What are you listening to now?

[Harry]

Vincent Lubeck, Complete Organ and Harpsichord Music, CD I.
Manuel Tomadin, plays on the Van Hagerbeer/Schnitger organ, (1646-1725) in the Grote Sint-Laurenskerk, Alkmaar, The Netherlands.

Lubeck for me is a great composer in terms of his organ works. And he found in Tomadin a wonderful organist to express the many gorgeous details of this well composed music. Tempi are a bit slow at times, but detail emerges even better.  My most favorite piece on this disc must be the Chacon in A, Lub WV 20. I think it to be one of the most sublime piece in organ literature. And then this unique organ, which holds 90% of it original pipes and belongs to the top instruments in Europe. You cannot go wrong with this instrument.....

[Zeus]

I think I'll make today a Pizzetti day...

Pizzetti: Canti della stagione alta
Robert Schumann Philharmonie, Oleg Caetani
Naxos/Marco Polo

[asin] B00000J8Y1[/asin]

Pizzetti: Chamber Music
Leila Rásonyi et al.

[asin] B003NA7FV6[/asin]

Pizzetti: Symphony, Harp Concerto
Bassani, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, Iorio

[asin] B06XWTF2HN[/asin]

That symphony was commissioned to celebrate the 2600th anniversary of the accession of the first Emperor of Japan, by the way.  It sounds like it.

I've had these discs in my collection for some time, and I have been very favorably impressed.

Today, however, I am getting blown away!

[Karl Henning]

And why not begin with CD 1?

[asin]B017UBR61W[/asin]

[Mahlerian]

Walton: Cello Concerto
Gregor Piatigorsky, Boston Symphony Orchestra, cond. Munch


Copland: Piano Concerto
Aaron Copland, New York Philharmonic, cond. Bernstein
[asin]B0000027J9[/asin]

[Kontrapunctus]

It's going to take me a long time to form an opinion.  In the meantime, here's a Musicweb review:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2018/Jul/Shostakovich_sys_4835220.htm

Thanks. After I posted it, I found the complete recording on Youtube and sampled it (Mostly No.11). It is less caustic than Mravinsky's, but it certainly intense enough and has excellent sound. It's on sale at Presto Classical--might have to pick it up.

[Traverso]

Beethoven - Schubert octet

[Zeus]

Hör, Kristenhait!
Ensemble Leones, Marc Lewon
Christophorus

[asin] B00WJ5UQ9Y[/asin]

[Kontrapunctus]

I just bought a hi-res FLAC of this and started with the 11th--wow! It might not be quite as scalding as Mravinsky's, in which the Leningrad Phil plays as if their lives depended on it (perhaps they did...), but it is plenty intense on its own. Superb sound, and man, those bass drum eruptions will give your woofers a workout!

[Zeus]

Lassus: Prophetiae Sibyllarum, etc
Ensemble De Labyrintho
Stradivarius

[asin] B000N4SA3M[/asin]

I have no idea how I chose this particular performance of this music.  I'm guessing that somewhere it was recommended.

Ah yes, Gio!

[Mandryka]

I have never thought about the OB in that way except once, when i listened to Hans Christoph Becker-Foss' recording. He does indeed play some of the chorale preludes attacca. I can not from the top of my head recall others.

I'm enjoying Hans Christoph Becker-Foss play Orgelbuchlein, and it is suite like -- where we differ is that I think there are many other recordings which are also suite like!

[Mandryka]

Vincent Lubeck, Complete Organ and Harpsichord Music, CD I.
Manuel Tomadin, plays on the Van Hagerbeer/Schnitger organ, (1646-1725) in the Grote Sint-Laurenskerk, Alkmaar, The Netherlands.

Lubeck for me is a great composer in terms of his organ works. And he found in Tomadin a wonderful organist to express the many gorgeous details of this well composed music. Tempi are a bit slow at times, but detail emerges even better.  My most favorite piece on this disc must be the Chacon in A, Lub WV 20. I think it to be one of the most sublime piece in organ literature. And then this unique organ, which holds 90% of it original pipes and belongs to the top instruments in Europe. You cannot go wrong with this instrument.....

This chacon is a very rare piece of music on record as far as I can see, the only other person I can remember hearing play it is Berben.

[aligreto]

Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde, Act 1 [von Karajan]

[aligreto]

No, all in all I listen to very little romantic music any more, Beethoven being the only exception. He was my first musical love, and you know the first love will carry a special importance for ever.

Absolutely nothing wrong there 

I have often put myself a similar question, and I wish I were able to answer it. It is not that I don't like Romantic and Vienna classical music, but it doesn't do that much for me any more. It has lost the thrill it exerted upon me in my teenage years. And there are so many other composers I rather would listen to, first and foremost Bach of course but also a long row of Baroque, Renaissance and Medieval age composers and a few 20/21th century names.

Somewhat reflecting my own preferences but I do continue to listen to Romantic music even if it is not a preference.

[aligreto]

JC Bach: Harpsichord Concertos Op. 1 No. 6 [Halstead]





The slow movement of No. 6 is one of the most beguiling pieces of music that I have heard. Just for reference, the final movement of this work is the one that contains the variations on the English national anthem.

[Mandryka]

There came a point in the 4th suite, maybe in the sarabande, where I said to myself that this is better than what Bach wrote, partly because the instruments better at polyphonic music than a cello. But it's not just that, what Rubsam does is so imaginative and so tender.

Earlier i listened to some Bach played by Bradley Brookshire, he's quite digital, but fast and agressive and virtuosic and inhuman.

[eljr]

[prémont]

There came a point in the 4th suite, maybe in the sarabande, where I said to myself that this is better than what Bach wrote, partly because the instruments better at polyphonic music than a cello. But it's not just that, what Rubsam does is so imaginative and so tender.

Earlier i listened to some Bach played by Bradley Brookshire, he's quite digital, but fast and agressive and virtuosic and inhuman.

I completely agree about both Rübsam and Brookshire. I also had the feeling - listening to Rübsam's cello suites, that this was almost too good. Interesting to hear the solo violin S&P soon.

[Karl Henning]

I just bought a hi-res FLAC of this and started with the 11th--wow! It might not be quite as scalding as Mravinsky's, in which the Leningrad Phil plays as if their lives depended on it (perhaps they did...), but it is plenty intense on its own. Superb sound, and man, those bass drum eruptions will give your woofers a workout!

Aye, both exquisite, and intense!

[aligreto]

Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 [Kitajenko]





The wonderfully lyrical pastorale that is the first movement is constantly being undermined by the menacing and sometimes disconcerting counterpoint particularly in the brass section. I really like the Scherzo-like second movement which has a beguiling Trio section. I like the intensity of the slow movement and, like the rest of this work, the orchestration is really wonderful. I find the last movement to be wonderfully engaging and appealing with its ebullient tone and constant forward movement. This is a spirited performance indeed.

[André]

As operettas go, this one by Imre Kálmán is a bit long - about half an hour longer than, say, Land of Smiles or The Merry Widow, but the production is very well done, with the dialogue bits superimposed on offstage party music and the like. The singing is very good, but I grew tired of Gedda's unsubtle singing - he never sings less than mf and often blusters through Count Tassilo's part.

It doesn't help that the very first sung number belongs to the gipsy girl Manja, graced by Edda Moser's smokin' hot performance - talk about luxury casting! When your play your joker first, the rest per force will appear slightly less interesting. Nonetheless, the music is excellent.