What are you listening to now?

[Drasko]

[North Star]

First-listen Thursday

Beethoven
Cello Sonatas, Op. 5 nos. 1 & 2
Steven Isserlis & Robert Levin
[asin]B00GJ6NQVE[/asin]

[Harry]

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2017/04/bach-cpe-1714-1788-complete-organ-works.html?spref=tw

Good performances....as per usual from Oliver Vernet.

[Mirror Image]

Listening to Sibelius' VC from this recording:



Absolutely outstanding of course.

[Florestan]

Too bad the sound is far from ideal (although notably better for Platti's works than for Viotti's), this is a wonderful disc.

For those of you who might wonder how come Viotti ever wrote a piano concerto: this is in fact Daniel Steibelt's transcription of the former's Violin Concerto No. 19 --- but it's so good a transcription that you'd have never guessed it.

[Todd]

Mirian Conti's Mazurkas.  There's no denying Conti's ability or insight.  The playing is clean, rhythmically astute, tonally attractive, and offers a strong blend of detail and big picture.  Her way with inner voices is effective and clear, and she scales everything just right.  But both run-throughs ended up feeling more dutiful than enjoyable for me.  YMMV.  Superb sound.

[Drasko]

[SonicMan46]

Fabio is fabulous! Demonstration-quality sound, too.

Own a LOT of Vivaldi but checking my database and the works listed on the CD above, I have only one overlap, so put in an order on Amazon - thanks for the recommendation - Dave

RV 189
RV 273*
RV 286
RV 367
RV 371
RV 390

[Brian]

Todd - I've had Schumann's Toccata stuck in my head this morning, so it's been a pretty bad morning.

Own a LOT of Vivaldi but checking my database and the works listed on the CD above, I have only one overlap, so put in an order on Amazon - thanks for the recommendation - Dave

You won't regret it - terrific album.

[SonicMan46]

Septet for piano, trumpet, string quartet & bass in E flat major, Op. 65et
Tarantella, for flute, clarinet & orchestra in A minor, Op. 6
Sonata for bassoon & piano, in G major, Op. 168
Quartet for piano & strings in B flat major, Op. 41

First listens that truly blew me away. This elegant, witty, passionate and profoundly beautiful music made me feel good in a physical sort of way, as if my soul and body were one, tranquil, happy and floating in the sunlight..................

Well, I've not delved into my Saint-Saëns collection in a while - will pull out that 2-CD set above and re-acquaint myself - Dave

[Ken B]

Handel. Lots of Handel. Handel up the wazoo. I got the 41 CD oratorios box, plus I am, at work, listening to my older recordings of some of them. Right this second, Saul by Harnoncourt. If it's Wednesday this must be Saul.

[North Star]

First-listen Thursday
Fauré
Songs
Graham Johnson, pf
[asin]B0007WFWQ8[/asin]

Szymanowski
Mazurkas
Hamelin
[asin]B00009NJ1W[/asin]

[North Star]

Disc 1

Septet for piano, trumpet, string quartet & bass in E flat major, Op. 65et
Tarantella, for flute, clarinet & orchestra in A minor, Op. 6
Sonata for bassoon & piano, in G major, Op. 168
Quartet for piano & strings in B flat major, Op. 41

First listens that truly blew me away. This elegant, witty, passionate and profoundly beautiful music made me feel good in a physical sort of way, as if my soul and body were one, tranquil, happy and floating in the sunlight.

I should certainly spend much more time with his music than before.

Very nice, Andrei - I think I'll give that a spin soon.

[Todd]

Todd - I've had Schumann's Toccata stuck in my head this morning, so it's been a pretty bad morning.

Ugh.  You have extra-strength acetaminophen on hand, I hope.

[HIPster]

Handel. Lots of Handel. Handel up the wazoo. I got the 41 CD oratorios box, plus I am, at work, listening to my older recordings of some of them. Right this second, Saul by Harnoncourt. If it's Wednesday this must be Saul.

Better call Saul. 

Right now ~

[asin]B008QDCZ6A[/asin]

Reverent and sunny = a winning interpretation! 

[mc ukrneal]

Disc 1

Septet for piano, trumpet, string quartet & bass in E flat major, Op. 65et
Tarantella, for flute, clarinet & orchestra in A minor, Op. 6
Sonata for bassoon & piano, in G major, Op. 168
Quartet for piano & strings in B flat major, Op. 41

First listens that truly blew me away. This elegant, witty, passionate and profoundly beautiful music made me feel good in a physical sort of way, as if my soul and body were one, tranquil, happy and floating in the sunlight.

I should certainly spend much more time with his music than before.

If you haven't heard them, give a listen to the Violin Sonatas as well (for more chamber).

[Mirror Image]

Thrashing, brooding, menacing...it's time for Nielsen's 5th:

[aligreto]

Mahler: Symphony No. 9 [Kubelik]....

[aligreto]

"This two-disc set is a superb collection of choral works by 20th and 21st century Scandinavian composers, reaching back to Sibelius and other notables born in the 1800s--Toivo Kuula (1883-1918), Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871-1927), David Wikander (1884-1955), and Hugo Alfvén (1872-1960)--and continuing with composers either still living--Einojuhani Rautavaara (b. 1928), Kurt Nystedt (b. 1915), and Jan Sandström (b. 1954)--or recently deceased--Jørgen Jersild (1913-2004) and Lars Johan Werle (1926-2001). This chronologically wide-ranging program makes for a fascinating variety of material and of choral writing, from the most tonal and hymnlike creations of Sibelius and Kuula to the knottier works of Nystedt, Sandström, and Werle."

---David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com


[asin]B000BUUK9U[/asin]

Interesting, as I like accentus a lot.

[aligreto]

[asin]B008QDCZ6A[/asin]

Reverent and sunny = a winning interpretation! 

Great set