What are you listening to now?

[ritter]

Last fall's concert was the opening night of the Resonant Bodies Festival (a new, exciting initiative focusing on contemporary vocal music) with two other sopranos, Tony Arnold and Lucy Shelton. (My review is below.) Upshaw did two works by Sheila Silver (new to me) and Shawn Jaeger, a young composer on his way up. She also joined the other two singers for the finale by Eric Nathan.

http://seenandheard-international.com/2015/09/in-new-works-the-art-of-the-voice-reaches-a-summit/

Thanks for the link to your review...very interesting! 

[NikF]

Khachaturian: Piano Concerto - Katz/Boult/London Philharmonic.

[asin]B000SIS6EG[/asin]

[listener]

WALTON Symphony no.1   Symphony no. 2 (about 27 minutes, wasn't going to play it until I checked the timing)
London Phiharmonic (#1), London Symphony Orch. (#2)    Mackerras, cond.
SURINACH: Melorhythmic , Symphonic Variations, Feria Magica Overture, Sinfonietta Flamenca
Louisville Orchestra      Robert Whitney,Jorge Mester, cond.

[Todd]

From the big box.  Needed some light music this evening. 

[Mirror Image]

Why do you think this is not within the era when LP side length was a consideration? In my experience longer LPs were always rare, and Wikipedia agrees with me. Right up until the 1980s length was a factor, otherwise CDs wouldn't have been a breakthrough.

My gripe about him preferring to conduct the suite instead of the complete ballet is just that: a gripe. Boulez had no problems conducting the complete ballet in the late 60s (?), so why couldn't Martinon conduct it? Obviously, it came down to personal choice as I don't think a time restraint was really the issue here.

[SimonNZ]

Dufay's Missa Se la face ay pale - David Munrow, cond.

[Que]

Let's say the emotional range of the recorder or the transverse flute are not on a par with those of a harpsichord or piano. So, after re-listening to half a dozen Telemann discs, a certain degree of sameness creeps in... 

Telemann is certainly a guy who liked to run his mill....

There is some interesting stuff out there, but in his case it is hard to seek it out... 

Q

[The new erato]

The recording is a bit distant, I think....

Kertesz....interesting suggestion, thanks. 

Q

Kertesz used to be the classic recommendation for Brahms' serenades for decades. I have it and it is fine indeed.

[Mandryka]

I had a listen to the partita. It's always dangerous to try and say anything substantial after one listen, but I thought it was distinctive for its uplifting jolliness. It's got a twinkle, which is quite charming. It's like papa-Bach: cheerful, reassuring and upbeat.

[amw]

Kertesz used to be the classic recommendation for Brahms' serenades for decades. I have it and it is fine indeed.

I would say that anyone who does not own this is missing out.

That said, I do also enjoy the CPO recording, both for period instruments (which work very well in the Serenades, probably better than they would for the Symphonies) and as an interesting alternative take.

[NikF]

Fetler: Contrasts for Orchestra - Doráti/Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.

[asin]B0000057M7[/asin]

[Harry]

I was occupied the last week in reviewing two OLED televisions. That took quite some time, but I have sent my reviews in, thus new time to listen finally to all newcomers in my collection.
New acquisition! Bach organ works with a twist. The Stockmeier Edition. Not what I hoped for.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/03/bach-js-complete-organ-works-orgel.html?spref=tw

[Harry]

New acquisition. A very remarkable composer.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/03/vaet-jacobus-c1529-1567-volume-i.html?spref=tw

[Harry]

New acquisition. Schubert Symphony No 2 very much to my liking.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/03/schubert-franz-complete-symphonies.html?spref=tw

[Harry]

New acquisition. CD 2 of the Stockmeier Bach edition.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/03/bach-js-complete-organ-works-stockmeier.html?spref=tw

[Sergeant Rock]

Shostakovich String Quartet No.3 F major op.73 played by the Fitzwilliam




Sarge

[NikF]

Bliss: Checkmate - David Lloyd-Jones/RSNO.

[asin]B000AMMSMG[/asin]

[Sergeant Rock]

Shostakovich String Quartet No.4 D major op.83 played by the Fitzwilliam




Sarge

[NikF]

Great Pianists of the 20th Century - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.

[asin]B00000DI32[/asin]

[Madiel]

My gripe about him preferring to conduct the suite instead of the complete ballet is just that: a gripe. Boulez had no problems conducting the complete ballet in the late 60s (?), so why couldn't Martinon conduct it? Obviously, it came down to personal choice as I don't think a time restraint was really the issue here.

You might not think that. Doesn't mean you're correct.

Boulez' ballet doesn't fit on one side of an LP. It's the main thing on a record with something else as the filler on side B after the ballet finishes.

Martinon's suite does fit on one side of an LP, with equal billing for another piece on the other side (Hindemith).

So yes, timing does come into it, because it's not all about the one piece of music. It's about putting together an album, and in the LP era the length of the ballet was a factor in making an album. You're never going to understand the issue if you look at one piece of music - a piece of music that is too long to fit on one side of a record, but not long enough to make an album in its own right.