What are you listening 2 now?

[pianococo90]

Toshio Hosokawa
Lied for flute and piano

[Christo]

Isidora Žebeljan (27 September 1967 – 29 September 2020), Orchestral works. Žebeljan was a Serbian composer and conductor, friends with the musicians of the Amsterdam Chamber Ensemble that I heard do a.o. her short "Polomka" String Quartet, a tribute to young Mahler ("Blumine"), the performance of her SQ itself again a tribute to her, who died way tooooo young. Very moving and veeeeeery good. Back home I "discovered" on my shelves, next to Ljubica Marić, this fine CPO CD, now playing. She really is a "great" composer! Nothing """female""" about it, more than fine. Recommended.
                                                       

[Harry]

Pieces de Luth.
Works by: Rene Mezangeau, Denis Gaultier, Charles Mouton.
Anthony Bailes Lute.
Recorded: 1977, 1988, and re-released in 2022, on a SUB label from Warners, Parlophone Records Limited.

A rather obscure release with a rather silly front cover, and hard to find. No back cover to be found either. I am in two minds about this recording. The recording is made in a acoustic that makes the luth sound as if tiny hammers hit the strings of the Luth so one has to turn the volume to a low setting. The Luth doesn't sound right either. To be frank as an interpretation I heard better. Rather a mixed blessing. The artistry of Bailes is beyond doubt, but it was not his best effort.

[Irons]

I seem to recall that Ansermet conducted then premier of Les Noces. (I've never listened to the piece.) Ansermet's Petruchka is wonderful, and his Sacre is just weird, eschewing brutality that has come to characterize performances.

I know someone who used work for Decca, and the story told is that during the recording session of Le Sacre the producer (maybe Eric Smith) turned to the engineer and said "they can't play this f*cking music."

On a similar theme. I think I read the quote in John Culshaw's autobiography "Putting the Record Straight" Ansermet having a hard time with a British orchestra lost his rag and shouted at the players "You think I know f*cking nothing, let me tell you I know f*ck all!"

[Irons]

Being in the mood for Haydn piano sonatas quite by accident found myself comparing performances between McCabe and Olbertz. Not the same pieces so perhaps being unfair to McCabe but the effortless fluidity and bell-like sound of the upper registers of Olbertz is more pleasing on the ear.

[Harry]

Carlo Ambrogio Lonati c.1645 – c.1712
Complete Sinfonias.
Ensemble Giardino di Delizie.
Ewa Anna Augustynowicz, Baroque violin, artistic director.
Katarzyna Solecka, Baroque violin.
Cristina Vidoni, Baroque cello.
Lucia Adelaide di Nicola, Harpsichord/Organ.
Recording: 11-16 December 2017, Santa Croce Church/Museum, Umbertide, Italy.

Lonati's ten trio sonatas (Sinfonias à 3) are composed for one or two violins, cello and harpsichord/organ. The ornate counterpoint style and brilliant virtuosity open up every opportunity for the instruments to shine and impress in dialogue with each other. And I might safely say that is is done to perfection. This recording did not get much attention on GMG and was not really seen by classical magazines as a important release. But it is, first because of the impeccable performance, secondly a interpretation that captures your attention with its's brilliancy and tightness of ensemble, and the detailing of the scores. And last but not least a superb recording.
Already OOP, but with some luck you may find it.

[Que]

In honor of Leontyne Price, who celebrated her 98th birthday yesterday , listening to this 1968 recital from Paris, which I've never heard.

WOW! 

[Que]

Pieces de Luth.
Works by: Rene Mezangeau, Denis Gaultier, Charles Mouton.
Anthony Bailes Lute.
Recorded: 1977, 1988, and re-released in 2022, on a SUB label from Warners, Parlophone Records Limited.

A rather obscure release with a rather silly front cover, and hard to find. No back cover to be found either. I am in two minds about this recording. The recording is made in a acoustic that makes the luth sound as if tiny hammers hit the strings of the Luth so one has to turn the volume to a low setting. The Luth doesn't sound right either. To be frank as an interpretation I heard better. Rather a mixed blessing. The artistry of Bailes is beyond doubt, but it was not his best effort.

After initial enthusiasm, I have developed some reservations about Anthony Bailes... I feel his playing is just a bit too nimble, too recessed, too precious...

[Que]

Brahms
Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny) for Chorus and Orchestra, Op. 54
Alto Rhapsody, for Alto, Male Chorus & Orchestra, Op. 53
Warum Ist Das Licht Gegeben Den Mühseligen?, Motet for Chorus, Op. 74/1
Begräbnisgesang ('Nun Lasst Uns Den Leib'), for 5-Voice Chorus, Winds & Timpani ('Funeral Hymn'), Op. 13
Gesang Der Parzen ('Es Fürchte Die Götter'), for Chorus & Orchestra ('Song of the Fates'), Op. 89

Ann Hallenberg (alto)
Collegium Vocale
Orchestre Des Champs Elysées
Philippe Herreweghe

How is that? Herreweghe is a masterful choral director.

[Madiel]

That's what I think too though I keep hearing things from others (including one friend who enjoys classical music and it was one that her husband loved) that are dismissive.  Maybe it's partly to do with that it's popular?  And maybe that it's not Bach chamber music (which she loves)?   

K

Dvorak dared to write tunes. In some circles this is not the done thing. Especially not in the serious business of a symphony. Worse still, when he got to America he started writing American-sounding tunes.

[nico1616]

Revisiting. Songs are mostly anonymous, a few motets by Machaut and Pycard.

https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/sept08/Study_of_love_CDH55295.htm

These early music cd's often have beautiful artwork, love it!

[Madiel]

Poulenc: Les Soirées de Nazelles



Apparently I haven't listened to Poulenc's largest piano suite for over a decade.

There's a good chance I will compensate by listening to it twice tonight.

EDIT: Yes, and like so many of Poulenc's works, the more attention you pay to it the more rewards you get from its subtleties.

[Lisztianwagner]

Johann Sebastian Bach
English Suites, BWV 806-811

Gustav Leonahrdt (harpsichord)

[Harry]

The Contest of Apollo and Pan.
An anthology of instrumental music by Castello and his contemporaries.
See back cover for details.
Apollo & Pan.
Recorded in 2004, at the St Mary's Church, Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk.
Winner of the 2001 International Early Music Network Young Artists Competition.

A very enjoyable and well played anthology. Composers are well chosen, compositions that charm and delight. Superb recording, and a very promising ensemble, but with a snag, they recorded only two CD'S and I did not hear from them again, maybe they have divorced after a musical diatribe  

[Que]

Earlier this morning:



What a great recording! The combination of early French & English music works very well due to the historical connections.

[Que]

These early music cd's often have beautiful artwork, love it!

From the Hyperion site:

Cover artwork: Saint Jerome in his study by Master Theodoric of Prague (fl1348-1367)
A panel painting from the Castle of Karlstein, now in the National Gallery, Prague




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Jerome_(Master_Theodoric)

[Que]

Hat tip to Harry.

[Madiel]

Ravel

Ronsard à son âme
Don Quichotte à Dulcinée



I don't know whether I've heard any of these songs before. But they're exquisite. Well, maybe that's not the right word for the final drinking song in Don Quichotte but it's immediate love for everything here. Ravel going Spanish is always a good recipe.

[Iota]

Boulez: Piano Sonata No. 2
Paavali Jumppanen (piano)

Prompted by discussions in the Boulez thread, I had another dip into the Second Piano Sonata, which Boulez' own dictum 'organised delirium' describes perfectly I think. It's like being shrunk down to subatomic size and taking a trip through the quantum world, a kind of super-energetic madness reigns which has its own kind of sparkling beauty, things appear and disappear at disorientating speed and its restless energy transfixes in myriad different ways. How people actually play it is yet another dazzlement to me.

[Traverso]

Bach