What are you listening to now?

[aligreto]

Bartok: Divertimento for String Orchestra [Maksymiuk]


   

[aligreto]

Lots of hair - 

Yes, there sure is 

[Kontrapunctus]

Jappelli studied composition with Leo Brouwer, whose influence is quite audible in that the music is obviously contemporary but very tuneful, and it often relies on repeated melodic cells--not quite true minimalism, though. Impressionistic is probably more accurate. The frequent use of retuned strings (usually up or down a half-step) produces some very interesting sororities. Anyway, it's pleasant to listen to and Dieci is an outstanding player. Excellent sound.

[NikF]

Franck: Works for Piano - Paul Strauss/Liège Orchestra/Ciccolini 

[asin]B000025TY2[/asin]

[Todd]

Disc one.  The Toccata, Cinderella excerpts, and the first two sonatas.  If the next two discs are as good as this, this will surpass Sandor and Bronfman and become my go-to complete set.  Ovchinnikov's playing is clean, fast, accurate, and industrial strength.  He never bangs, but he never produces an especially lovely tone.  That's not to say he plays with an ugly tone.  No, his approach sounds just right.  Outstanding in every way.

[NikF]

Massenet: Ballet Suites - Marriner/Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

[asin]B06WVKGZXX[/asin]

[André]

Colourful, inventive, massive.

[Todd]

I finally started in on this set.  I listened to the first thirty tracks, all of it solo Bartok.  Many people believe Zoltan Kocsis sets the standard in this repertoire, and he does, but Ms Kraus is not too far behind.  Here's eminently satisfying playing.  The MP3 download sound is perfectly fine for a recording of this vintage.  I've already got more value than the measly $0.99 I plopped down for the whole set.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I finally started in on this set.  I listened to the first thirty tracks, all of it solo Bartok.  Many people believe Zoltan Kocsis sets the standard in this repertoire, and he does, but Ms Kraus is not too far behind.  Here's eminently satisfying playing.  The MP3 download sound is perfectly fine for a recording of this vintage.  I've already got more value than the measly $0.99 I plopped down for the whole set.

I'm not keen on MP3 downloads, but that said, I purchased a couple of fine ones a few years ago (older recordings) of Guild recordings (upon a heads up from an online friend)....some great Bach, etc.!  And they were for $.99 or a buck 99 at most (from memory).  Lots of wonderful recordings.

Best,

PD

[Todd]

I'm not keen on MP3 downloads, but that said, I purchased a couple of fine ones a few years ago (older recordings) of Guild recordings (upon a heads up from an online friend)....some great Bach, etc.!  And they were for $.99 or a buck 99 at most (from memory).  Lots of wonderful recordings.

Indeed.  While I will not buy MP3s for modern recording except in the rarest of cases (basically Sequeira Costa's LvB cycle), I'm fine spending what amounts to pocket change for hours of older recordings.  A few new reissued old VoxBox sets are now available for $0.99 - Kraft's Bach, the Barchet Quartett's Mozart cycle, and Ponti's Rach. 

[Daverz]

Le Sacre

[asin] B0032EZC2C[/asin]

Live in Berlin, 1952.  Very vivid recording.

[SymphonicAddict]

Colourful, inventive, massive.

That is a great disc!

[SymphonicAddict]

That's a really fine work, Cesar. I think his Cello Sonata (contained on the same Cyprès CD) is an even greater work - powerful and ultimately uplifting.

More encouragement! I hope to receive the CD very soon!

[JBS]

I finally started in on this set.  I listened to the first thirty tracks, all of it solo Bartok.  Many people believe Zoltan Kocsis sets the standard in this repertoire, and he does, but Ms Kraus is not too far behind.  Here's eminently satisfying playing.  The MP3 download sound is perfectly fine for a recording of this vintage.  I've already got more value than the measly $0.99 I plopped down for the whole set.

Somehow that cover image just doesn't evoke Bartok for me...
TD
Kyjo said this was good. Kyjo was right.

[SymphonicAddict]

Some strong ideas, a reasonable amount of flair and good compositional workmanship are the main features here. I do not detect a powerful urge to communicate or an irrepressible surge of originality.

I recently listened to a symphony by Strauss (an early work) and it was not quite as good as this. I had the feeling the young Strauss insisted on talking just because he was a smooth talker, not because he had something important to say. By comparison, Huber's sincerity is refreshing and I was quite willing to lend an interested ear. Third tier stuff maybe, but the quality is high enough to sustain interest.

Some time ago JPC was selling the 5cd set for 9.99€ and I bought it. If I had acquired this disc for the same amount of money I might have stopped there, or maybe indulged in a second disc. Having all 8 symphonies and other stuff for that price was a steal.

I found some of his first symphonies engaging, with a little of substance (1-3), but the next ones (if my memory serves, from the 4th on) much less so. However, they are pretty enjoyable altogether.

[Todd]

Somehow that cover image just doesn't evoke Bartok for me...

The set also has quite a bit of Schubert, and some Mozart and Bach.  Maybe that was the inspiration for the image.

[Mirror Image]

Debussy: Etudes - Bavouzet.

[asin]B001HOA3LO[/asin]

Thumbs up!

[SymphonicAddict]

Thomas Schmidt-Kowalski - Violin concerto No. 2

A new composer to me, and whose music seems very promising (though he died in 2013). With difficulty I would think this concerto was written in the 21st century (exactly it was in 2005), because it's severely old-fashioned, but oh my goodness, nothing wrong with that, it's a real stunner of a romantic utterance!!!! What does it sound like? The closer composer would be Bruch. The idiom is late-romantic and it's an absolutely inspiring piece. If you like works with intense passion and good themes, this is for you!!

[Mirror Image]

Suite for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 117

[vandermolen]

Nice to find another recording of this fine work: