What are you listening to now?

[Madiel]

First listens, I think, to two Sibelius arrangements for string orchestra that he did in 1894:

The Presto in D major, taken from the op.4 string quartet.
The Impromptu, created from two of the op.5 piano impromptus.



The Presto in particular is rather excellent and now I'd like to own a version. Preferably of both pieces, actually. And I wouldn't mind getting the original op.4 quartet...

[Traverso]

Chausson-Saint Saëns- Ravel

[king ubu]

I was already seriously tempted, considering the participation of Nuria Rial and a Spanish HIP ensemble.
Though I'm very satisfied with Banchini:

[asin]B004IXP5LO[/asin]

The Telemann looks tempting! 

Q

The Telemann is a hoot! I'm not (yet) too big on music for winds, but every now and then I guess it's just what I need.

Regarding the Boccherini, I think my favourite (and first) was Sophie Karthäuser (on Ricercar), but the Mellon is around somewhere as well. Not sure how Rial and Karthäuser hold up against each other, will have to do some more listening.

Thread duty, another November release from Outhere:



Sounds, of course, very different from the concertos Howard Shelley has released on two great Hyperion discs (with modern piano), but all the nicer, I guess (at least that's the first impression ... the guy at the distributor's/shop where I got it from, thinks the concerto for two pianos is lame, but I can't quite relate to that judgment).

[aligreto]

Berlioz: Requiem [Previn]





This is a powerful, dramatic and emotionally laden work which is given a compelling performance here. The powerhouse of this work is the choral scoring and it is indeed wonderful, the sopranos being ethereal in places. The orchestration never lags behind and is always sympathetic to the choral element and is inherently powerful in itself. The power of the presentation often disguises the inherent lyricism of this work.

[steve ridgway]

CD 1 of this

[asin]B00TQNMCDU[/asin]

Which appears to be the same as this

[asin]B01KJZ3LF6[/asin]

I'm finding Le Marteau Sans Maitre to be fascinating dreamlike music, the tune dispersed into short notes spread out among the various instruments, pairs of which often sound quite similar producing a wide spatial effect added to by the vibraphone and some serious reverberation. The instruments chosen work together very well and fit nicely around the singer, and the gong in the last section is a great signal that it's time to return to the real world .

[Biffo]

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jakub Hrusa - concert given 13 October 2018

Dvorak: The Golden Spinning Wheel, Op 109
Martinu: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No 1 with Frank Peter Zimmermann
Janacek: Taras Bulba Rhapsody for Orchestra

Taras Bulba doesn't always work for me but this was a very moving performance with a magnificent Apotheosis

[Traverso]

Schubert

Octet

[Todd]

Disc eight.

[king ubu]

Another new one from alpha, songs by Serrat and spanish baroque songs - Mariana Flores great, as always!

[Harry]

Symphony  No.8 Op.93
Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig - Riccardo Chailly.

(Streaming)

[king ubu]

From this latest bunch of Outhere acquisitions, this fascinating disc is so far the one I've played most often (fourth spin right now) - music from a reconstructed manuscript from Florence, around 1410-1420.

[Harry]

Symphony No.29 KV201.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
English Chamber Orchestra - Daniel Barenboim.

(Streaming)

[aligreto]

Brahms: Ein Deutsche Requiem [Ormandy]


   


Wonderfully played and powerfully sung by a choir that has a huge presence; they give it everything. The performance is not overtly demonstrative, simply a powerfully strong, assertive one that is full of fervent passion. This is a really great performance and the only English version that I have of this work.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Wellesz Symphony No 2.



Wow! Notes in the blown-away thread.

[cilgwyn]

The first two,or three times,I listened to this opera,I thought it was all very beautiful sounding,but,maybe a bit 'samey',and where were all those catchy tunes? Now,I'm starting to think that it might just be one of my favourite Mozart operas,if not,up there with the best. It has a stately majesty and beauty of it's own. And,when you get to know,it does have plenty of good tunes. In fact,I think I like it just as much as the others. Maybe,even more than..........?!! There's some lovely singing,too,on this set.

[Traverso]

Bach


BWV 42  "Am Abend Aber Desselbigen Sabbats".

[aligreto]

Mussorgsky: Pictures from an Exhibition [Richter]


   

[André]

One of my wife's favorite teas.

My favourite brew, but NOT with milk  . I find tea with milk ghastly. My dad used to say lapsang souchong reeked of dirty socks  .

...........................

TD



One of the very best I've heard. Simple pleasures leave the most lasting impressions.

Playing right now:

[Todd]

Liszt played with almost effortless and limitless virtuosity. 

[Zeus]

Three quite different Byrd discs:

Byrd: Consort Music and Songs
Sunhae Im, bFive Recorder Consort
Coviello Classics

[asin] B074QC6QW9[/asin]

Byrd: Complete Consort Music
Phantasm
Linn Records

[asin] B004R7WGOU[/asin]

Byrd: La musique d'orgue anglaise, vol. 2
Marianne Lévy-Noisette
Syrius



After first listens, my preferences are as per the listed order.  Sunhae Im has a very nice voice, and the recorder consort is also surprisingly pleasant.