What are you listening to now?

[Madiel]

Brahms & Schumann: The String Quartets
Melos Quartett
Newton Classics, 3-CD set

[asin]B004KDO2IO[/asin]

Disc 1: Schumann's quartets Op. 41 Nos. 1 & 2

I love this interpretation full of expression and intensity, recorded in crystal clear sound quality. 

A-ha! I was asking about this set in the 'recordings you are considering' thread recently.

[Ken B]

I like it, along with the Anda/Fricsay. The BBC third is more elegant sounding here, which (for this particular work) I like. Really, both the Anda and the Bavouzet both have things I like and dislike. I will say that the Anda recording of the 1st piano concerto is frankly a poor performance, regardless of how Hungarian-sounding the interpretation might be (and it is very Hungarian sounding!). The first movement is a mess (really, I have the score and there are so many things that are not aligned in this recording) and the third movement is actually 2/3rds of the full tempo Bartok writes! The second movement is great, though (better than BBC).

I'm not nearly as enthusiastic in acquiring various performances as many here are, though it is definitely interesting to hear differences. I approach the music with the idea that performances/recordings are approximations and the music is in the score (my personal view, I'm not arguing universally, of course  ). If I'm not able to acquire the score (which is rare) then I will go after several performances. But, if I am able to get the score, then I usually have one or two good recordings and I'm set.
Why must you antagonize the birthday boy? Take that back! 

I have so much new stuff, only one of it Bartok, that I must get through. Plus I'm naturally contarian.    and you and John post so much Bartok!

I'm less of a must have every version guy than many here. For example I am selling off my Naxos and Wand Bruckner, my Rattle second Viennese box, Naxos Martinu symphonies as part of a cull. Going to sell my Brilliant Complete Beethoven box soon too.

[Lisztianwagner]

Bela Bartok
Hungarian Sketches

[asin]B002DZX958[/asin]

Now: Piano Concerto No.1

[Pat B]

Another from the recent Berkshire batch.

[asin]B00004TWUS[/asin]
Mahler 1 (Levi/Telarc)

First time I've heard Blumine.

[pi2000]

Ida Haendel
[asin] B001FXSN64[/asin]

[TheGSMoeller]

Biber: The Mystery Sonatas
John Holloway (Violin), Stephen Stubbs (Lute), Davitt Moroney (Chamber Organ),
Erin Headley (Bass Viola Da Gamba), Andrew Lawrence-King (Harp), Davitt Moroney (Harpsichord)

[Tom 1960]

Disc 5

[Mirror Image]

Violin Concerto No. 2

[asin]B00000I938[/asin]

Not too fond of that Shaham/Boulez performance. Have you heard Faust/Harding, Chung/Solti, or Zehetmair/Fischer? There many fine performance of Violin Concerto No. 2 that you should definitely check out.

[Mirror Image]

For the birthday boy -

Now:



Moving forward in the Kocsis Bartok orchestral series. Listening to Suite No. 1. Great stuff.

[TheGSMoeller]

Op. 115 from Tokyo SQ and Jon Manasse.

[asin] B008H5F1KY[/asin]

[Pat B]

Biber: The Mystery Sonatas
John Holloway (Violin), Stephen Stubbs (Lute), Davitt Moroney (Chamber Organ),
Erin Headley (Bass Viola Da Gamba), Andrew Lawrence-King (Harp), Davitt Moroney (Harpsichord)

That is one of my absolute favorites.

Thread duty:
[asin]B000BTQG62[/asin]
Mozart concertos (Moravec,Vlach/Supraphon)

[TheGSMoeller]

That is one of my absolute favorites.

Out of the four Mystery recordings I own, it's the Holloway/Tragicomedia one I play more often. The recording has a little reverb and sounds distant, but I think that's what gives it such an ethereal and at the same time haunting feel.   

[Ken B]

Out of the four Mystery recordings I own, it's the Holloway/Tragicomedia one I play more often. The recording has a little reverb and sounds distant, but I think that's what gives it such an ethereal and at the same time haunting feel.

That set attracts few players, but the ones it does it draws the best from. I like that and Manze equally I think. Susie Lautenbacher had a set on Vox in the 60s which was good. Such strange music. Unlike anything else from the era.

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Gastinel's performance of the Barber Cello Concerto yet again.

[Brian]

Breaking in Russell Sherman's Beethoven piano sonata cycle (charitable donation of a GMGer) with Opp. 22 and 26. Wow, what sound.

[kishnevi]

That set attracts few players, but the ones it does it draws the best from. I like that and Manze equally I think. Susie Lautenbacher had a set on Vox in the 60s which was good. Such strange music. Unlike anything else from the era.

Across the email transom today, as part of Arkivmusic's New Releases:


That's strictly a FYI, since I've never heard of the performers before.

thread duty:
FJ Haydn: Symphonies 9 through 12   Austro Hungarian Haydn Orchestra Adam Fischer cond.
to be followed shortly by the next CD (Numbers 13-16) including the horn section Bogey (I think it was him) was distinctly unimpressed with last night.

[Todd]

.
[asin]B00C399368[/asin]



Brahms' D Minor concerto, with Charles Munch and the BSO.  Wow, just wow!  This box has been uneven so far, but this recording is easily among the best I've ever heard. 

[Wakefield]

A-ha! I was asking about this set in the 'recordings you are considering' thread recently.

Sorry, I didn't see it. But it's certainly a very recommendable set, especially now when Newton Classics has gone out of business (and it's not easy to know how long its catalogue will be available).

[TheGSMoeller]

Across the email transom today, as part of Arkivmusic's New Releases:


That's strictly a FYI, since I've never heard of the performers before.

Thanks for the info, Jeffrey. It's available on Spotify, giving it a listen right now!
Thread duty...see above. 

[Sadko]

Rimsky-Korsakov

The Maiden from Pskov

Kirov forces
Velery Gergiev

[ASIN]B004I4HCT6[/ASIN]