What are you listening to now?

[Karl Henning]

"Wolferl"
String Quartet in A K.464
Juilliard Quartet

[Karl Henning]

“Wolferl”
String Quartet in A K.464
Juilliard Quartet

Somehow, the Menuet taking the second movement spot always fakes me out.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

There are two composers, whose work just seems to get better and better as I get older: Monteverdi and Britten. When I first heard Britten, I could barely tolerate him. But today, I find his work so varied and interesting, especially the operas. I've yet to hear any of his chamber works though, so plenty of 'work' ahead!!

There's some really good stuff in Britten's chamber works, even though I'm also less familiar with it than his stage works/orchestral works.

I enjoy the cello sonata, the suites for solo cello, the Introduction and Rondo alla Burlesca for two pianos, and (a biggie for me) the string quartets:




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[Karl Henning]

“Wolferl”
String Quartet in C, K.465
Quatuor Mosaïques

[Karl Henning]

Unsurprisingly, having listened erewhile to the Juilliards . . . when I first cued up the Mosaïques, I was keenly aware that I was now listening to the Mosaïques (not that that's a bad thing . . . remember, I've been initiated into the Cult  ).  But quickly, my ears adjust . . . .

[kyjo]

I love that word 'infested'.
Meanwhile, the air around me is infested with soundwaves from this:

"Symphony 2 - Yuri Gagarin"
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov
or even
Вячеслав Овчинников - Симфония №2 "Юрий Гагарин"
для струнного оркестра (1957, Ред. 1973)

Cato switched me on to this composer a couple of years ago - there is something heartfelt and profound about the way the strings are orchestrated in this work which will have you accompanying Yuri into orbit not problem.  Love it.

Thanks for the tip, John! Found this and other works by Ovchinnikov on YouTube.

[kyjo]

Kurt Atterberg
Symphony No.5

http://www.youtube.com/v/qLFCd4uTv3c

I'm sure work is right up your alley (well, pretty much all of Atterberg's output is)! What did you think of it, Ilaria?

[Karl Henning]

Christopher Rouse
Phaethon (1986)

http://www.youtube.com/v/nGnfF51I-70

[Karl Henning]

Christopher Rouse
Flute Concerto (1993)
Maria Fedotova, fl
Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio
Vladimir Fedoseev

http://www.youtube.com/v/ypII1CsMc3k

[kyjo]

Wow, Karl, you're fast! I'd be interested to hear your impressions of those works, so please take a trip over to the Rouse thread when you're finished listening, if you don't mind.

[kishnevi]

This arrived on Monday, but this afternoon is the first chance I had to play it.
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It's been a while since I've played the Batiashvili recording of this concerto, so I can't make a true comparison, but I think this is a better choice based on the couplings.  Batiashvili provided a mediocre recording of the Sibelius.  Jubilees and Souvenir, on the other hand,  impressed me as much or more than the concerto itself.  My run in with earlier Lindberg was not satisfying; it's rather obvious to me that what he's produced from the Violin Concerto onwards is more conducive to my ears.  I'll be looking forward to a revisit of all three works.

Having completed that,  it's now time to complete the Mahler segment of the Brilliant 100 CD Symphonies box
Symphony No. 9
Liepzig Gewandhaus Orchester,  Vaclav Neumann cond.
Compared to some other performances,  the first movement (where I'm at just now) sounds downright cheerful.   If this symphony is about death, then Mahler (in this reading) has decided to start off proceedings by having a cheery picnic in the cemetery.

[North Star]

Very interesting, Jeffrey! Have you heard the pretty new Piano Concerto No. 2? I recall enjoying this a fair bit, but it's several months since I heard it from Spotify.

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[kyjo]

My run in with earlier Lindberg was not satisfying; it's rather obvious to me that what he's produced from the Violin Concerto onwards is more conducive to my ears. 

+1 A lot of Lindberg's earlier music seems to me noisy and directionless for its own sake. Some have criticized his change to a tonal, lyrical style, but I think it was a big step up for him as a composer.

[Brahmsian]

"Wolferl"
String Quartet in A K.464
Juilliard Quartet

Apparently the K. 464 was Beethoven's favourite from Mozart's string quartet oeuvre, and modelled his Op. 18 # 5 in A after Wolferl's.  The K.464 (especially the slow third movement) among my favourite of Mozart's quartets, just a hair fracture behind K.499 (I'm sure you know this already, Karl). 

[kishnevi]

Very interesting, Jeffrey! Have you heard the pretty new Piano Concerto No. 2? I recall enjoying this a fair bit, but it's several months since I heard it from Spotify.

[asin]B00C1LIMVK[/asin]

Thanks! I've wishlisted it for the moment.   The notes for this CD mentioned it.
Mind you,  this is simply a first impression based on a single listening.....I'm nowhere at the moment close to saying what specifically I like about Jubilees and Souvenir, or why I like it.

[kishnevi]

+1 A lot of Lindberg's earlier music seems to me noisy and directionless for its own sake. Some have criticized his change to a tonal, lyrical style, but I think it was a big step up for him as a composer.

BTW,  I'm not sure I would refer to these works as tonal, except in a relative way.  "Not as atonal as his earlier works" or "more tonal than his earlier works" would be more accurate.

[Sergeant Rock]

Mozart String Quartet String A major K.464 played by the Quartetto Italiano




Sarge

[Brahmsian]

Glazunov

Piano Concerto No. 1 in F minor, Op. 92

Reverie in D flat major for horn and orchestra, Op. 24

Concerto Ballata in C major for cello and orchestra, Op. 108  (below the green lemon, this one!!)

Meditation in D major for violin and orchestra, Op. 32


Alexander Romanovsky, piano
Alexey Serov, french horn
Wen-Sinn Yang, cello
Rachel Barton Pine, violin

Jose Serebrier
Russian National Orchestra

Warner Classics

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*Seems like I got the Glazunov bug the last few days.  I'm on a 'Glazunov Bender'.    FWIW, although I enjoy the 2nd PC, I prefer the 1st.

[Brahmsian]

Mozart String Quartet String A major K.464 played by the Quartetto Italiano




Sarge

*Party on, dude!* 

[Brahmsian]

Delibes

Sylvia

Richard Bonynge (my favourite ballet conductor) 
New Philharmonia Orchestra

Decca Ballet Brick!! 

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