What are you listening to now?

[Sergeant Rock]

I used to scoff at the use of harpsichord in modern music, until I heard Frank Martin's concerto pour clavecin.  Wow!

Yeah, that's a cool piece, and I need a CD version.

Although it is now Wednesday here, I'll continue with French Tuesday: Milhaud Cello Concerto #1 op.136 (with the delightfully marked "Nonchalant" first movement). Rostropovich, cello, Nagano conducting the LSO



Sarge

[Pat B]

Joining the group in France:

Borrowed from library. First listen.

[amw]

I used to scoff at the use of harpsichord in modern music, until I heard Frank Martin's concerto pour clavecin.  Wow!

[asin]B001IOMWGM[/asin]

It took advantage of the peculiar sound of a harpsichord in a new way.

Hmm, I've only heard the Petite symphonie concertante, though that was also quite good.

Actually, though I found Martin's harmonic idiom fascinatingly beautiful when I played through his piano preludes, beyond the double set of Petite symphonie/Concerto for 7 winds/Violin Concerto/Et in terra pax and some of the chamber music, I've never bothered to actually listen to very much more of his music. I think it was the name that turned me off. Frank Martin is most definitely not a composer name! It's more like an auto mechanic name or something.

NS:
[asin]B0008EI4I8[/asin]

I've listened to this piece four times and am still undecided on whether Rădulescu was a pretentious charlatan, a genius, or a pretentious charlatan with flashes of genius. Certainly this piece is one of the more arresting things you're ever likely to hear—50 minutes of pure texture (the 8 prerecorded, microtonally tuned string quartets arranged spatially around the central quartet would work much better in live performance), which is either abstractly beautiful or godawful caterwauling depending on one's preferences, but with virtually no discernible relief or contrast. And the title! The programme notes! He's practically a modernist caricature >.>

That said I suppose this should get another If you like Scelsi, you'll also like (at least the first five minutes of)...

[Wakefield]

Vivaldi - Eleven Concertos
Anner Bylsma
Tafelmusik
Jeanne Lamon

[asin]B0000029TO[/asin]

The usually so criticized Amazon reviewers are right here: It's a five-star disc, with some movement at the speed of light.

Not too much creative, but appropriately, the cover is a beautiful Canaletto.     

[TheGSMoeller]

Ride (2000) has a predecessor in Night Traffic (1990), (Bridge CD 9035, Homebrew). The latter was based on a recording of a local four-lane highway in Princeton Junction, New Jersey. Ride is based on a new recording of the same road, ...

That's where I grew up, well middle school and high school years and my mother still lives there. I'm intrigued, at first, because of this. Will have to investigate...

[TheGSMoeller]

WOAH!!

Paul Lansky: Notjustmoreidelchatter

Thanks, James!

http://www.youtube.com/v/Fh1rIBOGSPA

[mahler10th]

Ride (2000) has a predecessor in Night Traffic (1990), (Bridge CD 9035, Homebrew). The latter was based on a recording of a local four-lane highway in Princeton Junction, New Jersey. Ride is based on a new recording of the same road, but now this material is embedded in a richer and more complex texture. The work attempts to capture the sensation of being on a ride through various landscapes, towns and villages, rather than the experience of watching traffic pass by, as in Night Traffic. Ride also exists in an 8-channel version written for presentation in New York's Tully Hall during the "Great Day in New York" festival in January 2001. Its grand orchestral manner is therefore related to the space for which is was conceived, and is not unlike that of its elder sibling, which a friend of mine once described as "Tod und Verklärung on wheels". -Paul Lansky (playing time: 19 minutes 3 seconds)
[asin]B000056QDJ[/asin]

How interesting James.  You describe it as having a 'grand orchestral manner' which makes it more damned interesting because you also say it is a recording of a...road!  I might be a complete arse when it comes to music I don't understand, but I'm glad there's folk like you who...er...present people like me with such 'unusual' listening. 
I listened to a very short clip here http://www.amazon.com/Ride/dp/B005IF53M2.  In what way do you musically listen to such things, because there's surely a way of listening to stuff like that which is not at all similar to standard methods of listening to 'classical music.'  I went nuts last night after listening to something described as music which I couldn't make head nor tail of, and I regretted going nuts, because clearly if it has a following then the must be something wrong with my listening practice.  This kind of thing, 'Ride', I feel the same way about, probably because I have no idea how I should be listening to it.  I mean, I like Henk Badings electronic stuff only because I got there through his brilliant Symphony 12, but when presented with something like this, I get hopping mad about lack of melody, etc...can't say that this time, not heard nearly enough, but what I can say is because it is a reflection of a part of everyday modern life audio turned into art, I'm pretty interested!  Thanks for posting it, I'm away to find more samples of this composer Paul Lansky.   
Actually, now listening to Gregs post above, Notjustmoreidelchatter from 'Homebrew'

[mahler10th]

WOAH!!
Paul Lansky: Notjustmoreidelchatter
Thanks, James!
http://www.youtube.com/v/Fh1rIBOGSPA

Wow, whats the matter with me, I really like this!  How very strange for me to like something which is so strange.  I think it would be better heard with an appropriate speaker array, but even on my headphones it sounded damned interesting!  Maybe my listening is developing after all...

[Brahmsian]

Wow, whats the matter with me, I really like this!  How very strange for me to like something which is so strange.  I think it would be better heard with an appropriate speaker array, but even on my headphones it sounded damned interesting!  Maybe my listening is developing after all...

John!    Check the Scelsi thread.  I liked the piece that you and Kyle abhor.   

[TheGSMoeller]

Wow, whats the matter with me, I really like this!  How very strange for me to like something which is so strange.  I think it would be better heard with an appropriate speaker array, but even on my headphones it sounded damned interesting!  Maybe my listening is developing after all...

I just dove right in, and was taken by surprise by its musical originality. And good point, John, I may put my headphones on and re-listen....oh crap, I broke my Tuesdays in France theme! Damn you, James! 

[Parsifal]

I think it was the name that turned me off. Frank Martin is most definitely not a composer name! It's more like an auto mechanic name or something.

Remember, it's the French pronunciation of Martin (as in Remy Martin Cognac).

[modUltralaser]

Lully and Mozart

[Brahmsian]

Philippe Herreweghe | Mozart: The Last Symphonies

Something tells me that this has got to be outstanding.  Let us know what you think! 

[Bogey]

Some Vivaldi sounds like a wonderful idea, Gordon:

[Mirror Image]

Granville Bantock
Celtic Symphony

http://www.youtube.com/v/Wnzw_TCT85E

Pounds the table! I love that work, Ilaria. I love Bantock anyway.

[listener]

Earl Wild playing 2 discs of transcriptions including
WAGNER/MOSZKOWSKI Isolde's Tod, ROSSINI/THALBERG: Semiramide Fantaisie,  STRAUSS/SCHULZ-EVLER: Blue Danube Arabesques  GLINKA/BALAKIREV: A Life for the Tsar Fantasy, ROSSINI/HERZ: Non più mesta DONIZETTI/THALBERG: Don Pasquale Fantasy  STRAUSS/GODOWSKY: Künstlerleben  GERSHWIN/WILD 7 Virtuoso Études
from the Philips Great Pianists of the 20^th Century series

[Brahmsian]

I like it quite a bit.  The orchestra has a warm sound and seems to caress the music.  I'd say even those folks who already have more than one period instrument set of these works should seriously consider making room on their shelf for this one.

Thank you, Sanantonio.  I'd sure love to hear that 39th!    Love Herreweghe and Champs Elysees' take on Bruckner's F minor mass (and I'm usually not a period instrument fan).  Just loved it!

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Debussy's Children's Corner (orch. Andre Caplet). Such a beautiful work. Always a joy to listen to as most Debussy is for me.

[marvinbrown]

  It's time to listen to an opera........an ITALIAN opera.  It's time for Verdi, it has to be Verdi.....it MUST be Verdi:

  I Vespri Siciliani from this MEGA boxset (a real treasure trove):

  [asin]B00AFOS8A0[/asin]

  I have Levine's Vespri  but the one featured in this boxset is the Muti recording Zancanaro, Capuano, Studer, Barbacini and the La Scala Chorus and Orchestra. 

  marvin

[amw]

Remember, it's the French pronunciation of Martin (as in Remy Martin Cognac).

That's true. I suppose Frghohnk MaghTAAN is a much better composer name.

[asin]B001NRP7Z2[/asin]

Not sure it's my favourite Feldman, but it's a Feldman I haven't heard and aeon rarely disappoints. (The sound and playing, as far as I can tell, are near-perfect) May have a more favourable report once it's over, I find the "structure" of a Feldman piece is often determined much more by the various emotional states (disquiet, rapture, boredom, etc) you go through listening to it than the actual musical events themselves.