What are you listening to now?

[SymphonicAddict]

+1 for Ippolitov-Ivanov from me.

The Ippolitov-Ivanov is quite nice indeed. Don't you know the Suk, Jeffrey? For me it's like the opposite pole of Asrael: bright and uplifting.

[SymphonicAddict]

A nice selection of some Chausson's chamber works. The Pièce for cello and piano is a gem, much more eloquent than its title could suggest.

[vandermolen]

The Ippolitov-Ivanov is quite nice indeed. Don't you know the Suk, Jeffrey? For me it's like the opposite pole of Asrael: bright and uplifting.

Don't know it well Cesar. 'Asrael' remains my favourite work by Suk although all the music I have heard from him is of high quality.

[Irons]

Prokofiev
Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 119
Sonia Wieder-Atherton (vc) & Laurent Cabasso (pf)
 

The Valois issue has spiked my interest. Was it produced by Michel Bernstein?

[North Star]

The Valois issue has spiked my interest. Was it produced by Michel Bernstein?

I have no idea, I can probably check over the weekend. The recording engineer was Nicolas Bartholomée, according to rateyourmusic.

[Traverso]

Beethoven

Piano Sonatas 17-16 & 21

[ritter]

J.S. Bach violin concertos in historical performances...

BWV 1043 in D minor for 2 violins: Yehudi Menuhin and Georges Enesco (violins), and Pierre Monteux (cond.)
BWV 1041 in A minor and BWV 1042 in E major: Menuhin (vln) and Enesco (cond.)

All with the Orchestre Symphonique de Paris, recorded between 1932 and 1936.

From this set:

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EDIT:

Following Bach with another great "B"  :

Daniel Barenboim conducts the Orchestre de Paris in Pierre Boulez's Rituel in memoriam Bruno Maderna, Messagesquisse and Notations I-IV.

[asin]B000005EDT[/asin]

[The new erato]

I am confused. Are the great B Barenboim, Boulez or both? 

[amw]

One of the few modern instrument recordings I like—not so much for the singers I guess. No idea why I have such a thing for Jochum and the way he articulates phrasing. I didn't like either his London or Amsterdam Beethoven symphonies, but this is good.

[Madiel]

Little snippets of early Beethoven. Which aren't half bad. Well, with one exception that might not be Beethoven's fault.

A minuet for string quartet, Hess 33.
Allegretto for piano trio, Hess 48.
Bits of a violin sonata, Hess 46, not for certain it's by Beethoven, and the only recording I can find is not inspiring.
Flute sonata, KH Anh 4, also not for certain it's by Beethoven but considerably more appealing.
Duo for 2 flutes, WoO 26
Rondo for violin and piano, WoO 41

[ritter]

I am confused. Are the great B Barenboim, Boulez or both? 

I think you know the answer to that question...

THREAD DUTY:

CD 1 (music spanning the decade 1907-1917) of:
[asin]B00YASQWY6[/asin]
I knew a selection of Jean Roger-Ducasse's piano music from a (single) CD played by Dominique Merlet (on the Mandala label), but hadn't listened to it for quite a while. This traversal by Martin Jones is complete, and so far it is proving very enjoyable! 

[Harry]

Johann Sebastian Bach, The Complete Organ Works.
CD 14&15.
Third part of the Clavier-Ubung, Canonic Variations, Leipzig chorales, part 1&2.

Andre Isoir plays on a Georg Westenfelder, Fere en Tardenois, and a Joseph Gabler organ, Weingarten.

I have come to an end of this box for now. It is an extremely pleasurable journey through Bach's organ music. Isoir is amongst the best interpreters of this music, and it simply shines in all departments. Of course there is always something to nag, recording wise, but as far the interpretation goes, it's simply magnificent.

[Karl Henning]

I should know. I must have watched it about 10 times  . That will be my first screening with the original music score. The Giorgio Moroder horror should be consigned to oblivion. Terrible...

What a flash in an odd pan was Giorgio Moroder

[Karl Henning]

Thread Duty:

"Papa"
Symphonies 93 in D, 94 in G, 95 in c minor, 96 in D, 97 in C & 98 in B-flat.
Clevelanders
Szell

[Harry]

Edvard Grieg, Complete Orchestral Works. CD 3.

Symphony in C.
Old Norwegian Romance with Variations, opus 51.
Three Orchestral Pieces from, Sigurd Jorsalfar, opus 56.

Malmo SO, Bjarte Engeset.

Engeset is a natural if it comes to Grieg. What comes out of his hands feels, exactly right. For instance the Symphony in C, I hardly heard this better done as with Engeset. Tempi phrasing, articulation, accents, it is all perfectly in balance.The Norwegian Dances are gorgeously done, never heard that better either, and I have quite a few complete sets to compare them with. The Orchestral pieces, bloom and sparkly in a most appropriate manner, and the result is total exhilaration in the positive.  This orchestra feels more at ease with Grieg as the Royal Scottish National SO on the first two discs. Not that it was bad, but it flows more easily with the Malmo SO.
The sound is top notch.

[aligreto]

Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro, Act 1 [Jacobs]

[aligreto]

I don't know that recording, but I do think that is some of Szymanowski's best.

I am not overly familiar with these works but I did enjoy them.

[aligreto]

Andriessen's instrument was the organ. He was organist at the Utrecht cathedral, where his improvisations drew crowds. He also taught composition and was director of the Utrecht and Hague conservatories. A Franck admirer, he wrote a book on the belgian composer. Here we have the four big chorales (1913-1921) interspersed with other compositions. The generous program is intelligently laid out, alternating the impressive, turbulent chorales with shorter, mostly meditative pieces.

The Leeds Cathedral organ was restored in 2010 by Klais. It is a very fine instrument. The building being on the small side for a cathedral, the reverb time is rather short, which allows great clarity. This is a most rewarding disc of Andriessen's organ oeuvre. I was more than once reminded of his slightly older contemporary, the swede Otto Olsson, who held similar positions in Stockholm and whose music is also hugely impressive.

A warm recommendation for organ lovers.

OK, I may bite on that one.

[aligreto]

Haydn: String Quartet Op. 17 No. 6 [Kodaly Quartet]





This is a thoroughly charming and elegant work which is given a poised and appealing performance here.

[Karl Henning]

OK, I may bite on that one.

I approve.