What are you listening to now?

[Monsieur Croche]

Morton Feldman ~ Rothko Chapel

a re-visit, and it is still gorgeous.
https://www.youtube.com/v/=YxPAkwn6Zoo

[Que]

That is in the pile of recent jpc arrivals as well; think I'll put in on now! Edit: Sounding very impressive so far!

I like it as well!

Review from Allmusic:

Philippus de Monte, one of the Flemish-born composers who traveled south in search of fame and fortune in the sixteenth century, ended up in Vienna at the court of the Holy Roman Empire. He might be regarded as the Viennese counterpart to the Munich-based Lassus, whom he knew and whose music his own somewhat resembles. The music heard here is a bit less compositionally virtuosic than that ofLassus, but the mix of genres -- sacred and secular, with the latter divided into Italian and French sections -- is similar. The rather subdued approach taken by the Ensemble Orlando Fribourg underLaurent Gendre actually fits de Monte's music well. His sacred pieces are pristine works of Franco-Flemish polyphony that look back to Josquin, and even the heated Italian madrigals (tracks 5-9) have a distinctive philosophical flavor that is nicely rendered here. The sound environment is much too chilly and remote for these, however, and the more lighthearted French chansons are rather stolid in their effect. A strong point in the program is the varied range of settings, with a small group of sackbuts and a cornett intermittently appearing in both the secular and sacred pieces (sometimes alone). This helps the listener hear the varied contexts in which these pieces might have been used, and it breaks up the sequence of textures. This is a good introduction to a composer whose music may be missing from many collections. All texts appear in French, German, English, and (where original) Italian or Latin.

James Mannheim

Our Brian liked it as well: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/feb08/De_Monte_502712.htm

Q

[Que]

Finishing this delightful CD with music by Telemann and Handel....

I should get that. ...

Q

[North Star]

Is Jumppnan a common Finnish name?

No, it's quite odd.

[Harry]

Schmelzer and Co, well who else?

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/08/schmelzer-co-music-at-habsburg-court.html?spref=tw

[Que]

Also newly in:

[asin]B000GFLEO0[/asin]
A quite impressively "grand" mass for double choirs, though with the unmistaken Charpentier sound.
Gorgeous!

Q

[king ubu]

This is a terrific set!

[Autumn Leaves]

Now playing:



The best disc in this set IMO - listening to PS #3 (cant get enough of this version at the moment).

Later:



Polonaises

Messiaen was a nice diversion but I need to get back to my Chopin survey.

[Christo]

My little Summer music: both symphonies - 1938 and 1946 - of Norwegian composer and ethnomusicologist Eivind Groven (again):

[aligreto]

Brahms: German Requiem [Equilbey] -





When I first heard this version I was not overwhelmed by it and I still am not. I did however admire the wonderful choral singing and I still do. However, with repeated listening, I have come to appreciate this version's intimacy and it puts one in mind of a private bereavement service. I would obviously prefer the full orchestral version.

[aligreto]

I should get that. ...

Q

Yes you should. There is wonderful music there and I know that you would enjoy it 

[The new erato]

My little Summer music: both symphonies - 1938 and 1946 - of Norwegian composer and ethnomusicologist Eivind Groven (again):

Such good music, and the BIS being a particularly fine recording as well!

[Christo]

Such good music, and the BIS being a particularly fine recording as well!

Right. I had to overcome a little hesitation, as I the first thing I read  (an AllMusic Review by one James Leonard) about this recording, was, quote:

>> In this disc of four orchestral pieces performed by the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra under Eivind Aadland, Groven comes off as less an adventurous modernist composer than as a latter-day Grieg, albeit with less enchanting melodies, less beguiling harmonies, and less infectious rhythms. His Hjalar-Ljod overture is big and simple. His four-movement Symphony No. 1 "Towards the Mountains" is harsh and reactionary. His two sets of three-movement Norwegian Symphonic Dances, with their folk tunes and driving rhythms, are perhaps the most appealing works here -- but they are nowhere near in the same class as Grieg's eternally fresh Symphonic Dances. Aadland and the Stavanger Symphony seem to be trying their hardest, but as captured in BIS' all-encompassing and all-revealing recording, their playing sounds rough and scrappy. In sum, this disc may be of some interest to those who avidly follow Norwegian composers, but of less interest to pretty much everybody else. <<

[Harry]

More choral work from this illustrious composer, one of the best Renaissance composers that I know of.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/08/vaet-jacobus-c1529-1567-te-deum_13.html?spref=tw

[The new erato]

Right. I had to overcome a little hesitation, as I the first thing I read  (an AllMusic Review by one James Leonard) about this recording, was, quote:

>> In this disc of four orchestral pieces performed by the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra under Eivind Aadland, Groven comes off as less an adventurous modernist composer than as a latter-day Grieg, albeit with less enchanting melodies, less beguiling harmonies, and less infectious rhythms. His Hjalar-Ljod overture is big and simple. His four-movement Symphony No. 1 "Towards the Mountains" is harsh and reactionary. His two sets of three-movement Norwegian Symphonic Dances, with their folk tunes and driving rhythms, are perhaps the most appealing works here -- but they are nowhere near in the same class as Grieg's eternally fresh Symphonic Dances. Aadland and the Stavanger Symphony seem to be trying their hardest, but as captured in BIS' all-encompassing and all-revealing recording, their playing sounds rough and scrappy. In sum, this disc may be of some interest to those who avidly follow Norwegian composers, but of less interest to pretty much everybody else. <<

I cannot (as a Norwegian as well) for the life of me see the connection to Grieg. The guy is talking out of a body-part that is not his mouth, to put it politely.

[Christo]

I cannot (as a Norwegian as well) for the life of me see the connection to Grieg. The guy is talking out of a body-part that is not his mouth, to put it politely.

Agreed. The keyword is, I think, "reactionary". If people label music like that, you know the're thinking in schemes (at the best).

[Wanderer]

Agreed. The keyword is, I think, "reactionary". If people label music like that, you know the're thinking in schemes (at the best).

Exactly. And they're the worst whiners once one calls them out on their bullshit.

[Wanderer]

Let me know what you think, Wanderer. Is your opinion different than Brian's?

I must have missed Brian's post about it. Here's my two cents: Not supplanting any of my favourites, I thought it was quite nicely done. I expected worse, because I did not much enjoy the previous issues in this cycle (the worst offender being the Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4 disc). This is easily the best one of the three. That said, the Seventh, although expertly done, lacked vision (e.g. nice build-up to the trombone theme, but the trombone theme itself felt rather mundane, earthbound; the coda lacked that elusive visionary quality that distinguishes the good from the great performances). The finale of the Third was similarly good and satisfying, but not great. Still, I enjoyed these performances enough to put the disc in the non-urgent wishlist.

[Sergeant Rock]

Fauré Penelope Prelude, Plasson conducting




Sarge

[The new erato]

The Magnard sonata on this set is superb, nearly the equal of the magnificent Franck sonata:

[asin]B000E1JOAM[/asin]