What are you listening to now?

[Ciaccona]

NP:

[asin]B000FTWAB8[/asin]

Walton: String Quartet in A Minor

Coull Quartet

[Traverso]

Collegium Musicum Pragense ‎

There was no other way to get this music than to  purchase this LP 

[aligreto]

Holst: The Planets [Boult]





A good one.

[Harry]

Christmas is Icumen, so I start this afternoon with a brand new Christmas CD First listen.

[Traverso]

Chopin

CD 4  Mazurkas

[aligreto]

Brahms: Double Concerto [Kremer/Maisky/Bernstein]





Strong, robust performances in the outer movements with a charming and somewhat poignant middle movement performance.

[king ubu]

Embarking on a major F. Couperin sprawl ... played the Meyerson late last night, and today, before and after final x-mas (and groceries) shopping, the Rannou - both mighty fine discs! Meyerson plays ordres no. 22, 26, 20 and 25 from the fourth book, while Rannou uses the eight préludes from "L'Art de toucher le Clavecin" to structure her selection of pieces from all four books.



Also, to change pace a bit, listened to the above disc again, the sonatas (all of them) by Les Dominos/Florence Malgoire ... and I saw that there's another recent Couperin disc on Ricercar that I somehow missed, Les Muses naissantes by Brice Sally/La Chambre Claire, whom I don't know at all. Recommended?

Started to read the book by Jane Clark/Derek Connon alongside ("The Mirror of Human Life: Reflections on François Couperin's Pièces de Clavecin", Keyword Press, 2nd/expanded edition from 2011) ... and just got the new Cuiller set from the mailbox.

[aligreto]

Chopin: Mazurkas, various [Michelangeli]

[Todd]

[Maestro267]

Bush: Symphony No. 1
Royal Northern College of Music SO/Bostock

[Mandryka]

Embarking on a major F. Couperin sprawl ... played the Meyerson late last night, and today, before and after final x-mas (and groceries) shopping, the Rannou - both mighty fine discs! Meyerson plays ordres no. 22, 26, 20 and 25 from the fourth book, while Rannou uses the eight préludes from "L'Art de toucher le Clavecin" to structure her selection of pieces from all four books.



Also, to change pace a bit, listened to the above disc again, the sonatas (all of them) by Les Dominos/Florence Malgoire ... and I saw that there's another recent Couperin disc on Ricercar that I somehow missed, Les Muses naissantes by Brice Sally/La Chambre Claire, whom I don't know at all. Recommended?

Started to read the book by Jane Clark/Derek Connon alongside ("The Mirror of Human Life: Reflections on François Couperin's Pièces de Clavecin", Keyword Press, 2nd/expanded edition from 2011) ... and just got the new Cuiller set from the mailbox.

Les Muses Naissantes sounds charming, it's a bit of this and a bit of that, but that could be a plus point; didn't pay Cuiller the attention it deserves, somehow choosing pieces for their theatricality like he does on that CD put me off. The last FC I enjoyed was Moroney in BK 3 (great harpsichord in the treble and sensuous sophisticated expressive performances), and the last one Blandine Verlet released, which in fact got me interested in the music again.

[Mandryka]

https://www.youtube.com/v/mHj68DqKm8U

Musicalische Compagney, Weckmann sonatas, I think it's delightful! The recording's on qobuz etc.

[Traverso]

Chopin: Mazurkas, various [Michelangeli]

Is on my listening list.

[aligreto]

Bartok: Violin Concerto No. 1 [Stern/Ormandy]





This is hugely intense music given a hugely intense performance here. I find the contrapuntal scoring in the first movement to be oftentimes dense but the the performance and recording deliver clear, distinguishable lines. The mood is sombre and grave, sometimes forlorn and poignant but always passionate and atmospheric.

[kyjo]

G. Schumann - Cello Sonata:

[asin]B00ODHYXKO[/asin]

Kudos to CPO for recording Georg Schumann's music - it deserves to be much better-known. This broodingly romantic and memorable Cello Sonata is easily comparable in quality to Brahms' two works in the genre.


Alwyn - Miss Julie:

[asin]B000027QX6[/asin]

I always say I'm not a huge opera fan, but lately I've been discovering some truly magnificent works in the genre that are making me change my mind. I don't think I'll ever be raving about Rossini or Verdi, but fortunately there's much more to the operatic repertoire than them! This Alwyn opera is from 1979 yet is lushly Romantic, standing in direct lineage from Puccini, with dissonance only used for dramatic effect. Jill Gomez, Benjamin Luxon, and Della Jones are simply magnificent as the main roles; they tellingly convey both the luxuriant lyricism and gripping tension of the score. Might I add that their diction is ultra-clear and their vibrato is thankfully non-intrusive (the same can't be said for a lot of operatic singers, IMO). The colorfully scored and important orchestra part is played with great sensitivity by the Philharmonia under Vilem Tausky. Superb!


Berwald - Symphony no. 1 "Sinfonie sérieuse":

[asin]B0000264IU[/asin]

Berwald was one of the most interesting early/mid Romantic composers IMO, crafting a fresh and invigorating style that prefigures the "Nordic sound" of Sibelius and Nielsen. Though his melodies are not as memorable as those by his contemporaries Mendelssohn and Schumann, for instance, he makes up for it with his brilliant structural developments and orchestration. His 1st Symphony, while not quite on the level of his masterful 3rd, is very fine and has an almost Berliozian "fantastical" streak at times.


Bruckner - Symphony no. 7:

[asin]B079PH4S3G[/asin]

It's been a while since I've listened to some Bruckner! This is a marvelously rich and visionary recording of this great symphony. It kept my interest throughout the whole work, even in the rather enigmatic and episodic finale - the same can't be said for some other performances I've heard. Enthusiastically recommended!


Brahms - Piano Trio no. 2:

[asin]B07475YXWF[/asin]

This seems to be one of the least popular of Brahms' chamber works, but it's actually become one of my favorites as of late. It may lack the arrestingly gorgeous opening of the 1st piano trio, but I feel it may be the overall stronger work. I especially love the haunting set of variations that comprise the slow movement and the spectral scherzo with its achingly beautiful trio section. And this performance by these three superstar musicians is unfailingly musical and unified in its vision.

[Traverso]

Les Très Riches Heures du Moyen Age

CD 1 

[aligreto]

Is on my listening list.

I am sure that you will enjoy it.

[Harry]

Second re-run of this fine disc.
Suzie LeBlanc. Nobil Donna.

[North Star]

Scarlatti
Sonatas Kk. 520-539
Ross
[asin]B00IUPNBW6[/asin]

[Jamie]

My day begins with this...