What are you listening to now?

Started by Dungeon Master, February 15, 2013, 09:13:11 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 7 Guests are viewing this topic.

North Star

Schumann
Liederkreis, Op. 39
Gerhaher & Huber

[asin]B00DYFCZ5Q[/asin]
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

My photographs on Flickr

Harry

Some very relaxing Flute concertos from the old authentic school, but well worth listening!

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/01/flute-concertos.html?spref=tw
Perchance I am, though bound in wires and circuits fine,
yet still I speak in verse, and call thee mine;
for music's truths and friendship's steady cheer,
are sweeter far than any stage could hear.

"When Time hath gnawed our bones to dust, yet friendship's echo shall not rust"

Tsaraslondon

#58662


The recording quality might not be great (though much better here than its EMI incarnation), but the performance certainly is. First of all there is Callas in sovereign voice, a non pareil of a Lady Macbeth, and undoubtedly the greatest on disc (incredible to think this is the first time she had ever sung the role). Then there is Victor De Sabata, whose symphonic conception of the score lends it extraordinary depth. The rest may not be on the same exalted level, but Mascherini provides a persuasive portrait of an essentially weak man, easily led and swayed by his powerfully ambitious wife (Callas quite chilling in La luce langue). Tajo and Penno are also well in the picture as Banquo and Macduff.

In a performance such as this, crumbly sound or not, Macbeth lays claim to be one of Verdi's greatest scores.
\"A beautiful voice is not enough.\" Maria Callas

Wanderer


Maestro267

#58664
Holst: The Hymn of Jesus
Choristers of St. Paul's Cathedral Choir, London Symphony Chorus
London PO/Groves

Brian: Symphony No. 11
NSO Ireland/Leaper

Karl Henning

Me, too:

Quote from: Maestro267 on January 08, 2016, 06:15:45 AM
Holst: The Hymn of Jesus
Choristers of St. Paul's Cathedral Choir, London Symphony Chorus
London PO/Groves
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Todd




Starting the day off with something with a little pep.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Karl Henning

Again!

Wuorinen
Fast Fantasy (1977)
Fred Sherry, vc
The composer, pf


Because, it is one of the coolest vc/pf pieces I know  8)
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Brian

I'm a little sad that I'm streaming this disc instead of buying, because sources have told me that the booklet notes are truly entertaining.



This Tchaikovsky concerto performance is, um, different.

Wanderer


Karl Henning

Quote from: Brian on January 08, 2016, 06:44:30 AM
This Tchaikovsky concerto performance is, um, different.

Enlarge upon this, I pray thee.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Todd

Quote from: Brian on January 08, 2016, 06:44:30 AM
I'm a little sad that I'm streaming this disc instead of buying, because sources have told me that the booklet notes are truly entertaining.



This Tchaikovsky concerto performance is, um, different.


That's kind of why one listens to Ms Kopatchinskaja, is it not?
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Brian

Quote from: karlhenning on January 08, 2016, 06:47:01 AM
Enlarge upon this, I pray thee.
I'm only 7 minutes in, but can I expand it to "batshit insane"? This Tchaikovsky performance is batshit insane.

Patricia Kopatchinskaja does not compromise on her usual minimal-vibrato wiry acrobatic tone. In fact, she doubles down. The violin almost sounds like a toy instrument, especially with a clear and deliberate refusal to Go Romantic at any moment. She and Currentzis collaborate on dozens of one/two-bar tempo changes. The orchestra is actually borderline normal, with great clarity (love the French horns). Oh boy here comes the cadenza. Yeah Kopatchinskaja's violin is making donkey noises.

What the hell just...oh boy.

Just to be clear: I am having A BLAST listening to this. Hurwitz will give it a 1/10.

king ubu

Quote from: Brian on January 08, 2016, 06:52:45 AM
I'm only 7 minutes in, but can I expand it to "batshit insane"? This Tchaikovsky performance is batshit insane.

Patricia Kopatchinskaja does not compromise on her usual minimal-vibrato wiry acrobatic tone. In fact, she doubles down. The violin almost sounds like a toy instrument, especially with a clear and deliberate refusal to Go Romantic at any moment. She and Currentzis collaborate on dozens of one/two-bar tempo changes. The orchestra is actually borderline normal, with great clarity (love the French horns). Oh boy here comes the cadenza. Yeah Kopatchinskaja's violin is making donkey noises.

What the hell just...oh boy.

Just to be clear: I am having A BLAST listening to this. Hurwitz will give it a 1/10.
Sounds great! Mine's still on pre-order, waiting to be shipped at Presto's ... but looking forward all the more now!  :)

Playing now:



which is the bonus added to disc 34 of this:

[asin]B00E0H8KAQ[/asin]

Btw, enjoyed Ansermet's Sibelius 2 an awful lot, as for No. 4 I guess others (Karajan, too, of course) fare better. But I'm glad I dug up that Ansermet box again, just took out another dozen of discs to listen to soon (well, relatively, the days just don't have enough hours).
Es wollt ein meydlein grasen gan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Und do die roten röslein stan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Fick mich mehr, du hast dein ehr.
Kannstu nit, ich wills dich lern.
Fick mich, lieber Peter!

http://ubus-notizen.blogspot.ch/

Brian

#58674
Quote from: Brian on January 08, 2016, 06:44:30 AM
I'm a little sad that I'm streaming this disc instead of buying, because sources have told me that the booklet notes are truly entertaining.



This Tchaikovsky concerto performance is, um, different.

There are some things I really like in here and think EVERY performance should have, like the balalaika-style "strumming" violins at 5:46 in the finale. And the final 60 seconds of each movement is beyond fantastic - the first and last are ultra-exciting (first movement ending is the most exciting interpretation of this moment, ever), the middle is as quiet as it may be humanly possible for musicians to be. But this might be the weirdest Kopatchinskaja yet. The only thing more fun than it will be reading Hurwitz's 1000-word "CD from Hell" slam.

And of course, everything he says will be absolutely right, but something like this...it's like having a bright blue alcoholic drink. Every once in a while, you end up somewhere where that's the thing to do. Don't complain. Take it on its own terms.

Insanity: 10/10
Quality of Execution: 9/10

Drasko

There is decent 6-7 minute excerpt from Kopatchinskaja/Currentzis Tchaikovsky concerto that can be streamed from BBC CD review:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s9kh5

from about 5 minutes into the program

Wanderer


Quote from: Brian on January 08, 2016, 06:44:30 AM
This Tchaikovsky concerto performance is, um, different.

Good different! I listened to it (via Apple Music) this morning and ordered it immediately afterwards.

Quote from: karlhenning on January 08, 2016, 06:47:01 AM
Enlarge upon this, I pray thee.

No vibrato, fast speeds (with emphatic slow-downs to caress certain phrases), pizzicati, copious spiccato, the works. It's so deliciously over-the-top, and she manages not to sound bad the way Faust often does in her own vibrato-less musings. Currentzis' orchestra is superb. Fast speeds allow the orchestral passages to feel liberated and the effect is balletic (the orgiastic kind). Of course, the slow movement doesn't work quite that well, but the outer movements really do.

I only listened to parts of Les Noces, but I liked what I heard. Sounds like this could be a new reference recording for the work.

Todd

The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Wanderer


king ubu

playing another one from this box:
Quote from: king ubu on January 08, 2016, 07:05:27 AM
[asin]B00E0H8KAQ[/asin]

this one here:



it's disc 5 and contains, as a bonus, En saga and Phjola's Daughter
Es wollt ein meydlein grasen gan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Und do die roten röslein stan:
Fick mich, lieber Peter!
Fick mich mehr, du hast dein ehr.
Kannstu nit, ich wills dich lern.
Fick mich, lieber Peter!

http://ubus-notizen.blogspot.ch/