What are you listening to now?

[vandermolen]

Khachaturian: Symphony No. 1
Armenian PO/Tjeknavorian

A great work but his LSO recording (sadly only on LP) is significantly better:

[ritter]

Falla - El amor brujo

Ines Rivadeneira / Orquesta de Conciertos de Madrid / Jesus Arambarri

My first, and still probably favourite, recording of the piece 

How do you like it, Draško?

[Christo]

Thanks, I'll try to get it as well.

The Ovieda Filharmonia, on Farao Records, are a benchmark, of course.  (Good to learn from SurprisedByBeauty that they're so good - I discovered this unexpectedly sunny side of Wolf-Ferrari by an early encounter with his oboe concertinos, heard on the radio when I was fifteen & still personal favourites.

[Traverso]

Zemlinsky  lyrische Symfonie
Alma Mahler  Lieder
Eric Zeisl Requiem Ebraico

[JBS]

The Ovieda Filharmonia, on Farao Records, are a benchmark, of course.  (Good to learn from SurprisedByBeauty that they're so good - I discovered this unexpectedly sunny side of Wolf-Ferrari by an early encounter with his oboe concertinos, heard on the radio when I was fifteen & still personal favourites.

There is a bunch of WolfFerrari on CPO that is very recommendable.

[Florestan]

The Ovieda Filharmonia, on Farao Records, are a benchmark, of course.  (Good to learn from SurprisedByBeauty that they're so good - I discovered this unexpectedly sunny side of Wolf-Ferrari by an early encounter with his oboe concertinos, heard on the radio when I was fifteen & still personal favourites.

Does he have any other side? AfaIk, he is mostly famous for his Goldoni-based operas, which to my knowledge are not exactly dark. True, he had one attempt at verismo but if the orchestral suite from I gioielli della Madonna is any indicator, the whole thing must not be that gruesome as one could expect. 

[Mirror Image]

Spinning this disc yet again:

Debussy
Violin Sonata
Berceuse héroïque
Pièce pour l'oeuvre du 'Vêtement du blessé'
Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp
Élégie
Cello Sonata
Les Soirs illuminés par l'ardeur du charbon
Isabelle Faust, violin
Alexander Melnikov, piano
Tanguy de Williencourt, piano
Magali Mosnier, flute
Antoine Tamestit, viola
Xavier de Maistre, harp
Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello
Javier Perianes, piano



This is such an outstanding recording. It's really become my go-to for these works now, although, as I've mentioned before, I do still love The Nash Ensemble's performances on Virgin.

[Christo]

There is a bunch of WolfFerrari on CPO that is very recommendable.

Many thanks, own them all (only in need of some time to play them all). 

[Traverso]

Janáček

[Harry]

Gery de Ghersem, Ave Virgo Sanctissima.
Guerrero: Ave Virgo Sanctissima; Regina Caeli; Salve Regina
Cornet: Regina Caeli
Rogier: Regina Caeli
Philips: Regina Caeli; Salve Regina

Currende, Erik van Nevel.

First time around this disc did not go down well in my ears. Better the second time I concluded. Although Nevel's choir has some rough edges, and sings to loud for my taste, almost rumbustious, it nevertheless hit a nerve in me, and I could enjoy it much more. Maybe the third time around I wil shout Halleluja.

[andolink]

George Enescu:  Piano Sonata in F sharp minor Op. 24 No. 1

[Harry]

Sonatas from the Dresden Pisendel Collection.

Torelli: Sonata D Major for Violin, & Cello, Bc.
Händel: Sonata C minor HWV 386a for Oboe, Violin, Bc.
Weiss: 3 Duets for 2 Lutes after Bach's BWV 1025.
Anonymus: Sonata B minor for 2 Violins & Bc.
Porpora: Sonata E minor for 2 Violins & Bc.
Brescianello: Sonate C minor for Oboe, Violin, Bc

Batzdorfer Hofkapelle.
Xenia Löffler, Oboe.

A really excellent CD, well performed and recorded. There are some small masterworks amongst the Pisendel collection.  Like the one from Brescianello, in C minor, or an anonymous one in B minor. But the hilarious funny D major concerto by Torelli has my seal of approval. As if a couple of hillbillies are gathered together and decided to have fun with the music. Infectious and creative music making, the Batzdorfers know how to have fun.

[Draško]

My first, and still probably favourite, recording of the piece 

How do you like it, Draško?

Love it. It's pretty perfect, actually. Rhythms are sharp and sprung, attacks are snappy, quiet moments are tender without being too sweet. Orchestra sounds a bit smallish, but that doesn't matter they play very well, excellent turn from principal oboe, brass has an acidic tinge that suits the music perfectly. Sound is quite good for late 50s stereo. Ines Rivadeneira is the best singer I have heard in this piece, and she is in top form (a decade or so later for Markevitch, another fine recording, she'll sound a bit shakier). She strikes just right middle ground between operatic alto and gypsy cante jondo style, she gets in and out of her chest voice spot on. Shame it hasn't had another reissue after nowadays hard to find early 90s double disc. Should be a reference recording.

My first, and still probably favorite, is Fruhbeck on Decca. He is though a bit eccentric compared to Arambarri, can get quite heavy at moments, and kind of lean into rhythms. Strangely I have very little recollection of Argenta (in introuvables set).   

[vandermolen]

Ivanovs

Symphonies 1-3

It's really a good feeling when you feel a good composer has so incredible stuff out there and you are not familiar with it. Like discovering new lands, new sonorities, new sounds, new composing ways, new horizons, after all we are talking about music, aren't we? I could say, Scriabinesque in their sensuality, in the grandiloquency and direct beauty. All were an amazing listen.




Penthesilea Suite

I wasn't wrong when said this is incandescent music! It's amazing, with nobility, lushness, epicness, with great sound.




Symphony No. 1

Easily approachable on first hearings, I really enjoy it (as the rest!) Strong tastes to Sibelius, Rosenberg and Tubin tasted there, and his unique craggy voice of course. Did I say it is epic? Enchanting and excellent as other choices.

Great selection Cesar! That is probably my favourite Englund CD and I really like both symphonies. My favourite CD of that incomplete Ivanovs cycle is the one containing the film music 'Late Frost in Spring'.

[vandermolen]

Symphony 4 (again):

[Traverso]

 Mahler

symphony No.1

[NikF4]

Shostakovich: Piano Quintet - Borodin Trio/Zweig/Horner.

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[vandermolen]

Shostakovich: Piano Quintet - Borodin Trio/Zweig/Horner.

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That's a great CD!

[vandermolen]

Symphony 1 - a fine work. Thanks to Christo for this one:

[André]

Typical Arnold goodies. The Pas de deux in Homage to the Queen boasts one of those patented descending themes that  only Arnold could have written. Gorgeous. I have reservations about the sound, though. Channels are too widely spaced, with lots of details emerging from the extreme left and extreme right, with little in between. OK for listening on loudpeakers, where the 'cinerama' effect comes across vividly, but uncomfortable and unnatural when listened to with headphones.