What are you listening to now?

[Irons]

For a recording to stand out from a crowded field of great Schubert piano recordings it has to be special. I was struck by both the delicacy and strength of Gilels playing. I also have the CD which like the LP has very good sound from 1960. I think the coupling on the LP is more appropriate then the CD which has the Liszt B Minor Sonata.

[cilgwyn]

Sir Eugene Goossens

  Arrived this afternoon and I was wondering if the composer has a distinct voice of his own.I   first listen to it in order to give my comments as honest as any artist deserves to get.
The piano concerto:
My first impression is that I hear all kind of influences wich is not a bad thing if the result is so rewarding as is evidently the case here. The piano concerto  is refined and colourful,it is french oriented but with a pinch of Rachmaninov.
The symphony is a totally different matter, coherent and more convincing.It has a Delius like poetry and feels like a wandering in the countryside,gentle and timeless.It is a wonderful   composition as we move to the third part ,it remains full of melodious  narrative paintings with cheerful marching rhythms.The last part gives me again the idea that I'm listening to a long symphonic poem.
It is perhaps a mix of Debussy and Delius,anyway ,I liked it  and while I was listening I just found the words that came to my mind, hearing this music for the first time,sure no wasted time  .

I'm unable to 'hear' this symphony in your description here;but never mind,we all hear things differently! It reminds me of those programs on the tv,where the presenter would be strolling around in some picturesque location,in Wales,to the strains of gentle,pastoral music. There I'd be hearing the stormy,turbulent bits from Bax symphonies when I looked at the Welsh landscape,through my eyes or,in my head. Usually No's 1 or 2,or even Winter Legends!! (Or even,the noisier bits from Daniel Jones' Fourth,or Brian's Gothic?!!) Christo's use of the word "epic" comes closest to the Goossens symphony I heard. Delius and Debussy,not once! Or,cheerful?! The closest comparison that came to mind were the first two Bax symphonies,but less obviously,'tuneful' (if that's the right word?). More gnarled,though,and turbulent. I could see (hear) some of the continental influences Rob Barnett cites,though! If Frank Bridge was there,it would be the later Bridge of Enter Spring or Phantasm. "Epic",though,just about sums it up.

Incidentally,I'm listening to early acoustic recordings of Chopin,at the moment...........which just sound like,erm,Chopin!!

[vandermolen]

Nice to see some discussion of that fine Goossens Symphony 1 here (Symphony 2 is excellent as well). I agree with Christo that the earliest recording by David Measham on a Unicorn LP is the most high-powered version although there is nothing wrong with the ABC or Chandos versions. That David Measham is on my list of LPs which should have been transferred to CD (Bax: Symphony 3, Downes, RCA, Khachaturian Symphony 1, LSO Tjeknavorian, RCA) but never were 
I think that the comparison with Bax, Bridge and Benjamin rings true for me in relation to Goossens First Symphony although I'm sure that Debussy and Delius lurk in the background as well. Yes and also Clifford's inspiriting 'Symphony 1940'.

Thread duty: Finzi: Farewell to Arms (Naxos). I heard this at the Armistice concert last Saturday - there are many echoes of Dies Natalis.
[asin]B0015DM3AG[/asin]

[amw]

Schubert's Rondo in B minor D895, immediately followed by the Brahms/Klengel D major sonata Op.78.

This particular pairing of works throws into relief just how wildly inappropriate this combination of composers is. Schubert comes across as visionary, mystical, half crazed, rule breaking & life affirming; Brahms comes across as elegant, tasteful, insubstantial salon music. And I like the Op.78 sonata very much in whatever form and would ordinarily associate with it some of the characteristics I apply to Schubert but you...basically just can't juxtapose the two like this. The comparison never works in Brahms's favour.

[Florestan]

Rimsky-Korsakov
Isle of the Dead

Are you sure? 

[Karl Henning]

Have you heard Stanford's 2nd Piano Concerto?! Not so much pinch Rachmaninov's 2nd but blatant daylight robbery!

Lock him up!

[Karl Henning]

Rodrigo
Piano Concerto

Meh.

If I have heard it (and I may have) I have somehow forgotten it.

[Karl Henning]

Landed yesterday, listening to now:

[asin]B0000Y37D8[/asin]

[Florestan]

Piano Quintet & Piano Trio

On second thoughts, I can see where Taneyev's reputation of dryness comes from --- and why it's not entirely groundless. The pervasive atmosphere of his music is one of uncompromising and unrelenting seriousness. Passionate, yes, but with a cold passion. Looks like this man never had even the briefest moments of genuine merriment and joy, never laughtered wholeheartedly, never had the notion of humor and never experienced life otherwise than as a stern and grim business. The most exact description of his music I can think of is "musical Calvinism". 

[Florestan]

Landed yesterday, listening to now:

[asin]B0000Y37D8[/asin]

Please comment when you have time and feel like it.

[Karl Henning]

Piano Quintet & Piano Trio

On second thoughts, I can see where Taneyev's reputation of dryness comes from --- and why it's not entirely groundless. The pervasive atmosphere of his music is one of uncompromising and unrelenting seriousness. Passionate, yes, but with a cold passion. Looks like this man never had even the briefest moments of genuine merriment and joy, never laughtered wholeheartedly, never had the notion of humor and never experienced life otherwise than as a stern and grim business. The most exact description of his music I can think of is "musical Calvinism". 

Why, you speak as if he were Estonian!

[Karl Henning]

Please comment when you have time and feel like it.

Actually, I did begin to listen last night, listened to the second CD twice.  This is exquisite, and I may listen to nothing else all morning.

[Florestan]

Why, you speak as if he were Estonian!

Might be the result of his overtly (and overly) intellectual approach to composition. Anyway, by no means is he "the Russian Brahms" --- his coldness is galaxies apart from the melancholy, bittersweet warmth of the latter.

[Florestan]

Actually, I did begin to listen last night, listened to the second CD twice.  This is exquisite, and I may listen to nothing else all morning.

Thanks, and I'm glad you like it.

[North Star]

Actually, I did begin to listen last night, listened to the second CD twice.  This is exquisite, and I may listen to nothing else all morning.

*pounds the table*


Thread-duty
Walton
Viola Concerto
Ehnes
BBC SO
Gardner
on Spotify.

[pjme]

...."melancholy, bittersweet warmth ..."

Sometimes a few words are enough to guide my choice:

https://www.youtube.com/v/dv4GrZ1T51E

https://www.youtube.com/v/hvFqNIBFTo4

and this...

https://www.youtube.com/v/tWO3NQbjcP0

[Florestan]

...."melancholy, bittersweet warmth ..."

Sometimes a few words are enough to guide my choice:

And excellent choices you made!

[Harry]

I'm unable to 'hear' this symphony in your description here;but never mind,we all hear things differently! It reminds me of those programs on the tv,where the presenter would be strolling around in some picturesque location,in Wales,to the strains of gentle,pastoral music. There I'd be hearing the stormy,turbulent bits from Bax symphonies when I looked at the Welsh landscape,through my eyes or,in my head. Usually No's 1 or 2,or even Winter Legends!! (Or even,the noisier bits from Daniel Jones' Fourth,or Brian's Gothic?!!) Christo's use of the word "epic" comes closest to the Goossens symphony I heard. Delius and Debussy,not once! Or,cheerful?! The closest comparison that came to mind were the first two Bax symphonies,but less obviously,'tuneful' (if that's the right word?). More gnarled,though,and turbulent. I could see (hear) some of the continental influences Rob Barnett cites,though! If Frank Bridge was there,it would be the later Bridge of Enter Spring or Phantasm. "Epic",though,just about sums it up.

Incidentally,I'm listening to early acoustic recordings of Chopin,at the moment...........which just sound like,erm,Chopin!!

Agreed, Traverso's review did not touch at all what I hear, and I have had this music for many years.

[ritter]

I hadn't listened to any Lutosławski for some 20 years (!) IIRC. Revisiting this CD, and rather enjoying it this time around (particularly the Piano Concerto):

[North Star]

I hadn't listened to any Lutosławski for some 20 years (!) IIRC. Revisiting this CD, and rather enjoying it this time around (particularly the Piano Concerto):

Buenas tardes, Rafael! It's been slightly less than 20 years since I last listened to Lutosławski, but long enough nonetheless, so I'm listening to this now:

Symphony No. 4
LA Philharmonic
Salonen