What are you listening to now?

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Listening to Orpheus. Such a beautiful work and highly underrated amongst Stravinsky's other ballets.

[Todd]

Some really, really fast Liszt.

[Karl Henning]

Henning: Op114a just what everyone was expecting II

Totally groovy, full of life, and just flat out wonderful.

Thank you!

[Wakefield]

Purcell - XII Sonnatas of III Parts/ Ten Sonatas in IV Parts



François Fernandez, Enrico Gatti, violins
Philippe Pierlot, viola da gamba (basse de viole)
Bernard Foccroulle, organ
Pierre Hantaï, harpsichord

Predictably, this is a great interpretation by this "dream team", originally released as two separate CDs, recorded in 1990 & 1994. 

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Listening to Piano Concerto in G. Awesome performance from Bavouzet/Tortelier.

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Listening to String Quartet No. 6. What a sinewy little hairball. I like it. It's really been too long since I've listened to any of Bartok's SQs.

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Listening to Concerto for Two Pianos, Percussion, and Orchestra. Stellar performance.

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Now listening to Violin Concerto No. 2 from this same set. I'm not a huge Isaac Stern fan, but I'll be damned if he's not winning me over here with his ferocious approach to Bartok. The accompaniment from Bernstein is right there with him and, like Stern, he's completely fearless.

Someone on Amazon gave the Stern/Bernstein performance of Violin Concerto No. 2 a horrible rating and attempted to just pick it apart complaining about how the score wasn't followed, which the reviewer attempts to break down by measures and how the audio quality is subpar compared to Boulez's later recording with Gil Shaham. I just had to laugh at the absurdity of this review as this recording sounds damn good to be recorded in 1958. The reviewer also thinks the New York Philharmonic are pathetic. I would hate to see who they thought was a good orchestra.

I do think Isaac Stern uses too much vibrato for my tastes, but the overall impact of his performance comes across loud and clear. He clearly knew this music well and as well as any violinist performing in his own time and today.

[TheGSMoeller]

Comparative listening to these 2013 releases of Poulenc's Stabat Mater. Interpretively, Stéphane Denève delivers a more complete, lyrical and fluid sounding Stabat Mater that is more consistent from movement to movement, not to mention the better sounding choir and recording quality. Jarvi's is a good performance, but just seems to offer less interest in some of the beautiful touches that Poulenc filled this piece with. Both soprano soloists are very good, Petibon is light and delicate and performs more like a separate figure of the score than Marlis Petersen. But Petersen's voice is strong.
Also, it's refreshing that the Denève has Les Biches accompanying rather than the often recorded Gloria.

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Listening to Le tombeau de Couperin. Excellent performance from Ozawa/BSO. I've always liked Ozawa in Impressionistic music. I think this is where he truly comes alive.

[Harry]

First listen. I am impressed, very much so.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2014/02/poot-marcel-1901-1988-orchestral-works.html?spref=tw

[Harry]

First listen. Oops, yet another Belgian, and a very good composer too! See review.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2014/02/mortelmans-lodewijk-1868-1952.html?spref=tw

[wintersway]

[Harry]

First listen. Out for a eerie ride, then listen to this music. See review.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2014/02/schnittke-alfred-1934-1998-complete.html?spref=tw

[North Star]

Reich
Music for 18 Musicians
http://www.youtube.com/v/ZXJWO2FQ16c

Earlier:
Mussorgsky
St. John's Night on the Bare Mountain for bass-baritone, children's choir, choir & orchestra
Khovanshchina excerpts & al.
Anatoli Kotcherga (bbar), Marianna Tarasova (msop), Abbado & BPO
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[Sergeant Rock]

Haydn Symphonies #65 A major and #41 C major, Pinnock conducting the English Concert




Sarge

[wintersway]

[Harry]

First listen. The beautiful music of this composer, well performed. See review.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2014/02/lajtha-laszlo-1892-1963-orchestral.html?spref=tw

[Sergeant Rock]

Othmar Schoeck (1886-1957) Notturno op.47 (Five Movements for Baritone and String Quartet)




Sarge

[ritter]

Last night:

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Christine Schäfer and Eric Schneider's very personal (and very, very interesting) recital, combining Purcell and Crumb (interspersed by Shakespeare's sonnets declaimed--most engagingly--by a young boy).

I should explore more of George Crumb (who's music is completely unknown to me--apart from the songs included in this Cd).