What are you listening to now?

[Iota]

So lovely this music it almost hurts. The Hilliard seem born to sing it.

[kyjo]

Symphony 2, in commemoration of the 9/11 attacks. Another great GMG recommendation thanks to Kyle:
[asin]B01GVYDWL2[/asin]

[Traverso]

So lovely this music it almost hurts. The Hilliard seem born to sing it.

I understand your  feelings  it is indeed  an overwhelming recording.

[André]

Cantatas 7 and 8 from vol 2 of the Kantatenwerk series.



Very powerful performances and recorded sound in the two symphonic fantasias.



With the complicity of the BP, Abbado manages to take the life out of these works.

[TheGSMoeller]

No. 1 in D major
No. 37 in C major

Going to follow the order of symphonies chronologically rather than numerically, which this cycle does from DRD / Stuttgart C.O.

[Que]

Morning listening - rerun:

[asin]B01NAT6Z4V[/asin]
Q

[Kontrapunctus]

File this under "Difficult Listening"! He is Poland's first 12 tone composer, according to the notes. He doesn't seem to follow 12 tone structure rigorously, though: much of it sounds simply atonal. Picture a mix of Schoenberg/Berg/Boulez.

[Que]

It arrived today, one CD broken but the other, the one with l'homme armé is fine. Astonishing music, mystical, powerful.

I blame the flimsy packaging by Fra Bernardo. Same happened to me with the Pipelaere set....

Q

[Irons]

Great cover. I heard Susskind conduct a very fine version of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Suite at the BBC studios in Maida Vale, London.

Wish I had been there! I looked Susskind up in John Hunt's discography "Makers of the Philharmonia". He was very active with the Philharmonia during the late 1940's and the 1950's making many recordings from Bach to Vieuxtemps.

[pjme]

File this under "Difficult Listening"! He is Poland's first 12 tone composer, according to the notes. He doesn't seem to follow 12 tone structure rigorously, though: much of it sounds simply atonal. Picture a mix of Schoenberg/Berg/Boulez.

Still, quite an interesting figure. Surely (some of) his music is atonal but stems from a late romantic/ expressionistic climate of thought. I just read his biography at
https://culture.pl/en/artist/roman-palester

"However, the music of Palester did not experience a rapid renaissance in Polish music life. No one seemed to need it: for his peers it was a misty memory, while younger musicians simply did not know it. Palester seemed a respected representative of a past era.
This was very much the reception Krakow gave him in 1983. That the organizers succeeded in putting together the visit was practically a miracle, because in the eyes of many Palester remained "an enemy of the Polish People's Republic."

There isn't much on YT. But I do like the (often) sombre and dramatic language (cfr. Panufnik, Szabelski).
Definitely a composer I want to explore...

https://www.youtube.com/v/OattmHOvU2U

[cilgwyn]

One tuneful number,just seems to,follow on to another. More than often,with an accompanying (obligatory?) chorus. Unlike,Schumann's Genoveva,you don't get the feeling of an unfolding drama,moving towards some kind of conclusion. And maybe not enough repose? But,it's very nice to listen to. As we all know,Schubert certainly could write for the voice. And it shows here. Just let it flow over you,and I can well understand why Schubert's operas have some admirers. A very enjoyable listen,and there is some excellent music here. The singing is all first rate. The playing of the orchestra and conducting is very good. Well worth an occasional listen,imho!

[Harry]

Francesco Foggia, Tomas Luis de Victoria & Domenico Massenzio. (New Acquisition, first listen)
Psalmodia Vespertina.
Cappella Antiqua, Bernhard Pfammatter.

There are a few moments of great beauty in the singing, but more things that take the fun out of this recording. They are twice fold, first the sound, and secondly the approach of this ensemble. Let's start with this live recording, which is very hard on your ears, very bright in the top notes, obscuring the lower voices. Quite frontal and irritatingly all the way. Sopranos tend to be prominently treated and their voices can be quite penetrating. But this constant hardening up of the voices, and the excessive attaco by choir and solo voices alike, is really to much for my nerves. Secondly; the approach of this fine music is one of being loud and boisterous, constantly obscuring detail, and all devoid of warmth, or so you will, feeling. Gregorian chant is too studied and prettyfied to quite a romantic level. No undue vibrato, but enough dramatizing beyond a proper level. It is never a contemplative experience, far from it. This early baroque Bel Canto is annoying to my ears, and the bold harmonies favoured by this choir is even more irritating, not to speak of all the liturgical freedoms they take.
Yep, it takes the fun out of the music.

[cilgwyn]

Cd 1,of this,Supraphon,set!

[Harry]

...E per Concerto di Viole. Early Baroque Music. (New acquisition, First listen)
The following composers are represented on this disc.
Antonio de Cabezon, Gioseffo Guami, Giovanni Maria Trabaci, Correa de Arauxo, Cesario Gussago, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Gregorio Strozzi, Johann J. Froberger, Francois Roberday, and a bonus track, J.S. Bach, (Liebster Jesu BWV 731)
Accademia Strumentale Italiana.

The recording is soothing to your ears, all Violas sound perfectly balanced in this fine recording. Detailed, yet intimate, the acoustics of the Church of Nazareth in Verona is perfectly suited to the music. A good lineup of known and unknown composers, which music is performed on original instruments. A very pleasant listening. Performance is near perfect, as is the sound.

[Karl Henning]

A first listen!

http://www.youtube.com/v/CuL9GMHUJMk

[Traverso]

Vaet

A contemporary of Lassus and Palestrina

CD 1

[Biffo]

Sibelius: Symphony No 5 in E flat major - Sir Simon Rattle conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, live in the Philharmonie, 2010. In this concert Rattle performs Symphony Nos 5, 6 & 7, as he did at the Barbican Hall in London. I don't think it works as a satisfactory concert and so just listened to No 5.

[Harry]

Agostino Steffani, 1634-1728. Suites Theatrales. New acquisition. First listen.
Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca.

Great fun with this music is guaranteed. A fine assembly of Suites, full of boisterous percussion, very well written, and a host of winds and what not. Steffani was a master in this and a multi talented human being. Apart from some crude vocal contributions this is worthwhile your attention any day.  Almost state of the art recording, and a superb performance.

[aligreto]

Mahler:  Symphony No. 1 [Abbado]





I have always liked this version.

[aligreto]

My apologies,for not coming back to you! Yes,I'd need another listen,to really make my mind up;but I enjoyed it very much. The performance had a nice,earthy,rustic vigour to it. The singing is all very good,and the kind you,sort of expect,from that vintage period. Someone,obviously,had a bit of a field day with the sound effects,though. Not terribly subtle,I suppose;but it just seemed to add to the fun,as far as I was concerned. (The echo in the Wolf's Glen,is very echoey!! ) A rousing performance. I think it might just be my favourite,after Keilberth,now?!! Jochum coming next,because it was the first one I ever heard,as a teenager,via an Lp set in my local library.

No problem and no inordinate delay in any case. Thank you for the interesting response.