What are you listening to now?

[Mirror Image]

Kyle, this all your fault!

Now listening:



Listening to the Violin Concerto with Frank Peter Zimmermann. Excellent performance.

[kyjo]

It'll be nice to own both.

Indeed. Both performances offer contrasted and equally valid views on the music.

[Brahmsian]

Kyle, this all your fault!

Now listening:



Listening to the Violin Concerto with Frank Peter Zimmermann. Excellent performance.

An excellent work, John.  Glad to hear you enjoy this piece. 

[kyjo]

Kyle, this all your fault!

Now listening:



Listening to the Violin Concerto with Frank Peter Zimmermann. Excellent performance.

I don't believe I own that set (surprisingly)! Also, it's been a while since I've heard the VC. Many have said that it's Schumann's most underrated.....er, underappreciated (I'm trying to refrain from using the former word! ) work.

[amw]

As mentioned in the Shostakovich poll thread.

[asin]B0000023FM[/asin]

The sound quality is very good for a historical recording, but I don't know how authoritative those interpretations can be said to be, really

The Piano Quintet didn't do much for me, Shostakovich in full-on self-pity mode, only relieved by a few moments in the scherzo and finale. He is a pretty good pianist though. String Quartet No. 2 was significantly more appealing, holding my attention from the start, and confirmed my earlier impressions of comparisons to Myaskovsky and Kodály (the use of some quite folk-like melodies and lots of open fifths was probably what reminded me the most—not something very common in Shostakovich, I think). It's a bit more "neoclassical" than the other Shostakovich quartets I've heard, even including a recitative in the second movement (which was, however, the one section in particular that seemed to go on for much too long.) and a very Russian-sounding theme and variations straight out of Mighty Handful days. It's not the most unified work, but certainly a pleasant one that repays listening. I also like the waltz—I suppose now's as good a time as any to come clean, and admit before God and Dungeon Master that my favourite Shostakovich piece is still the infamous Waltz No. 2 from the Suite for Variety Orchestra. >.>

Anyway, I suppose this makes two Shostakovich quartets I like, or at least one quartet I like and one quartet I have enough fondness for to revisit occasionally.

[Mirror Image]

An excellent work, John.  Glad to hear you enjoy this piece. 

Absolutely, Ray. I love Schumann's music anyway. One of my favorite Romantic composers for sure.

[Mirror Image]

I don't believe I own that set (surprisingly)! Also, it's been a while since I've heard the VC. Many have said that it's Schumann's most underrated.....er, underappreciated (I'm trying to refrain from using the former word! ) work.

Yeah, the Violin Concerto seems to not get much attention unlike his Piano Concerto. I like his Cello Concerto a lot as well, which seems like it doesn't get enough attention either.

[Daverz]

The Piano Quintet didn't do much for me, Shostakovich in full-on self-pity mode,

Self-pity?  At one point he slept out in the stairwell in front of his flat because he didn't want his family disturbed when the NKVD came to take him away to Lubyanka.  I'll allow it.

[Daverz]

Absolutely, Ray. I love Schumann's music anyway. One of my favorite Romantic composers for sure.

Who's Ray?  I don't see a Ray here.

[mn dave]

Who's Ray?  I don't see a Ray here.

ChamberNut

[Mirror Image]

Who's Ray?  I don't see a Ray here.

Ray is ChamberNut our resident Winnipegian (correct term?).

[HIPster]

The English Concert - A Grand Concert of Musick:
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Image and link are to the new reissue of this recording.  I have the 1993 release.

A very nice compilation!

[TheGSMoeller]

Langgaard: String Quartet No. 2
Kontra Quartet

[kishnevi]

Don't get me wrong, the Emersons are very good and their recordings have been praised to the hills for their polished technicality. I just happen to prefer the Borodin's more volatile approach to the music.

The Emersons can be volatile when they want to be.  (I have to admit I like almost all the recordings of theirs that I've heard--the only exception being their Bartok SQs.)   They're my second favorite, after the Borodin II (not the EMI double CD posted in this thread, which came later, but the set on Melodiya).

Thread duty:

Joining in on Chamber Music Thursday, apparently:
Zemlinksy:  String Quartets/LaSalle Quartet (filled out by the SQ 1 of Hans Erich Apostel)
--the Brilliant Classics re-issue, and therefore the 1982 mastering.  Except for the opening movement of the Third Quartet,  I don't hear the sonic issues which Scarpia mentioned in connection with these recordings.

[Daverz]

ChamberNut

I gathered that.

I wish you guys wouldn't do this.  It's very clubby and exclusive.  Supposedly in some post months ago, perhaps even in some private communication, you learned that the poster known as "Mrs. Flibble" is in fact Cyril from Neasden.  I've even seen people here do this without a reference to an earlier post.  "Well, Wendell, I agree completely..."   

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Schumann's Cello Concerto. A fine performance by Gutman/Abbado.

[Artem]

Cesar Franck / Claude Debussy / Maurice Ravel
Violin Sonatas



Franck's sonata may be my favourite on this disc. I'm not all that excited about Depussy and Ravel's sonatas, which makes me think if their piano music is superior to everything else they wrote for different instruments.

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Seemed like a logical progression from Schumann, listening to Symphony No. 5. Table pounding performance for sure.

[Brian]

Now:



Seems like a logical progression from Schumann, listening to Symphony No. 5. Table pounding performance for sure.

What is this one? My ISP issues are making the image blank. (Time Warner seems to be blocking a random assortment of websites.)

[Mirror Image]

What is this one? My ISP issues are making the image blank. (Time Warner seems to be blocking a random assortment of websites.)

Mahler's 5th with Solti conducting the CSO.