What are you listening to now?

[Sergeant Rock]

Varèse Hyperprism and Écuatorial




Sarge

[The new erato]

I've been playing the Concerto Køln recordings of the early string symphonies from this amazingly cheap set:

[asin]B01GSUHVMA[/asin]

This is Mendelssohn juvenilia I've never heard before in 40 years of listening, and it's amazingly fine stuff (and great recordings as well).

[SimonNZ]

Mateo Romero's Missa Bonæ Voluntatis - La Fenice

[Harry]

It is true, that the Hinsz-organ in Buitenkerk, Kampen is equally tuned, but the Schonat-organ in Nieuwe kerk, Amsterdam is tuned Werckmeister III.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werckmeister_temperament

Yes you are right, I simply typed mindlessly equal tuning, thank you for correcting me:)

[NorthNYMark]

Karl Henning's masterpiece Out in the Sun!

https://www.youtube.com/v/n-95rYkIbmE

New GMG members: get to know this work!

Very nice! Thanks for sharing this with the group!

[San Antone]

I missed your return a couple of days ago...just noticed now. Nice to see you here again 

Sarge

Fun to be back.

[HIPster]

Fun to be back.

Hey!  sanantonio, nice to see you posting here again.   

Took a look at your blog too: nice work!

[San Antone]

Hey!  sanantonio, nice to see you posting here again.   

Took a look at your blog too: nice work!

Thanks! 

[Ghost Sonata]

Sure do enjoy these two works, John would also, I think.[asin]B0006SGES8[/asin]

[André]

Guillaume Lekeu was the Pergolesi of belgian-french music. Died tragically young (24), left many works in all kinds of genres, built from a very strong sentiment based musical language. He was a pupil of Franck, and very wuch influenced by Wagner and the late romantics.

This superb set contains all the composer's oeuvre on 8 cds. What is not so good, though, is the minimalist packaging. No titles or track listings on the cardboard sleeves: no nothing, no even such basics as "disc 1", "disc 2" or what not. One has to pull the cd out to know what's on it - and then it just refers to its contents as "disc 1", "disc 2", etc.  . OTOH there is a full, 128 pages booklet in different languages, with the texts    for the vocal works.

At the price, this is indispendable.

[Kontrapunctus]

Boulez isn't normally one of my favorite conductors, but this isn't bad at all, especially for 99 cents!

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

A composer I have become very interested in lately. I really like the sudden, fast constrasts in orchestration and texture in Contretemps, and the vocal writing is amazing!

[kishnevi]

CD 9
[asin]B0145YQF14[/asin]
Josef  Still, on the Johannes Klais organ of Trier Cathedral.
Works on this CD
Variations and Fugue on "My Country, 'tis of thee"*
Twelve Pieces, Op. 65 nos. 1-6
six Chorale Preludes
Chorale Fantasia Straf mich nicht in deinem Zorn Op. 40, no 2

* Well that's what we Yanks call the tune.  Reger called it "Heil, unsern Konig Heil".

[Ken B]

Chopin, some early works on fortepiano
Mastrprimiano

[Dancing Divertimentian]

.[asin]B00006AKUV[/asin]

Love that set. Right up there with Argerich/Kremer and Grumiaux/Haskil.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Some older music now, no. 8



I always felt that the first part could have a little bit more contrast, but I do like it as it is

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

...and I wonder why? 

I think just the loooong periods of FORTE gives part I a seemingly slower pace than most other Mahler

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Boulez's  legendary Pli Salone Pli 

Still my favourite Boulez piece (with Sonata 2 and Notations not far behind)

Which recording?

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

A little something by a composer whose music I absolutely adore...........

https://www.youtube.com/v/VpbNY5kLhCA

[Monsieur Croche]

Some older music now, no. 8



I always felt that the first part could have a little bit more contrast, but I do like it as it is

With those gigantic forces, unless there is a drastic thinning out of how many are singing, playing, or almost no harmonic movement, slow is the name of the game, or the sound gets muddy, blurred and turns to mush :-)

As I recall, the second half -- the "Faust" segment -- is subdued and also a rather ponderous 'slow."  The piece, or the first movement Veni, Creator, anyway, is the quintessential GrandDaddy of the truly no-stops barred all out and over-the-top "epic" big sound choral works, later imitated in many somewhat tacky derivative works without the quality or dignity of Mahler, lol.

The recording I stumbled upon where conductor and engineers have managed to keep it all clear, a marvel of a recorded performance considering all the forces involved: a huge orchestra, full off-stage brass, pipe organ, double chorus, children's chorus and a multiplicity of vocal soloists:
Philharmonia Orchestra · Giuseppe Sinopoli:
w/ Cheryl Studer · Angela Maria Blasi · Waltraud Meier · Kazuko Nagai · Keith Lewis · Sir Thomas Allen · Hans Sotin · Philharmonia Chorus London · Southend Boys Choir.

P.s. on a tiny pedantic note, has anyone else ever penned a low Contra B-flat for chorister basses? :-)


Best regards.