What are you listening to now?

[Mahlerian]

Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony
London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, cond. Boult
[asin]B00B2GYJ3U[/asin]

Never really cared much for this work.

[Que]

A recent purchase:

[asin]B0000268KZ[/asin]
An unfamiliar composer! 

Some information I found online on the composer and the music:

Josef Mysliveček (1737–1781) was born in Prague and like his father before him became a master miller before studying music with a number of teachers, first in Prague and then in Venice. Unlike most composers of that era, Mysliveček refused to work directly by any noble, prelate, or ruler and earned his living solely through teaching, performing, and composing. From 1763 on, he mainly lived in Italy, where he became a highly successful composer of opera. He wrote in virtually every genre and must be counted among those composers who made important contributions to the formation of late eighteenth-century classicism.

Myslivecek's Op.2 string quintets were almost certainly the earliest string quintets with two violas ever published.Additionally, he was a pioneer in the composition of music for wind ensemble, the outstanding examples of which are his three wind octets. His violin concertos are generally considered the finest composed between 1730 and 1775. He was also one of the most gifted symphonists. Mysliveček provided Mozart, with whom he was a close friend, with significant compositional models for the symphony, the concerto, for serious Italian opera, and for chamber music. Mysliveček's compositions evoke a gracious, diatonic style typical of Italian classicism. His best works are characterized by melodic inventiveness, logical continuity, and a certain emotional intensity that may be attributable to his dynamic personality.

The Op.2 String Quintets date from 1767 and comprise a set of six. From their structure, we can hear that they are clearly of the new type of chamber music which began to emerge during the third quarter of the 18th century. They use typical Italian sonata form. The melodies and harmonies surely had an influence on the chamber music which both Haydn and Mozart were producing during the decade of the 1770's and beyond. For this reason as well as the fact that they are the first known example of the modern viola quintets, these works are of great historical importantce. But beyond this, the melodies are attractive and the movements well constructed.

The Pro Arte Antiqua Oraha is a period instruments ensemble BTW.

Q

[Turbot nouveaux]

Brian Ferneyhough
Sonatas for String Quartet
String Quartet No. 2
Adagissimo
Arditti Quartet [Aeon, 2014]

This is 'difficult' music which really requires full concentration to appreciate it properly - unfortunately I've not been able to give it that this afternoon. As usual with the Arditti Quartet in modern British repertoire one feels that the interpretation is precise and masterful. The Aeon sound is exemplary.

This is a 3 disc set with much interesting music to chew over - at my leisure.

[ritter]

A new arrival:


So far, Debussy's Jeux, in a performance that is simply outstanding!...The transparency that Maderna achieves in this miraculous score is stunning, with every single line being audible, and brought to the forefront just when it should. And the phrasing--paramount in this "stop-and-go work", where themes are exposed to then disappear, but everything hangs together so coherently---is just perfect. The tempo is leisurely, with Maderna taking ca. 19'50" (vs. e.g. 16'03" for Boulez on DG, or 18'15" for Martinon on EMI), but never feels slack, and tension is maintained throughout the piece. The members of the  Berlin Radio Symphony orchestra play as if their lives were at stake. Sound is really vivid for a 1964 broadcast.

Next up on the CD are Stravinsky's Jeu de cartes (from Saarbrücken 1972), Milhaud's Le Carnaval d'Aix (Rome 1960, with Massimo Bogiankino at the piano) and the Weber/Berlioz Invitation to the Dance (Saarbrücken 1972).

But I think I'll bis Jeux before proceeding...

[Mandryka]

Rampe Weckmann Es ist das heil . . . Tangemünde/Scherer. This is a beautiful organ, and I think  it sounds just perfect in Weckmann. The interpretation is rapt and paced in a way which gives the listener time to smell the roses. If o lux beata trinitas is as good as this I think this will be my top choice for Weckmann.

[aligreto]

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 [Klemperer]....





A strong, buoyant and assertive, no nonsense version with a magnificent conclusion.

[aligreto]

His [Davis] Sibelius is great as well!

100% agreed 

[aligreto]

That set will be a definite purchase for me in 2018.

[SonicMan46]

Yesterday, I finished up the 7 CDs of Beethoven's String Quartets w/ the Takács Quartet - watched about half of the bonus DVD last night - this morning I put the bonus BD (24-bit 48 kHz audio although likely not of much use w/ my mundane audio equipment) into my blu-ray player - there are 71 tracks, i.e. all of the ones on the 7 CDs are on the single BD - pretty amazing!  Listening this morning and about through w/ the Opus 18 SQs.  Dave

Beethoven, LV - String Quartets w/ the Takács Quartet - just arrived and a replacement for my 3 double-sized jewel boxes (recordings I picked up cheaply years ago as a member of the BMG club) - organized in foldable sleeves - the SQs are on 7 CDs w/ 2 additional discs, one a blu-ray w/ all of the recordings (have not given that one a spin yet) and another DVD w/ the group performing 3 different quartets + a 29 min film called 'Introducing the Takács Quartet.  Dave

 

[Turbot nouveaux]

That set will be a definite purchase for me in 2018.

I've found it quite hard to get into, but once you do, very rewarding. I'm exploring contemporary chamber music quite slowly on disc, over the past 4 years or so - I like to spend a while with each purchase, getting to know its nuances. In that time I have gone from experiencing it as intriguing organised noise, to just music. Going to live recitals at the Huddersfield contemporary music festival and at our regional music college has helped me a lot.

[Josquin13]

Andre writes, "Josquin13: re, Petterson's 7th symphony. I agree with everything you wrote. What a work, and what a composer!"

Yes, he is.  Apart from Pettersson's 7th, do you have other favorite works by him?

Sarge writes, "Thanks for the links. I have Albrecht, Segerstam and Dorati but have never heard the Comissiona before."

My pleasure. Comissiona was Pettersson's choice to premiere a number of his symphonies.  Comissiona's 8th is exceptional too.  IMO, Comissiona gets just the right orchestral sound for Pettersson's music.  I recently read two critical reviews of the 5 recordings of the 7th, and interestingly, both reviewers put Comissiona as their #1 "desert island" choice, with Segerstam as their 2nd choice.  That's my view as well.  It's a shame that Comissiona's recordings aren't more readily available on CD. 

The problem with Dorati's 7th is that he inexplicably silences the horns on page 68 of the score.  It's an odd omission considering that Dorati gave the work's premiere in the 1960s, and presumably worked closely with Pettersson.  It's hard to imagine that Dorati's omission of the brass in the central section of the score came from Pettersson, especially since the recording was made months after the concert premiere.

Mirror Image writes, "Pettersson's 7th is the only work from him that I have actively liked and have been moved by. Those moments of heartbreaking lyricism is exactly why I rate this symphony so highly. He achieved such a unique balance of beauty and sheer agony. The only other symphony from him that comes close to achieving this kind of balance IMHO is the 6th. I need to revisit that Comissiona performance. My current top choice is the Segerstam's."

Yes, the Comissiona & Segerstam 7ths are easily my two favorite recordings, though I would consider Comissiona's 7th to be the more moving experience of the two (while Segerstam has the better sound engineering). I've been slowly making my way through Pettersson's recorded opus over the past couple of years, and still have a ways to go.  I've yet to hear the 6th--so thanks for the tip. I think the 4th is easily accessible too, and I was very impressed by Pettersson's 8th Symphony and Violin Concerto No. 2 (the Isabelle van Keulen recording), as well. I've also heard that Pettersson's songs (on CPO) are worthwhile, but have yet to get to them. 

It seems to me those that characterize Pettersson's symphonies as uniformly bleak and anguished are doing him a disservice.  Pettersson's symphonies are clearly about both darkness and light.  Granted, there can be harshness, chaos, a jarring turmoil, anguish & suffering, but there is also beauty, light, serenity, and peace.  Much the same as life on this planet.  Though I confess I occasionally can find some of his symphonies go on too long for the breadth of their ideas.  And, sometimes their progression strikes me as a bit awkward from one idea to the next.  In other words, I find his 'stream of consciousness' approach is more successful in some symphonies than others.   But he certainly knows how to compose impressively for an full orchestra.   

Thread duty--yesterday and today, I've been listening to a new arrival: the Oliver Schnyder Trio's set of Beethoven Piano Trios.  So far, my first impression is that it's excellent, and the sound quality is first class:

[asin]B073XD6LBW[/asin]

[kyjo]

  This is MINDBLOWING!!!  This man is the Romantic J.S. Bach, small short pieces packed with so much lyrical variation and not to mention emotional power....it hit my heart hard..... The completist in me bought this in 2014 I had no idea what I bought at the time..... my God those Four Album leaves B.109 and Six piano pieces Op.52 on CD3 are TO DIE FOR! the motif that opens Op.52 No.2 is HAUNTINGLY DELIGHTFULLY PAINFUL...i had no idea Dvorak had so much in him. What's in store for me on CD4 and 5 I wonder?......

  [asin]B003XKDF0Q[/asin]

  marvin

I don't know many of Dvorak's piano works, but I happened across the Eclogue (no. 4) from his Six Pieces a couple years ago and it's hauntingly beautiful: https://youtu.be/d5ciqojASHo

[Todd]

[Kontrapunctus]

A wonderful recording. I like the way the cover juxtaposes Carter's early and late style of piano writing. Great sound.

[Mandryka]

Rampe Weckmann O lux beata trinitas Tangemünde/Scherer. The fifth verse is a knockout, special performance of special music.

[SymphonicAddict]

Raff - String sextet in G minor, op. 178
How hadn't I listened to it before? You should check this out! It's a high-spirited work full of great ideas throughout.

[You did it]

Stravinsky - The Flood

[San Antone]

Orlando di Lasso

I have that one and like it, as I do everything I've bought from Hyperion of Early Music.

[You did it]

The "complete" Varese *

Disk one






*Yeah, there is still a known, unrecorded work absent from the set but it's an amazing set that never looses it's quality 

[You did it]

Orlando di Lasso

Prophetiae Sibyllarum is still one of the best pieces of any genre, any time period I've heard. That is a desert island disk for me too