What are you listening to now?

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Piston, Symphony 2, ASO, Botstein
Petrassi, Piano Concerto, Mass, Mueller

No need to recommend Piston but Petrassi will appeal to any who like neo-classical vigor. Brian, Z7, MI, Karl.

Petrassi has been on my need to know list for a while; his PC I will seek out, thanks.  Indeedy, I do love that "neo-classical vigor," well put. 

Now, while I transform into chef de cuisine : Debussy in G.

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[EigenUser]

Walter Piston's 2nd VC. I always seem to forget about Piston... Actually, I'd like to try and learn the 1st VC sometime. I'll have to find a copy of the solo part.
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[Ken B]

Walter Piston's 2nd VC. I always seem to forget about Piston... Actually, I'd like to try and learn the 1st VC sometime. I'll have to find a copy of the solo part.
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Piston is odd. There usually isn't anything really memorable about his scores, yet they are excellent! He's a more polished composer than either Copland or Thomson yet not quite their equal, certainly not Copland's equal.

Thinking about the American composers of the era, 20s 30s 40s,  I believe I would rank them Copland, Barber,  Thomson, Piston, Schuman. Guys like R Thompson, Diamond, Harris, Sessions, are fine composers too. I don't consider Ives as good as any of the rest frankly, but I don't know his songs and small scale stuff so might be missing out. 
Where does Gershwin fit in? I don't see him a a classical composer really.

[kishnevi]

Piston, Symphony 2, ASO, Botstein
Petrassi, Piano Concerto, Mass, Mueller

No need to recommend Piston but Petrassi will appeal to any who like neo-classical vigor. Brian, Z7, MI, Karl.

Have you heard the Naxos recording?  Of which I remember the flute concerto to be of more interest.

Thread duty
Some guy named Perahia playing Ballades and other stuff by some guy named Chopin.
(CD 47 of the Perahia box)

[EigenUser]

Piston is odd. There usually isn't anything really memorable about his scores, yet they are excellent! He's a more polished composer than either Copland or Thomson yet not quite their equal, certainly not Copland's equal.

Thinking about the American composers of the era, 20s 30s 40s,  I believe I would rank them Copland, Barber,  Thomson, Piston, Schuman. Guys like R Thompson, Diamond, Harris, Sessions, are fine composers too. I don't consider Ives as good as any of the rest frankly, but I don't know his songs and small scale stuff so might be missing out. 
Where does Gershwin fit in? I don't see him a a classical composer really.

I see Gershwin as someone who started off as a song-plugger as a teenager (which he did) and kept adding and embracing various styles of music, but never really removing any. He was close friends with Ravel and Schoenberg, in particular (and he was Schoenberg's tennis partner!). Then, he died from a brain tumor at age 38. A real shame. Not only because of the loss of his life, but because of the loss of what would have likely been some very interesting and entertaining music. Gershwin allegedly wanted his next opera to be a 12-tone opera. We'll never know...

I am an enormous fan of his Piano Concerto, An American in Paris, Cuban Overture, and Rhapsody in Blue.

I haven't heard any Thomson or Schuman. I keep seeing their names thrown around here, though.

Currently, Piston's Symphony No. 2
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[Daverz]

Piston is odd. There usually isn't anything really memorable about his scores,

You've already forgotten Symphony 2?

Thinking about the American composers of the era, 20s 30s 40s,  I believe I would rank them Copland, Barber,  Thomson, Piston, Schuman. Guys like R Thompson, Diamond, Harris, Sessions, are fine composers too. I don't consider Ives as good as any of the rest frankly, but I don't know his songs and small scale stuff so might be missing out. 

Ives was from an older generation than those composers.  And yes, you should check out his chamber music.

Where does Gershwin fit in? I don't see him a a classical composer really.

I would suggest taking things as they are rather than trying to fit them into a schema.  Gershwin wrote several works that are standard classical rep, so it seems entirely arbitrary to say he wasn't a real classical composer.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

I see Gershwin as someone who started off as a song-plugger as a teenager (which he did) and kept adding and embracing various styles of music, but never really removing any. He was close friends with Ravel and Schoenberg, in particular (and he was Schoenberg's tennis partner!). Then, he died from a brain tumor at age 38. A real shame. Not only because of the loss of his life, but because of the loss of what would have likely been some very interesting and entertaining music. Gershwin allegedly wanted his next opera to be a 12-tone opera. We'll never know...

I am an enormous fan of his Piano Concerto, An American in Paris, Cuban Overture, and Rhapsody in Blue.

Currently, Piston's Symphony No. 2
[asin]B00009ZY9F[/asin]

Don't forget Gershwin's Lullaby - hypnotically compelling.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

The Gershwin discussion above made me ponder this : wondering why have so few rock musicians have achieved anything of note in classical forms?  (I can only think of one, actually - Elvis Costello (so multi-talented that he perhaps ought not to be labelled 'rock musician'). I have made some effort in this area - ever hopeful for a miracle.  I'm thinking of new work, here; yes, I do like Yes' Cans & Brahms (though Wakefield thinks it awful - his cover is not Brahms' anymore but it has its own spirited appeal) and Tull's Bourée, etc.

Now jazz composers/musicians, to the contrary, can boast of many worthy "classical" works, inc. this, listening to now :

[André]

Record of the year: Alexandre Tharaud and Bernard Labadie in a Mozart/Haydn program. Concertos K. 271 and Hob XVIII:11. Mit/cum/with/avec bonuses: Rondo K. 386 for piano and orchestra, and Aria K.505, Chio mi scordi di te?, with  Joyce di Donato.

The Haydn might appear as an appendix to the mostly Mozart program, but it's actually the most entertaining and original performance of the lot - complete with a Tharaud cadenza based on Mozart's 'alla turca' sonata movement.

Performances are very special, and the whole program harks back to the nowadays rare 'conzept' album.

[Ken B]

I would suggest taking things as they are rather than trying to fit them into a schema.  Gershwin wrote several works that are standard classical rep, so it seems entirely arbitrary to say he wasn't a real classical composer.

I meant as for Gershwin I rate him very highly as a song writer, but the concert pieces are few and mixed. It feels odd talking American composers of the 20s and 30s without him, Kern, Ellington. But they play to different audiences mostly. But I was ruminating about mostly underplayed American composers.  I think symphonies and local orchestras should play more Piston and Thomson, not more Kern. Kern is very popular with different audiences already, as is Ellington.

TD Beethoven, Violin Sonatas, Immerseel and Schroeder

This seems a controversial set here, so some impressions, based on one disk. The sound is quite reverberent  in places. I do not object but many do.   The performances are great. The instruments are great.  I am not sure I have ever liked the music as much as in this recording.  From the big DHM2 box.

[Ken B]

The Gershwin discussion above made me ponder this : wondering why have so few rock musicians have achieved anything of note in classical forms?  (I can only think of one, actually - Elvis Costello (so multi-talented that he perhaps ought not to be labelled 'rock musician'). I have made some effort in this area - ever hopeful for a miracle.  I'm thinking of new work, here; yes, I do like Yes' Cans & Brahms (though Wakefield thinks it awful - his cover is not Brahms' anymore but it has its own spirited appeal) and Tull's Bourée, etc.

Now jazz composers/musicians, to the contrary, can boast of many worthy "classical" works, inc. this, listening to now :

Jon Lord.

[Mookalafalas]

Sibelius 1,6
Same crew.
Hey, with Mook and Brian bailing out who else is gonna work through this box?

Bailing?! Nobody's bailing, just waiting for the DHL man. He called to see if I was home, so should be here shortly.

[Ken B]

Bailing?! Nobody's bailing, just waiting for the DHL man. He called to see if I was home, so should be here shortly.

You tryin' to tell you don't have those Lennie boxes already? Whaddaya think I yam, a Mook?

[Moonfish]

Handel: Sonatas for Wood-Wind Instruments       Camerata Köln



from
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[Ken B]

Have you heard the Naxos recording?  Of which I remember the flute concerto to be of more interest.

Thread duty
Some guy named Perahia playing Ballades and other stuff by some guy named Chopin.
(CD 47 of the Perahia box)

I will look for it on Spotify.

[Moonfish]

You tryin' to tell you don't have those Lennie boxes already? Whaddaya think I yam, a Mook?

Maybe he doesn't want to share his impressions with you? 

[mc ukrneal]

I've finally had a chance to hear the Currentzis Figaro. Overall, not impressed. Review from the Perm thread linked below...
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Currentzis Figaro

[Daverz]

Mini Ives marathon

[asin]B0000062D2[/asin] The Unanswered Question and Central Part in the Dark


[asin]B000ICLU04[/asin] Symphony No. 2
Nice to hear someone other than Lenny in this work now and then.


[asin]B00CJCPID6[/asin] String Quartet No. 2
The Concord String Quartet on a Nonesuch Lp is still my favorite, but this is pretty good, too.

[Mookalafalas]

You tryin' to tell you don't have those Lennie boxes already? Whaddaya think I yam, a Mook?

  finally, it is here   Nice box.  A book would have been nice, but it's still one of the best bargains ever.  I love looking through a new box and thinking "I want to listen to everything".

That said, i am now listening to Harris 3rd symphony from:
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  I have a cold and still have to teach 6.5 hours today, and am feeling too tired and lazy to put anything in the CD player.

[Brian]

LISZT | Funerailles
Blind comparison pianist #3

Thread posted!! Go listen!!

Dvorak, Symphony 9
Harris, Symphony 3
NYPO Bernstein

The Harris is definitive, but the New World is a bit odd. Not a bad thing really, as it is my nth copy and odd is interesting. Driven. No, I will not stop and smell the roses! But it's not a top choice.

Update. Hot damn but that Harris is a performance. Sounds better tha ever.

Sibelius 1,6
Same crew.
Hey, with Mook and Brian bailing out who else is gonna work through this box?

Pshaw, I've had that for a year and already heard all those recordings!