What are you listening 2 now?

[SonicMan46]

Prokofiev Symphonies & Piano Concertos on the recordings below for the morning, being selective - reviews attached (including our own Jens giving a 'thumbs-up' to Jarvi) - Dave

 

[Harry]

Carl Heinrich Reinecke.
Cello sonatas Nr.1-3.
See back cover for details.
Manuel Fischer-Dieskau, Cello.
Connie Shih, Piano.
Recorded: November 2010 at Ehemaliges Ackerhaus der Abtei, Mariamünster.

Reinecke was constantly accused of being overly conservative, well that might be, but it did not stop him from writing marvelous music, now did it? He abhorred the progressive modern musical movement initiated by Wagner, and to my ears rightly so, for the richness of music Reinecke is producing is so much more as starting a musical revolution, with much noise and less substance. And did not Reinecke  withstand the test of time? Of course he did, just look at the wealth of  music that is recorded. These Cello sonatas fit in beautifully, the lyrical and harmonic richness, it's all there. Beautifully performed and recorded. There is so much to enjoy.

[71 dB]

Schubert - Lieder with Orchestra
Anne Sofie von Otter
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Claudio Abbado
Deutsche Grammophon 00289 477 0832
SACD 1

[Karl Henning]

Maderna: Serenata II

Nice!
TD:
Prokofiev, Le pas d'acier, Op. 40
Shostakovich, seventh and eighth Quartets, Opp. 109 & 110.

[Linz]

Johann Christian Bach: Concertantes Symphonies, Vol. 6 Anthony Halstead, The Hanover Band

[SonicMan46]

Quantz, Johann (1697-1773) - Flute Concertos on the recordings below (nearly half of my modest Quantz collection of 10 CDs) - relationship of Quantz and Frederick II summarized below (from a thesis); the flutist was paid 2000 thalers compared to CPE Bach's 600 (Source).  Quantz was a composer, virtuoso flutist, flute maker, and author of an influential book on the instrument - he wrote hundreds of Sonatas & Concertos (about 300 of the latter, of which I have a mere 18!).  Dave

Note: all performances below on period instruments for the interested.

Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773) was a German composer, virtuoso flutist, and flute
maker. He was the highest paid musician of his day and was one of the most influential music
pedagogues of the eighteenth century. In 1740, he became the flute teacher, composer, and
instrument maker for Frederick II of Prussia (1712-1786), who was later known as Frederick the
Great - one of the most significant monarchs in the Western world. Quantz spent the remainder
of his life in the service of the king composing over three hundred flute concertos for Frederick's
sole use. Frederick was himself a virtuoso flute player who composed over one hundred sonatas
for the flute and gave two-hour recitals every night to a select and private audience. (Source)

     

[Linz]

Frederick Delius David Lloyd-Jones, Royal Scottish National Orchestra

[Karl Henning]

Martinů: Piano Concerto 3

Tangentially:
Malipiero & Martinů, first quartets (1920 & 1918, respectively)

[Karl Henning]

Well, for me, all that stuff is French to me. I'm simply listening to the music; I do not understand the words or their relevance. As a composer, though, Brahms is one of my favorites.

I took your advice and listened to the Marriner and the Hogwood, and I must say - you were spot on. The Hogwood, especially, feels like a completely different piece. It is intricate, has nuance, and its opening is something I've never heard before (going to listen to it again later today). It was so different I almost thought I got the wrong recording, but it was it, so I still like the Brahms more, but I will be listening to Hogwood's interpretation again, as I enjoyed it that much.

Many thanks for that. :-)

Excellent! I'm a big fan of the Berlioz Grande Messe des Morts, but I'm not sure how to pitch it to you.

[Karl Henning]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony 2, 'Oktyabryu - To October'
Dmitri Kitayenko
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Prague Philharmonic Chorus

This is possibly my favoured rendering of #2, so far in this traversal. Aside from the far better and more accessible dynamic range, the sound quality overall is great and the pacing is more dramatic and impactful.

IMO, of course.

I'm in! They're the only two I've listened to lately, but yes, significantly superior to Barshai's account.

[Karl Henning]

Steve you were really on a roll last night, what a fantastic line up!

There's a piece [Ligeti Requiem] to which it is high time I listened in its entirety. As yet, I've only heard whatever bits have been borrowed for movie scores.

[Roasted Swan]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony 2, 'Oktyabryu - To October'
Dmitri Kitayenko
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Prague Philharmonic Chorus

This is possibly my favoured rendering of #2, so far in this traversal. Aside from the far better and more accessible dynamic range, the sound quality overall is great and the pacing is more dramatic and impactful.

IMO, of course.

Kitayenko's performing style seems to be pretty consistent across a range of composers and styles; preferring slower tempi and grander epic statements.  When - for me - the music and style align the results are really really good.  Other times I just find him willfully leaden! (the last movement of his Rach 1 just grinds to a halt.  less of the "Allegro con fuoco" and more of the "con lumberoso")

[André]

Playing and sound in the Kuchar/Marco Polo-Naxos series (of which I have 1-3) is quite superior to that of the CPO disc of 4 and 5. I'll see if I can complete the Kuchar series at a reasonable price. The music is certainly worthy of duplication.

[Karl Henning]

The covers of Soviet symphonies unequivocally testify to the undeniable fact that music in the USSR was an instrument of propaganda and ideological influence on the masses. In light of today's events, all of this takes on a new meaning. It is interesting to follow the developments, including on this forum.

Actually, coolly evaluated, it's your post here which is the propaganda.

I'm presently listening to the Shostakovich Second Symphony, which is a historical and artistic object. The text which is set for chorus was propaganda in its day, sure, which no doubt is why the composer asked his son never to conduct it. The fact that Maksim Dmitriyevich overrode that request is an indicator that he felt there was no longer any tooth to that paper tiger. It is a fallacy to insist that an audience in the 21^st century, listening to the piece, somehow endorses that hoary propaganda. Both a fallacy, and a want of imagination.

[Henk]

Prokofiev Symphonies & Piano Concertos on the recordings below for the morning, being selective - reviews attached (including our own Jens giving a 'thumbs-up' to Jarvi) - Dave

 

@AnotherSpin Do you consider these covers propaganda? Or is it Russian art and identity?

[steve ridgway]

Excellent! I'm a big fan of the Berlioz Grande Messe des Morts, but I'm not sure how to pitch it to you.

I can see at least one recording on archive.org - will give it a try.

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, 1894 Original Version. Ed. Alfred Orel, Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter

[DavidW]

I've been digging into this cycle yesterday and today. The clean, precise playing ends up sounding intimate, spontaneous, poetic... kind of like a modern Kempff. But Sohn can put on the fire as needed. I like it so far.

[Bachtoven]

Thank you, everyone, for your kind words. They and music make me feel a little better.

I think Lazar Berman out-guns her in the big, overtly virtuosic parts, but she's a superb pianist, and the SACD audio is excellent.

[Henk]

I've been digging into this cycle yesterday and today. The clean, precise playing ends up sounding intimate, spontaneous, poetic... kind of like a modern Kempff. But Sohn can put on the fire as needed. I like it so far.

Just checked it. Sounds good. Would be a nice Spotify listen. Will try to make that reality.