggestive, lively, diabolic atmosphere; hauntingly beautiful. It is perfectly counterbalanced by the Passacaglia, which has great emotional depth and intensity.
The Lyrical Waltz from Seven Doll's Dances is a delightful piece, very elegant. The combination Batiashvili/Grimaud work wonderfully in Rach's Vocalise, such a passionate, beautiful music.

[Lisztianwagner]

Alexander Glazunov
Violin Concerto

[asin]B000000SJP[/asin]

[Fafner]

Shostakovich - Violin Concerto No. 1
David Oistrakh
Leningrad Phil., Evgeny Mravinsky

[asin]B008GAXUYE[/asin]

[prémont]

BTW, I have also noticed these two new recordings of the sonatas & partitas for solo violin: Lotter and Montanari. I'im particularly interested in Lotter, a fantastic violinist who has never disappointed me; although a friend of mine has been saying for two months that Montanari is superlative in these works (but I'm not convinced because he has also praised excessively his Corelli and his Vivaldi).

Thanks for reminding me of Stefano Montanari. I purchased many months ago his Bach sonatas for violin and harpsichord (with Rousset) and his Vivaldi opus 3 and 8 (with Dantone), but theCDs were still unlistened to. To day I listened to all six CDs , and I must say, that I largely agree with your friend. Montanari plays the Bach sonatas effortless and with pure tone and the interpretation is eloquent and imaginative with nice variations in repeats. In the Vivaldi works he is a splendid soloist all way through, also here adding some nice and stylish passing notes and ornamentation. His interpretation is fervent and comitted. My only slight reservation relates to some of the changes of dynamics, but I think Dantone is responsible for this. I shall certainly try to get hold of his Bach solo works.

[TheGSMoeller]

Desert Island stuff right here, both in music and performances.

[Brahmsian]

Дмитри Дмитриевич [ Dmitri Dmitriyevich (Shostakovich) ]
Симфония № 4 c-moll, соч. 43 [ Symphony № 4 in c minor, Opus 43 ]
WDR Sinfonieorchester
Рудольф Борисович [ Rudolf Borisovich (Barshai) ]

[asin]B00005UW2B[/asin]

Hmm, the big disappointment here: not at all sure that the pell-mell string fugato in the first movement is quite together.

I've probably listened to at least half of the Barshai cycle, and I substantially agree with the Amazon reviewer below (emphasis below, mine):

I really enjoy the Barshai set, Karl, and enjoyed the 4th (twice yesterday!).  Which recording(s) would you recommend for the 4th?  Merci! 

[Daverz]

[asin]B004AUUNVC[/asin]

Poor choice of footwear for train hopping.

[jlaurson]

earlier


B. Martinů
Symphonies 1-6
Vladimír Válek / Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra
Supraphon
German link - UK link

Symphonies 3 & 4.  Most underrated set of Martinů symphonies??  Certainly not much talked about and making an immediate impression -- in close proximity even to Bělohlávek/BBC that's very, very fine, indeed.


Now:

Havergal Brian
Symphonies 17 & 32
A.Leaper / RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra 
Naxos
German link - UK link

Дмитри Дмитриевич [ Dmitri Dmitriyevich (Shostakovich) ]
Симфония № 4 c-moll, соч. 43 [ Symphony № 4 in c minor, Opus 43 ]
WDR Sinfonieorchester
Рудольф Борисович [ Rudolf Borisovich (Barshai) ]
Hmm, the big disappointment here: not at all sure that the pell-mell string fugato in the first movement is quite together.

There is something to the Barshai cycle in general -- and the Fourth in particular -- that makes it quite special to me. And certainly not perfect... but then, none of the 'authentic' Russian cycles are, either.

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2005/01/shostakovich-symphony-no4-gergiev.html
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2005/04/mariss-jansonss-dsch-4.html

As clearly as this is now my favorite version of the work, the Barshai recording surprised me once again (it should not have, since his cycle is uniformly excellent) in how well it held up against even the most formidable competition. Its sound may not have the depth of Jansons or Gergiev and the performance isn't as "visual" as the Bavarian RSO's but it's nonetheless excellent.

Compare to that Barshai's first movement (at 27 minutes a bit slower) and it will only underscore that impression. Barshai (who knew DSCH personally and had worked with him) gets his West German Radio Symphony Orchestra worked up from the start, like a twitching race-horse out of the stalls. Barshai enters into the first movement headlong; Gergiev, cautious.