What are you listening to now?

[André]

Honi soit qui mal y pense.

+1 .

It's not even erotic, let alone pornographic. After all, the drape is strategically placed, so l'honneur est sauf!.

The androgynous vealcake of a certain early music cd also caused a stir in these pages.

[Brian]

"Lol someone transcribed Symphonies 3 and 4 for solo piano? Well, Brahms did it for two pianos and those are reasonably good. But a third-rate pianist vanity project released on the artist's inexplicable vanity record label? Gimme a break. I know, I'll just listen to a bit of the first movement of Symphony 3 to see how bad it is ... hey wait ... this is maybe not the most virtuosic or accurate playing, and the piano's tuning is a little shady, but this is really compelling ... okay, I guess I'll listen to the rest ... yeah okay this is pretty good stuff ... note to self, don't be such a cynical hater hipster next time."

[André]

Idil Biret is far from a third rate pianist. The only thing that puts me off is that she is omnivorous. Nothing escapes her  fingers  .

[amw]

https://www.youtube.com/v/qorvTIZ2vYA

I am really glad we have iPads now. Reading off MacBooks just looks uncomfortable.

[Harry]

Second rerun of disc 4 & 5 from this box.
Delightful.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2017/11/larte-del-madrigali-cd-4-5-gesualdo-da.html?spref=tw

[Brian]

Idil Biret is far from a third rate pianist. The only thing that puts me off is that she is omnivorous. Nothing escapes her  fingers  .

If it helps, I do not consider three the last "rate". Someone like myself, for instance, is probably around the 11th rate 

[Harry]

CD 5 from this fine box. Second rerun.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2017/11/locatelli-pietro-antonio-1695-1764.html?spref=tw

[Sergeant Rock]

Martinů Cello Concerto No.1




Sarge

[San Antone]

Abelard: Hymns & Sequences for Heloise - 12th Century Chant
Mary Berry, Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge

[Parsifal]

Milhaud Symphony No 1.

[asin]B00004SH7J[/asin]

A beautiful, spirited piece. Concise, and lots of fun.

[Biffo]

Brahms: Piano Concerto No 2 in B-flat major - Nicholas Angelich with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paavo Jarvi - an enjoyable performance but not a top choice for me.

Now finished listening to this box set - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brahms-Concertos-Violin-Sonatas-Quartets/dp/B0719PRK5P/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1509636196&sr=1-1&keywords=angelich+brahms

Generally fine performances with only one disappointment, Op 116; I enjoyed the chamber works more than the solo piano works.

[Christo]

[San Antone]

Allan Petterssen : Symphony No. 5
Alun Francis

[Brian]

All but one work in this four-volume series is either commissioned by or dedicated to Adam Levin, who is creating a massive body of new guitar masterpieces all by himself.

And apparently, life as a virtuoso new-guitar-music commissioner isn't so bad:

"Cristóbal Halffter is, in a word, one of the giants in Spain's musical history. Together with Antón García Abril, Luis de Pablo, and Luis Moreno Buendía, among others, Halffter is a member of an elite group of composers known as Nueva Música ('New Music'). He also comes from an illustrious family line of composers, including his uncles Ernesto and Rodolfo Halffter, and continues to bring renown to the family name.

"The present piece, Espacio de guitarra, represents his second work for solo guitar, in addition to a transcendent arrangement of his Sonata for violin, Op. 20 adapted for guitar by American virtuoso, Eliot Fisk. Halffter is often hailed for his symphonic works (which always caught my attention for their immense sonic landscapes), and operas, as well as his conducting appearances with many of Europe's preeminent orchestras. My mind often wanders as I listen to his music, imagining how its grand proportions might be tamed and translated to the intimate, elegant, and poetic possibilities of our wooden box with six strings. In 2008, I entreated Maestro Halffter to write me a work; unfortunately, he was still in the midst of writing De Ecos y Sombras along with another orchestral work entitled Ritual. In 2011, I petitioned him once again for a new guitar work, and as if the guitar didn't feel small enough already, he responded regretfully that he was in the middle of composing a two-hour-long opera, Schachnovelle.

"My father's early days as chief guitar strategist (honestly, he still holds this seat today) reverberated in my head: 'Adam, dammit, just call the man again. Never give up!' Well, it worked! To my surprise, Maestro Halffter happened to be between projects when I next approached him. Carpe diem! He invited me to his home in the north-western region of Spain, Castilla y León, and in August of 2015, we entered his salon and got to work. He was curious to hear a representative sample of other guitar pieces by his Spanish contemporaries, including a number of works in the standard repertoire by Walton, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Turina, Bach, Berio and Britten. He listened intently, frequently weaving together questions about the guitar with personal tales of his travels, family, experiences abroad, and encounters with great artists.

"We wined and dined on a feast of Spanish delicacies and on my deliriously excited way out, he gifted me wine from his vineyard and announced the delivery of a new piece for the guitar by December of that same year. Espacio de Guitarra arrived exactly as promised, Christmas of 2015."

[Parsifal]

Allan Petterssen : Symphony No. 5
Alun Francis

Remarkable that Alun Francis can be a specialist in both Petterssen and Milhaud. That is quite a range!

[San Antone]

Remarkable that Alun Francis can be a specialist in both Petterssen and Milhaud. That is quite a range!

When I saw your post of his Milhaud recording, I went looking and found that Alun Francis has recorded several symphonies each of Toch and Petterssen as well as Milhaud.  Began to sample them.  CPO recordings are a fantastic treasure trove of music.

[Harry]

CD 6 from this box. Second rerun.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2017/11/locatelli-pietro-antonio-1695-1764_2.html?spref=tw

[San Antone]

All but one work in this four-volume series is either commissioned by or dedicated to Adam Levin, who is creating a massive body of new guitar masterpieces all by himself.

Looks good.  I should listen to more new Spanish guitar music.

[Mahlerian]

Mahler: Symphony No. 10 in F# (orch. Mazetti, revised version)
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, cond. Lopez-Cobos
[asin]B0000516ZJ[/asin]

It may not be perfect.  There are several spots where I hear a subsidiary voice and think, there's no way Mahler would have done that.  The colors aren't as finely shaded, the minute directions the composer always left are missing, but still, I'm glad to have a Mahler 10 rather than no Mahler 10.

[aligreto]

JS Bach: St. Matthew Passion, Part 2 [Gardiner]....