What are you listening to now?

[Moonfish]

Now (since I promised Nate to listen to this work  0:)):

Stravinsky: Agon                     Los Angeles Festival SO/Stravinsky

I think I prefer Apollo and Orpheus over Argon. The latter is less harmonic and more disjointed in my ears. Part of the music reminded me of music from the middle ages for some reason (blended with modern music). It comes across as an anthology of different styles. Hmm.  I definitely need to revisit all three ballets sooner or later.

[Marc]

[....]
Happy Easter Marc. hope you celebrate Easter with the corresponding passion 

Passion time is over now, Christ ist erstanden!

[prémont]

Passion time is over now, Christ ist erstanden!

No no, he will arise with the sun in about four hours.
So it is still Passion time.

[André]

Seeing an older woman on the cover, I just sort of assumed Ms Fialkowska's Schubert would be of the lovely, dainty type.  Nope.  Her style is just a bit quick, just a bit tense (well, more than a bit, at least in places), with clear, clean playing that manages to sound both a bit hard edged and attractive.  At times, as in the Menuetto of D894, she can be downright assertive, though it works in her conception.  A few moments of minor congestion aside, Fialkowska plays with admirable clarity and unyielding but not overpowering forward momentum.  The one trait that is missing is effortless lyricism.  It's not that the playing is rough or ugly or severe, it's just that it lacks a certain singing quality.  This is more evident in D664, which in my favored versions, sings.  D894 isn't as big in scale and as deep as my preferred versions, but it works superbly here.  Fialkowska is a serious artist and plays this serious music in a serious fashion.  I noticed that she has recorded some other rep that intrigues me, including some Liszt.  I suspect she might do rather well in Liszt.  I will probably have to find out.

.


Fialkowska is a well-known quantity in Canada. A pupil of Yvonne Lefébure, she has more or less resisted making an 'international' concert or recording career since she won the Rubinstein Competition in 1974 and has waited for the record companies to come to her. Chopin is her specialty, but Liszt is also a familiar name in her repertory.

I would not call her one of the great virtuosos, but she is a serious, thoughtful, intensely musical interpreter. I would seriously consider her discs if the repertoire suits me.

[André]

Bruckner: symphony no 4. Roberto Paternostro and the Württemburgische Reutlingen Orchestra. Magnificently natural and perfectly paced interpretation.  I was surprised. In the top ranks of Bruckner fourths.

Holst: The Planets. Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Dutoit. BION (believe it or not), I had never listened to this in its cd incarnation. WOWIE ! Yesterday I listened to the more leonine, aristocratic version of Mark Elder (Hyperion) and was wowed by the sound (the interpretation is superb). This time I was wowed by the beauty, power and sheer fun of music-making. Considering the beautiful engineering is but a bonus, I understand PPP considers tis as his # 1 Planets recording !

Next (not yet delivered: the Ozawa Boston Philips recording). fun, fun, fun ! 

Warning: the organ pedal notes can massacre your speakers. I was pinned to my seat.

[André]

Another Dvorak Stabat Mater. After the magnificent Kosler and Smetacek performances comes this glorious Mackerras (all three originating from Supraphon). The sound is more immediate, the performance as communicatig and intense as the other two. Should I choose but one, I would be totally confounded. All three are that good (sung, played, recorded).

[EigenUser]

Now (since I promised Nate to listen to this work  0:)):

Stravinsky: Agon                     Los Angeles Festival SO/Stravinsky

I think I prefer Apollo and Orpheus over Argon. The latter is less harmonic and more disjointed in my ears. Part of the music reminded me of music from the middle ages for some reason (blended with modern music). It comes across as anthology of different styles. Hmm.  I definitely need to revisit all three ballets sooner or later.

Agon is definitely disjointed and it alludes to many styles/eras. I think I know what you are talking about concerning the 'middle ages', too. There is also that one movement "Gaillarde" that Simon Rattle describes as "two records of Renaissance music being played simultaneously".

[Green Destiny]

Giving the Symphonies of Robert Simpson another try - Symphony No. 5.
Not bad - maybe a Composer I can grow to like somewhat if taken in small doses :

[Green Destiny]

The Simpson was pretty good - I will have to give the Symphony 5 a listen again soon.
Still feeling like something a bit tangy so:



Symphony No. 8

[Mirror Image]

Now:



A new acquisition. Listening to Symphony No. 3. Sounds great so far!

[Mirror Image]

Now (since I promised Nate to listen to this work  0:)):

Stravinsky: Agon                     Los Angeles Festival SO/Stravinsky

I think I prefer Apollo and Orpheus over Argon. The latter is less harmonic and more disjointed in my ears. Part of the music reminded me of music from the middle ages for some reason (blended with modern music). It comes across as anthology of different styles. Hmm.  I definitely need to revisit all three ballets sooner or later.

Give Agon more time, Peter. You'll soon fall under its spell. Still, for me, this is top-drawer Stravinsky.

[Mirror Image]

The Harrison 3rd was awesome. Will definitely revisit it at some point.

Now:



Another new acquisition. Listening to Lopatnikoff's Festival Overture. Sounds pretty nice if not lacking in some distinctiveness, but it's still good fun.

[Moonfish]

Give Agon more time, Peter. You'll soon fall under its spell. Still, for me, this is top-drawer Stravinsky.

Ahh, I will work on it!   

Stravinsky:
L'oiseau de feu [1919 version]
Le Sacre du printemps [1947 version]

London SO/Abbado

I definitely prefer the longer 1910 version of L'oiseau de feu I listened to earlier today (Boulez's performance). This one was only about 23 minutes (being the suite and therefore shorter by default?)!  In addition, I am starting to really enjoy this ballet. I need to dig up a performance of the actual ballet so I can enjoy the dancing as well. It is kind of like an opera - the visuals should be in place as well!  0:)
I have had this DG Galleria cd in my stacks forever (I suspect it has traveled half the globe twice as well).

[Harry]

No no, he will arise with the sun in about four hours.
So it is still Passion time.

For me all will be happening next week.......so nothing has begun

[Moonfish]

Mozart: The Haydn Quartets, K. 387, K. 421, K. 428, K. 458, K. 464, K. 465            Esterhazy String Quartet

I truly love these performances! The sound is so vibrant and full of timbre throughout the performances. The instruments and the music truly come alive with the Esterhazy Quartet!!  A pity that only a few works were ever recorded by this ensemble! They recorded a couple of Haydn's quartets as well as some of Boccherini's string quartets (Op. 32). . The Haydn recording is also stellar and a common visitor in my home's soundscape. 

[Green Destiny]

Listening to another Mahler 6 - Rattle's this time.
I really quite like this Mahler box-set - pretty cracking versions of most of the Symphonies.



I never cry listening to music but the slow movement of the M6 brings me sort of close 

[Que]

Music for the Holy Week by Victoria:



An epic (3CD) set IMO. Unfortunately in its physical form out of print for some time... should be reissued forthwith.

Until then there is a reissue of just the music for Good Friday:

[asin]B00BD7ZPTA[/asin]

And then there is of course the Non Plus Ultra set on Archiv.

Q

[Que]

Mozart: The Haydn Quartets, K. 387, K. 421, K. 428, K. 458, K. 464, K. 465            Esterhazy String Quartet

I truly love these performances! The sound is so vibrant and full of timbre throughout the performances. The instruments and the music truly come alive with the Esterhazy Quartet!!  A pity that only a few works were ever recorded by this ensemble! They recorded a couple of Haydn's quartets as well as some of Boccherini's string quartets (Op. 32). . The Haydn recording is also stellar and a common visitor in my home's soundscape. 

I am going to check these performances out. BTW here is the recent reissue:

[asin]B000E0LB72[/asin]

MusicWeb review HERE.

Q

[Green Destiny]

Another classical music fail - Haitinks Mahler cycle. I like the 3rd and 9th quite a bit but I wasn't so keen on the others. Time to give this box a second chance - now playing Symphony No. 2. Ehh? - it sounds quite good, nothing wrong with it  :

[Moonfish]

I am going to check these performances out. BTW here is the recent reissue:

[asin]B000E0LB72[/asin]

MusicWeb review HERE.

Q

Thanks for the link to the review!

I hope you like the performances Que! 

Here are the links to the three other recordings just in case. Let me know if you find any others by the Esterhazy SQ...

[asin] B0000029VW[/asin]
[asin] B002QZPVDI[/asin]
[asin] B00000E4VW[/asin]