What are you listening to now?

[andolink]

[Andy D.]

I remain cuckoo over that cycle, especially of my favorite op. 20. I've owned the whole thing for over a decade now, endlessly rewarding.

[Todd]

[Madiel]

Saturday breakfast music is Vivaldi, Sacred Music Volume 2 on Hyperion.

(Having to use phone so no pictures).

In Furore Iustissimae Irae is certainly invigorating!

[SymphonicAddict]

Holbrooke - The Birds of Rhiannon: It does fulfill the desire of atmosphere and mystery the title implies, but fails to be memorable, and has something of discursiveness. If there were truly striking melodic ideas it would be much more succesful. In any case, the goal of that music is very well accomplished.




Sabaneev, or Sabaneyev, or Sabane'ev - Works for Piano Trio: A rather small piano trio called Trio-Impromptu in a poeticly post-romantic vein and another (Sonata for piano trio) carrying the need of expressing strong emotions. Again, they are worth listening, but fail to be considered masterpieces or pieces near it, which doesn't mean a complaint, just that, somehow, I was expecting more inventiveness and appeal.

[Zeus]

Sulla Lira - The Voice of Orpheus
Le Miroir de Musique
Ricercar

[JBS]

What say you? Are you as disappointed as most everyone else seems to be?

[And good to see you.]

[Todd]

What say you? Are you as disappointed as most everyone else seems to be?

I'm not disappointed.  OK, the sound is sub-par, but if memory serves, the LvB were vanity recordings that used to be (and may still be) available through Pogorelich's website.  Op 54 is so-so, but Op 78 has some good things in there.  Pogorelich morphs the piece into something more akin to late LvB, and the opening movement has some unique insight.  The Rach I can see people hating, because Pogerelich extends it to something it should not be.  While he doesn't appear to be what he was back in the 90s, he is able to make much of his conception work, and the slow movement is striking, with some lovely playing unlike anything else I've heard.  I typically come to Pogorelich recordings expecting something well outside a standard conception, and so this disc seems fine to me.  Hopefully, Sony secures him a better production team for future recordings.  Maybe he could record some more Liszt or Brahms. 

[SymphonicAddict]

Borenstein - Violin Concerto: This is really catchy at the instant. Utterly mesmerizing, inventive in its modernity. Recommended.




Feinberg - Piano Sonata No. 3: OMG! This is some important stuff. The virtuosic skills of this composer to create this are insane. It represents the best of the Russian school like Scriabin, Medtner, Rachmaninov, Roslavets tendencies. Also, very recommended, above all for lovers of tension, the contrapuntal and angry works.

[Kontrapunctus]

Sort of a Schnittke/Shostakovich vibe. Excellent playing and sound.

[SymphonicAddict]

An odd cover, but the music is lovely, the playing is great, and the sound is spectacular. Alpha nearly always provides exemplary sound.

I love their cover arts. Fresh, imaginative, artistic, irreverent, tending to be tenderly naïve and almost minimalistic at moments.

[SymphonicAddict]

Steve Reich

Drumming
Part1
Part2
Part3

Now, this is something I've never heard yet. What are your thoughts about it?

[Que]

This came in the mail yesterday, so I decided on an immediate spin:

[asin]B000GW8AT0[/asin]
Glad to have found some "new" English lute music. 

Q

[Traverso]

Bach

[Harry]

Flyleaves, Medieval Music in the English Tradition.

Performed by:
Liber unUsualis.

Never heard of this ensemble before, but as far as English tradition goes, this is a good example. Not necessarily one I would call a favourite, but given the context a fine disc nevertheless. A bit cool and distant in expression, clear textual input though, and a good choir balance. I do not think that this kind of interpretation is something to warm to, but in the end the total picture counts. I am undecided whether I am going to like this.
The voices are forwardly recorded, and that certainly does not help.

[Que]

Next up: Hans Leo Hassler, the guy between Lassus and Schütz

[asin]B004A8VTB2[/asin]
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Mar11/Hassler_KTC1409.htm

Q

[Andy D.]

I'm still a relative newb when it comes to Prokofiev. But I listened to Symphonies 2 and 7 last night (Ozawa) and was very inspired, especially by the 2nd.

I've always been a fan of the film music of Dmitri Tiomkin (The Alamo, Fall of the Roman Empire), and wondered if there was a Russian composer who paralleled his use of large orchestras with densely contrapuntal writing (perhaps as a main influence).

I found him.

[Harry]

Early modern English Music.  (1500-1550)

Performed by:

Tasto Solo.

Guillermo Perez, Organetto & Artistic direction.
David Catalunya, Hammered Clavisimbalum.
Angelique Mauillon, Renaissance Harp.

Music by:

Cooper: Farewell my joy; I have been a foster & Variations
Henry VIII: The time of youth; Consort XVI
Aston: Maske; Hornepype
Preston: Uppon La Mi Re
Anonymous: Where be ye, my lovev; Consort IX, X, XXI; La bell fyne; Kyng Henry the VIII Pavyn & Gaillard; The short mesure; Prelude; I love unloved; Goodnight ground; Ane Groundel; My lady careys dompe

A really delightful CD, ful with creative and expressive music, performed on authentic instruments. The sound is excellent too!

[Harry]

This came in the mail yesterday, so I decided on an immediate spin:

[asin]B000GW8AT0[/asin]
Glad to have found some "new" English lute music. 

Q

Ohhhh, thats good news, tell me is it good, can I put it on my order list?

[SimonNZ]

Rifkin's Bach B minor Mass

quite a bit better than I remember it being