What are you listening to now?

[Madiel]

I don't like that statement. Those of us who like the music do not hear a problem with the orchestration. We don't think that oh, that would be great music if only he had orchestrated it well. We think it's great music. Period. Full stop. The orchestration thing is, in my opinion, used by those who don't like his music as an excuse to show him in a lesser light. But I'm not sure arguing over a topic that's been argued for nearly 200 years will lead to a different result.

I am happy to adopt your reaction.

THREAD DUTY, by total coincidence: Schumann, Cello Concerto



First listen in nearly 5 years. I can't say I have any real memory of it and I'm not confident I've got a real grip on it yet either (concertos aren't my strong point generally, especially not in the 19th century). A work to come back to I think.

[Traverso]

Bach

[Andy D.]

Years ago I had the Fitzwilliams box of the Shostakovich String Quartets and was overall unimpressed with them outside the 8th. After having had my Shosty Symphony Epiphany last month I decided to give these works another try and was delighted to find I liked the majority of them...some a whole lot.

Considering this box:

[Madiel]

Streaming Barber, The Lovers as I consider my next shopping binge...



For starters the Prelude is fabulous.

EDIT: Yes, place on the shopping list is secured.

[Traverso]

Michael Rabin

   
Bach
Sonata No.3 In C Bwv1005 For Solo Violin

Eugène Ysaÿe
Sonata In C Minor Op. 27 No.4 For Solo Violin
Sonata In D Minor Op. 27 No.3 For Solo Violin - Ballade

Henryk Wieniawsk
Etudes-Caprices Op. 18 Nr. 4 (arr, Kreisler)

Claude Debussy
La Plus Que Lente (Valse Ges-Dur)

Maurice Ravel
Piece En Forme D'Habanera
Tzigane

Jules Massenet   
Thais - Méditation

Fritz Kreisler
Caprice Viennois Op. 2

Camille Saint-Saëns
Introduktion & Rondo Capriccioso Op. 28
Alceo GallieraOrchestra – Philharmonia Orchestra   

[Madiel]

Brahms Clarinet Trio, a firm favourite of mine.

[ChopinBroccoli]

I don't like that statement. Those of us who like the music do not hear a problem with the orchestration. We don't think that oh, that would be great music if only he had orchestrated it well. We think it's great music. Period. Full stop. The orchestration thing is, in my opinion, used by those who don't like his music as an excuse to show him in a lesser light. But I'm not sure arguing over a topic that's been argued for nearly 200 years will lead to a different result.

This clearly colors your perception of what I'm saying. 

Schumann's reputation as a composer is pretty secure and stable (justifiably so) from where I'm sitting.  And I certainly didn't attack him, even if you read my post as hypersensitively as possible.

"Those of us who like the symphonies don't care/hear the problem etc" ... So what?  I do hear it. 

Do you love every work and composer shared in this thread? Surely not and you must have your reasons... Others enjoy something you do not enjoy; this fact does not invalidate your view...

my criticism of Schumann's symphonies wasn't even particularly harsh and I praised some aspects of them while also expressing clear enthusiasm for his many other endeavors as a composer... you're reacting as if I'd suggested Schumann was an awful lightweight hack

[aukhawk]

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.

I think the Horvath recording of the complete Etudes is the least satisfying one I've heard.
He uniquely manages to get all 20 on one CD, and inevitably seems rushed in several places.  Also, some repeats are omitted - of course, if your attitude to Glass is ambivalent this may seem like a good thing!  To cap it all the (pianophile label) sound quality seems a little strident to me.
There are at least 7 other recordings of the full set of 20 (plus many other part-sets) and I think most of them are preferable.

[aligreto]

Ravel: Daphnis and Chloé [Martinon]





This version has a particularly dream like quality to it [to my ear] which makes it very engaging and appealing.

[aligreto]

From the Naxos 30 CD Early Music Collection


Ensemble Unicorn makes this music sound like Celtic folk music.

I hope that you enjoyed that CD.
Being of Celtic extraction myself, perhaps that is why I enjoy Ensemble Unicorn so much.

[aligreto]

Beethoven
Symphony 1
LSO Wyn Morris

This is an excellent cycle. It was a 99 cent download on Amazon, and might still be.

That is an excellent price for that cycle. I have 7 of the 9 symphonies under Morris and I do really enjoy them.

[aligreto]

J S Bach: Six Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord.



Double LP in leatherette slipcase. A later set recorded in Paris by Suk and Ruzickova.

Very nice!

[aligreto]

I found that to be a most enjoyable series.

[aligreto]

Considering this box:

That is an excellent cycle in my opinion.

[Traverso]

Schubert

CD 3

[aligreto]

Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 [Wand]





It has been quite some time since I have listened to these early symphonies and I do not remember them being as interesting or as robust as these performances proved to be. This was a very pleasant surprise.

[Kontrapunctus]

A wonderful performance with superb sound.

[aligreto]

Martinu: String Quartet No. 5 [Janacek Quartet]





The first movement is very edgy and tension filled. The slow movement is somewhat disconcerting in its musical language and tone and it becomes very intense and raw. There is also a wide dynamic range in the music in this movement. The edginess and tension returns in the third movement. The final movement commences with a restrained Lento which soon gives way or is suddenly hijacked by the harsh, tense and edginess that has prevailed throughout. I cannot say that I find this work appealing but I certainly find it very engaging and interesting.
I find this to be an almost menacing work because it is so filled with edginess and tension.

[André]

That is an excellent price for that cycle. I have 7 of the 9 symphonies under Morris and I do really enjoy them.

It is indeed an excellent set. Morris also recorded the reconstructed first movement of a 10th symphony, also available on Pickwick.

I recently listened to the Weller set, which is pretty much from the same mould, except that Morris' Beethoven has more grit and the LSO more sinew than the CBSO.

[André]

Live from the Musikverein (1997), these seem to be different performances than Pollini's integral set, although that, too, contains some live performances. Rather confusing. Impeccably solid, lively interpretations. Much to my relief, this contains none of the banging and hard tone of recent Pollini releases.