Pieces that have blown you away recently

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Generally speaking my ears have not been impressed with the music of Langgaard.  A few of his symphonies (I have copies of all of them) and his opera Antikrist.

Finally got around to checking out Music of the Spheres.  My ears gave it a + rating 

I found out that it's available through my library system; looking forward to listening to it! 

PD

[vandermolen]

Thumbs up for the Ben-Haim, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and above, all for the Langgaard. A visionary creation.

+1 for all those composers - the Ben Haim CD has just arrived so I look forward to hearing it later.

[Symphonic Addict]

Villa-Lobos: Rudepoêma



Rudepoêma is such a kaleidoscopic piece for piano. There is magic, mysticism, mystery. The closing low notes/chords have a strong intensity! It gave me goosebumps. For me it's a masterwork.

[Mirror Image]

Villa-Lobos: Rudepoêma



Rudepoêma is such a kaleidoscopic piece for piano. There is magic, mysticism, mystery. The closing low notes/chords have a strong intensity! It gave me goosebumps. For me it's a masterwork.

It sure is! To take it one step further, have you heard the orchestration of Rudepoêma? Definitely worth hearing.

[Symphonic Addict]

It sure is! To take it one step further, have you heard the orchestration of Rudepoêma? Definitely worth hearing.

Yes, I have, but this version made a stronger impression on me. The piano just has the tone to express the myriad of moods this work possess.

[Mirror Image]

Yes, I have, but this version made a stronger impression on me. The piano just has the tone to express the myriad of moods this work possess.

Yes, I agree and this is why I prefer the piano originals to the orchestration and this goes for any of my favorite composers. There are some cases where an orchestration does some justice to the original piano version, but this doesn't happen very often.

[Irons]

Yes, I agree and this is why I prefer the piano originals to the orchestration and this goes for any of my favorite composers. There are some cases where an orchestration does some justice to the original piano version, but this doesn't happen very often.

Ravel?

[Mirror Image]

Ravel?

I think Ravel's orchestrations are wonderful and fun to listen to, but I wouldn't say they're 'better' than the original solo piano works.

[Irons]

I think Ravel's orchestrations are wonderful and fun to listen to, but I wouldn't say they're 'better' than the original solo piano works.

No argument. It was the first name to come to mind when reading your post.

[ritter]

X-posted from the WAYLTN thread:

Revisiting Darius Milhaud's Le carnaval de Londres.


I was very favourably impressed by this work when I first encountered it a couple of days ago, but this time around I'm positively blown away. This is so happy music! In essence, its an orchestral suite with themes from The Beggar's Opera, and this is what the liner notes of the Hyperion CD (written by Robert Matthew-Walker) say about its gestation:

As was Milhaud's custom, no sooner had he completed his arrangements of Gay's ballad-opera than he utilized several of the tunes in a concert work for small orchestra (single wind, timpani, harp, percussion and strings), calling it Le carnaval de Londres and completing it by the end of September. Milhaud conducted the broadcast premiere of his version of The Beggar's Opera on Radio Marseille; Manuel Rosenthal conducted the first performance of Le carnaval de Londres in 1939 at a Revue Musicale concert. As with Le carnaval d'Aix, it is not necessary to know the story of the seminal work to appreciate the skill and charm, the beauty and allure of this enchanting work, whose joie de vivre is so typical of this composer at his most light-hearted. His settings of the old themes, and folk material – notably Lillibulero – are accomplished with considerable affection and artistry.

The opening Bal -- Ouverture is an unlikely arrangement of Over the Hills and far Away using a....rumba rhythm! Outlandish, but really effective and engaging, and quite wonderfully scored. The recording under Ronald Corp is excellent.

Here's the whole work, but in another recording. If you listen to the first 1'21" (the overture), you'll see what I mean. Unfortunately, the percussionist in  this particular reading seems to have some trouble with the rumba rhythm.

[flash=300,200]https://www.youtube.com/v/c-Xi6xJoxZQ&t=32s[/flash]

[arpeggio]

I have just discovered a fascinating contemporary English composer: Joe Cutler

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I have just discovered a fascinating contemporary English composer: Joe Cutler

Nice!  I'll have to look into his music.  I did find his website (am looking for music samples there).

Love the quirky cover too!

PD

[arpeggio]

Nice!  I'll have to look into his music.  I did find his website (am looking for music samples there).

Love the quirky cover too!

PD

I discovered his music at the Naxos Music Library website.

I like the jazz elements in Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii.

This is a new CD and the only place that has it is Presto.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I discovered his music at the Naxos Music Library website.

I like the jazz elements in Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii.

This is a new CD and the only place that has it is Presto.

Ah.  I did find samples from it on his website:  http://joecutler.com/listen-watch/

PD

[Symphonic Addict]

Today I played Weinberg's 6th String Quartet. Holy cow, this is hot stuff!!! An incredibly intense piece. The short 3rd movement has a tense nature that becomes exciting. It's a tour of force with a rest on the slow movement. Weinberg at his most inspired. I also liked the 5th very much, especially the movement Humoreska. That was something else!

[Mirror Image]

Cool, Cesar. I'll have to revisit that one when I'm feeling in a Russian kind of mood.

[kyjo]

Today I played Weinberg's 6th String Quartet. Holy cow, this is hot stuff!!! An incredibly intense piece. The short 3rd movement has a tense nature that becomes exciting. It's a tour of force with a rest on the slow movement. Weinberg at his most inspired. I also liked the 5th very much, especially the movement Humoreska. That was something else!

Oh yes! It's one of the only quartets of his that I know, and it's superb indeed.

[springrite]

Today I played Weinberg's 6th String Quartet. Holy cow, this is hot stuff!!! An incredibly intense piece. The short 3rd movement has a tense nature that becomes exciting. It's a tour of force with a rest on the slow movement. Weinberg at his most inspired. I also liked the 5th very much, especially the movement Humoreska. That was something else!

I have to go back and see which ones I have...

I have 1, 10, 12, 17

[Symphonic Addict]

I have to go back and see which ones I have...

I have 1, 10, 12, 17

I only know the 1st one and it's a great piece being a first attempt in the form. These early quartets have been a good revelation to me lately.

[arpeggio]

I have discovered the following CD's from the Naxos Music Library.
The following is a new avant garde composer I am unfamiliar with.  The instrumental works were really neat.  The choral work was not my cup of tea.

Stylistically the opposite of Eisenburg but still some good stuff.  I was at a premier of one of his band works with the Marine Band.

The following CD contains some interesting chamber music for clarinet by Canadian Composers: