What are you listening to now?

[king ubu]

This is clearly the better of the two Violin Concerto performances. The accompaniment, as led by Kenneth Woods, is far more incisive & dramatic, with a bigger dynamic range. The Gramola recording - my first listen to the concerto - made me think that it was "nice". This one makes me think the piece is good.

Guess this goes to my list then! My first major exposure to Gál recently was the piano set you depicted above, which I enjoyed tremendously!

[Brian]

Cool. I see Kenneth Woods all the time on Twitter, and this is the first direct-ish report I have had.

I like his blog a lot. Unusually for a practicing conductor, he takes time to write enthusiastically about why he likes certain unfamiliar or non-repertoire works (HB's Gothic Symphony, Hans Gál, Philip Sawyers, the various composers he commissions) and evangelizes to his audience on behalf of "scary" composers and is very lucid in, for instance, his explanation of what to listen for in the Lutoslawski piano concerto.

[Harry]

Midway through my Hans Gál journey, I decided to take an unplanned detour through this disc:



This is clearly the better of the two Violin Concerto performances. The accompaniment, as led by Kenneth Woods, is far more incisive & dramatic, with a bigger dynamic range. The Gramola recording - my first listen to the concerto - made me think that it was "nice". This one makes me think the piece is good.

The Gramola recording is an absolute favourite of mine! Never had the feeling nice, but rather spectacular.
I will also buy the other recording.

[Brian]

The Gramola recording is an absolute favourite of mine! Never had the feeling nice, but rather spectacular.
I will also buy the other recording.

This other recording is worth it for the 18 minute "Concertino" - which really is an incredible work! The opening cello melody is so seductive I had to rewind and listen to it twice...

[Karl Henning]

"rewind"

[North Star]

No surprise..

Haydn
Symphony No. 57 in D major (1774)
The Academy of Ancient Music
Hogwood
[asin]B01BHFPU3S[/asin]

[San Antone]

BRITTEN: Folk Song Arrangements
Langridge, Philip - tenor
Lott, Felicity - soprano
Johnson, Graham - piano

[Johnnie Burgess]

Bela Bartok: String Quartet # 5




Novak Quartet

[Mandryka]

It just occurred to me which "big box" this is: the 50 cd L'oiseau-Lyre Medieval/Renaissance box has been released.

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Decca/94788104

And I'm currently stoney, stoney broke 

There's worse news then, because one of Rooley's best recordings, Musicke of Sundrie Kindes, was inexplicably left out. The box is dominated by Rooley and Hogwood, I have a real soft spot for Rooley and so over the years I've bought all the recordings except that Heinrich Isaac one. I'm not crazy about Hogwood.

[HIPster]

One particular ensemble or different versions of Book Five?

I have the Concerto Italiano recording:

[asin]B000005W50[/asin]
Monteverdi's Fifth Book of Madrigals begins like the Fourth Book--the first half of the publication contains five-voice a cappella madrigals (with optional continuo) that use surprising dissonances to express the images and sentiments of their texts with extraordinary intensity. The second half, however, breaks new ground: the continuo (i.e., accompanying chord instrument like harpsichord or lute) part becomes independent (and indispensable), thus enabling Monteverdi to set extended passages for one or two voices. One fine example is "T'amo, mia vita" ("I love you, my life")--a rapturous meditation by a young lover who has heard his beloved utter those words. Monteverdi sets the four words for solo soprano, repeating them between lines of the young man's reverie as if replayed over and over in his mind. Concerto Italiano's performance is, quite simply, extraordinary. --Matthew Westphal

I rate this release the best of the group's Monteverdi madrigal books.  Their second and fourth books are excellent too.  The complete set by La Venexiana looks enticing, certainly! 

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1-3 [Abbado]....

[Karl Henning]

It is as yet only MIDI (there is no document of the première), but I can say I do still like it:

http://www.youtube.com/v/als-l2BI0xs

[aligreto]

I have the Concerto Italiano recording:

[asin]B000005W50[/asin]

I rate this release the best of the group's Monteverdi madrigal books.  Their second and fourth books are excellent too.  The complete set by La Venexiana looks enticing, certainly! 

Ah, yes, I also have that one so I will be playing it again soon. I bought all of the individual La Venexiana issues separately some time ago now and yes, they are very good and highly recommended listening. They are no better or worse than the Alessandrini versions, simply different, to my ear, and offer a more homogeneous, more polished sound if you will than the Alessandrini.

[SonicMan46]

Jensen, Niels Peters (1802-1846) - Flute Sonatas & Flute Duets w/ Rune Most and Marcelo Barbosa on reproduction wooden flutes - the morning's music -   Dave

 

[North Star]

I rate this release the best of the group's Monteverdi madrigal books.  Their second and fourth books are excellent too.  The complete set by La Venexiana looks enticing, certainly! 

Ah, yes, I also have that one so I will be playing it again soon. I bought all of the individual La Venexiana issues separately some time ago now and yes, they are very good and highly recommended listening. They are no better or worse than the Alessandrini versions, simply different, to my ear, and offer a more homogeneous, more polished sound if you will than the Alessandrini.

The La Venexiana set is certainly a great one. I do recall some shakiness in the female voices in a couple of spots, but that is a tiny quibble, and I'd recommend the set to anyone.

Thread duty
Schumann
Violin Sonata No. 2 in d minor, Op. 121
Widmann & Várjon
[asin]B001AVUAC6[/asin]

[Mister Sharpe]

Some people have got a lotta Gál, that's all I have to say...and I need to get some, too. 

In the PM :

[Sergeant Rock]

Stravinsky Symphony in C, the composer conducting




Sarge

[San Antone]

GESUALDO: Madrigals (O dolorosa gioia) (Concerto Italiano, Alessandrini)

[SonicMan46]

And for the afternoon:

Janitsch, Johann Gottlieb (1708-1763) - Sonate da Camera, V. 1-III w/ Christopher Palameta & Notturna - late Baroque/early Classical chamber works on period instruments - I really enjoy these performances; believe I bought V. 3 first based on a Fanfare review (attached) - then added the earlier volumes late last year - highly recommended if you're into this era and period reproduction instruments!    Dave

   

[Karl Henning]

I actually listen to Игорь Фëдорович:

Tango (1953 orchestration)