What are you listening to now?

[HIPster]

This new release of music from Josquin to Scheidt:



Super good. And the instrumentarium is interesting - Antonini alone plays 8 different models of recorder/flute.

Thank you, Brian!

Looks excellent.  Another wishlist addition. 

[Irons]

Miaskovsky: 21st Symphony.



A rarity in so far a Miaskovsky symphony not recorded in Russia. In a single movement (only 16 minutes) which alternates between slow and fast but also reaches a climax which falls away to a beautiful Coda for strings only. A noble work.

I have seen a few recordings of David Measham conducting Australian Orchestras of British works which I have ignored. I think that view needs revising after this recording of Russian music.

[Christo]

I have seen a few recordings of David Measham conducting Australian Orchestras of British works which I have ignored. I think that view needs revising after this recording of Russian music.

For me, two of his recordings in particular are classics: the best Barber cd I know (first on lp) and the most inspired performance of Goossens' First Symphony (that never made it to a cd):

[SimonNZ]

[ritter]

First listen to CD 1 of the Erato Albert Roussel Edition, that arrived today:

[asin]B07M6TL69W[/asin]
Piano music played by Jean Doyen, plus Segovia (Turibio Santos, guitar), Impromptu (Lily Laskine, harp), and Joueurs de flûte (Jonathan Snowden, flute, and Andrew Litton, piano). All this music is new to me. The Suite pour piano, op. 14 so far is proving most enjoyable. Unmistakebly French, but more assertive (for lack of a better term) and less mysterious than the French piano literature I know from around the time (1910). Neo-classical (the movement titles--e.g. Sicilienne, Bourrée--give that away), but not quite. Interesting.

[Papy Oli]

Good morning all,

Continuing the Beethoven Wand edition cycle with No. 3 & 8.

Really good.

[Madiel]

Sibelius, Har du mod? (Have you courage?)



A song of less than 2 minutes, and Sibelius produced four orchestral versions (as well as non-orchestral arrangements). First in 1904 for the premiere of the Violin Concerto, then 1911, 1912 and 1914. That's a lot of attempts at what is frankly a pretty minor piece of music.

The 1904 version is a fairly square-sounding march. But that's not actually a problem for something so short.

The 1911 version (where everything gets sung twice), the accompaniment seems at times to be warring with the melody. It has that peculiarly Sibelian effect of different things happening in different timeframes. Interesting, but for this material it feels overworked.

The 1912 version has a much brighter, lighter feel, though with some oddly timed rumblings to keep something ominous.

The 1914 version is somewhat similar to 1912, with a bigger orchestra and slightly more intrusive accompaniment.

[Biffo]

Sibelius: The Tempest Suite No 1 - Leif Segerstam conducting the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra - some atmospheric pieces in this suite (The Oak Tree, The Storm) but mostly the contents are very short giving a rather bitty feel.

Sibelius: Symphony No 1 in E minor - Orchestre Metropolitain de Montreal conducted by Yannick Nezet-Seguin - not a bad performance but nothing special either

[Maestro267]

Arthur Butterworth: Symphony No. 4
RSNO/Butterworth

Bantock: A Hebridean Symphony
Royal PO/Handley

[Florestan]

This is a splendid disc. Beautiful, touching music (especially fine in the double and triple echo songs) performed with impeccable diction by everybody involved. It's very rare that I can distinctly understand each and every word in a recording --- this is one of those glorious cases. Kudos to the performers (it's shameful, though, that the three splendid sopranos are not credited on the front cover) and engineers alike. Highly recommended (Mandryka, I'm looking at you!).

[Mirror Image]

Enescu
Sonata No. 3 in D major, Op. 24/3
Luiza Borac, piano

[Irons]

For me, two of his recordings in particular are classics: the best Barber cd I know (first on lp) and the most inspired performance of Goossens' First Symphony (that never made it to a cd):

Duly noted. Thanks.

[Papy Oli]

Sir Arthur Bliss - Adam Zero

From the Groves twofer.

[Mirror Image]

First listen to CD 1 of the Erato Albert Roussel Edition, that arrived today:

[asin]B07M6TL69W[/asin]
Piano music played by Jean Doyen, plus Segovia (Turibio Santos, guitar), Impromptu (Lily Laskine, harp), and Joueurs de flûte (Jonathan Snowden, flute, and Andrew Litton, piano). All this music is new to me. The Suite pour piano, op. 14 so far is proving most enjoyable. Unmistakebly French, but more assertive (for lack of a better term) and less mysterious than the French piano literature I know from around the time (1910). Neo-classical (the movement titles--e.g. Sicilienne, Bourrée--give that away), but not quite. Interesting.

Very nice, Rafael. I'll be reading your notes on this box as you progress your way through it. Maybe I'm being too critical of Roussel? Brian did make some fine points about him in the composer's thread.

[Papy Oli]

Malcolm Arnold - symphony No.1
(From the Naxos Penny cycle)

[HIPster]

This is a splendid disc. Beautiful, touching music (especially fine in the double and triple echo songs) performed with impeccable diction by everybody involved. It's very rare that I can distinctly understand each and every word in a recording --- this is one of those glorious cases. Kudos to the performers (it's shameful, though, that the three splendid sopranos are not credited on the front cover) and engineers alike. Highly recommended (Mandryka, I'm looking at you!).

Thank you Florestan, for this posting. 

Looks very interesting!  I plan on investigating.

TD:

[asin]B0021YMYHA[/asin]

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Thank you Florestan, for this posting. 

Looks very interesting!  I plan on investigating.

TD:

[asin]B0021YMYHA[/asin]

I thought the second suite would be great with oboe, but I didn't like that one as much as I thought I would.

[HIPster]

I thought the second suite would be great with oboe, but I didn't like that one as much as I thought I would.

I completely agree Ghost.

These are stylish performances, but a bit too smooth overall.  They are lacking in the necessary "sparkle" factor for me.

Still, the playing is excellent throughout, making for an enjoyable listen.

[Florestan]

Thank you Florestan, for this posting. 

Looks very interesting!  I plan on investigating.

You're welcome. Stuff for the "recently blown away" thread, trust me.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Still meandering through Ansermet's Debussy recordings.

[asin]B00DT2322E[/asin]

Remarkable how little substantial orchestral music of Debussy there is. There is La Mer, Nocturnes, Images for orchestra  Prelude to the afternoon of a faun, Jeux and Printemps. The rest Debussy mostly trifles or abandoned projects pawned off on others to orchestrate for him. Printemps is an interesting early piece. I hear influence of Wagner, particularly in use of the brass and in the second movement apotheosis. La Mer here is very fine, as well as the Nocturnes.

And Ravel's Tzigane, Ibragimova

[asin]B00570JXYC[/asin]

A thrilling performance. My other favorite is the orchestral version with Amoyal.