What are you listening to now?

[Karl Henning]

Handel

Watermusic,an old one but still attractive to me.

I listened to the Water Music, too: Trevor Pinnock.

And then:

JSB
Mass in b minor
Concerto Italiano

"Papa"
Vc Concerti
Truls Mørk
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
Iona Brown

[SymphonicAddict]

Grosse Fuge from this set:



Brilliant!

[ritter]

The Cuarteto Latinoamericano plays SQs of the Halffter brothers: Cuarteto, op.14, Tres movimientos,op. 28, and Ocho tientos, op. 35 by Rodolfo, and Cuarteto para cuerda by Ernesto.

[Karl Henning]

CPE Bach
Vc Concerti
Truls Mørk
Les Violons du Roy
Bernard Labadie

[JBS]

Dvorak
Piano Trio no 3 in f minor Op 65
Franck
Piano Quintet in f minor*
L. Pinnario piano
J. Heifetz violin
G. Piatigorsky cello
I. Baker violin*
W. Primrose viola*
[asin]B07J3KHQB5[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

Prokofiev
Symphony-Concerto, Op. 125
Truls Mørk
CBSO
Paavo Järvi

[Karl Henning]

Britten
Cello Symphony, Op. 68
Truls Mørk
CBSO
Rattle

[Traverso]

I listened to the Water Music, too: Trevor Pinnock.

And then:

JSB
Mass in b minor
Concerto Italiano

"Papa"
Vc Concerti
Truls Mørk
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
Iona Brown

The recording with Pinnock is one of the finest.

[andolink]

I highly recommend this.  Superior on all counts:  level of musical invention, beauty of performance and recorded sound.

[SymphonicAddict]

Sinfonia in Memoriam: This is some striking stuff. I can't but admire the way Holmboe develops the musical content here. My kind of music without a doubt. I felt like it possesses the optimistic counterpart to the 8th Symphony regarding the ending: brighter and triumphal. It's really stirring and inspiring. Once again the timpani give some exciting participation, one of the features I most enjoy from this composer's pieces.




Kaljo Raid - Symphony No. 1: Continuing with inspiring pieces, now it's the turn for Raid. Everybody who likes Walton (think of, for example, his 1st Symphony), Sibelius, Alwyn or Tubin should listen to this precocious masterpiece from the young Raid. I knew it on this forum and remains as one of my most portentous discoveries ever. It's been a firm favorite since then. Desert-island stuff for me 

[Madiel]

Sinfonia in Memoriam: This is some striking stuff. I can't but admire the way Holmboe develops the musical content here. My kind of music without a doubt. I felt like it possesses the optimistic counterpart to the 8th Symphony regarding the ending: brighter and triumphal. It's really stirring and inspiring. Once again the timpani give some exciting participation, one of the features I most enjoy from this composer's pieces.

This is next on my current Holmboe tour so I might hear it again as early as this afternoon.

[SymphonicAddict]

This is next on my current Holmboe tour so I might hear it again as early as this afternoon.

I support that 

[Daverz]

The Cuarteto Latinoamericano plays SQs of the Halffter brothers: Cuarteto, op.14, Tres movimientos,op. 28, and Ocho tientos, op. 35 by Rodolfo, and Cuarteto para cuerda by Ernesto.

Looking for this on Qobuz I came across this CPO CD from 1998, which seems to have been long OOP. 



This recording of the Sinfonietta is wonderful and may surpass the beloved Ensayo disc.

Presto has a lossless download:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8605103--halffter-2-bocetos-sinfonicos-rapsodia-portuguesa-sinfonietta-in-d-major

[kyjo]

Damase: Rhapsodie for horn and orchestra

[asin]B001TEKIAI[/asin]

This very well-programmed disc contains half an hour's worth of Damase's music - this Rhapsodie plus his horn concerto (which I have yet to listen to). Well, all the Damase trademarks we (meaning a small group of fans ) know and love are present here - perhaps the work is a bit episodic, but it's churlish to complain with music as lovely as this!


Glière: The Sirens

[asin]B000001405[/asin]

This is truly intoxicating, sensual, and mysterious music that is every bit as effective as Debussy's more famous evocation of the sirens (from Nocturnes). It's regrettable that Chandos didn't include this work in their series of Glière's orchestral music, because the present recording (the only one available) doesn't quite do justice to the sheer opulence of this score.


Suk: Ripening

[asin]B003WL7EAI[/asin]

The final "chapter" of the symphonic trilogy that is begun by Asrael and continued by A Summer's Tale. It's an involving score which brings the listener face-to-face with Suk's inner thoughts and struggles. There's passages of great opulence and beauty as well as sections of drama and angst (where one can hear echoes of Mahler). It's given a truly superb performance and recording here.


Ives: Violin Sonata no. 3

[asin]B000003GII[/asin]

As I've mentioned previously on this forum, Ives is generally a composer who I haven't "connected" with too well. Well, I may have to change my opinion at least partially, because this is a work of heartfelt lyrical beauty that (thankfully for me) doesn't have all the jarring gear-changes and sonic collages of many of his other works. If his other violin sonatas are anything like this, I'll certainly be listening to them soon! I know John (MI) would pound the table in approval of this recording.

Nielsen: Symphony no. 1

[asin]B00LWLZV96[/asin]

It's difficult to not be in awe of the sheer imagination at work by the young composer in this piece (and, indeed, in nearly all of Nielsen's output). In between those opening and closing C major chords (despite the symphony being in G minor!), Nielsen continually surprises and delights the listener in a wholly cohesive and organic way. The performance and recording are simply beyond reproach - this is some deeply characterful playing from the NY Phil, especially the brass section.

[vandermolen]

Sinfonia in Memoriam: This is some striking stuff. I can't but admire the way Holmboe develops the musical content here. My kind of music without a doubt. I felt like it possesses the optimistic counterpart to the 8th Symphony regarding the ending: brighter and triumphal. It's really stirring and inspiring. Once again the timpani give some exciting participation, one of the features I most enjoy from this composer's pieces.




Kaljo Raid - Symphony No. 1: Continuing with inspiring pieces, now it's the turn for Raid. Everybody who likes Walton (think of, for example, his 1st Symphony), Sibelius, Alwyn or Tubin should listen to this precocious masterpiece from the young Raid. I knew it on this forum and remains as one of my most portentous discoveries ever. It's been a firm favorite since then. Desert-island stuff for me 

Two fine CDs. The Raid Symphony No.1 was a marvellous discovery for me as well - a most inspiriting Tubin-like score and that was my first Holmboe CD I think. That CD of Shostakovich cantatas that you posted earlier also looks of great interest Cesar. That 'Estonian twofer' from Chandos was most enjoyable in all respects and ranks with the Hadley/Sainton twofer as my favourite. Do you know that one?

[vandermolen]

Damase: Rhapsodie for horn and orchestra

[asin]B001TEKIAI[/asin]

This very well-programmed disc contains half an hour's worth of Damase's music - this Rhapsodie plus his horn concerto (which I have yet to listen to). Well, all the Damase trademarks we (meaning a small group of fans ) know and love are present here - perhaps the work is a bit episodic, but it's churlish to complain with music as lovely as this!


Glière: The Sirens

[asin]B000001405[/asin]

This is truly intoxicating, sensual, and mysterious music that is every bit as effective as Debussy's more famous evocation of the sirens (from Nocturnes). It's regrettable that Chandos didn't include this work in their series of Glière's orchestral music, because the present recording (the only one available) doesn't quite do justice to the sheer opulence of this score.


Suk: Ripening

[asin]B003WL7EAI[/asin]

The final "chapter" of the symphonic trilogy that is begun by Asrael and continued by A Summer's Tale. It's an involving score which brings the listener face-to-face with Suk's inner thoughts and struggles. There's passages of great opulence and beauty as well as sections of drama and angst (where one can hear echoes of Mahler). It's given a truly superb performance and recording here.


Ives: Violin Sonata no. 3

[asin]B000003GII[/asin]

As I've mentioned previously on this forum, Ives is generally a composer who I haven't "connected" with too well. Well, I may have to change my opinion at least partially, because this is a work of heartfelt lyrical beauty that (thankfully for me) doesn't have all the jarring gear-changes and sonic collages of many of his other works. If his other violin sonatas are anything like this, I'll certainly be listening to them soon! I know John (MI) would pound the table in approval of this recording.

Nielsen: Symphony no. 1

[asin]B00LWLZV96[/asin]

It's difficult to not be in awe of the sheer imagination at work by the young composer in this piece (and, indeed, in nearly all of Nielsen's output). In between those opening and closing C major chords (despite the symphony being in G minor!), Nielsen continually surprises and delights the listener in a wholly cohesive and organic way. The performance and recording are simply beyond reproach - this is some deeply characterful playing from the NY Phil, especially the brass section.

Interesting selection Kylo. A thumbs up for 'The Sirens' from me too. Do you know 'Silence' by Miaskovsky which you might enjoy as well? Gliere taught Miaskovsky.

[ritter]

Looking for this on Qobuz I came across this CPO CD from 1998, which seems to have been long OOP. 



This recording of the Sinfonietta is wonderful and may surpass the beloved Ensayo disc.

Presto has a lossless download:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8605103--halffter-2-bocetos-sinfonicos-rapsodia-portuguesa-sinfonietta-in-d-major

Yes, that CD seems to be OOP. Not even jpc (a retailer connected to the CPO lebel) lists it. 

I very much like the Sinfonietta. The recording that made the strongest impression on me (and which I listed as one of my "purchases of the year" for 2017) is Victor Pablo Pérez's from Tenerife:

More Ernesto Halffter:

[asin]B000ETQSB2[/asin]
Got this CD recently for the late choral works, which are quite fantastic. Very noble, very serene and even stark at moments; Stravisnky's Symphony of Psalms--with its use of woodwinds--is never too far away from this music, but neither is the "castillian" Manuel de Falla (as opposed to the "Andalusian"), or the whole sound-world of that underrated magnum opus Atlántida. Only in the short Psalm CXVI do we get a more "typical" Spanish sound, but as is often the case with composers who rely on strong popular musical traditions, in Halffter's Spätstil these influences are sublimated (for lack of a better word), become less "in your face" and picturesque, and are ultimately much more effective. The Elegy in Memory of H.S.H. the Prince Pierre de Polignac is propbaly the strongest of the three pieces.

Almsot every time you want to get to know a new work by Ernesto Halffter in CD, you end up getting yet one more version of the early Sinfonietta, so I'm running the risk of getting tired of this (admittedly very nice) piece. But...this is the recording to have, in my opinion. Firstly, the textures of the compsoition are clarified, and the intricate contrapuctual writing is made transparent, thus sounding totally logical (on some other recordings, the feeling that some parts simply "don't hang together" inevitably arises). Also, conductor Víctor Pablo Pérez's phrasing is immaculate, and the work's oscillation (particularly in the first movement) between exuberant joy and tender melancholy (very much in the mold of Pulcinella) is very well managed. Quite an achievement, this Sinfonietta (even more so when one realizes the composer was only 25 years of age when he penned it).

Highty, highly recommended. 

Here's the first movement ("Pastorella") from the recording (the other three are available independently on YouTube):

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

[Madiel]

I decided I wasn't in the mood for serious orchestral music right now, so Holmboe will have to wait.

Going the piano route instead.

Scriabin, 6 Preludes op.13 (Lettberg)
Sibelius, 5 Bagatelles op.97 (Mertanen)

And then...

Sibelius, Swanwhite complete incidental music (Segerstam, Turku Philharmonic)

It's interesting that the commission for doing Swanwhite flowed out of having done Pelleas and Melisande a few years earlier.

[Que]

Morning listening:

[asin]B00000145Q[/asin]

Although I have a sizeable Charpentier collection, it included only one volume from Niquet's Naxos recordings.
Thanks to a sale at jpc, this is now fixed. 

Q

[Que]

After that extremely satisfactory Charpentier recording, back to a recent Spanish Baroque purchase:

[asin]B00O29YAJ2[/asin]
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2015/Sep/Valls_mass_LAU014.htm

http://en.laudamusica.com/discografia-info.php?ref=LAU014

Q