What are you listening to now?

[Kontrapunctus]

Excellent playing and sound. CS really knew how to record a piano.

[André]

The line is sometimes thin between entrancing and annoying minimalism. We get both here, the former with the superb Orphée suite and Dreaming Awake from 2000-2003, the latter with the early (1968) How Now. Pianist Nicholas Horvath is a Glass fanatic who has played the whole pianistic oeuvre many times in various countries. Labour of love, obviously.

Vol. 4 with The Hours was uniformly excellent. I look forward to listen to Vol. 2 with the complete Etudes.

[jwinter]

First listen:  Nikolai Medtner piano works, disc 1

[Mandryka]

This is the most astonishing music and music making I've heard in a long time.

[ChopinBroccoli]

Symphonies 1 & 2 this morning.


While enjoyable, and the orchestral playing here is top-notch, I have to say I'm still fairly cool towards Schumann's symphonies.  I've tried various recordings over the years, and these works simply don't move me as do other romantic symphonies by Brahms, Dvorak, etc.  I continue to pull a recording off the shelf now and then, to see if perhaps my ears have evolved...  I think for me, Schumann's appeal lies more in the piano music.

Agree ... I have the same set and Szell and the CO get as much as you can out of Schumann's symphonies... like you said, exquisite playing ... There's some good melody and harmony writing in all 4 symphonies but I think the problem with them is down to two things, one big and one small...

The small problem is none of them exactly function as Symphonies in the classical sense;  they're almost more like orchestral suites ... but really that's more of a picky and formal complaint... Tchaikovsky, IMO, was quite successful in his 4-6 symphonies largely rebelling against form, for example

The BIG problem is orchestration... Similar (though not as bad) to the problems with Chopin's Piano Concertos... the tone colors are bone dry and completely unimaginative... Those are certainly not adjectives you'd associate with his piano music.  It's kind of astonishing that he didn't seek out more assistance.  He certainly had a who's who of talented orchestrators he could've called on for help.  For whatever reason, he apparently didn't and so what you're left with are orchestral works that would probably work better with piano four hands.  It's a shame, because there's great music in there but it just wasn't well-rendered for large ensemble

[SonicMan46]

Mozart, WA - Violin/Keyboard Sonatas w/ Rachel Podger & Gary Cooper - first two discs of 8 CDs - Cooper on a fortepiano copy (Derek Adlam, 1987) after Anton Walter (Vienna, 1795); Podger on a Pesariniums (1739) violin.  Dave

 

[SymphonicAddict]

The Khachaturian conducted by Stokowski: it must be a BLAST!!

[SymphonicAddict]

+1
Two great works. I've been lucky to hear No.5 live. I always preferred the odd numbered symphonies but having heard No.6 I realised that it is one of the most impressive. I probably, these days, listen to it more than the others. Like VW, Bax or Sibelius I think highly of all of his symphonies.

I'm really jealous, actually (bolded text) 

Not sure if I'll have that experience someday.

[JBS]

Agree ... I have the same set and Szell and the CO get as much as you can out of Schumann's symphonies... like you said, exquisite playing ... There's some good melody and harmony writing in all 4 symphonies but I think the problem with them is down to two things, one big and one small...

The small problem is none of them exactly function as Symphonies in the classical sense;  they're almost more like orchestral suites ... but really that's more of a picky and formal complaint... Tchaikovsky, IMO, was quite successful in his 4-6 symphonies largely rebelling against form, for example

The BIG problem is orchestration... Similar (though not as bad) to the problems with Chopin's Piano Concertos... the tone colors are bone dry and completely unimaginative... Those are certainly not adjectives you'd associate with his piano music.  It's kind of astonishing that he didn't seek out more assistance.  He certainly had a who's who of talented orchestrators he could've called on for help.  For whatever reason, he apparently didn't and so what you're left with are orchestral works that would probably work better with piano four hands.  It's a shame, because there's great music in there but it just wasn't well-rendered for large ensemble

Try Kubelik. I had the same general view as you until I listened to his recordings, which made the symphonies cohere in a way most other conductors don't acheive for me. Gardiner is also good.

[Christo]

I'm really jealous, actually (bolded text) 

Not sure if I'll have that experience someday.

And I've been lucky to hear Malcolm Arnold's No. 8 live (three years ago); perhaps his most unknown symphony, but one that makes a strong impression live.

[jwinter]

Try Kubelik. I had the same general view as you until I listened to his recordings, which made the symphonies cohere in a way most other conductors don't acheive for me. Gardiner is also good.

I will do that, thanks -- I actually picked up the Kubelik Schumann set used in a bargain bin ages ago, and have never listened to it...

[Karl Henning]

Papa is always good company.

Truly

[ChopinBroccoli]

Try Kubelik. I had the same general view as you until I listened to his recordings, which made the symphonies cohere in a way most other conductors don't acheive for me. Gardiner is also good.

Gardiner's I've heard ... I prefer Szell's ... I'll check out Kubelik, though ... thanks!

Kubelik's Dvorak is a favorite of mine

[André]

And I've been lucky to hear Malcolm Arnold's No. 8 live (three years ago); perhaps his most unknown symphony, but one that makes a strong impression live.

Amazing, indeed. I doubt Arnold will ever make it to these shores...

[André]

Symphonies 7and 8. Comments in the Rautavaara thread.

[bhodges]

If you want to download it, Prostudiomasters has it for a few bucks off:

https://www.prostudiomasters.com/search?cs=1&q=honeck#quickview/album/39437

Thanks very much. (Tried to reply earlier, but the board was too slow.)

--Bruce

[Kontrapunctus]

I finished this set with No.8 and 9...wow! I haven't heard the 1977 one, but I love this 1963 set.

[SimonNZ]

[Biffo]

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 4 in F minor - Pierre Monteux conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra

[Traverso]

Bach