What are you listening to now?

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 [Pinnock]....

[cilgwyn]

Does the Mutter version of the Beethoven VC matter? I have a number of different versions of this wonderful work but not that one. Does she offer anything different in terms of performance or interpretation?

On now. This arrived today. I'm fascinated by early acoustic and electrical recordings. This is a collection of live broadcast recordings. The Violin Concerto is from a concert at St Andrews Hall,Norwich in April 1946. The Fantasy Quartet dates from 1947 and the Serenade in G for Orchestra,from a Prom concert in September 1928,with the LSO conducted by Basil Cameron. Once your ears 'adjust'  to the sound quality these are all very enjoyable performances,full of atmosphere. And look at the names. Albert Sammons and Leon Goossens. The original announcements have been left in,adding to the sense of occasion.....and fun,I might add! Although,sadly,you don't get the Bax Overture to a Picaresque Comedy! (Not enough room for it!).
So,a very satisfying purchase. And yet more historic Moeran (in the post) to follow!

[The new erato]

Locatelli: Concerti Grossi Op. 1 Nos. 10-12 [Ruhadze]....





Vibrant and exciting music that is reflected in these performances. The recording is on the bright side [but not excessively so] but is very good with wonderful timbres. Textures are light and tempi are energetic.

After playing the first 4 discs, a big thumbs up for this set as well.

[Karl Henning]

Gonna audition this cycle today, Monday, and Tuesday.



#2 now

Well, let a chap know, when you've done.

[eljr]

[aligreto]

Beethoven: Violin Concerto [Huggett]....





A smooth and refined version but one with latent, inherent power. Huggett plays the whole work with effortless beauty and fluidity, especially the slow movement. Huggett is very ably supported by Mackerras and the OAE.

[aligreto]

After playing the first 4 discs, a big thumbs up for this set as well.

Yes indeed, wonderful music and music making 

[Todd]

[aligreto]

Atterberg....





Varmlands Rhapsody Op. 36
Overture Op. 4

The music of Atterberg has only been a recent discovery for me since the purchase of his Symphonic cycle. What particularly strikes me about his music is the lyricism and dynamism of his music [which is much in evidence in these two works].

[André]

You might try the later one on Philips and in a DG box.

[asin]B00000E2U2[/asin]

It's in my cart ! Could take a few weeks before I place another order though (should I have inserted an Oxford comma here ?  ). Must clean the slate before ordering. I hate to pay interest on my credit card  .

[cilgwyn]

On now. Previn with his background in light music and Hollywood is just the man for the job in this most filmic of Violin Concertos. Mutter's romantic side truly excels in one of the great Korngold recordings. Someone here said Previn makes it sound like Star Wars. Great stuff! Where's my light sabre?!!

[HIPster]

Playing this morning ~
[asin]B00006IWUX[/asin]

Outstanding performances and sound. 

[Todd]

[ritter]

Half way through Debussy's Le martyre de Saint Sébastien:



From the big André Cluytens box:

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There's soooo much dialogue (even if the text was adapted--i.e. abridged--by the actress portraying the saint, Véra Korène), that going through this in one sitting is too much; thus, the second CD with mansions 3 to 5 will have to wait for later.

Musically, this is a very compelling performance under Cluytens, and the singing is very beautiful (Marthe Angelici in the aria Je fauchais l'Épi de froment... is stunning). This is actually a pity, because--much at it is interesting to hear this wonderful music in something approaching its original setting--all that spoken text probably rules this out for repeated listening. The Fragments symphoniques, or any of the many recordings using D.-E. Inghelbrecht's reduction of the spoken part for a narrator are much more suitable in this respect.

[Sergeant Rock]

Bach Partita No.6 E minor BWV 830 played by Edna Stern




Sarge

[Mahlerian]

Strauss: Death and Transfiguration
London Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Tennstedt
[asin]B004OUFSOA[/asin]

[aligreto]

Koppel: Symphony No. 3 [Atzmon]....





I enjoyed the music, musical language and orchestral textures in this work. There is also great energy and drive in the performance.

[aligreto]

Playing this morning ~
[asin]B00006IWUX[/asin]

Outstanding performances and sound. 

OK, that looks interesting.

[cilgwyn]

On now. Korngold's Violin Concerto played by Ulf Hoelscher and conducted by Willy Mattes;another conductor with a background in light music. Some of his recordings of operetta are classics. The Previn was fun,but seriously,this one is more refined,less schmaltz. With his experience conducting operetta and composing film music,this has got to be worth listening to. And you get the Symphony thrown in,for good measure! The Hollywood musicals Previn conducted emerged from the tradition of Austrian & Berlin operetta,so it is interesting to compare the two recordings from that perspective. Andreas Ludwig Priwin was,of course,born in Berlin. Wilhelm Franz Josef Mattes in Vienna.

[HIPster]

OK, that looks interesting.

It really is, my friend! 

premont made a recommendation of this a while back and I archived it on my wishlist, until it became available at a sensible price. Harry is also a fan. 

I now consider it one of my favorite Bach recordings.

Thread duty ~

Earlier:

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Now:

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