What are you listening to now?

[Karl Henning]

A friend talked about some Prokofiev (no idea what works, R&J, Classical Symphony maybe) and got me interested in exploring his music. After not too long, I bumped into the 1st VS, and was mesmerized by that opening movement. Searching the web, I bumped into some post by Karl, and joining seemed like a good idea. 

(* bows *)

[SimonNZ]

John Adams' On The Transmigration Of Souls - Lorin Maazel, cond.

[Madiel]

What I have taken to latterly is focusing on one work by one composer and listening to all of the versions that I have in my collection. I am trying to do this at least once per month. I am currently surveying Mozart's Piano Quartets - wonderful works.

Ah. This of course would rarely work for me because the most frequent number of versions that I have in my collection of anything is 1.

Well, except for live Tori Amos performances, but that's a non-classical story...

[Kontrapunctus]

One might miss the colors of an orchestra, but this is a tour-de-force of piano playing!

[Todd]

From the Watts big box.  Very enjoyable, a bit broad, sometimes leisurely.  Dated sound.

[Pat B]

Second listen just now. All good stuff, but I immediately fell for the first movement in particular, and the "2 beats in 3/4" rhythms of the Furiant.

I love the 6th, and that's one of my favorite Scherzos, though nobody plays it quite like I hear it in my head. (ETA: Kertész comes closer than many, IIRC.)

TD: first listen to Myung-Whun Chung's Saint-Saens 3 and Messiaen's Ascension. Possibly my favorite of the former -- it's almost as tight as the Dutoit and has more bite. (I find most recordings of this piece uncomfortably ragged.) I hadn't heard Ascension before. It seems more accessible than other Messiaen I've heard, so I will come back to it for sure.

[Mirror Image]

I love the 6th, and that's one of my favorite Scherzos, though nobody plays it quite like I hear it in my head.

TD: first listen to Myung-Whun Chung's Saint-Saens 3 and Messiaen's Ascension. Possibly my favorite of the former -- it's almost as tight as the Dutoit and has more bite. (I find most recordings of this piece uncomfortably ragged.) I hadn't heard Ascension before. It seems more accessible than other Messiaen I've heard, so I will come back to it for sure.

Chung's performance of Saint-Saens' 'Organ' Symphony is very good indeed. Messiaen's L'ascension, for me, is the best thing he's written.

[Todd]

Disc 5.  Argerich teamed with Abbado in Strauss' Burleske and Scriabin's Promethee.  The Strauss is a scorcher.  Argerich blazes through the piece.  I've somehow managed to acquire three versions of this works with only great pianists (Janis and Serkin are the other two), and all are excellent, but Argerich's set is easily the best, and Abbado and the BPO offer sort of lush and nicely transparent support.  The Scriabin is a little too light and clean in the orchestra - I like my late Scriabin heavy and syrupy - but again Argerich does superb work.  A skimpy disc at 37', but the Strauss alone is worth it.

[kishnevi]

You can solve the problem by simply skipping them. Neither Igor Ruhadze on Brilliant nor Elisabeth Wallfisch on Hyperion cut them. 

Don't know about the Hyperion but the Brilliant does not put them in separate tracks, and I have neither the time nor software to edit them out.

There is at least one recording of the Caprices as independent works
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Meanwhile I am now listening to more Locatelli
Concerto Grosso Op. 1 No. 12
Introduzione Teatrale Op. 4 Nos. 1-6
Concerto Grosso Op. 4 No 7
Ensemble Violini Capricciosi
CD 15 of the Brilliant Locatelli Edition

No complaints about these!

[Mandryka]

Yves Préfontaine plays some French baroque organ pieces on a lovely neo baroque organ in Quebec. I think that this is an outstanding CD, not least for the music (rare pieces including an anonymous sequence and the D''Anglebert fugues - the latter previously only recorded (not very well) by Scott Ross as far as I know.)  Prefontaine is stylish, imaginative and colourful.

[Que]

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[king ubu]

Gave this a first spin last night:



intimate and extremely beautiful

[Mandryka]

Scarlatti, D. - Sonatas on the piano - Sudbin vs. Pletnev - just ordered the 2nd Sudbin disc based on Jens recommendation - Pletnev seems to receive 'mixed' reviews and I'm preferring Sudbin on the piano - have Scott Ross & Hantai (V.1-3) for the harpsichord.  Dave

 

It was listening to K 380 which made me see that Pletnev adds harmonies, this came up in a brief exchange with Jens. I haven't heard Sudbin, I'll maybe go to hear him later this week in London or Oxford, I don't know.

[Wanderer]

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[Autumn Leaves]

Todays listening:



Listening to Svetlanov's 5th again - this one really impresses me!



Listened to Symphonies #2 & 4



Played Symphony #4 - pleased with this box so far (especially that brilliant 3rd!).



This boxset just arrived today - have been looking forward to sinking my teeth into this one.
Listening to Disc 1 as I type - I love Emerson Quartet. This set will not disappoint I think.

[aligreto]

Finishing off this set with Concerto No. 12....

[aligreto]

This boxset just arrived today - have been looking forward to sinking my teeth into this one.
Listening to Disc 1 as I type - I love Emerson Quartet. This set will not disappoint I think.

That was a relatively recent purchase for me. I enjoyed all of the performances; I found them to be very lyrical. I also liked the fact that they were live performances.

[aligreto]

Don't know about the Hyperion but the Brilliant does not put them in separate tracks, and I have neither the time nor software to edit them out.

I can report that the Arts version that I have now completed above does not put them into separate tracks either. Some of the "cadenzas" are so jarring that I will probably just press the fast forward button on subsequent listens 

[aligreto]

What I have taken to latterly is focusing on one work by one composer and listening to all of the versions that I have in my collection. I am trying to do this at least once per month.

Ah. This of course would rarely work for me because the most frequent number of versions that I have in my collection of anything is 1.

I was like that once upon a time  However, once my collection started to expand my listening became somewhat haphazard. I am trying to get some structure on some of it. 

[Autumn Leaves]

That was a relatively recent purchase for me. I enjoyed all of the performances; I found them to be very lyrical. I also liked the fact that they were live performances.

Good stuff mate - im glad you enjoyed the box . Im starting to get into live performances more the last couple of years - these ones sound very good to me. The only downside to live records I think is noise from the audience but there has been none of that in this box as far as I can tell.