What are you listening to now?

[NikF]

Good idea to just go with the flow. I'm jealous you get to see Cinderella tomorrow. Is this concert with the BBC Scottish SO or a theatre orchestra?

It's with the ballet company's orchestra, The Scottish Ballet Orchestra. They're a part time ensemble, but full time pros with many members from the BBC SSO and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra etc. We're travelling to the Highlands for it - Inverness - and I could do without that aspect, but a friend of a friend is dancing in it and I already said I'd go.

[Mirror Image]

It's with the ballet company's orchestra, The Scottish Ballet Orchestra. They're a part time ensemble, but full time pros with many members from the BBC SSO and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra etc. We're travelling to the Highlands for it - Inverness - and I could do without that aspect, but a friend of a friend is dancing in it and I already said I'd go.

Well, hope you enjoy the concert.

[NikF]

Well, hope you enjoy the concert.

Cheers, mate. 

[Kontrapunctus]

I'm not sold on her interpretation of "Pictures" overall (it has some great moments), but the other works are hair-raising! Excellent sound.

[Kontrapunctus]

No.1 today. This all-analog remastered sound sounds fantastic, and the performances are exemplary.

[Mirror Image]

Listening to this recording again:



A wonderful disc.

Here's a nice promo video for it:

https://www.youtube.com/v/aSI8Urfq0FM

[Mirror Image]

Now playing:

Copland
Lincoln Portrait
Quiet City
An Outdoor Overture
Our Town
Charlton Heston, speaker
Maurice Abravanel, conductor
Utah Symphony Orchestra

[Que]

Morning listening:

[asin]B000004CYV[/asin]
Keyboard transcriptions played by Colin Tilney.

Q

[vandermolen]

Exact. It was performed 4 years in a row (1923-1926) at the RAH on Armistice Day. Since then, nothing until that 2007 revival, possibly on account of the huge forces needed (1250 at the premiere). The performance is mostly very good - though « only » 450 strong. The soprano is quite in distress, which is a pity.

I remember that to be there was very special with choirs situated in the roof of the Albert Hall. If you can enter its at times hypnotic sound world it really is/was quite an experience and really moving. I rate Foulds very highly but because he died young and worked in India he is quite a neglected figure.

[vandermolen]

Symphony 2:
[asin]B000027QX1[/asin]

[vandermolen]

Now playing:

Copland
Lincoln Portrait
Quiet City
An Outdoor Overture
Our Town
Charlton Heston, speaker
Maurice Abravanel, conductor
Utah Symphony Orchestra

I really like that CD. Charlton Heston is much better than Henry Fonda in the narration of the Lincoln Portrait and I've invariably liked Abravanel's recordings of anything. The Morton Gould is fun too.

[Harry]

Shakespeare at the Covent Garden. Henry Rowley Bishop.
Music composed, adapted and arranged for Shakespeare productions in Covent Garden 1816-1821.
Musicians of the Globe, Philip Pickett.

It is my considered opinion that Bishop should have kept his fingers from this project, and instead find another hobby, like fishing or gardening, instead of delivering this crap.
I was not prepared for this onslaught, and was not a little discontented to find such an abject disc in this otherwise fine box. Good God, I am flabbergasted. Despite the fact that all participants are first rate, I was not a little irritated by the vibrato of Susan Gritton, fine as her voice might be.
O, well 6 discs are almost as good as I expected.

[Irons]

Symphony 2:
[asin]B000027QX1[/asin]

A symphony in every sense. I read somewhere Rubbra described as the English Bruckner which put me off a tad as not being a Bruckner fan. In the case of the second I was reminded not of Bruckner, but a composer I love, Sibelius.

[cilgwyn]

No.1 today. This all-analog remastered sound sounds fantastic, and the performances are exemplary.

Great hair,as usual!

[vandermolen]

A symphony in every sense. I read somewhere Rubbra described as the English Bruckner which put me off a tad as not being a Bruckner fan. In the case of the second I was reminded not of Bruckner, but a composer I love, Sibelius.

I think Sibelius is a much more appropriate comparison. Listening to it again now.

[cilgwyn]

I really like that CD. Charlton Heston is much better than Henry Fonda in the narration of the Lincoln Portrait and I've invariably liked Abravanel's recordings of anything. The Morton Gould is fun too.

I love Gould's Latin American Symphonette. The best one ever,though,imho,was on the Varese Sarabande album,with the composer conducting the LSO. It was one of those early digital Lp's with warnings about possible damage to your speakers,which always used to make it just a little more exciting,for a youngster (like I was then! ). I remember the sound quality was,quite.sensational,for it's time. One of those demonstration Lp's,with lots of bragging about dynamic levels and loads of ,incomprehensible,technical data,about the equipment used.You seemed to be able to hear every detail,however minute. Then a big,thwack,would have you jumping up from your seat!  (Lot's of exotic sounding percussion,and instrumentation) The fantastic,and very striking,Aztec,artwork,embossed (no less! ) on a swanky gatefold,with photos of the composer and program notes,inside. Every performance I've heard since has been fun,but disappointingly,tame by comparison! Sadly,it never seems to have been reissued on a cd!! A reissue,with that same artwork,would make a great cd! Another annoying omission from the cd catalogue! Along with the RCA Lp of ,Tjeknavorian,conducting Khatchaturian's Symphony No 1 (not to be confused with the,very,disappointing ASV recording) and,of course,Edward Downe's recording of Bax's Symphony No 3! And,NB: to record labels! It won't be quite the same without the Aztec artwork! (The Gould,not Bax!! ).

[Harry]

Nutmeg and Ginger, Spicy ballads from Shakespeare's London. CD VII.
Musicians of the globe, Philip Pickett.

Well this healed my wounds from Disc VI of this set, so all in all a good score considering. Fine singing, good music, performed with just the right amount of expression.

[vandermolen]

I love Gould's Latin American Symphonette. The best one ever,though,imho,was on the Varese Sarabande album,with the composer conducting the LSO. It was one of those early digital Lp's with warnings about possible damage to your speakers,which always used to make it just a little more exciting,for a youngster (like I was then! ). I remember the sound quality was,quite.sensational,for it's time. One of those demonstration Lp's,with lots of bragging about dynamic levels and loads of ,incomprehensible,technical data,about the equipment used.You seemed to be able to hear every detail,however minute. Then a big,thwack,would have you jumping up from your seat!  (Lot's of exotic sounding percussion,and instrumentation) The fantastic,and very striking,Aztec,artwork,embossed (no less! ) on a swanky gatefold,with photos of the composer and program notes,inside. Every performance I've heard since has been fun,but disappointingly,tame by comparison! Sadly,it never seems to have been reissued on a cd!! A reissue,with that same artwork,would make a great cd! Another annoying omission from the cd catalogue! Along with the RCA Lp of ,Tjeknavorian,conducting Khatchaturian's Symphony No 1 (not to be confused with the,very,disappointing ASV recording) and,of course,Edward Downe's recording of Bax's Symphony No 3! And,NB: to record labels! It won't be quite the same without the Aztec artwork! (The Gould,not Bax!! ).

How interesting! That looks like a fabulous Morton Gould LP. I was just about to embark on a panicky search for a CD copy online when I read that it had never been transferred to CD. How unfortunate! Yes, great cover art too. I wonder if the RCA Bax or Khachaturian will ever appear on CD. Still I should be grateful that Morton Gould's own fabulous RCA recording of Miaskovsky's Symphony 21 with RK's Antar did eventually make it to CD, albeit in a boxed set of MG's recordings. Even better the CD sleeve was a mini version of the colourful LP cover. 

[cilgwyn]

"The Grey Dancer in the Twilight!" This is Bax in,full on,Celtic twilight,legendary mode.

      [/img]

I received the Lyrita cd of Bax's Symphonies 2 & 5,this morning! To my horror,I realised that I'd ordered another one from a US seller........which has been dispatched!! I had some of these Lyrita recordings,of Bax symphonies,on Lp. But the artwork was not exactly brilliant! They looked very similar! I think I had No 5? I definitely,had No 7!  I bought them from a lady in the market,here!

[pjme]

https://www.youtube.com/v/PH_baX92SSY

Today the Low Countries get their portion of fierce wind and snow - "Venice" on the audio system...

The first movement is the highlight. Never understood why this work wasn't transfered to cd.