What are you listening to now?

[Sergeant Rock]

Kurtág Stele für großes Orchester, Gielen conducting the Baden-Baden




Sarge

[Ken B]

I believe the answer to Mahlerian and sanantonio's discussion may be found in Schoenberg and Hollywood Modernism by Kenneth H. Marcus (Cambridge Univ. Press); see and hear the author himself:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_u0-3dLsCw

Spoilsport.

[San Antone]

An excellent pairing of Brahms and Schoenberg, in pretty decent performances too:

[André]

Wolfgang Rihm: Vers une symphonie fleuve IV (1997-98). Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra (30-08-2000).

I haven't heard the other Vers une symphonie fleuve (AFAIK there are 6 of them), but this is interesting, if inconclusive.

[Spineur]

I believe the answer to Mahlerian and sanantonio's discussion may be found in Schoenberg and Hollywood Modernism by Kenneth H. Marcus (Cambridge Univ. Press); see and hear the author himself:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_u0-3dLsCw

+1, very good.  Exactly my impression upon listening to Kol Nidre, stylistically so different from his Viennese period.

[TheGSMoeller]

An interesting composer. Minimalist but somehow he seems a bit jazz influenced to me.

I agree, Ken. Definitely some different musical influences in Marshall's music can be heard.

[HIPster]

Very interesting chamber works for lute. 

[asin]B002ED6VP4[/asin]

Lute music from the 1760s? Yes indeed--Bernhard Joachim Hagen (also, but apparently incorrectly, known as Joachim Bernhard Hagen) was one of the last German composers to write for the lute. He came along almost two generations after Silvius Leopold Weiss, who generally is regarded as forming the summit of German lute music. Hagen, who was born in 1720, was a court musician, first in Bayreuth and then in Ansbach, where he died in 1787. Little is known about him, and not much of his music survives. The six sonatas recorded here account for almost one-fifth of his extant music--all of it for lute, alone or with other instruments.
Hagen was trained both as a lutenist and as a violinist, and so it comes as no surprise that the lute and violin play equally important roles in these sonatas. (The cellist definitely brings up the rear.) All of them are in three movements. As with C. P. E. Bach, Hagen's music comfortably straddles the Baroque and early Classical periods. His music's structural and emotive formality is continuously challenged--albeit politely!--with the new freedoms that quickly were becoming popular. Hagen takes these innovations only so far, however, and these six sonatas are unfailingly tasteful and moderate--cheerful rather than giddy, and wistful rather than tragic. In other words, they go down easily, and if we like, we can close our eyes and pretend that we are at the court of Margravine Wilhelmine of Bayreuth doing courtly things, and turning our attentions toward and away from Hagen's pleasing music according to our fancy.

There are a few discs of Hagen's solo lute sonatas, including one from Naxos (of course), and it has received good reviews. This is the first I've encountered devoted to the sonatas for lute and strings. We're in good hands here. Schneiderman's instrument is not identified, but it has a bright sound and he plays it cleanly and with a lightness of touch appropriate for this galant music. Playing a 1660 Guarneri, Blumenstock matches Schneiderman both in tone and in style. Skeen's support is steady, not stolid. Without playing dully, they keep the music's courtly origins in mind. The engineering is warm and immediate but not intrusive. -- Fanfare, Raymond Tuttle, Jan-Feb 2010

[NikF]

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 8 -  Boult/London Philharmonic Orchestra.

[asin]B00004YA0V[/asin]

[Brian]

There's a bit of a theme here...

[pjme]

This, on YT - thanks Warsaw!

https://www.youtube.com/v/Dv99ucn3x-M

[Sergeant Rock]

Beethoven Incidental Music to Egmont, Szell conducting the Vienna Phil




Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 8 -  Boult/London Philharmonic Orchestra.

[asin]B00004YA0V[/asin]

The RVW 8th is one of the loves of my life  ...but I haven't heard the Boult in many a moon. Will have to rectify that.

Sarge

[aligreto]

Holst: The Planets [Lloyd-Jones]....





There is nothing that I did not like about this Planets; the interpretation, the performances and the sound quality all hold their own with most of the rest of the field that I have heard.

[Sergeant Rock]

Vaughan Williams Symphony No.8 D minor, Boult conducting the LPO




Sarge

[Brian]

If I were a god, heaven would feel like the very first bars of Haydn's Symphony No. 92 "Oxford"

[Sergeant Rock]

If I were a god, heaven would feel like the very first bars of Haydn's Symphony No. 92 "Oxford"

Start your own cult. I'll be the first to sign up 

Sarge

[San Antone]

[Sergeant Rock]

Vaughan Williams Symphony No.8 D minor, Boult conducting the LPO

Oh this is a beauty. Each movement perfectly paced. The haunting mystery of the first movement maintained.  I may have to change my list of favorites and crown this the desert island choice.

Sarge

[Papy Oli]

Earlier today :

Brautigam - LvB, Op.2 (1,2,3)

[asin]B00LJ3EUGC[/asin]

Now:

Schiff - LvB Op.7

[asin]B000AOEH4G[/asin]

[marvinbrown]

Vol.1 is a wonderful box, marvelous playing. But, no, I do not have Marriner's vol.2 (although I have his EMI recordings of 35, 38, 39 and 41). Since I'm very happy with Klemperer, Szell, Harnoncourt and Pinnock in the later Mozart Symphonies, I've never felt the need for more Marriner.

Sarge

  Fair enough Sarge. That said the marvelous playing continues well into vol.2, rich full bodied sound, Philips did a wonderful job mastering this complete set.

  Happy Listening

  marvin