Pieces that have blown you away recently

[TheGSMoeller]

I generally associate Corigliano with heavy, darkly-dramatic music similar to his two symphonies, and even the Red Violin Concerto, so hearing The Ghosts of Versailles for the first time was a wonderful surprise. Ghosts is still dramatic, but also very funny, and a great satire on opera of the past. Corigliano fluently shifts musical gears throughout, incorporating many styles and genres. There is another recording available by the LA Opera on Penatone Records, and I'd say both are excellent but this new one shown below is the one I just received from ArkivMusic last week and my 1st run-through of Ghosts which also features a documentary on Corigliano.

[Daverz]

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3



Harnoncourt is the conductor, a live recording from 1983.  The playing, the conducting (no perverseness from Harnoncourt in this outing) and the sonics all blow me away.

[arpeggio]

I generally associate Corigliano with heavy, darkly-dramatic music similar to his two symphonies, and even the Red Violin Concerto, so hearing The Ghosts of Versailles for the first time was a wonderful surprise. Ghosts is still dramatic, but also very funny, and a great satire on opera of the past. Corigliano fluently shifts musical gears throughout, incorporating many styles and genres. There is another recording available by the LA Opera on Penatone Records, and I'd say both are excellent but this new one shown below is the one I just received from ArkivMusic last week and my 1st run-through of Ghosts which also features a documentary on Corigliano.

The original production is available on the Met On Demand Site. 

[Mirror Image]

Pretty much everything I've heard from Dvořák recently. Such a consistent composer of high quality works.

[Symphonic Addict]

Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, for klezmer clarinet and string quartet

Wow, this sounds sooo cool!!! It's mystic and fun at once with a quite accentuated Jewish flavor. The players had a fantastic time performing this, I suspect.

[Mirror Image]

Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, for klezmer clarinet and string quartet

Wow, this sounds sooo cool!!! It's mystic and fun at once with a quite accentuated Jewish flavor. The players had a fantastic time performing this, I suspect.

Oh...let's hope Karl doesn't see this post. He has some interesting thoughts on this composer.

[vandermolen]

Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, for klezmer clarinet and string quartet

Wow, this sounds sooo cool!!! It's mystic and fun at once with a quite accentuated Jewish flavor. The players had a fantastic time performing this, I suspect.

+1 I have a different recording of it.

[Roasted Swan]

Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind, for klezmer clarinet and string quartet

Wow, this sounds sooo cool!!! It's mystic and fun at once with a quite accentuated Jewish flavor. The players had a fantastic time performing this, I suspect.

Did the police ever capture the 4 clarinetists who clearly stabbed this guy (apparently not fatally though!)

[vandermolen]

Did the police ever capture the 4 clarinetists who clearly stabbed this guy (apparently not fatally though!)

HAHA! Excellent!

Kalnins 6th Symphony (2001)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Did the police ever capture the 4 clarinetists who clearly stabbed this guy (apparently not fatally though!)

 

PD

[Mirror Image]

I revisiting Khachaturian's Three Concert Arias yesterday and WOW!!! Incredibly impressive piece. I think he would've made one of hell of an operatic composer if he had chose to go in that creative direction.

[Symphonic Addict]

I revisiting Khachaturian's Three Concert Arias yesterday and WOW!!! Incredibly impressive piece. I think he would've made one of hell of an operatic composer if he had chose to go in that creative direction.

I don't know this work yet. I'll have to give it a try on these days.

[Mirror Image]

I don't know this work yet. I'll have to give it a try on these days.

Be sure to listen to the Tjeknavorian performance of this work. The CPO performance just isn't up to snuff.

[Symphonic Addict]

Cello Sonata

IMPRESSIVE WORK!!! Man, these performers had the workout of their lives playing this!! Fiendishly difficult piece which must be a real thrill to hear live. The effects Ginastera got from these instruments are just mind-blowing. Extraordinary!!!

[Mirror Image]

Cello Sonata

IMPRESSIVE WORK!!! Man, these performers had the workout of their lives playing this!! Fiendishly difficult piece which must be a real thrill to hear live. The effects Ginastera got from these instruments are just mind-blowing. Extraordinary!!!

I agree! That's a great disc.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Be sure to listen to the Tjeknavorian performance of this work. The CPO performance just isn't up to snuff.

Nice disc. I will check the CPO set.

[kyjo]

Cello Sonata

IMPRESSIVE WORK!!! Man, these performers had the workout of their lives playing this!! Fiendishly difficult piece which must be a real thrill to hear live. The effects Ginastera got from these instruments are just mind-blowing. Extraordinary!!!

Oh yes, that's a really cool work! Surely one of the most technically difficult and exciting cello sonatas in the repertoire. Some of Ginastera's later works are a bit too "thorny" for my tastes (e.g. his cello concerti), but the Cello Sonata strikes a perfect balance between accessibility and "modernistic" effects. I haven't heard that Naxos recording, but there's this stunning performance on YT: https://youtu.be/EeR-7vTWc9A

[Symphonic Addict]

I agree! That's a great disc.

It is! Today I listened to the other works and my admiration for this composer grew significantly.

[Symphonic Addict]

Oh yes, that's a really cool work! Surely one of the most technically difficult and exciting cello sonatas in the repertoire. Some of Ginastera's later works are a bit too "thorny" for my tastes (e.g. his cello concerti), but the Cello Sonata strikes a perfect balance between accessibility and "modernistic" effects. I haven't heard that Naxos recording, but there's this stunning performance on YT: https://youtu.be/EeR-7vTWc9A

You put it very well there, Kyle. That was what I felt too. Watching the video is also interesting to notice the acrobatics of both players.

Are you gonna learn and play this sonata in the future?

[kyjo]

You put it very well there, Kyle. That was what I felt too. Watching the video is also interesting to notice the acrobatics of both players.

Are you gonna learn and play this sonata in the future?

I hope so! It'll probably be a while before that happens, though.