What are you listening to now?

[Que]

I seem to remember that there is a Manchicourt disc in the "Secret Labyrinth" box by Huelgas/Nevel.

Absolutely. And an excellent one.

 

Q

[Que]

A return to this:

[asin]B000025T2G[/asin]
One of the best discs by Erik van Nevel, nephew of conductor Paul van Nevel, that I've heard.
And really excellent music by Giaches (Jacques) de Wert,.

A

[Tsaraslondon]

There is something quintessentially English about Finzi's music, and this disc is an excellent introduction to his choral and vocal work, in superb performances under the late Richard Hickox.

At its heart is what, in my opinion, is the best recorded performance of Finzi's mini Christmas masterpiece In terra pax, a wonderfully evocative distillation of Robert Bridges' poem Noel and the Christmas story in St Luke's Gospel. It conjures up like no other piece I know the magic of my childhood Christmases. In a world where Christmas has become little more than a commercial festival, when we are bombarded from morning till night with ever more aggressive ad campaigns enjoining us to part with money we don't have, it is a timely reminder of what Christmas once was before the marketing gurus got hold of it. John Shirley Quirk and Norma Burrowes are the excellent soloists.

[Que]

New in:

[asin]B00H45GT0Y[/asin]
Wonderful!   Anyway, don't bother with Zelenka recordings of yesteryear, the Czechs are taking over...

Q

[Florestan]

I love the way Podger & Cooper attack this music and break it out of that old 'rococo' mold it was cast in for so long. A lot of Mozart lovers over the last 2 centuries managed to do him more harm than good by making his music 'pretty'. This suits me very well indeed! 

Hi Gurn - I own that box and enjoy the performances - have 4 different recordings of these works (but of course all of the others are fewer discs) - guess that my other favorite (w/ 4 CDs) are the ones shown below - Dave

 

Hey, Dave,
Yes, Breitman & Rivest are the reigning champs, but they may be in for it for my money! I have Kuijken/Devos and in fact several others, all with their unique approach to the music, but the drive of Podger/Cooper is really a strong point for me.

I bought the ultra complete cycle by Podger and Cooper as single disks and from the first one have been my absolute favourites. The interplay between Rachel and Gary is simply unsurpassable. 

Guys, do yourself a favor and have a spin of Mutter / Orkiss and Schneiderhan / Seeman sets. They´re not just "out of the rococo" mould, they´re full Sturm-und-Drang and Romantic to the boot. And the beauty of tone of both violinists is amazing.

[Madiel]

Thread duty
Rakhmaninov
Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39
Ashkenazy
[asin]B00KZ73VDG[/asin]

Basically one of my favourite recordings of anything, ever.

[aligreto]

Onslow: Piano Trio Op. 14 No. 3....

[Wanderer]

Just arrived:

[asin]B016AVYYZO[/asin]

[The new erato]

New in:

[asin]B00H45GT0Y[/asin]
Wonderful!   Anyway, don't bother with Zelenka recordings of yesteryear, the Czechs are taking over...

Q

The Nibiru series is wonderful, and there's a recent issue of Zelenka as well (on arts.cz)

[aligreto]

Rawsthorne: Symphony No. 2...





On first listen this is, for me, a somewhat dark toned work with an underlying uneasiness about it. I liked most of though I did not like the final movement however.

[Mirror Image]

Chavez's Sinfonia India from this recording:

[Maestro267]

Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor
Philharmonia/Klemperer

Ginastera: Piano Concerto No. 1
De Marinis (piano)/Slovak RSO/Malaval

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

No. 4. I loved this from the first time I heard it (unusual for me considering this is Vaughan Williams!!!), but now I'm hearing it for the second time ever I feel as if I love it even more.

[North Star]

Stravinsky
Symphony in C
Stravinsky

Rakhmaninov
Symphonic Dances
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Ashkenazy

[Gurn Blanston]

Guys, do yourself a favor and have a spin of Mutter / Orkiss and Schneiderhan / Seeman sets. They´re not just "out of the rococo" mould, they´re full Sturm-und-Drang and Romantic to the boot. And the beauty of tone of both violinists is amazing.

There is no need to emphasize the downside, Florestan, we already are aware of it.

[Karl Henning]

(* chortle *)

[Florestan]

Margaritas ante porcos... 

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

It's Forqueray Friday!

[asin]B000K15LDA[/asin]

[aligreto]

Bach: Orchestral Suites 1 & 2....

[Brahmsian]

Stravinsky
Symphony in C
Stravinsky

Rakhmaninov
Symphonic Dances
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Ashkenazy

An outstanding 1-2 punch there!