What are you listening to now?

[Zeus]

La Spagna / Atrivm Mvsicae / BIS





I wonder if anyone around here has the original double-LP?

[Mirror Image]

On facebook:

THE Classical Music Recordings Discussion Group

Okay, thanks Daverz.

[andolink]

This is a recording of the English Suites that doesn't seem to get much comment or attention but I'm finding it to be excellent.  Cerasi is very fluid and avoids the mannerist agogic accents I often find disconcerting.  Her tempi were a couple of times a hair on the fast side but were generally just right for my tastes and she obviously has thought very deeply about these pieces. There is a real feeling of authority to this playing reminding me a bit of Kenneth Gilbert (whose Blanchet-Taskin harpsichord she used for this recording).  The recording is a bit bright so some might need to do a little EQ tweeking.  (I found it to be perfect listened to via my headphones.)

[Spineur]

Ravel: Piano Concerto in G - Haas/Paray/Orchestre National de la R.T.F.

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Despite the fact that the piano seems to switch from mono to stereo, I enjoy this elegant and non too romantic performance.

Just heard the concerto in G in this new release this morning on the radio.  I thought it was excellent
[asin]B01N3TPPLZ[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

The viola solo Kammermusik (Op. 36/4)

http://www.youtube.com/v/bCM08gVszRM

[Sergeant Rock]

American marches composed by Sousa, Goldman, Gould, Emmet, Meacham and Bagley.




Sarge

[San Antone]

Byrd : The Three Masses
Pro Arte Singers | Paul Hillier

[Karl Henning]

First-Listen Fridays!

http://www.youtube.com/v/S62ePL-WLyI

[Mister Sharpe]

Keeping warm and hiding inside while the ice storms loom.  Can't even think of this work w/o seeing Kristin Scott Thomas around the campfire reciting the tale of Candaules & Gyges in the English Patient. So overwhelmingly brilliant 'tis.

[asin]B001UUNAYC[/asin]

In case you haven't seen it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dCLQWW7GQo

[Todd]

Keeping warm and hiding inside while the ice storms loom.  Can't even think of this work w/o seeing Kristin Scott Thomas around the campfire reciting the tale of Candaules & Gyges in the English Patient. So overwhelmingly brilliant 'tis.

[asin]B001UUNAYC[/asin]

The world needs more recordings of Zemlinsky operas.

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Fridays!

http://www.youtube.com/v/S62ePL-WLyI

Sweetness! I've got that Biret Hindemith PC set on the way. Looking forward to hearing these works (I'm really only familiar with The Four Temperaments). Will be curious to know what you think of this work after you've had time to absorb it.

Thread duty:



Listening to the Pastoral. Remarkable work and performance.

[Todd]

Disc one of a threefer LvB Violin Sonata cycle from Pierre Fouchenneret and Romain Descharmes.  A definite qualitative step up over Kapustin/Koekkoek.  The 82' disc contains Opp 23, 24, 12/2, and 12/3.  The watchword here is elegance.  Both artists play with unfailing elegance and nuance.  They are not speed demons, nor are they unnecessarily flashy.  Fouchenneret's intonation strikes me as essentially perfect, his use of vibrato quite masterly.  Descharmes is most French in his ivory tickling, elegant and often restrained, but never dull and always tasteful.  Here's how to play chamber music at less than maximum power and speed and yet sound fully engaging.  The Op 12 sonatas are slightly laid back, but always sound great.  The Op 23 and 24 sonatas have more verve and drive, as appropriate.

Sonics of these live recordings are generally excellent, but the piano's lower register sounds a tad light, and dynamics seem compressed compared to the best modern recordings.  There's real-world, real-venue reverb to varying degrees, as well.

Good stuff.

[Mister Sharpe]

The world needs more recordings of Zemlinsky operas.

I'm all for this! A remarkable composer (I even like his two early "student" symphonies in which you can hear him flexing his powers of orchestration).

[Mahlerian]

Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms; Violin Concerto
Festival Singers of Toronto, CBC Symphony Orchestra; Isaac Stern, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, cond. Stravinsky


And one more for good measure.

Stravinsky: Violin Concerto
Hilary Hahn, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, cond. Marriner

[Mirror Image]

Stravinsky: Violin Concerto
Hilary Hahn, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, cond. Marriner

Definitely one of the better performances of the VC that I've heard.

[Mahlerian]

Definitely one of the better performances of the VC that I've heard.

It's a lot "cleaner" than Stern's performance, where the intonation is pretty shaky.  Hahn's has always been excellent, which is why her Schoenberg concerto sounds so much better than most of the competition.

[San Antone]

Machaut : Messe
Ars Antiqua de Paris | Michel Sanvoisin



OVPP quartet: Countertenor, tenor (2), baritone, with viol, medieval organ and cornetto doubling.  Not my ideal ensemble, but not bad.  Recorded at Scuola Grande di S. Giovanni Evangelista, Venezia 1990, recently reissued with different cover.

[aligreto]

Vivaldi: L'incoronazione di Dario, Act 2 [Dantone]....





This act contains one of the most wonderful arias, namely Se palpitarti in sen.

[Karl Henning]

One of my very favorite Hindemith works, the Op.49 Konzertmusik for piano, brass & two harps:

http://www.youtube.com/v/Vx9itohCcBk

[Karl Henning]

Not a first listen, but just a great little piece.

http://www.youtube.com/v/106YIB29eAw