What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Good morning Jeffrey, early morning for you!

[vandermolen]

Howard Hanson: Symphony No.1 'Nordic':
Nashville SO Cond. Kenneth Schermerhorn
This is my favourite modern recording of Hanson's Nordic Symphony (Naxos)

[vandermolen]

Good morning Jeffrey, early morning for you!

Good Morning Harry - as a 'Man of Action' I don't like to hang around! 

[Que]

Stay away from Amsterdam, this city is due to the massive influx of tourists no fun anymore.

Disneyfication! 

[Que]

Lovely recording from 2014 that I totally missed.

[Harry]

Lovely recording from 2014 that I totally missed.

Added on my playing list, I missed this recording too it seems.

[Harry]

Following @Que lead playing this record.

Dances, Madrigals & Villanellas, on Four Lutes.
See back cover for details.
Quartetto di Liuti da Milano.
Recorded: 2013 at the Chiesa St. Maria Incoronata, Martinengo, Bergamo, Italy.

Indeed very good! Performance and sound are exemplary. A really good start of the morning. The laughable thing was, that I had it after all in my collection. I even lost a clear sight on what I actually have on CD.

[Harry]

Lovely recording from 2014 that I totally missed.

You missed it because you did not heed my glowing review of this record.     

[Traverso]

Sweelinck

Finally a recording with organ music and fortunately it turns out to be with Sweelinck. I have to listen to my other Sweelinck recordings again soon.

[Roasted Swan]

I'm not usually a fan of "big boxes" - if they are artists or composers I like there is likely to be too much duplication even at discount prices.  But I was tempted by this box;



50 discs celebrating the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liege.  Repertoire-wise of course there is duplication with other recordings I already have but there is so much unusual/rare/interesting music here. Today I was listening to (not unlucky) disc 13:

Hymne a Venus by Alberic Magnard
Macbeth - paraphrase symphonique by Sylvain Dupuis
Tapiola - Sibelius
Nocturne Symphonique Op.43 - Busoni

A really interesting programme - not sure I know anything else by Dupuis.  A good brooding Tapiola fits in well - similar overall mood to the Busoni and Dupuis using different musical palette.  The orchestral playing is perfectly good and likewise the recording.  I think we are getting so used to "supercharged" playing and engineering that occasionally anything that isn't as obviously dynamic can seem 'less'.  A bit like adding MSG to all your food and loosing the sense of subtle flavours perhaps.

Partly why I enjoy this kind of box is to "lucky dip" into it which is what I did here.  The result was a genuinely enjoyable but unexpected musical journey.  More dipping to come I reckon....!

Oops!! - disc 44 in this box is all Dupuis including a 2nd/different performance of the Macbeth - paraphrase symphonique - that is my next stop....

[Traverso]

I'm not usually a fan of "big boxes" - if they are artists or composers I like there is likely to be too much duplication even at discount prices.  But I was tempted by this box;



50 discs celebrating the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liege.  Repertoire-wise of course there is duplication with other recordings I already have but there is so much unusual/rare/interesting music here. Today I was listening to (not unlucky) disc 13:



Hymne a Venus by Alberic Magnard
Macbeth - paraphrase symphonique by Sylvain Dupuis
Tapiola - Sibelius
Nocturne Symphonique Op.43 - Busoni

A really interesting programme - not sure I know anything else by Dupuis.  A good brooding Tapiola fits in well - similar overall mood to the Busoni and Dupuis using different musical palette.  The orchestral playing is perfectly good and likewise the recording.  I think we are getting so used to "supercharged" playing and engineering that occasionally anything that isn't as obviously dynamic can seem 'less'.  A bit like adding MSG to all your food and loosing the sense of subtle flavours perhaps.

Partly why I enjoy this kind of box is to "lucky dip" into it which is what I did here.  The result was a genuinely enjoyable but unexpected musical journey.  More dipping to come I reckon....!

The box is probably sold out because I see absurd prices of over €300

[Harry]

Johan Svendsen.
Symphonies 1 & 2.
Polonaise N. 2.
Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard.
Recorded: 2000 at the Danish Radio Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Danmark.

[Traverso]

Messiaen

Livre  4 & 5

Livre 1-2 & 3 I listened to with Momo Kodama (last week) , today the pianist is Ugorski

[Harry]

Charles Villiers Stanford.
Complete Symphonies.
Disc 2.
See back cover for details.
Ulster Orchestra, Vernon Handley.
Recorded: 1990, Ulster Hall, Belfast.

One can do nothing else as love the music by Stanford, which I obviously do. The performance do Handley proud.

[Roasted Swan]

Charles Villiers Stanford.
Complete Symphonies.
Disc 2.
See back cover for details.
Ulster Orchestra, Vernon Handley.
Recorded: 1990, Ulster Hall, Belfast.

One can do nothing else as love the music by Stanford, which I obviously do. The performance do Handley proud.

I do like that set - apart from anything else the sound that Chandos got from the Ulster Orchestra in the Ulster Hall is as good as anything they have ever produced.

By chance today I was listening to this disc;



which is also very fine as a performance.  If pushed, as a cycle of symphonies I would choose Parry over Stanford.  With the former I hear more individuality, with the latter it is all very polished and well executed but for me too often really lacking a distinctive quality beyond the craftsmanship.....

[Que]

You missed it because you did not heed my glowing review of this record.     

I must have! It sunk into oblivion, with both of us....

[Harry]

I do like that set - apart from anything else the sound that Chandos got from the Ulster Orchestra in the Ulster Hall is as good as anything they have ever produced.

By chance today I was listening to this disc;



which is also very fine as a performance.  If pushed, as a cycle of symphonies I would choose Parry over Stanford.  With the former I hear more individuality, with the latter it is all very polished and well executed but for me too often really lacking a distinctive quality beyond the craftsmanship.....

I like both composers equally well. But I understand your stance.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Hindemith: Die Harmonie der Welt. Berliner Philharmoniker & Wilhelm Furtwängler.

[Harry]

I was reminded by Geroosterde Zwaan, @Roasted Swan of this composer. He was long overdue listening too, so thanks and here I go.

Hubert Parry.
Symphony No. 1.
Concert Stück.
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Matthias Bamert.
Venue St Jude on the Hill, Hampstead, 1991 & 1992.

I could not find a original back cover, thus I noticed, that in the box they omitted the Konzertstück, and replaced it with Symphonic Variations, equally good, but I have that on another CD.

[Irons]

I do like that set - apart from anything else the sound that Chandos got from the Ulster Orchestra in the Ulster Hall is as good as anything they have ever produced.

By chance today I was listening to this disc;



which is also very fine as a performance.  If pushed, as a cycle of symphonies I would choose Parry over Stanford.  With the former I hear more individuality, with the latter it is all very polished and well executed but for me too often really lacking a distinctive quality beyond the craftsmanship.....

I wondered when Parry would join the conversation. I always think of Stanford and Parry in the same breath.