What are you listening 2 now?

[kyjo]

Ernesto Halffter's Sinfonietta is quickly becoming one of my favorite finds of 2025!

Quel coincidence! I was just listening to this masterpiece of neoclassicism the other day (in the excellent CPO recording). Stylistically, it superficially resembles Stravinsky's neoclassical works, but Halffter has his own voice tinged with Spanish coloring and more warmth of emotion than the Russian composer would ever allow to permeate his scores (witness the glowing climax of the slow movement). As with his countryman Falla, it's a real shame that Halffter wasn't 10x more prolific...

[AnotherSpin]

[Wanderer]

[Que]

It was hard to resist the last recording in this series, this time featuring parody masses by Palestrina on madrigals by Cipriano de Rore. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting these Palestrina recordings. My only regret is there isn't more... 

[Irons]

Yes, un petit, jazzy bijou! I bought the Turnabout LP, Walter Klien is the soloist.

I had the very same LP in my hand over this weekend. Need to create some shelf space so a small cull, that one a keeper.

Current listening: Octet.

[Madiel]

JS Bach: Keyboard concerto in D minor, BWV 1052



Which turns out to be the only one of the keyboard concertos in this set that I've previously listened to remotely recently. Clearly I should pull this set out more often, because it does confirm what I vaguely remembered - that I like this music, when played like this, just as much with the harpsichord as I liked it with the piano on Beatrice Rana's recording earlier today. Though the effect is a little different. What matters is the commitment to giving the music the appropriate energy.

I do tend to like harpsichord in ensembles much more than I like most solo recordings.

[Iota]

Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, D960
Mitsuko Uchida (piano)

I can't imagine the quiet despair of the Andante sostenuto more beautifully done, the opening melody seems without time and utterly heartbreaking. The first movement is like a song coming from beyond the clouds ineffably lovely and glowing with feeling, and the quick movements are both judged to perfection. A very special performance indeed.

[Cato]

This morning...

and...

I believe the Musical Heritage Society in the 1980's helped to revive the works of Heinichen, but another company or two (mail-order houses?) may have also been involved.

While researching that, I came across this gem by Heinichen from a "Serenata" called Diana su l'Elba.

[Madiel]

Lalo: Piano Trio no.2 in B minor



No opus number, despite it being published at the time. Lalo's opus numbers are a bit odd that way. It's certainly worthy of standing alongside the first trio.

[Papy Oli]

Other countries made her famous. We just basked in the glory.

I mean, she had a gorgeous voice. Just no diction.

Just to show how little I know of the Operatic world, I didn't know she was Australian, I thought she was British. 

Anyway, reactions to voices are very personal. Maybe one day, I'll hear an aria that I like and find out it's her singing. Weirder things can happen 

[Traverso]

Alexandre Lagoya





 

[Madiel]

Beethoven: String quartet in B flat, op.18/6



I particularly love what they do with the first movement.

[Cato]

Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, D960
Mitsuko Uchida (piano)



I can't imagine the quiet despair of the Andante sostenuto more beautifully done, the opening melody seems without time and utterly heartbreaking. The first movement is like a song coming from beyond the clouds ineffably lovely and glowing with feeling, and the quick movements are both judged to perfection. A very special performance indeed.

Wow!  I will need to listen to this later: many thanks for the review!

Unfortunately, spread over 4 different screens....

[Traverso]

Schubert

Octet

This recording is full of nostalgia for me; it's always been one of my favorite performances. I haven't no longer on LP; most of them are gone, but I'm happy with this fine box set featuring recordings by the Melos Ensemble.

[Papy Oli]

A bit of Goldberg.

[SonicMan46]

Bach, CPE - Keyboard Concertos - now listening to Spanyi (V.4/5) & Rische (V.5/6) - Miklos Spanyi on BIS has recorded 20 volumes of these works (about 64 pieces) on mainly harpsichord and tangent piano; Michael Rische on Hanssler performing on a modern piano has recorded 8 volumes with about 24 pieces (and according to the liner notes of V.8, is calling it quits!).

According to the Helm catalog, CPE's 'concerto catalog' numbers H 403 - H 479, but there are 9 transcriptions for other instruments (mainly winds) - so making Spanyi's output more or less complete; Rische just over a third of the way.  Dave

P.S. works from H 480 - H 501 (nearly all KB concertos) are listed as 'inauthentic compositions'.

     

[Papy Oli]

A bit of Goldberg.

@Bachthoven was right, this is special!! 

According to the booklet, both guitars were made from the same tree, to the request of the players,  to ensure their sonorities are matching.

[Philo]

Probably my sole listening for the week: Martino Tirimo performing Mozart's Complete Works for Solo Piano

Today, 1-9 from this set.

Delightful music, crisply articulated - right in the wheelhouse of my Scarlatti School. I also find this pianist, alongside the sonics, exceptional - main reason I also picked up their complete Beethoven.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Poulenc orchestral works. Georges Prêtre.

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony in D Minor, 1869 Ed. Leopold Nowak
Wiener Philharmoniker, Christian Thielemann