What are you listening to now?

[Traverso]

Tallis

[Mirror Image]

     Delighted to read that you enjoy his recording of Janacek's music so much! 

Have heard of PJ before but don't know his recordings.  I love Debussy, however, so will dig around on youtube, etc. to see if I can find any samples.

Best,

PD

Thanks, here's Jacobs performing Debussy's Estampes:

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

https://www.youtube.com/v/QKzam_2YOs4&t=0s&list=OLAK5uy_mZgVy9_EMMDl3NmBthJHxak_kktf7C-W0&index=6

https://www.youtube.com/v/sRMSmpL1PJA&list=OLAK5uy_mZgVy9_EMMDl3NmBthJHxak_kktf7C-W0&index=6

[Mirror Image]

That is, in fact, a sublime recording! Was on my Best of 2008 "Almost" List. " The Three Pieces for Orchestra here rival the Berlin Philharmonic's sumptuous recording with Karajan (DG Originals), coming very close to how the latter makes the music sound like molten romanticism. The Lulu Suite (also found in good hands with Abbado, DG Originals) benefits equally from the Concertgebouw's gorgeous sound and Gatti's sensuous inflection"

I can't help but nod my head along with yours, Jens. Remarkable recording and Gatti's approach really pays off here.

[Mirror Image]

Debussy : Etudes - Aimard

Great stuff. The best I can remember Aimard is formidable in the Études. His Images is also quite good.

[Mirror Image]

You cannot imagine how exquisite it is to hear this already gorgeous album through good speakers instead of earphones or the computer (see above).



I'm listening to op.23, and I have goosebumps.

I can imagine. I love headphone listening for chamber works, mélodies, and solo piano music for an intimate and nuanced sound, but when it comes to works with larger forces like requiems, cantatas, symphonies, operas, ballets, etc., it's hard to beat the power of a good stereo system.

[Traverso]

Kurt Weill

Die Dreigroschenoper

[Harry]

Baldassarre Galuppi.
Sonatas for Keyboard Instruments.
Luca Guglielmi, plays on different instruments, Harpsichords, clavichord, Fortepiano and Organ.

A very sensitive selection of Galuppi's output, masterly performed by Guglielmi, and superb recorded. I enjoyed every one of those sonatas with the aid of very fine instruments, including an organ by Giovanni Battista & Francesco Maria Cocone 1752. Restored in 2006. More of this please

[Harry]

Bach and the North German Tradition. Volume I.
Works by Bach, Böhm & Buxtehude.

Bach: Choral BWV 627 "Christ ist erstanden"; Präludium & Fuge BWV 532; Trio BWV 655 "Herr Jesus Christ, dich zu uns wendt"
Buxtehude: Präludium BuxWV 140; Toccata BuxWV 164; Passacaglia BuxWV 161
Böhm: Choralpartiten "Ach wie nichtig, ach wie flüchtig" & "Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele"; Capriccio D-Dur

Martin Neu plays on a Hendrik Ahrend organ, 2007, St Otto Kirche, Herzogenaurach.

Let me say this first, an amazingly fine recording, State of the Art, and an equally fine organ. I sense the heritage of Jurgen Ahrend in every pipe. An amazing instrument made by the Master Organ builder Hendrik Ahrend. I would say he is as good as his father. The works on this CD played by Neu are well done, but he is a little conservative in his expression, and does not put a foot wrong, so no sense of adventure in what I heard. Of all pieces I have better performances, but I mainly bought this disc for the organ used, and in this I am not disappointed.

[Harry]

Alexander Moyzes.
Symphony No. 3 in B flat major, opus 17a, "Little Symphony".
No. 4 in E flat major, opus 38, revised version 1957.

Slovak Radio SO, Ladislav Slovak.

It is hard to be disappointed by this composer, for what he write sounds like the right thing. I knew this music from the 1990 already, when hearing, a live performance by chance in Hungary of the first symphony.
I love the third symphony the little one, which is by no means little, but compactly scored, and keeps a tight grip on the proceedings. Five movements no less, and every one smacks after more. Especially the third and the fourth movement fill me with gratitude for this composers output.
The second movement of the Fourth symphony is a stunner, a movement that kept me in awe, for so much creativity.
The performance is good, rather than excellent, and the same goes for the recording, but what the heck, it's the music that counts, right?

[Harry]

Karel Ancerl, Gold Edition series, Volume 37.
Isa Krejci, Serenade for Orchestra & Symphony No 2 in C sharp.
Jiri Pauer, Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra.

Czech PO, Karl Ancerl.
Karel Bidlo, Bassoon.
Recordings are from 1957/1959/1964. Mono/Stereo. 24 bit digitally remastered.

This disc is a stunner in every respect. First of all here are two forgotten and totally neglected composers, both of them belonging to the very best  Czechia had to offer. Never have I heard the Czech orchestra play so good, thanks in part to Ancerl, who is one of my favorite conductors from the olden times. And the recording is superb too.
Krejci is on top of my list, closely follow by Pauer. The Serenade is an absolute masterwork, no doubt, and his second symphony is a close follow up. What a fine orchestrator he was with his unbounded energy and creativity. Every note counts. The Bassoon concerto written by Pauer is also a masterwork. When you can produce such good scores for this instrument and orchestra, and find one of the best Bassoon players in his time, it surely would be Karel Bidlo. What an amazing tone and flexibility in handling this difficult score, and the speed  with which he plays, with excellent phrasing and expression. I was absolutely stunned by this performance. Geesh!

[SonicMan46]

Ives, Charles (1874-1954) - over the next few days, I'll be playing Ives from my American collection - listening to the Symphonies at the moment w/ Andrew Litton & the Dallas SO (some reviews attached for those interested & plenty of competition!) - Dave

   

   

[Karl Henning]

LvB
Symphony #6 in F
RCO
Sawallisch

Sibelius
Symphony #4 in a minor
RCO
Berglund

[Florestan]

CD1

Piano Trio No. 1 in D major Op. 5
Piano Trio No. 2 in F-sharp major Op. 7

These are some of the most beautiful piano trios I've ever heard, music right up my alley. No deep philosophizing, no self-torturing angst, no fist-shaking at fate --- just an uninterrupted flow of dreamy, gentle, jocular and heartfelt melodies, the outpouring of an essentially happy and sunny soul, although by no means devoid of her own shadows and sorrows.  Perfect blend and balance of voices. Reminded me of Haydn, Mozart and Mendelssohn in overall feeling, and of Reynaldo Hahn (EW-F's almost exact contemporary) in having the gut to write such music around 1900.  Excellent.

[André]

Symphony no 9. I would have liked more forceful, interventionist timpani in the big climaxes. Still, Schuricht has the measure of this leviathan.




Concerto no 20.


Schmidt tears into the big Beethoven cadenzas with gusto.

[listener]

They sort of look related but come together this morning randomly
DAQUIN:  Le Livre d'Orgue  (12 Noëls)
Pierre Bardon, organ at Saint-Maximin in Provence
BRUCKNER: Mass in f
Karita Matilla, Marjana Lipovšek, Thomas Moser, Kurt Moll     SATB
Bavarian Radio Orchestra and Chorus       Colin Davis, cond.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Thanks, here's Jacobs performing Debussy's Estampes:

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

https://www.youtube.com/v/QKzam_2YOs4&t=0s&list=OLAK5uy_mZgVy9_EMMDl3NmBthJHxak_kktf7C-W0&index=6

https://www.youtube.com/v/sRMSmpL1PJA&list=OLAK5uy_mZgVy9_EMMDl3NmBthJHxak_kktf7C-W0&index=6

Thank you for those embedded videos; I quite enjoyed them!  Will keep an eye out for his Nonesuch LPs.   

My listening earlier today:



Looking through my LPs, I noticed that I have both the stereo and mono versions; alas, the stereo copy doesn't look very nice.  I cleaned off the mono one and played it instead.  Great performance!  I don't know Mahler's symphonies well at all so it was nice to dip into them.

Best,

PD

[Karl Henning]

Shostakovich,
Symphony #1 in f minor
RCO,
Solti

[Mandryka]

I think this is an absolutely fabulous Waldstien. I've listened to all of them by him, from the Columbia 1949 through to this in 1984, I've even listened to the 80th Birthday concert. And this is the only one which is a success, the only one where the vision becomes poetic. It's like he was striving to say something, to find something, for half a century and then succeeded.

Same for Horowitz in Der Dichter spricht.

[Karl Henning]

Earlier, a sprightly clarinet sonata of which I have the pleasure to be the dedicatee:

https://www.youtube.com/v/si9aZiUPdp8

[Karl Henning]

Shostakovich
Symphony #5 in d minor
RCO
Kurt Sanderling