What are you listening to now?

[Karl Henning]

Sibelius
Symphony # 4 in a minor, Op. 63
The Swan of Tuonela, Op. 22 # 3
Symphony # 5 in E-flat, Op. 82
Berliner Philharmoniker
HvK

[ChopinBroccoli]

Just ended. Now:



Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18. Van Cliburn, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I know this is a very famous recording; is it just me, or is Van's piano too low in the mix? He tends to get drowned out quite a bit.

Love that record... I suppose the piano could be boosted a touch on the Rachmaninoff... it sounds fearsome and powerful on the Tchaikovsky, though

[SymphonicAddict]

This work possesses a sense of contemplative beauty that is both poetic and thought-provoking. I was reminded of Brahms in the 4th movement, especifically of his Clarinet Quintet. That feeling of longing is rather moving. Don't expect fireworks, this is music with a high dose of profoundity. In spite of its length (more than an hour), it doesn't make a tiring listen.




Symphony No. 1: Much more different than the previous work. Sunny, well-crafted, devoid of sadness. The highlight of the work is, IMO, the 2nd movement. It's a gem.

[Madiel]

Nielsen, Hymnus Amoris.

There seem to be only a few recordings of this work. This one, conducted by Mogens Wöldike, was recommended in some places and has been reissued in various forms.

The particular form that I was streaming has a God-awful cover though.

[springrite]

Disc two contains the piano sonata from 1923, and much earlier works in the three Fantasiestücke for violin, viola and piano, and two lieder cycles for alto (1898-1903). The sonata is a major work, very impressive in its architectural design and direct language. The slow movement is particularly moving. The indications for this movement are Always slow; pensively, sunk in thought, remote from the world. Quite a good description of the effect the music had on my own appreciation.

Schnabel's friend, the pianist-composer Eduard Erdmann, gave the world premiere in 1925. The harmonic language is at times dissonant, quite free tonally, but its emotional character made me think of Brahms. Fascinating.

The Fantasiestücke and lieder are nice complements, quite rooted in late 19th century tradition (entirely melodic and tonal).

Of course there is also the very long (and very atonal) Violin Sonata from Arte Nova, as well as a personal favorite: The Symphony #2.

[Ken B]

very atonal

I am just going to bask in that for a while ...

TD Bach French Suites 4-6 Angela Hewitt

[Madiel]

The Lesser Known Nielsen, Volume 1



I've sampled this series of albums before, but I thought I would put it on and just listen through.

The problem is, Peder Severin is a rather hectoring, strident tenor (EDIT: Wikipedia describes him as an "operatic tenor" and that's the whole problem in these vocal/piano numbers). Nielsen as a composer does tend to go for the energetic, but there's a lack of light and shade in these performances thus far (at the time of typing I'm up to track 8 ) and my ear is rapidly tiring.

I'd be inclined to look for other performances, though for quite a few of these songs previous indications are there aren't likely to be any.

The other problem is that some of the songs are simply mislabelled, at least on every streaming version. I've not been able to find an image of the back cover to think whether the original CD manufacturers believed there are 6 songs in Nielsen's op.6, but there aren't. There are 5, and the next track that is erroneously labelled as part of op.6 is from decades later.

[André]

Of course there is also the very long (and very atonal) Violin Sonata from Arte Nova, as well as a personal favorite: The Symphony #2.

I didn't know there was a symphony by Schnabel  !


...let alone 3 of them !

[Kontrapunctus]

[Irons]

Thread duty:
Piano Quintet - a very moving performance of a very moving work:

I have not checked timings but Shostakovich appears to play his Quintet speedier then other versions.

[Irons]

Schubert: 5th Symphony.



A symphony I love. Struck by a Haydnesque final movement for the first time.

[Irons]

No.15--an excellent performance and recording. (24/96 FLAC)

Most impressed with the Belcea recordings of the Britten quartets.

[Tsaraslondon]

I heard Zehetmair play one of these (can't now remember which one) as an encore at a concert in Grenoble, and it had quite an effect. I suppose one might consider his playing overly Romantic, but the playing is wonderful and I really enjoy this set.

[Traverso]

Bach

[aukhawk]

Nielsen, Hymnus Amoris.

... The particular form that I was streaming has a God-awful cover though.

Fill yer boots Matrix cover images Googled
and talking of which ...

[DaveF]

Nielsen, Hymnus Amoris.

There seem to be only a few recordings of this work. This one, conducted by Mogens Wöldike, was recommended in some places and has been reissued in various forms.

The particular form that I was streaming has a God-awful cover though.

All the Matrix covers were like that - either awful or rather sweet, depending on how you're feeling at the time.  All those in my collection (so possibly the whole series) were commissioned from a silk screen printer called Peter Nevin, and in the liner notes to one pulled off the shelf at random (Berwald) he explains that he's given the Queen of Golconda a blue face because he feels she is a sad person (subtle symbolism there, Pete).  I'd be interested to know, if you have the notes to the Hymnus Amoris disc, what his explanation of the pipe-smoking clown might be.

[Tsaraslondon]

The music featured on this disc does exactly what it says on the tin. The mood is gentle, reflective, some of the pieces having religious titles, such as William Pursell's Christ Looking Over Jerusalem or Paul Earls's And On The Seventh Day. None of the music is particularly demanding and, though all the composers are American, I'd suggest it its heavily influenced by the English Pastoral tradition.

Pleasant enough as background music, but I don't find any of the pieces particularly memorable.

[vers la flamme]

Johannes Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem, op.45. Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Singverein. Been rather enjoying this recording, despite feeling that the chorus can be a little mushy at times. The third movement fugue was poorly executed, for instance. Despite this, it's a pretty nice recording.

[Maestro267]

Bax: Symphony No. 7
London PO/Leppard

[Traverso]

Rameau

Pièces de clavecin en concerto

Frans Brüggen Traverso
Sigiswald & Wieland kuijken
Gustav Leonhardt