What are you listening to now?

[Madiel]

Large numbers of cellists are charging out of my speakers in Bachianas Brasileiras No.1

[asin]B002CAOVVK[/asin]

[Brian]

As little as we need a new recording of these works...



...I really like these performances. Great recording helps (love the bass detail in the Sibelius!). But yeah. This is actually really really good. Whether it's an important addition to your collection is another question altogether, but there is a lot to like in both Batiashvili's commanding tone and Barenboim's detailed-but-sweeping accompaniments.

[Todd]

Petrenko's take on the 13th.  Much more satisfying than Jansons' take.  More intense, more biting, darker in musical feel, if a tad lighter in sound.  The only quibbles I have are with the perhaps slightly too prominent soloist, and the low strings are a bit undernourished.  Overall, it rivals Temirkanov.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

More late Liszt bedazzlement, Amoyel.



[asin]B005KLN0HY[/asin]

[Todd]

More late Liszt bedazzlement, Amoyel.



[asin]B005KLN0HY[/asin]

One of the best complete Harmonies, no question.

[San Antone]

Machaut : Motets
Musica Nova, Lucien Kandel

[Todd]

31/1 in high res FLAC, straining to hear an improvement over red book.  I can't discern an improvement.

[kishnevi]

Ludwig for me as well

Recorded 1979-81
No. 1 in E flat Op. 1/1
No. 2 in G Op. 1/2
No. 8 in B flat in one movement WoO 39
No. 3 in c Op. 1/3
No. 6 in E flat Op. 70/2
No. 10 in E flat Op. 44  (14 Variations on an original theme)

From
[asin]B00VL4Q0A8[/asin]
I have had the set in the first image for a long time, so this is reacquainting myself with an old friend.

[Todd]

Kreisleriana.

[San Antone]

Conductus, Vol. 1 : Music & poetry from thirteenth-century France
John Potter (tenor), Christopher O'Gorman (tenor), Rogers Covey-Crump (tenor)



Conductus genre: the first experiments towards polyphony—the kind of sound we associate with Pérotin.

[André]

Dutch symphonies by Léon Orthel and Matthijs Vermeulen

Orthel's second (sinfonia piccola) is a succinct, dense opus. The composer became more confident in his later works (I listened to nos 3 and 4 yesterday), not afraid to offer larger scaled gestures, to excellent effect. Nonethelesss, a really remarkable work, maybe because of its refusal to expand its discourse beyond what is absolutely necessary.

Vermeulen's symphonies no. 2 (2 versions), 6 and 7. For my taste the 2nd is the most palatable. I couldn't make much of the sometimes bizarre 6th and 7th. Impressive works, but certainly not to be absorbed on a first, second or even third sitting (it was my 3rd time through this disc).

[listener]

SIBELIUS Kullervo  op. 7
Eeva-Lilsa Saarinen, msop. Jorma Hynninen bar Estonan S.S.R. State Academic Male Choir
Helsinki University Male Choir    Helsinki University Male Choir
Helsinki Philharmonic Orch.    Paavo Berglund cond.

[Mirror Image]

As little as we need a new recording of these works...



...I really like these performances. Great recording helps (love the bass detail in the Sibelius!). But yeah. This is actually really really good. Whether it's an important addition to your collection is another question altogether, but there is a lot to like in both Batiashvili's commanding tone and Barenboim's detailed-but-sweeping accompaniments.

I need to get to this disc --- it's sitting on my desk still wrapped. I LOVE Batiashvili's playing, so, if anything, at least I have that to look forward to even if I don't like necessarily like the performances.

Now:



Listening to Le buisson ardent, Parts I & II. Gorgeous sonorities.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Just listened to Symphony no. 5



And now this

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

^^ Very good Jessop! I love both Dvorak and Babbitt very much 

I think the Dvorak's use of instrumental colour in the 5th symphony complements Babbitt's Composition for Twelve Instruments. If not for anything else, I think they would work well on a program together for that reason.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

One of the best complete Harmonies, no question.

I've been checking out what there is of Ciccolini's Harmonies on Youtube. No doubt his technique is phenomenal - flowing and graceful. But I sense a certain willingness to let his technique shine in place of where the poetry should be. Not that that's overly bothersome (his technique IS beautiful, after all) but I feel his approach misses somewhat the mystical qualities of Amoyel.

Have you by chance heard Ciccolini? Any thoughts?

[Que]

Early morning listening:

[asin]B000026E6T[/asin]
Q

[SimonNZ]

Takemitsu's Nostalghia - Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin, Seiji Ozawa, cond.

Live: 1 October 2016, Suntory Hall, Tokyo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j465rSC5p1c

[neoshredder]

Just listened to Symphony no. 5



And now this

Do you mind if I borrow?  Now listening to those on Spotify.

[pjme]

Dutch symphonies by Léon Orthel and Matthijs Vermeulen

Orthel's second (sinfonia piccola) is a succinct, dense opus. The composer became more confident in his later works (I listened to nos 3 and 4 yesterday), not afraid to offer larger scaled gestures, to excellent effect. Nonethelesss, a really remarkable work, maybe because of its refusal to expand its discourse beyond what is absolutely necessary.

Vermeulen's symphonies no. 2 (2 versions), 6 and 7. For my taste the 2nd is the most palatable. I couldn't make much of the sometimes bizarre 6th and 7th. Impressive works, but certainly not to be absorbed on a first, second or even third sitting (it was my 3rd time through this disc).

Orthel and Vermeulen are definitely composers with a strong personal voice. I do like Vermeulen's unique highly strung , incantatory music. Symphonies 2.3 and 4 are my favorites. Nr. 5 is the longest (45 mins.) and the most difficult to grasp (both for performers and the audience).
Many years ago, I saw & heard nr 4 (Les victoires) in Rotterdam with Gergiev and nr 2 (Prélude à la nouvelle journée) in Utrecht ( with Lucas Vis) - concerts I will never forget.

P.