What are you listening 2 now?

[André]

Nice vocal and dramatic touches from Callas cannot rescue this version from the other principals' inadequacies. Di Stefano's tenor voice is at least one size too small for Manrico, and singing at the top of his lungs doesn't succeed in pulling the wool over the listener's eyes (ears). Barbieri overacts like a femme fatale from a 1920s silent movie. Panerai's voice is quite unpleasant with its flickering vibrato and pitch unsteadiness. Callas herself is not trouble free (the last note from her big aria d'amor sull'alli rosee is very unsteady). Karajan conducts well. The sound is sub par for its time, the solo voices well caught but the chorus is woolly and very unclear.

[aligreto]

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 8 [Previn]





I find that Previn's reading is a sober, contemplative one in terms of tone, tends towards the lyrical, even pastoral and contains adequate tension and sufficient drama at times in terms of atmosphere. The pacing is also fine. Previn's strings are not, for me, as full or as rich as those of Boult. This is irrelevant in the context of Previn's overall reading but is worth noting I think.

[aligreto]

Robust and unsmiling is what I recall from its LP incarnation. I don't think it's ever been reissued on cd (except perhaps in Japan). I wish I could listen to it again.

Yes, a very fine interpretation indeed. I am surprised that it never made it to CD.

Edit: It does appear to have been issued on CD André. It is available on Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Schubert+Symphony+9+Haitink&i=popular&ref=nb_sb_noss


and on Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Concertgebouw-Orchestra-Amsterdam-Conducted/dp/B002VRF0I2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Schubert+Symphony+9+Haitink&qid=1583001656&sr=8-1

[prémont]

I was only considering the other day if I should revisit that wonderful set [Buxtehude organ integral/ Saorgin] 

To those deeply interested in Buxtehudes organ music there are several mandatory sets:

Vogel, Spang-Hanssen, Saorgin, Bryndorf, Kraft, Ablitzer, Davidsson to name a few.

[André]

Yes, a very fine interpretation indeed. I am surprised that it never made it to CD.

Edit: It does appear to have been issued on CD André. It is available on Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Schubert+Symphony+9+Haitink&i=popular&ref=nb_sb_noss


and on Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Concertgebouw-Orchestra-Amsterdam-Conducted/dp/B002VRF0I2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Schubert+Symphony+9+Haitink&qid=1583001656&sr=8-1

Cheers, Aligreto  . The second link is for an LP, not a CD. I will check the UK link, but it's a bit pricey - over 20$. It should eventually be reissued. I think...

[André]

Opera excerpts from Graun, Handel, Hasse and Matheson. One of the most exhilarating recitals of baroque opera I've heard. Bayrakdarian has a scintillating top and a sumptuous middle register. She is not just a mere note-spinner, her singing is both brilliant and luscious, and the emotions such as there are in the music are very well conveyed. Lovely. The orchestral accompaniment is superb.

[Traverso]

Robust and unsmiling is what I recall from its LP incarnation. I don't think it's ever been reissued on cd (except perhaps in Japan). I wish I could listen to it again.

Well,it is in this box !

[Traverso]

To those deeply interested in Buxtehudes organ music there are several mandatory sets:

Vogel, Spang-Hanssen, Saorgin, Bryndorf, Kraft, Ablitzer, Davidsson to name a few.

I have four sets and the Bryndorf set is with its sober introvert playing my favorite.Sober but by no means  dull.

[André]

Well,it is in this box !

That's certainly an interesting box, despite some duplication with the Haitink Symphony Edition, also from Decca (why do they do this?).

Thanks!

[Traverso]

That's certainly an interesting box, despite some duplication with the Haitink Symphony Edition, also from Decca (why do they do this?).

Thanks!

I have also the Symphony Edition,both very cheap but nevertheless......
Everything sounds better than the LP's I had in the past.
I wonder what they ( the industry)  come up with when Haitink dies,I have everything interesting already.

[SimonNZ]

[André]

Verdi

[vandermolen]

Rawsthorne: Improvisations on a theme by Constant Lambert.
Thanks to Lol (Irons) for recommending this short but powerful work recently. I'd always skipped it in the past and focused on the piano concertos but this has been a happy discovery:

[SonicMan46]

Fischer, Johann Caspar (1670-1746) - Musical Parnassus V. 1/2 w/ Luc Beauséjour on two different reproduction harpsichords by Yves Beaupré, both built in 1985 (V.1 after Grabner, 1774; V.2 after Hemsch & Blanchet, ? date); reviews attached.  Dave

 

[Karl Henning]

Well,it is in this box !

The Unsmiling Years!

[Karl Henning]

Elgar
Symphony# 1 in A-flat, Op. 55
Symphony # 2 in E-flat, Op. 63
BBC Symphony
Sir Andrew Davis

[SimonNZ]

owned this for a long time but hardly ever play it, not sure why - today it sounds glorious

[Symphonic Addict]

Cheers for that. Yes, that can sometimes happen with one popular work. Ravel and Holst would immediately come to mind. I suppose one has to make an effort to dig deeper; one usually finds treasures below as is certainly the case in the two composers that I have mentioned. I will have to do so with Rimsky-Korsakov. Other than Jarvi mentioned already do you have any recommendations?

Svetlanov was the last I heard and sounded more than convincing, even in the least interesting 3rd symphony, which seems his more 'academic'.

[Symphonic Addict]

Rawsthorne: Improvisations on a theme by Constant Lambert.
Thanks to Lol (Irons) for recommending this short but powerful work recently. I'd always skipped it in the past and focused on the piano concertos but this has been a happy discovery:

Sounds interesting, Jeffrey. I've heard several works by this composer and almost all what I have listened to has been from good to intriguing though 'too serious + dissonant' in between, which could be a disadvantage for some. This work (Improvisations on a theme by Constant Lambert) will be of my interests, I hope!!

[Symphonic Addict]

Talking recently about Tubin on this thread:



Symphony No. 2 The Legendary

Hyper-epic stuff. Mentioned in my top 10 all-time favorite works. A desert-island piece for sure. One of the works I wish to listen before dying.