What are you listening to now?

[Moonfish]

Some Mahler here too...

Being broadcasted now on TV, the Second symphony from this set:



Leonard Bernstein conducts the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and the London Symphony Orchestra, with Sheila Armstrong (sop.) and Janet Baker (ms) as soloists.

I really can't warm to Bernstein's Mahler....

Even the earlier performances with the NYP? 

[Moonfish]

Elgar:
Enigma Variations              BBC SO/Boult [1936]
Cello Concerto                Casals/BBC SO/Boult [1945]

I had pretty low expectations with these vintage recordings, but was pleasantly surprised. Excellent sound considering the era.

from
[asin] B00C68FJ0K[/asin]

[ritter]

Even the earlier performances with the NYP? 

I don't have the earlier Columbia recordings in my collection, and have only listened to the one or the other occasionally (with friends). But having some oif the later DG versions at home, I don't really feel the urge to explore it any further. It's a Mahler I don't like (too much Angst, too much emotion).

And on DVD, I find Bernstein's histrionics on the podium very unappealing...

[Wakefield]

Proof, were additional proof needed, that Hilary Hahn is one of the great musicians working today.

I concur about Hahn and this disc seems wish list material, indeed.

As an aside, I would love if she recorded the Mendelssohn's violin concerto in E minor again, but with Paavo Järvi as conductor. "The Red Dress Version" (with them and available on YouTube) is the best interpretation of this concerto that I have heard. 

[Moonfish]

Lauridsen: Lux aeterna         Britten Sinfonia/Layton

Ethereal!!!!      And perfect for this day!

[asin] B0007GP69W[/asin]

[André]

Vaughan-Williams: The Pilgrim's Progress. A host of famous singing britons, led by Adrian Boult, who also conducts the London Philharmonic (EMI). I know the book, and listened with libretto in hand for the first hour or so. Then I just let it play and listened more intently to the music. The musical ideas emanate mostly from the orchestra.

[Moonfish]

Wagner: Parsifal, Act 1                   Kollo/Frick/Fischer-Dieskau/Ludwig/Kelemen/Hotter/Wiener Philharmoniker/Solti

My favored Parsifal since the late 80s...

[Moonfish]

Debussy:
Images pour orchestre
Jeux
Khamma

L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Ansermet

[San Antone]

Evening all.

[asin]B0007KIGGS[/asin]

Excellent.  I am just emerging from Pesach.

[San Antone]

Gesualdo
Responses for Good Friday
A Sei Voci

[asin]B000MM0CB8[/asin]

A fantastic ensemble; too bad they disbanded in 2011.

[San Antone]

Ravel: Ma mère l'oye               L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Ansermet

That Ansermet box of French music seems like something I ought to get.

[San Antone]

Not too much classical these days, but lots of Billie Holiday and related (tribute albums by Anita O'Day, Carmen McRae, Johnny Griffin, Webster Young ...) - but last night, had a first listen to this wonderful album, blurring lines between jazz, improv and classical (well, not quite ... "neue Musik" or however you wanna call it if you need to):

[asin]B00005A7BO[/asin]

The samples sound very interesting.  Thanks.

[San Antone]

Lauridsen: Lux aeterna       
[asin] B0007GP69W[/asin]

Thanks for the recommendation.

[Todd]

D845 and D894.  Schubert done right.

[listener]

Mahler for Piano! - very interesting

We might wonder if some team will record the Bruno Walter 1890 arrangement for piano duet.

Thread duty: BRITTEN: Les Illuminations,  Our Hunting Fathers, Quatre Chansons Françaises
BRIDGE: Berceuse
Heather Harper, soprano with assorted orchestras and conductors
No texts, a pity, as her diction seems to be modelled on Sutherland's unknown tongues.

[Green Destiny]

We might wonder if some team will record the Bruno Walter 1890 arrangement for piano duet.

Thread duty: BRITTEN: Les Illuminations,  Our Hunting Fathers, Quatre Chansons Françaises
BRIDGE: Berceuse
Heather Harper, soprano with assorted orchestras and conductors

I am enjoying works for 2 Piano lately after not having explored them much in the past. Certainly Poulenc, Messiaen and Milhaud wrote some good 2 Piano music. A 2 Piano Mahler arrangement sounds very attractive - We will see what happens

[Green Destiny]

Some more Mahler for the afternoon - I listened to Symphony 3 from the Kubelik box. I thought it was very good - I was expecting it to sound a little faster than what im used to but I was wrong about that. I have a lot of Mahler recordings I want to listen to - I am feeling very excited at the moment.
Just finished listening to Karajan's M4 and next I will listen to his (live) M9:



I bought the studio M9 a few years ago and I cant work out which one I like best - maybe I will find the answer soon

[Mirror Image]

Now:



A new acquisition. Listening to Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments. Absolutely riveting! This may be the best performance, or close to it, I've heard of this masterwork. Got to love Bavouzet! Awesome pianist.

[listener]

I am enjoying works for 2 Piano lately after not having explored them much in the past. Certainly Poulenc, Messiaen and Milhaud wrote some good 2 Piano music. A 2 Piano Mahler arrangement sounds very attractive - We will see what happens

For a diversion I'll recommend the VOX set with Walter Klein and Rena Kyriakou/Beatrice Klein which includes CHABRIER's Souvenir de Munich, a quadrille based on tunes from Wagner operas. BIZET, DEBUSSY and RAVEL, are also in the set

[Mookalafalas]

Playing my various Seon discs (mostly to convince myself I have enough already without getting the giant SEON box)