What are you listening to now?

[EigenUser]

J. A. Adams is a very cool composer for sure and I love the aural tapestry he's able to conjure through those vast soundscapes. I didn't think much of his music when I first heard it but I just didn't think I was in the right frame of mind at that time. I'm now awaiting the release of Become Ocean.

One of my favorite Honegger works is Symphonique Liturgique. This is a powerful work full of turbulence, machine-like rhythms, but the second movement could be seen as a lament. Quite emotionally moving. I would seek out Karajan's performance with the Berliners.

I played the Honegger Cello Concerto and the JLA earlier today. If I didn't get any guidance from anyone, I think that the 3rd symphony is the one that I would have gone to next. Since you recommend it, I definitely will. Rugby is intriguing, too, since it follows Pacific 2.3.1 in his series of symphonic-poems.

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Listening to Chamber Symphony No. 2. Quite a different beast compared to the first. Great performance.

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This is the first time I've listened to a performance other than Mackerras'. Thanks for the input, folks!

How is this performance, Brian?

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Poulenc's beautiful and haunting Oboe Sonata.

A gorgeous work for sure. Poulenc is definitely one of my favorite chamber music composers. Have you heard his Violin Sonata or Cello Sonata?

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The beautifully  deliquescent music of Valentin Silvestrov: symphony no 5, conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the Lahti SO.

I was just listening to this work and performance last night. Such a gorgeous work.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Haydn, Creation Mass.



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I played the Honegger Cello Concerto and the JLA earlier today. If I didn't get any guidance from anyone, I think that the 3rd symphony is the one that I would have gone to next. Since you recommend it, I definitely will. Rugby is intriguing, too, since it follows Pacific 2.3.1 in his series of symphonic-poems.

Excellent, Nate. Rugby and the Cello Concerto are both great works as well. You should hear all the symphonies, though.

[EigenUser]

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Listening to Chamber Symphony No. 2. Quite a different beast compared to the first. Great performance.

The 2nd one is odd. It isn't nearly as emotional as the 1st. I like it, but it is the 1st one that really does it for me. It's weird.

By the way, what do you think of Webern's Six Pieces or Symphony? His music went from being of least interest (January) to near-favorite (now).

Excellent, Nate. Rugby and the Cello Concerto are both great works as well. You should hear all the symphonies, though.

Don't stress me out!!

Haydn, Creation Mass.



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I haven't yet heard The Creation. I love The Seasons, though.

[Brian]

How is this performance, Brian?

The only one I've heard was Mackerras, and that not recently. "Blind Musicians" was good, and even now that's still the only part I really care deeply about. "In the Power of Phantoms" was not especially scary, so that might be a fault.

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The 2nd one is odd. It isn't nearly as emotional as the 1st. I like it, but it is the 1st one that really does it for me. It's weird.

By the way, what do you think of Webern's Six Pieces or Symphony? His music went from being of least interest (January) to near-favorite (now).
Don't stress me out!!

I like both of Schoenberg's Chamber Symphonies but I'm pretty biased when it comes to Schoenberg. I think quite highly of a lot of his music. I need to revisit Webern's Symphony, but I do enjoy the Six Pieces but I like Webern's Pieces works less than Schoenberg and Berg. I just have always responded more to these two composers' music more than Webern, but I do plan to make my rounds with his oeuvre again at some point. I own the complete edition on DG with Boulez.

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The only one I've heard was Mackerras, and that not recently. "Blind Musicians" was good, and even now that's still the only part I really care deeply about. "In the Power of Phantoms" was not especially scary, so that might be a fault.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll pass on this one. I've got Mackerras and Pesek (CzPO Supraphon).

[Brahmsian]

Listened to that twice over the weekend, and can't figure out why the quintets aren't regularly hailed as among Brahms' very finest music. The first quintet is apparently his least-recorded mature chamber piece.

Agreed Brian, and I'm guilty of this too.  The string quintets of Brahms are fantastic, but oft overlooked.  I've always been particularly fond of the 1st string quintet.  I do secretly wish he would have written them in the double cello format (a la Schubert), as the Genesis of the Piano Quintet began. 

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Listening to String Quartet No. 2 (arr. Arnold Schoenberg). Great stuff.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I haven't yet heard The Creation. I love The Seasons, though.

I love The Creation, too, but this Creation Mass is actually a separate entity from The Creation, the (much longer) oratorio.

Of course BOTH are worth every minute invested listening.

 

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Listening to Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7. Great stuff.

[listener]

misc LPs from a batch I kept aside for another listen
DEBUSSY: Music for 'King Lear',  Marches Écossaise, Khamma, Prélude à l'aprè-midi d'un faune
French National Radio Orch.      Martinon, cond.
HINDEMITH:  Symphony 'Mathis de Mahler',  Concert Music for Strings and Brass
Boston Symphony Orch.,    William Steinberg, cond....
MAXWELL DAVIES: St. Thomas Wake – foxtrot for orchestra
ANTHEIL:  Symphony no.5
Louisville Orch., Richard Dufallo, cond.

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Listening to Concerto In F For 4 Violins & Cello, Op. 3/7, RV 567 - L'Estro Armonico No. 7. Love this particular concerto.

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Listening to Sinfonietta On Estonian Motifs. Such a cool work.

[Harry]

Good morning to all.
To start the morning, what could be better as this passionate music.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2014/09/monteverdi-claudio-1567-1643-complete_24.html?spref=tw

[Wanderer]

Good morning, Harry!
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Gaspard de la Nuit.  Of my entire CD collection, this is easily one of my Top Ten - a desert island disk, a dessert island disk, a disk Sméagol would call his "precious", one of the chosen ones I'd risk life and limb for if the house catches fire, a disk that - were I wealthy - I'd make certain was in every American home, a disk that were I even wealthier would make certain was in every home on the planet..(cultural imperialism? - so be it), a disk so...well, you get the idea.  [asin]B000001OG7[/asin]  Sometimes one can be too enthusiastic about one's faves.  One (whoever he or she is) certainly can be; but not me.

So, do you like it?