What are you listening to now?

[Mirror Image]

I like Stravinsky a lot (really, a lot), but not as much as most 20th-century fans seem to. For what it's worth, Agon is my favorite.

And I love most Debussy. It isn't that I only like Jeux. It's just that that piece really stands out to me for some reason. It's very elusive in structure and the whole work doesn't come across as a solid, unified piece. Instead, I see/hear it like wisps of sounds that just happen to form music, almost as if by coincidence.

My other favorite Debussy works are Trois Nocturnes, La Mer, Gigues, the SQ, and the violin/piano sonata. I've yet to explore his piano works, but I prefer Ravel's piano works based off of what I've heard from Debussy.

Very cool, Nate. What do you think of Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp? This might be my favorite work of his, but I love so many of his works that it's definitely difficult to narrow down to only one. Believe it or not, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around Jeux, but, I agree with everything you wrote about it. It's certainly an enigmatic work.

You should check out more of Schnittke's music at some juncture. Don't hesitate to ask for suggestions.

[Wakefield]

Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 "Organ Symphony" / Debussy: La Mer / Ibert: Escales
Boston Symphony
Berj Zamkochian, organ
Charles Munch

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After reading some reviews on Amazon, apparently I'm not the first listener in noticing that this is a competent recording of the "Organ" Symphony. 

[EigenUser]

Very cool, Nate. What do you think of Debussy's Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp? This might be my favorite work of his, but I love so many of his works that it's definitely difficult to narrow down to only one. Believe it or not, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around Jeux, but, I agree when everything you wrote about it. It's certainly an enigmatic work.

I need to hear the sonata you mentioned! I've been intrigued by that combination of instruments ever since I first heard about it years ago, but I'm not sure why I haven't listened yet. Soon...

BTW, do you like any Takemitsu?

You should check out more of Schnittke's music at some juncture. Don't hesitate to ask for suggestions.

Okay, I'll bite. If there was one work by Schnittke that I should hear (not necessarily your favorite), what is it? Don't give me more than one right now, or I'll just get confused .

Currently, Schoenberg's Five Pieces. I never realized it until listening to it the other day, but I think that the ending of Stockhausen's Gruppen is very similar to the ending of the fifth of the Five Pieces. I wonder if it could be a quote...
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[Mirror Image]

I need to hear the sonata you mentioned! I've been intrigued by that combination of instruments ever since I first heard about it years ago, but I'm not sure why I haven't listened yet. Soon...

BTW, do you like any Takemitsu?

Yes, please check out that work. If you can, listen to the Nash Ensemble performance on Virgin. This is my favorite performance of the work. Do I like any of Takemitsu's music? Sure! I still need to explore more of his music, though, but two works pop into my head immediately: Requiem for Strings and A String Around Autumn. Great works IMHO.

Okay, I'll bite. If there was one work by Schnittke that I should hear (not necessarily your favorite), what is it? Don't give me more than one right now, or I'll just get confused .

One work by Schnittke you should hear? Oh boy....probably Symphony No. 8 for the simple reason that I think it sums up where he was heading with his music. It's a work that is by turns confusing, emotionally austere, terrifying, but by the last movement you get a sense of perhaps what this musical journey was about and everything seems to be in some kind of heavenly ascent.

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Danses sacrée et profane. A gorgeous work and performance.

[Mirror Image]

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Listening to Kurtag's Stele. Nate, have you heard this work? I'm as obsessed with it as you are Debussy's Jeux.

[Mirror Image]

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A new acquisition. Listening to Sinfonietta. Sounds fantastic so far.

[Mirror Image]

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Listening to Janacek's Violin Sonata. Such a gorgeous work and marvelously performed here.

[Harry]

Good morning all on this still festive second Christmas day, (at least in the Netherlands)
Some very disappointing performances on this cd, I am afraid.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2014/12/from-my-collection-october-2007-rossi_26.html?spref=tw

[Que]

Teil 2. Am 2. Weihnachstage



Reissue (without texts or notes): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000V9M0JE/?tag=goodmusicguideco

Q

[Harry]

Some Christmas Music.

Johann Heinrich Rolle. (1716-1785)
Christmas Oratorio.
Kammerchor Michaelstein
Telemann Kammerorchester Michaelstein, Ludger Remy.
Recorded in 1997.

Absolute top notch.

[pjme]

The tender land -suite

A ca 1959 recording - but good sound and recording .
Peter

[Que]

Some Christmas Music.

Johann Heinrich Rolle. (1716-1785)
Christmas Oratorio.
Kammerchor Michaelstein
Telemann Kammerorchester Michaelstein, Ludger Remy.
Recorded in 1997.

Absolute top notch.

Looks nice, I'll keep it in mind for next year! 

In fact,  there are several German Baroque Christmas recordings on cpo on my wish list... Which would be your favourites?

Q

[Harry]

Looks nice, I'll keep it in mind for next year! 

In fact,  there are several German Baroque Christmas recordings on cpo on my wish list... Which would be your favourites?

Q

True I bought them all in one go, some of them were only 3 euro's at JPC, most of them good to very good.
This Rolla disc is a favourite, and another one by Michael Praetorius, Advent and Christmas Music, done by the Bremer Barock Consort, lead by Manfred Cordes, and there are more, but I mislaid some Christmas CD'S, so I have to find them first. Ahhh, found it, so another favourite, Telemann, Christmas Cantatas, with a top notch soprano, Dorothea Mields, with the Magdeburger Kammerchor, and Telemann Kammerorchester Michaelstein, Ludger Remy at the helm. A very good recording and performance.

[king ubu]

joining the musical festivities:

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[Harry]

This one is the next Christmas Cheer!

[Harry]

And after the Telemann, Praetorius, also a favourite...

[Harry]

Another somewhat older favourite among my Christmas cd's.
A recording made in 1984, in Studio Paul-Gerhardt-Kirche-Leipzig, released as a DDR berlin production.
The choir is conducted by Hans-Joachim Rotzsch.

[Que]

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The fact that thsi contains a "Christmas concerto" by Corelli is an excellent excuse to put it on!

Hantai's role is compared to that of flautists Hugo Reyne and Sebastien Marq only secondary. No disrespect to Hantai, but this one of the nicest discs in the set. (The best solo disc is the Frescobaldi IMO).

True I bought them all in one go, some of them were only 3 euro's at JPC, most of them good to very good.
This Rolla disc is a favourite, and another one by Michael Praetorius, Advent and Christmas Music, done by the Bremer Barock Consort, lead by Manfred Cordes, and there are more, but I mislaid some Christmas CD'S, so I have to find them first. Ahhh, found it, so another favourite, Telemann, Christmas Cantatas, with a top notch soprano, Dorothea Mields, with the Magdeburger Kammerchor, and Telemann Kammerorchester Michaelstein, Ludger Remy at the helm. A very good recording and performance.

Thank you, Harry!

Q

[Mandryka]

joining the musical festivities:

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Yes well the phrasing in that one is much more interesting, challenging, expressive, than in the one que is listening to. Really interesting to compare and contrast the two performances (like with Harnoncourt's mass recordings.) Has anyone heard the one Harnoncourt recorded with Schreier? How does it compare to the other two?

I'm listening to a pair of similarly contrasted performances, a song by Senleches, En Attendant Espérance, done by the Medieval Ensemble of London and by Mala Punica. The differences are astonishing, and as with Harnoncourt in the oratorio, have to do with phrasing and voicing.