What are you listening to now?

[Todd]

Muscular, steely Liszt.  It's not that Korstick bangs away; it's more that he uses his awesome technique to manhandle the piano à la Alexis Weissenberg, dispatching with subtlety and tonal beauty in all but the quietest passages in the process.  There's plenty of excitement, but no poetry.

[TheGSMoeller]

Each and every time I listen to Brahms' 2nd symphony, I admire the piece more and more. This time is no exception: Jaap van Zweden conducting the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (NL). A mighty fine performance.

From this Brilliant Classics boxset:

That's the most recent Brahms Syms. set I've purchased, Marc, and I've grown quite attached to it. Very good performances.

[TheGSMoeller]

Somewhat mixed feelings. I think 8 and 9 are superb. I have trouble with the middle ones though. I really did not like 7 the couple tomes I heard it.

I am looking forward to hearing Nyman's symphonies. I have heard two. Last I saw he was up to 11  (!!) . No recordings yet that I know of. 

TD Bruckner 3, Stan Skrow

I've struggled with Glass' 6th and 7th myself.

But I need to hear those Nyman symphonies. Is there no way of hearing them online?

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

If Fridays are Wagner days, Saturdays should be Brahms's day.  For many years, faithfully, Saturday AM I would play his first or second PC - so much that now my grown-up daughter says she can hear them on Saturday mornings on wakening, though she lives 800 miles away.   

[Que]

Giving this set a first try:

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Symphnoy nr. 5, Heinz Rögner/ Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin.

Following André's lead on this was clever idea (but I already knew that ).Just the way I like it: naturally flowing (swift) performances of great clarity and precision.   Perfect. 

Q

[Moonfish]

If Fridays are Wagner days, Saturdays should be Brahms's day.  For many years, faithfully, Saturday AM I would play his first or second PC - so much that now my grown-up daughter says she can hear them on Saturday mornings on wakening, though she lives 800 miles away.

It must be your supersonic speakers.....

[Moonfish]

TD:

Prokofiev: Symphony No 1 "Classical"
Prokofiev: The Love for Three Oranges
Richard Strauss: Don Juan
Richard Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Rodzinski

Cannot say that I am much of a Prokofiev fan at this point in time. Guess I should revisit Romeo and Juliet.





Haydn: Sonata No 62              Kraus
Schubert: Violin Sonatas Nos 1-2          Boskovsky/Kraus

An excellent recording. I very much enjoyed the Haydn Sonata, but the Boskovsky/Kraus combination in the violin sonatas was quite impressive.

from (cd22)
[asin] B00LLHG94W[/asin]

[Moonfish]

Bruckner: Symphony No 9           Berliner Philharmoniker/Karajan

Impressive sound and power! I still have to do some more Bruckner 9 listening to get a feel for how Karajan fits into the tier of 9s. However, the 9th is a very persuasive symphony in its musical power in Karajan's hands and with the support of the BP. I must say that this year's Bruckner 6 comparison definitely has made Bruckner a composer I enjoy very, very much.
Many thanks to Greg for opening the Bruckner portal!! 

[kishnevi]

Bruckner: Symphony No 9           Berliner Philharmoniker/Karajan

Impressive sound and power! I still have to do some more Bruckner 9 listening to get a feel for how Karajan fits into the tier of 9s. However, the 9th is a very persuasive symphony in its musical power in Karajan's hands and with the support of the BP. I must say that this year's Bruckner 6 comparison definitely has made Bruckner a composer I enjoy very, very much.
Many thanks to Greg for opening the Bruckner portal!! 

I would put Herbie's Bruckner cycle as the best overall set, partly because he makes the first three worth listening to, something other cycles do not always do.

TD
Not so coincidentally
Bruckner Symphony 6
Conductor and Orchestra ...Only Greg Knows Who because it is F3 of the BC

[Todd]

Disc 16, devoted to four Haydn sonatas.  Elegant and charming, but a bit too restrained.

[Lisztianwagner]

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.9

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[listener]

starting the Richard STRAUSS concerto box.   The LP's show that they were recorded with Quadrophonic sound.  Might there be a SACD re-release in preparation?
today`  The 2 Horn Concertos
Peter Damm, horn     Dresden Staatskapelle     Rudolf Kempe, cond.
then  WEBER, GIULIANI, KUEFFNER and DIABELLI
works for piano-forte and guitar
Maria Cogen and Peter Pieters
VILLA-LOBOS:  Forest of the Amazon
Symphony of the Air & Chorus, Bidu Sayao, sop., Villa-Lobos, cond.

[Marc]

That's the most recent Brahms Syms. set I've purchased, Marc, and I've grown quite attached to it. Very good performances.

I know it's risky to say this, being from NL myself, but the Dutch Brahms symphonic tradition isn't all that bad. I rate Van Beinum (almost forgotten, alas) and Haitink rather high, too.

[bhodges]

Kenneth Fuchs: Falling Man; Movie House; Songs of Innocence and Experience (Roderick Williams, baritone / London Symphony Orchestra / JoAnn Falletta) - Mostly tonal, very expressive song cycles, with a terrific voice in Roderick Williams - not to mention the playing from the LSO. Falling Man uses texts from Don DeLillo's 2007 novel of the same name, about the aftermath of 9/11. Movie House sets poems by John Updike, and the final cycle comes from the familiar William Blake poems.

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--Bruce

[Brian]

That's the most recent Brahms Syms. set I've purchased, Marc, and I've grown quite attached to it. Very good performances.

I have yet to see Jaap live here in Dallas after three concerts, but a violinist told me that he is of the "demanding perfectionist" school. After a few minutes of recollection about how hard he is to please, she had to remember to clarify that he is a nice dude, too, unless he's mad at you.

I think the association with Challenge Classics has caused him to fly under a lot of radars, but I have his Beethoven and Brahms cycles and recently encountered another really enjoyable recording of his...

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Now:



Listening to the Violin Concerto. Outstanding performance from Tetzlaff. I'm really coming around to this concerto the older I get.

Some resistance at first, eh?  It was love at first hearing for me and now my affection for it is stratospheric.  Glad you are on the 'right path.'  Am wish listing the Tetzlaff; I can never have too many Sibelius VC recordings.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

It must be your supersonic speakers.....

Indeed, they are both great played loud, esp. numero duo, but refrain from such exuberance nowadays as bad for the ears.

[North Star]

Some resistance at first, eh?  It was love at first hearing for me and now my affection for it is stratospheric.  Glad you are on the 'right path.'  Am wish listing the Tetzlaff; I can never have too many Sibelius VC recordings.

I've always loved the piece, and Tetzlaff's recording is a great one.

[Todd]

I've heard better.  I've heard worse.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

The chatter about Brahms's symphonies today set me to craving the Alto Rhapsody, haven't heard in a while and now must (love Ferrier in this):