What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

Stravinsky
Quatre études, Op. 7
Marie-Françoise Bucquet

From this set:



Stravinsky didn't compose a lot of works for solo piano, but what he did compose is of high quality. I especially like this work, the later Piano Sonata, and those shorter pieces like Piano-Rag-Music, Tango, and Circus Polka. Of course, he wrote a good bit for piano duo, too, and those are some good pieces as well.

[San Antone]

"My first ever non-stop marathon performance of Satie's piano music took place in Honfleur and Perpignan back in 2011. It signalled the beginning of a long journey, since when I have worked closely with the most important Erik Satie experts on a very special project: to capture the spirit of Satie's music as it would have sounded in his day. Approaching Satie's complete piano oeuvre in chronological order, I recorded the first few volumes of this new cycle on an 1881 Érard piano. This survey of the urtext edition of Satie's music contains world premières of both newly discovered and recently corrected works, enhanced by in-depth musical analysis; a thoughtful biography containing recent additional material by Robert Orledge; plus a comprehensive iconography with rarely seen or unknown examples chosen by Ornella Volta." — Nicolas Horvath

[Kontrapunctus]

[Traverso]

JSB
The Musical Offering
Leonhardt & al.

Great recording!

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Tonight, yes tonight , I'm re-visiting, an old album on ensemble Sequentia: Von Meissen Frauenlob

Old ars Vetus from Germany from an obscure, well at least for me. It relaxing, musically speaking, the voices are smooth as velvet, very pleasant album, and perhaps I will re-visited others poet-singer troubadours of ancient lore like: Frauenlob von Meissen, Neidhart von Reuental, Jaufre Rudel, Oswald Von Wolkenstein etc..

[SimonNZ]

[Ratliff]

What I also love about Milhaud is the fact that he wasn't afraid to 'let his hair down' so to speak and clown around. There's a jovial mood that pervades much of his music. But in the afore mentioned symphony (the 6th), I find him in a particularly melancholic kind of mood that took me aback the first time I heard it. There's more depth to his music than I think people initially realize.

Ironically when I decided to listen trough the Milhaud symphony set a few years ago I got as far as No 5, then skipped to 10 (on the advice of Sarge, I recall). Never made it back to No 6.

I think the six "little symphonies" are my favorite Milhaud symphonies, conducted by the composer.

[Mirror Image]

Ironically when I decided to listen trough the Milhaud symphony set a few years ago I got as far as No 5, then skipped to 10 (on the advice of Sarge, I recall). Never made it back to No 6.

I think the six "little symphonies" are my favorite Milhaud symphonies, conducted by the composer.

I love the Little Symphonies as well. That's a great set. Another symphony that impressed me from Milhaud has been Symphony No. 8, Op. 362, "Rhôdanienne". You should check this one out. It has an unusual feel to it. The piece is supposed to depict the landscape surrounding the Rhône. So it's like some kind of journey. Anyway, I think it's a gnarly (in a good way) work.

[SimonNZ]

[vandermolen]

Milhaud
Symphony No. 6, Op. 343
Francis
Basel RSO

Which would you say is the best Milhaud symphony John? I have the CPO boxed set but have hardly listened to it.

[Irons]

It certainly is a particularly 'yummy' album PD.
The recordings come from 1946-56 and, I think, pre-date some of the releases that you mean although I think that Bax's 'The Garden of Fand' and the John Ireland works are the same as on 'Great EMI Recordings'. Elgar's Enigma Variations from 1947 has never been released in any format before! This is its first appearance. I find this extraordinary as I have never heard a better or more moving performance. I only heard it as I let the CD run on after the VW works as I was writing school reports. However, very soon I was concentrating exclusively on the performance, which in many ways has restored my enthusiasm for the work. I know that it is great music but it was so familiar to me from my late teens that I had become rather bored with it, terrible as that is to say. I can't understand why this performance was never released before. The booklet note author said it is a mystery. It was Barbirolli's first recording of it although he re-recorded it later the same year in a version that has been previously issued. The two VW works from 1946 and 48 have never been released on CD before. It is indeed a fine collection and brilliantly re-mastered.

Yes, I have the second recording, Jeffrey. He also rerecorded A Purcell Suite (arranged by Sir John). Thanks for info, most interesting.

[Mandryka]

Herbert Schuch has an interesting recording of them. They aren't as "whole" or integrated as Arrau's approach, Schuch can sound a bit disconnected like in the third. Schuch is how I'd picture Horowitz playing them. Let me know if you want to hear them.

I have Schuch's recording in fact. You know there are records of Horowitz doing at least  3 and 4, the 4 is unusual

https://www.youtube.com/v/33I3M943i08

[Tsaraslondon]

Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F Peter Donohoe (piano), BBC National Orchestra of Wales - David Charles Abell

Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Jean-Philippe Collard (piano), BBC National Orchestra of Wales - Françoise-Xavier Roth

Another excellent disc that came free with BBC Music Magazine and is now selling for £9.85 on Amazon.co.uk!

[Mandryka]

Holliger's Nachtstucke, I prefer this recording with Thomas Larcher to Schuch's

[Madiel]

Barber, Toccata Festiva op.36

[Tsaraslondon]

I've now moved on to what would have been the fourth LP of this survey of Rachmaninov's songs. Recorded over a five year period from 1975 to 1980, the quality of these performances is consistently high.

[Madiel]

First listen to Thompson, Frostiana



It's pleasant. I can't say a lot else about it. I like the imitation of bird song in the 3rd song, and the 5th brings some much needed energy. But much of the work doesn't seem very distinctive to me.

As to the performance, it sounds very good.

[vers la flamme]

Per Nørgård: Violin Concerto, "Helle Nacht". Christina Åstrand, Thomas Dausgaard, Danish National RSO. This is a damn fine CD. This piece is something else. The inner movements are profoundly beautiful.

[Madiel]

Sibelius

Five Sketches for piano, op.114



And so, after, um, about 18 months, I finally reach the end of this set. Which I highly recommend. It's been excellent throughout. As I've kept saying sporadically!

[pjme]

Barber, Toccata Festiva op.36

Great! Molto maestoso e pomposo!