What are you listening 2 now?

[vandermolen]

This one is equally fine, IMHO:

Both are great discs.

[j winter]

Now:

[Traverso]

Boulez

[Biffo]

Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette, Dramatic Symphony, op. 17 - Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunkchor, Berlin & soloists conducted by Daniel Harding - streamed from Digital Concert hall.

[Brian]

If you like amazing feats of the human voice, listen to track 2, where the bass solo singer has to repeatedly, singing solo, hit the lowest D and make it sound like it's a perfectly normal note to sing. Amazing.

So far the rest is pretty great too.

[Florestan]

After Florestan's continued advocacy, today I swapped out the Vanska Beethoven set for the Konwitschny Leipzig set.  For the drive this morning, I went for the Pastorale, followed by the Coriolan overture.

I have to say, this is a truly outstanding 6th.  The sound quality is superb for 1959, extremely clear with only a small touch of harshness in the upper strings.  I love the transparency and balance Konwitschny produces from the orchestra; you can hear the inner voices shining through, particularly the woodwinds, which are distinct and colorful in tone throughout.  In every movement, every idea is presented though all of the voices in near ideal proportion.  The finale is beautifully judged, with excellent brass playing, and a truly glorious uplifting of emotion at the end. 

Honestly, this is very close to an ideal recording of this symphony for me.  I could quibble a bit, but it's only quibbling – the timpani could be a bit more fierce during the storm, but then that may be more of my own Romantic "King-Lear-mad-upon-the-heath" conception of how it ought to go than anything in Beethoven; the strings could be a bit richer and fuller in tone, but then if they were they might overpower the woodwinds, as they do in so many other recordings. 

All in all, this ranks right up there with the best 6ths I've ever heard.  Really wonderful stuff – thanks again to Florestan for bringing my attention back to it!   

I'm glad you like it as much as I do, and your description is spot on. Also, don't you think the sound is surprisingly very good for its age?

[Traverso]

Victoria

[Ken B]

Schumann
Abegg Variations
Eric LeSage

[j winter]

I'm glad you like it as much as I do, and your description is spot on. Also, don't you think the sound is surprisingly very good for its age?

Indeed -- the sound is better than many sets I've heard recorded 15-20 years later... I think of Schuricht's excellent set -- it's great, but it's in less-than-stellar mono and recorded at the same time as this...

[Papy Oli]

JS BACH - Cello Suite No.4 (Queyras)

[asin]B000T2OMX0[/asin]

[aligreto]

Schubert: Symphony No. 8 [von Karajan]

[aligreto]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.7 in E minor. Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic. This has unexpectedly become one of my favorite Mahler symphonies...

After an inauspicious start [total incomprehension on my part] I have come to appreciate M7 much more over the years. I do like the Bernstein version.

[aligreto]

Schubert: Moments Musicaux [Serkin]


   

[Papy Oli]

Richard Strauss - An Alpine Symphony (Wit)

[asin]B000FGGKHQ[/asin]

[vers la flamme]

After an inauspicious start [total incomprehension on my part] I have come to appreciate M7 much more over the years. I do like the Bernstein version.

Before hearing it for the first time, I heard a lot of talk about how it was his worst, weirdest symphony, and that most find it incomprehensible. After hearing it I wondered if I listened to the right symphony, because it didn't fit that description at all. It's strange in parts, sure, but I didn't find it particularly inaccessible. I liked it more than I did the more popular 6th on first hearing and still prefer it to that symphony. The Bernstein recording is great, but I'm curious to hear another account.

[Wakefield]

Telemann: "Les Plaisirs" [Chamber Concertos]
Sarah Cunningham (viola da gamba)
Marion Verbruggen (recorder)
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Monica Huggett (dir.)



A disk for the famous island... Its goals seem quite simple: Beautiful music played on beautiful instruments, beautifully recorded and beautifully played by inspired musicians.

One of the best Telemann disks that I know. 

[aligreto]

Ravel: Pavane Pour Une Infante Défunte [Ansermet]

[aligreto]

Richard Strauss - An Alpine Symphony (Wit)

[asin]B000FGGKHQ[/asin]

I have that version and I like it.

[aligreto]

Before hearing it for the first time, I heard a lot of talk about how it was his worst, weirdest symphony, and that most find it incomprehensible. After hearing it I wondered if I listened to the right symphony, because it didn't fit that description at all. It's strange in parts, sure, but I didn't find it particularly inaccessible. I liked it more than I did the more popular 6th on first hearing and still prefer it to that symphony. The Bernstein recording is great, but I'm curious to hear another account.

FWIW Abbado / CSO was the version that convinced me. Another very strong recommendation from me is Horenstein [a favoured Mahler interpreter for me]. The Horenstein is a live recording.

[Traverso]

Antonín Dvořák

Symphony No.7

Bedřich Smetana

Mà Vlast

Franz Schubert

Symphony No.8