What are you listening to now?

[Ken B]

Prokkers
Symphony-Concerto for cello op 125
Rostropovich, LSO, Ozawa

Always good stuff from the Rostropovich and Ozawa partnering.

I am in a minority in really liking this piece I guess. Have not heard it in two years or so though.

[SonicMan46]

I have always liked the way that you present your posts Dave. They are always illuminating.

Thanks Aligreto - I'm a retired academic radiologist and use to put all of my lectures together w/ Powerpoint, so arranging text and pics on a PP slide seems second nature to me and likely impacts on my posting practices.  Dave

[Daverz]

Prokkers
Symphony-Concerto for cello op 125
Rostropovich, LSO, Ozawa

Always good stuff from the Rostropovich and Ozawa partnering.

I am in a minority in really liking this piece I guess. Have not heard it in two years or so though.

Love this work.  Also the Cello Concerto it's derived from.

[asin]B002FWR7DO[/asin]

[Traverso]

I like that Naxos compilation recording very much. Incredible playing really, Red Byrd is special.

Indeed the Naxos recording is very special.

[Ken B]

Martinu
Symphony 2
Brydon Thomson

[aligreto]

Corcoran: Music for the Book of Kells [Cichewiecz]





This is a piece scored for five percussionists and a pianist and is, according to Corcoran, an imaginative soundscape of early medieval Ireland. It is atmospheric and I can see what Corcoran was trying to achieve. However, for me, on first listen, I do not think that he has quite pulled it off.

[aligreto]

Thanks Aligreto - I'm a retired academic radiologist and use to put all of my lectures together w/ Powerpoint, so arranging text and pics on a PP slide seems second nature to me and likely impacts on my posting practices.  Dave

Cheers Dave. Your professionalism come through.

[aligreto]

Martinu
Symphony 2
Brydon Thomson

Martinu is a composer whom I have skirted around for some years but one whom I have not really delved into in any depth. I do recall Symphony No. 2 being an exciting and exhilarating work.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Thanks Aligreto - I'm a retired academic radiologist and use to put all of my lectures together w/ Powerpoint, so arranging text and pics on a PP slide seems second nature to me and likely impacts on my posting practices.  Dave

Be thankful it is CD covers, and not a presentation of scans of your pancreas. 

[Ken B]

Martinu is a composer whom I have skirted around for some years but one whom I have not really delved into in any depth. I do recall Symphony No. 2 being an exciting and exhilarating work.

He is well worth exploring. All the symphonies are excellent, but also look for the Double Concerto.
We had a discussion about the standard repertory. I think Martinu is one of the composers with the best chance to get into it, because 5he symphonies are all directly appealing and not too long. The world would be a better place if a few renditions of La Mer were replaced by a Martinu ...

[Florestan]

He is well worth exploring. All the symphonies are excellent, but also look for the Double Concerto.
We had a discussion about the standard repertory. I think Martinu is one of the composers with the best chance to get into it, because 5he symphonies are all directly appealing and not too long. The world would be a better place if a few renditions of La Mer Bruckner were replaced by a Martinu ...

Fixed. 

[JBS]

He is well worth exploring. All the symphonies are excellent, but also look for the Double Concerto.
We had a discussion about the standard repertory. I think Martinu is one of the composers with the best chance to get into it, because 5he symphonies are all directly appealing and not too long. The world would be a better place if a few renditions of La Mer were replaced by a Martinu ...

Ken's account has been hacked. The real Ken would not be satisfied with replacing only a few performances of La Mer.

[Ken B]

Ken's account has been hacked. The real Ken would not be satisfied with replacing only a few performances of La Mer.

First we take Manhattan
Then we take Berlin

[Kontrapunctus]

Both are very enjoyable and well recorded.

[SymphonicAddict]

Clearly one to look out for!

It bears a rather generic title, but the work packs a punch of truly scintillating neoclassical music.

[SymphonicAddict]

Tubin: Symphony No. 7 [Jarvi]





The opening movement is dark, shadowy and somewhat disconcerting in tone. The orchestration is rich and there is a power and intensity to the performance which is unrelenting throughout the movement. The slow movement is also dark in tone but it is somewhat  lyrical in its musical language. The scoring is interesting particularly in the use of the textures of the woodwinds. Once again the final movement is quite dark in tone and contains a high level of intensity and agitation throughout. The continuation of the interesting scoring is very appealing and engaging. The character of the symphony is very atmospheric, dramatic and turbulent and the performance here is compelling.

That was the first symphony I ever listened by Tubin. I listened on the radio (it was the 3rd movement, actually) around 2006, at first I thought it was something by Shostakovich, those militaristic rhythms reminded me of him. At that time I was not as knowledgeable about classical music as I am now. Just when the symphony ended, I could hear the name of both the composer and the work. I remember being quite intrigued by a composer I had never heard of. Since then, I've been a declared Tubin fan!

[Daverz]

Bricht

[asin] B07FSF83RV[/asin]

Interesting music from yet another composer whose career was upended by the Nazis.  The Fort Wayne Orchestra makes a good enough showing, but I can't help wondering how this music would sound in the hands of a Viennese orchestra.

[asin] B07MWZ5NLD[/asin]

More gorgeous music from Marx.

[asin] B077PKNR8M[/asin]

In the Symphony, though this is quite fine, I still prefer Dausgaard for his greater characterization and warmer sound.  In the Serenade, you can barely hear the plucked basses even with the sound cranked all the way up.  I much prefer Stig Westerberg here.  That still leaves the other 2 works, which are very good to have.

[SonicMan46]

Be thankful it is CD covers, and not a presentation of scans of your pancreas. 

Baron - LOL! Actually my sub-specialty was GI radiology, so the pancreas was certainly included in some of my lectures - could put up some pics -    Dave

[Mirror Image]

Martinu
Symphony 2
Brydon Thomson

Very nice, Ken. I think I'll join you, but only from this set:

[Que]

More from this 3CD-set:



Q