What are you listening to now?

[Ken B]

OK. Please let the moderators decide what I can propose or not.

You can propose to suck your toes if you want. It's the doing that's an issue.

[Baron Scarpia]

OK. Please let the moderators decide what I can propose or not.

Please refer to the forum rules, in the GMG news section.

Illegal Activity
GMG will not tolerate the discussion or promotion of any illegal activity. In particular, GMG should not be used as a means for distributing or sharing copyrighted music files. File sharing is strictly prohibited on GMG. Small music samples may be posted on the forum, but anything that contravenes copyright laws will not be acceptable behaviour.

The site can suffer negative consequences if it is flagged as promoting the unauthorized distribution of media.

[Kontrapunctus]

A wonderful new release and follow-up to his previous recording of Bach transcriptions. He has an amazing ability to bring out counterpoint, especially in BWV 997. Superb sound.

[Daverz]

Maybe this belongs in another thread, but...

I don't know who Jim Svejda is or what he likes or what his motives are. But my experience is that "someone with an axe to grind" usually means "someone who disagrees with me". Just like most humans in general, most critics I've met have good intentions. The ones with the axes just get more attention.

He does a nightly radio show on KUSC.  He has a very soothing voice, and I really enjoy the show when I catch it.

He also wrote the very entertaining Record Shelf Guide to Classical CDs, though it doesn't seem to have been updated since the 20th Century.

However, he does seem to have some axes to grind.  He hates Karajan passionately, and, IIRC, also has a hate-on for Harnoncourt.

[Baron Scarpia]

However, he does seem to have some axes to grind.  He hates Karajan passionately, and, IIRC, also has a hate-on for Harnoncourt.

Is that an axe to grind, or an opinion? Anyway, that's they reason I don't put much faith in reviews of music, amateur or professional. The subjective can't be separated from the objective. The main value of a review is in pointing out that the recording exists.

[Ken B]

Haydn
Quartets op 20
Angeles Quartet

[Gurn Blanston]

It has nothing to do with copyright infringement but thanks for your opinion

Actually, it IS copyright infringement, thus against the rules. We used to have an MP3 button that let you play pieces of MP3's for the purpose of pointing out or questioning things, but this fell under fair use. We don't even have that now, not sure why since it wasn't illegal, but there you are.

Unfortunately, streaming is something that could get the owner of the site sued, thus we have to cover his butt.

GB 

[Todd]

Josep Colom's take on the Preludes, Chopin Variations, the Paisajes, and the Chanson de Berceu.  The recorded sound is metallic and has some possibly pianist generated buzzing sounds, but the playing sounds perfectly comfortable.  Fine dynamic gradations and rhythmic subtleties abound.  As with Musica Callada, in the Preludes a large portion of the music is simple on the surface, but much roils beneath.  Colom's Chopin Variations lack the same degree of tonal variation and super-fine dynamic control of Trifonov's version, but it is very fine, and sounds more emotionally evocative.  Next come the Paisajes.  If the Musica Callada is Mompou's large scale masterpiece, this collection is his small scale masterpiece.  Colom plays them splendidly.  This triptych is one of the high points of musical impressionism.  The concluding piece is quite lovely.

[San Antone]

Hat tip to Mandryka for bringing this recording to our attention.  I've been listening to it today and have found it to be excellent.

[Mirror Image]

Overture
Cello Concerto Nos. 1 & 2

Bartosz Koziak, cello
Adam Krzeszowiec, cello
George Tchitchinadze, conductor
Monika Wolińska, conductor
The Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra

[San Antone]

Machaut : Messe de Nostre Dame - High Mass in Reims Cathedral
Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge, Mary Berry (dir.)



My choice as the best recording of the Machaut mass

[Mirror Image]

Symphony No. 2, "Adagio":

[Kontrapunctus]

An excellent performance with wonderfully clear and detailed sound.

[Cato]

Symphony No. 2, "Adagio":

One of my favorite sets!  I still recall discovering Hartmann  through Rafael Kubelik's DGG record:



Love that record! 

[springrite]

Not everything is of the highest inspiration, but at his best, Lajtha has some very tasty melodies.

There have been some very negative comments in Fanfare about the music and the orchestra, particularly from Jim Svejda, which perplex me as I really love the disc with Symphonies 5 and 6.  Apparently I'm not sophisticated enough to hear how bad the music and the playing are.

Jim Svejda is actually one of my most trusted critics.

Now:
Brian Symphony #26

OK, now I have finally listened to all of the Brian Symphonies. (26 is the last to be recorded).

[SymphonicAddict]

Chausson - Concert for violin, piano and string quartet



This piece is a perfect example of music that I like enormously: insanely passionate, something made with incredible sophistication, and purely human (the Tchaikovsky's Piano trio is another awesome exemplar with these features).

[kyjo]

Chausson - Concert for violin, piano and string quartet



This piece is a perfect example of music that I like enormously: insanely passionate, something permeated with incredible sophistication, and purely human (the Tchaikovsky's Piano trio is another awesome exemplar with these features).

One of my favorite chamber works! The slow movement, in particular, is incredibly haunting and powerful. I love Chausson's lesser-known Piano Quartet in A major as well.

[springrite]

One of my favorite chamber works! The slow movement, in particular, is incredibly haunting and powerful. I love Chausson's lesser-known Piano Quartet in A major as well.

I think I like his song cycles best, followed by the Symphony and King Arthur.

Make you wish the bicycle was not invented yet then... (He died crashing into a tree while riding downhill)

[André]

Last November 11 a good friend of mine went to the Gergiev/Mariinsky concert in Montreal. They played the 2nd Shchedrin piano concerto with Matsuev, the Firebird Suite and Ein Heldenleben. While he was thrilled no end by the Stravinsky, he was bitterly disappointed by the Strauss. Everything was wrong, he said: the tones of the orchestra, the balances, the conducting. He went on to mention his reference Heldenlebens, from Mengelberg/NY to Böhm BRSO, Sinopoli/Dresden and Maazel BRSO. Since I have the last 3 and had not heard Maazel or Sinopoli in a while, I decided to play the Maazel and figure what the « real » Strauss orchestra and conducting were like (the Böhm BRSO is an old friend and I agree it's a model performance).



While I haven't heard the Gergiev performance, the concert reviews did mention the flamboyance of both orchestra and conductor. Quite the opposite of what Maazel and the Münchners offer here. This is a relaxed, deep hued and perfectly delineated interpretation, played with immense refinement of tone. Everything flows, yet all the episodes make their point. The Works of Peace section is worth the price of the disc. I'll listen to the others later (I was given a copy of the Mengelberg, that will be an interesting listen).

[SymphonicAddict]

One of my favorite chamber works! The slow movement, in particular, is incredibly haunting and powerful. I love Chausson's lesser-known Piano Quartet in A major as well.

Mine too, of course! I need to revisit the PQ and his other chamber output.