Pieces that have blown you away recently

[kyjo]

Quintet for piano, violin, two violas and cello in D minor

Juon's specialty was the writing for chamber forces. No doubts why he is one of my favorite composers in that respect. The mastery of ideas and development displayed here shines efforlessly. The fact of including a second viola highlights the poetic element to the music. What a work. First-class stuff played splendidly. The Kammersinfonie on the same CD is in the same league.




Bloch: String Quartet No. 3

Intense, exciting, absorbing, spicy. This is some extraordinary music where the composer's genius is in full evidence. In spite of the recording is in mono (great mono sound, actually), the playing does justice to the music. Just stupendous.

Totally agree with you about Juon's magnificent chamber music, Cesar. Unfortunately, I can't find his D minor piano quintet on YouTube or Spotify, only the (also excellent) one in F major, op. 50 which has been recorded by CPO.

Actually, come to think of it, I've only listened to Bloch's first two SQs! Time to rectify that.

[Symphonic Addict]

Totally agree with you about Juon's magnificent chamber music, Cesar. Unfortunately, I can't find his D minor piano quintet on YouTube or Spotify, only the (also excellent) one in F major, op. 50 which has been recorded by CPO.

Actually, come to think of it, I've only listened to Bloch's first two SQs! Time to rectify that.

Too bad, I thought it was available on Spotify at least; and yes, the Op. 44 is also wonderful. Regarding the Bloch, hopefully it won't be too challenging for you.

BTW, good to see you posting again, Kyle!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Totally agree with you about Juon's magnificent chamber music, Cesar. Unfortunately, I can't find his D minor piano quintet on YouTube or Spotify, only the (also excellent) one in F major, op. 50 which has been recorded by CPO.

Actually, come to think of it, I've only listened to Bloch's first two SQs! Time to rectify that.

I found this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN16dmCeIuc

PD

[Maestro267]

Emil Tabakov's symphonies. So far 1-3 and 5 but I suspect all of them will blow my mind.

[springrite]

Emil Tabakov's symphonies. So far 1-3 and 5 but I suspect all of them will blow my mind.

I have three CDs worth coming in the mail from Presto. Can't wait!

[nakulanb]

Piano Concerto 3 - Bartok (Lang-Lang)

Mostly for the technique, I wasn't as emotionally drawn to it.

[nakulanb]

Beethoven Symphony 1 - PNS & COE (new)

[springrite]

Piano Concerto 3 - Bartok (Lang-Lang)

Mostly for the technique, I wasn't as emotionally drawn to it.

Neither was he.

[Roasted Swan]

Usually I am not impressed by bright young things with ridicuous techniques.  But Brian (I think it was Brian?!) pointed out this South Korean lad Yunchan Lim - just 18!!!! - who won this year's Van Cliburn.  He is the REAL DEAL - for me "better" than most of the rest.  For his semi-final recital he astoundingly chose to perform the complete Lizst Transcendental Studies.  Apart from the physical, technical, musical challenges involved doing this it was a huge "risk" in competition terms.  That he brings it off to the degree he does and in the manner he does is astonishing.  This can be viewed on YouTube here - do at least dip into this performance - A Star is Born....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsGLmrR0BVs

[Mapman]

From current listening:

Stanford: Symphony #6
Handley: Ulster

This is a fantastic symphony! According to the liner notes, it was forgotten for about 80 years. The first movement has some themes that remind me of R. Strauss. The 2nd movement opens with a beautiful English horn solo (called the "love theme" in the notes); the opening feels like a precursor to the English Pastoral style (although the rest of the movement is more typical of a Romantic symphony). The fun (& somewhat angry) Scherzo leads seamlessly into the final movement. Near the end of the final movement (the beginning of the coda?) there is a fugato similar to the opening of Brahms' German Requiem. The love theme is transformed: the low note is now over a major chord instead of a minor chord, which brings the symphony to a gentle, warm, finish.

[vers la flamme]

Tchaikovsky's 5th and 6th. No news to anyone (excepting myself) but damn these are great symphonies.

[Roasted Swan]

From current listening:

Stanford: Symphony #6
Handley: Ulster

This is a fantastic symphony! According to the liner notes, it was forgotten for about 80 years. The first movement has some themes that remind me of R. Strauss. The 2nd movement opens with a beautiful English horn solo (called the "love theme" in the notes); the opening feels like a precursor to the English Pastoral style (although the rest of the movement is more typical of a Romantic symphony). The fun (& somewhat angry) Scherzo leads seamlessly into the final movement. Near the end of the final movement (the beginning of the coda?) there is a fugato similar to the opening of Brahms' German Requiem. The love theme is transformed: the low note is now over a major chord instead of a minor chord, which brings the symphony to a gentle, warm, finish.

This has been mentioned here before; the Watts Gallery nestles in the Surrey Hills just south of the county town of Guildford - very close to a major road that runs from London down to Portsmouth - still a major Royal Navy base.  This gallery houses many of Watts' most famous works and is partnered by an oddly-Italianate chapel further down the hill;

[Florestan]

an oddly-Italianate chapel further down the hill;

Very interesting.

I'd say the style is not that much Italianate as Byzantine, or Italianate in the old Venetian manner, ie Byzantine. Those paintings would not be out of place in a Romanian Orthodox (ie, Byzantine) church either.

[Roasted Swan]

Very interesting.

I'd say the style is not that much Italianate as Byzantine, or Italianate in the old Venetian manner, ie Byzantine. Those paintings would not be out of place in a Romanian Orthodox (ie, Byzantine) church either.

You're right of course - I think what I meant was the outside of the chapel reminds me of churches/chapels I've seen in Italy not leafy Surrey!

[Florestan]

You're right of course - I think what I meant was the outside of the chapel reminds me of churches/chapels I've seen in Italy not leafy Surrey!

That's for sure. 

Quite the oddity, this chapel. Do you know when it was built and painted, and by whom?

[Pohjolas Daughter]

That's for sure. 

Quite the oddity, this chapel. Do you know when it was built and painted, and by whom?

Looks like it was designed by Mary Watts in the late 19th century.  You can read more about it below:

https://www.wattsgallery.org.uk/about-us/artists-village/watts-chapel/

PD

[Florestan]

Looks like it was designed by Mary Watts in the late 19th century.  You can read more about it below:

https://www.wattsgallery.org.uk/about-us/artists-village/watts-chapel/

PD

Many thanks.

[vandermolen]

I love the Watts Gallery (near to my in-laws).
He was an interesting character. He went to visit friends for the weekend and stayed for 40 years.
Watts working on his statue of Tennyson (and dog) for Lincoln Cathedral (I saw it recently). There is a plaster version in the Watts Gallery:

[Florestan]

I love the Watts Gallery (near to my in-laws).
He was an interesting character. He went to visit friends for the weekend and stayed for 40 years.

Now, that's a genuinely long weekend. 

(The friends who hosted him for that long must have been quite the characters in their own, though.  )

[Symphonic Addict]

Rota: Suite from 'Il Casanova di Federico Fellini'

For someone who has never watched the movie, this music has been a stupendous revelation. Rota had an incredible gift to write music with personality, spark, wit and depth, and all of that is present in this marvelous suite. The opening O Venezia, Venaga, Venusia has such bewitching simplicity, a haunting and mesmerizing quality to it that left me utterly delighted. Wonderful. One of my best discoveries of the year so far, and I yet have to hear the other suites!




Verdi: Rigoletto

I used to despise Verdi's operas with emphatic aversion. Thank God things have changed for good now. I'm not an opera expert by any means, so what I'll say is that this opera contains truly inspiring and stunning music. In my Verdi opera traversal I've detected that Verdi is more convincing (to me) with tragic or more serious plots than with the most "patriotic" ones.

I suspect that most of his next operas will have a similar effect on me.