What are you listening to now?

[Daverz]

If you find a way into the Schoenberg Variations for Orchestra, don't leave me behind!

My way into it is the same as for all music: click play.  So can't help you there, but I will say that the Mehta recording on Decca is sonically quite sensuous.

[SimonNZ]

Luigi Nono's "No hay caminos, hay que caminar ... Andrej Tarkovskij" - Claudio Abbado, cond.

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Les Biches. A rollicking good, fun listen.

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Rothko Chapel. A work of immense beauty and enchantment.

[SimonNZ]

Unsuk Chin's Cello Concerto - Alban Gerchardt, cello, Myung-Whun Chung, cond.

[Todd]

More Casadesus, just because.

[Richard]

Definitely not one for the purists, but it sure put a smile on my face. A good reminder of what a master Purcell was with melody.

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[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Jeux. Truly remarkable and a work I'm beginning to fully appreciate.

[mc ukrneal]

I had this on my wishlist for ages, because the price stayed stubbornly high. So when a used copy appeared for $8 (4+4), I jumped. It's Tatiana Nikolayeva playing Schumann and Prokofiev. I'll only listen to Peter and the Wolf this evening. First, the playing is fantastic - so much nuance and color to the interpretation. Second, I don't think I've heard Peter and the Wolf (piano version here of course) played so sensually in the opening. There is a lot of beauty and excitement when called for too, but one can almost feel the pianist smiling as she plays. It's quite remarkable. This is my first disc of hers, though I also got some of her playing Bach. Very excited with this 'discovery' and wish I had bought some of her performances earlier.
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[Earth and Air and Rain]

Respighi: Church Windows
Buffalo PO/Falletta

A favorite piece of mine (more appealing overall and less bombastic than Pines or Festivals IMO), I finally just got the rare chance to hear it in concert -- Gilbert & NY Phil on Saturday -- but I didn't know quite how rare: The program mentions that NYPO had not played it since Walter in 1933.  I doubt Boston or Philadelphia has done it in ages either. 

Lopez-Cobos made that spectacular recording on Telarc, and there are other fine discs too, but this NY performance was really something, wonderful to hear live.  (If only they had a real pipe organ in that hall!)

[Mirror Image]

A favorite piece of mine (more appealing overall and less bombastic than Pines or Festivals IMO), I finally just got the rare chance to hear it in concert -- Gilbert & NY Phil on Saturday -- but I didn't know quite how rare: The program mentions that NYPO had not played it since Walter in 1933.  I doubt Boston or Philadelphia has done it in ages either. 

Lopez-Cobos made that spectacular recording on Telarc, and there are other fine discs too, but this NY performance was really something, wonderful to hear live.  (If only they had a real pipe organ in that hall!)

Church Windows is a great work, EAR (it's easier for me to abbreviate your screen name). I can't forget the first time I heard the work through a Geoffrey Simon/Philharmonia Orchestra recording on Chandos. But the fact that you got to hear the work live, makes me green with envy. (j/k)

[Que]

Q

[ritter]

More Pierre Boulez in memoriam:

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...explosante-fixe...

[Wanderer]

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Just arrived and I'm giving it a first spin. Just as expected, Kopatchinskaja's distinctive tone on CD sounds neither screechy nor thin, being a huge improvement over the compressed crap the streaming services are feeding us. Interpretation, of course, is deliciously idiosyncratic. I'm saving Les Noces for a different day.

[SimonNZ]

Bartok's The Wooden Prince - Pierre Boulez, cond.

[Harry]

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Just arrived and I'm giving it a first spin. Just as expected, Kopatchinskaja's distinctive tone on CD sounds neither screechy nor thin, being a huge improvement over the compressed crap the streaming services are feeding us. Interpretation, of course, is deliciously idiosyncratic. I'm saving Les Noces for a different day.

I am built in a different way Tasos, I found it a horrible experience. I simply fail to hear what is so special about it. Les Noces is not composed for my ears either. So I am out

[Tsaraslondon]

Boult and Bax. A great disc, particularly this magnificent performance of Tintagel.

[Wanderer]

I am built in a different way Tasos, I found it a horrible experience. I simply fail to hear what is so special about it. Les Noces is not composed for my ears either. So I am out

I understand completely, Harry. This is utterly idiosyncratic playing and in no way would I recommend it as a first (or second) version. However, I can't stop smiling and thinking that the pyrotechnics, the irreverence, the tongue-in-cheek audacity and the Phoebe Buffay all around weirdness do serve to illuminate the work from a different angle and very successfully so - whenever one's in the mood for such endeavours. 

[Madiel]

Beethoven 1795-97 festival continues. Tonight's entries:

5. Piano and winds quintet, op.16
6. Piano Sonata No.1
7. Piano Trio No.3
8. (still to come) String Trio, op.3

[Harry]

Some Organ music by Bach. The Hanssler Edition. CD 2.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/01/bach-js-complete-organ-works-hanssler_19.html