What are you listening to now?

[Harry]

Jongen: String quartets - Quatuor Gong.

[asin]B0001MDNWY[/asin]

Scrumptious... I would like to know your thoughts about the music and recording. Jongen is becoming fastly important for me!

[Harry]

I was in the mood for Weinberg this early afternoon. Not that that happens often this frame of mind. But then Weinberg is such a good composer.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/05/weinberg-mieczyslaw-1919-1996-chamber.html?spref=tw

[NikF]

Scrumptious... I would like to know your thoughts about the music and recording. Jongen is becoming fastly important for me!

Harry, my humble thoughts about the music are that it's rather in the direction of Debussy and Ravel, but fails to reach the same heights. Still, I find it interesting and passionate and at times robust and full of vigour, especially in the second quartet.
As for the recording, it's (to my tired old ears!) crisp and highly detailed, yet warm - it sounds great.
You're probably already aware that there's a second volume to this one and it contains the third string quartet along with two shorter pieces. It's much in line with the first CD and so I feel it's worthy of a listen.
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I know nothing of his other works but I intend to explore them eventually.

Thanks for asking!

[Harry]

Harry, my humble thoughts about the music are that it's rather in the direction of Debussy and Ravel, but fails to reach the same heights. Still, I find it interesting and passionate and at times robust and full of vigour, especially in the second quartet.
As for the recording, it's (to my tired old ears!) crisp and highly detailed, yet warm - it sounds great.
You're probably already aware that there's a second volume to this one and it contains the third string quartet along with two shorter pieces. It's much in line with the first CD and so I feel it's worthy of a listen.
[asin]B001JE6SKM[/asin]

I know nothing of his other works but I intend to explore them eventually.

Thanks for asking!

Clear thoughts. Thank you for that my friend!

[NikF]

Clear thoughts. Thank you for that my friend!

You're welcome, Harry!

[North Star]

Happy Friday, everybody!

Mussorgsky (arr. Ravel)
Pictures at an Exhibition
Sokhiev & Toulouse
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[Brian]

Scrumptious... I would like to know your thoughts about the music and recording. Jongen is becoming fastly important for me!

And me, too! Jongen's solo piano music is very good, the pieces I have heard. I want to explore him more - the string quartets look worth a listen.

-

Thread Duty



"A London Symphony"

This is a piece I've never really understood, despite its populism. But Previn's performance here is really opening the door for me. Maybe it's because the dude doesn't restrain himself or keep all the buttons tightly done. Definitely it's because the LSO is at world-best form.

The 3 and 5 from this box are already looking like they might be my favorite versions, and this one definitely is.

[Sergeant Rock]

Inspired by the Lesser Known Piano Concerto thread: Kats-Chernin Piano Concerto No.2, Ian Munro, piano, Ola Rudner conducting the Tasmanian SO.



A fun piece: New Age-y, minimalist first movement, a bluesy drunken Gershwin second.


Sarge

[North Star]

"A London Symphony"

This is a piece I've never really understood, despite its populism. But Previn's performance here is really opening the door for me. Maybe it's because the dude doesn't restrain himself or keep all the buttons tightly done. Definitely it's because the LSO is at world-best form.

"I haven't understood a bar of music in my life, but I have felt it." - Stravinsky 

[The new erato]

This is a piece I've never really understood, despite its populism.

As for populism, a supporter of then governor Adlai Stevenson once shouted; «Governor Stevenson, all thinking people are for you!» And Adlai Stevenson responded «That's not enough. I need a majority».

Jongen is a good composer, occasionally a little longwinded, but also often better than good.

[Spineur]

How did you like it? (Khamma Debussy ballet music otchestrateed by Charles Koechlin)

Nice, but not a dramatic departure from other Debussy orchestral pieces.  Following Ritter recommendation, I listen to "La chute de la maison Usher" on youtube.  Big evolution from Pelleas.  Considering the dark and violent nature of the story, I am eager to get my hands on the Bregenz Festival DVD production from 2005 which has been OOP for quite some time.

[Karl Henning]

Nice, but not a dramatic departure from other Debussy orchestral pieces.

That's fair.

[Florestan]

Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony [Litton]....





This is a performance that I can recommend; a strong, robust and assertive performance.

There is also terrific Manfred by Constantin Silvestri with the same orchestra. IIRC Brian (rightly) sang its praises sometimes ago.

https://www.youtube.com/v/pF9RuLGsPvQ

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Hymnus Amoris, Op. 12
The Sleep (Sovnen), Op. 18
Springtime in Funen (Fynsk Foraar), Op. 42

All great stuff and expertly conducted/performed.

[Florestan]

As for populism, a supporter of then governor Adlai Stevenson once shouted; «Governor Stevenson, all thinking people are for you!» And Adlai Stevenson responded «That's not enough. I need a majority».

The harshest indictment of democracy ever. 

[aligreto]

Beethoven: Cello SonataNo. 5 Op. 102 No. 2....

[aligreto]

There is also terrific Manfred by Constantin Silvestri with the same orchestra. IIRC Brian (rightly) sang its praises sometimes ago.

https://www.youtube.com/v/pF9RuLGsPvQ

Thank you very much for that. I will be playing all of my "Manfreds" this month so I will definitely listen to that recommendation as well.

[Florestan]

I will be playing all of my "Manfreds" this month

A great listening project, for sure. If you feel like it, please post your thoughts and rankings when finished. 

[aligreto]

A great listening project, for sure. If you feel like it, please post your thoughts and rankings when finished. 

I will for sure 

[Karl Henning]

First-Listen Fridays!

http://www.youtube.com/v/hAmIJhJqzsE