What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Morning listening is a return to this gorgeous set:

[asin]B000004CYV[/asin]
First Booke of Songes (1597)

Amazing stuff - this set will definitely make it onto my shortlist for 2019! 

Q

I had the LP'S and now I have the CD"S, and I could not agree more, this set is fabulous!

[Papy Oli]

Good morning all,

Continuing the exploration of the Rubbra Symphonies, No.2 right now (Handley/New Philarmonia).

[asin]B000027QX1[/asin]

[ritter]

String quartets 5-8

The most interesting of these works is the No. 5. Sounds unexpectedly warm by comparing it with the others. Liked it enormously. No. 7 shares some similar features with Nos. 1 to 4, so I enjoyed it. Nos. 6 & 8 were the least appealing overall, they have those dissonances I dislike.

As a whole this cycle gave me a better idea about this composer. It was rewarding altogether.

I certainly must revisit this cycle, which I've owned for many, many years now, but have neglected recently. The multifaceted Krenek is a composer I greatly admire, and your post have piqued my interest again. 

[Que]

First run:

[asin]B0012S57WU[/asin]
This set neatly fills a gap in my Vivaldi collection in a rather magnificent way.. . 

Q

[Traverso]

Bach

CD 25

[Que]

Now, one of the biggest surprises of the past year:

[asin]B07B12HRJC[/asin]
My previous comment:

A - for me new - Italian (late) Baroque composer & unfamiliar performers...
But it's all excellent on all accounts! (Curious what Harry thinks of this recording.....)
Giacomo Matteo Ignazio Cirri came from Northern Italy and was befriended with Mozart tutor Giovanni Battista Martini.

It would be a mistake to call this violin sonatas, because it is in fact the violin that is in the accompanying role. The result is fascinating: spirited and invigorating music with a definitive pre-Classical feel to it. Contributions by violinist Luca Giardini and harpsichordist Filippo Pantieri are absolutely splendid. Technical quality of the recording is noticeably outstanding.

Those hooked on this combination of instruments by way of Bach's violin sonatas, should investigate. 

More here: https://www.passacaille.be/gb/home/162-ignazio-cirri-six-sonatas-op-ii-o-sezione-aurea-artistsluca-giardini-and-filippo-pantieri-composerignazio-cirri.html

Harry's comment:

Listening to this music in the early morning is a treat. Well balanced playing and a delightful detailing in the music, which makes it clear as a bell, and  reveals so much melodic creativity. The composer had to finance the publication of the opus II, although it had enough quality to be happily picked up and brought on the market by any publisher. The works were intended primarily as Harpsichord pieces,  but the added violin adds that extra dimension and emotion that makes them much more accessible. The music is brilliant and agile. "The sonatas essential qualities are however not simple those of elegance, brilliance and wealth of ornamentation. They provide a broad selection of both natural and artificial modes of expression, of formulas for variation and ornamentation of simple bass structures, of essential melodic and harmonic outlines".
The sound is pristine as are the performances.
Filippo Pantieri plays on a beautiful harpsichord by Roberto Livi, after Guarracino, and one after Mietke.

[Cato]

Not too long ago I had a dream where Elliott Carter invited me to visit him in Brooklyn!   

Since it is not possible to honor that invitation, today I decided to crank up this CD:


[asin]B00000JSAJ[/asin]



Never a dull moment with Elliott Carter!   0:)

[Mandryka]

I feel more as though I'm eavesdropping on a sing song of young white happy clappy Christians in a church in contemporary suburbia than on a bunch of medieval people. This surely isn't the way. It's professionally done, and well recorded.

Not that I've ever actually been to a concert of suburban young Christians, let me make that very clear.

The high point is, of course, Emmanuel Bonnardot's voice, we don't hear it very often, or rather, we hear it very rarely,  but when I do I'm reminded why I bought the recording.

[Traverso]

Handel

Concerto grosso "Alelander's Feast
12 Concerti grossi opus 6

[Karl Henning]

Not too long ago I had a dream where Elliott Carter invited me to visit him in Brooklyn!   

Since it is not possible to honor that invitation, today I decided to crank up this CD:


[asin]B00000JSAJ[/asin]



Never a dull moment with Elliott Carter!   0:)

True, indeed!

[Harry]

Pffff, finally some time to listen. Had the whole week labourers in the house to restore all the damage of the big storm. Next week another avalanche of time eating activities.

Anyways this new acquisition.

I find these recordings to be highly satisfactory in terms of performance and recording. The music is intimate yet melodically revealing in more than one way. Ariosti is not a common household composer, which he would deserve. There is real warmth in both the sound and this deeply affecting performance. It will please many.

[Traverso]

Webern

CD 5

Works for string quartet & string trio
Emerson string quartet

[ritter]

Second listen to this recent purchase. I've never been much of a fan of the organ, but Joseph Jongen's Symphonie concertante is a work I find extraordinarily beautiful. 

[asin]B01IFNZUEE[/asin]

[San Antone]

Mention of the Nash Ensemble in the Bruch thread made me want to hear them.

[kyjo]

G'day, all!

Thread-duty - Test-drive Tuesday
Melartin
Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
Tampere Philharmonic
Leonid Grin



Madetoja
Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
Okon Fuoko Suite Op. 58
Helsinki Philharmonic
John Storgårds
[asin]B00GNNESBK[/asin]

Very nice, Karlo! What did you think? Concerning Melartin, I find the meat of his symphonic cycle to be found in the 3rd and 4th symphonies, though I enjoy the 2nd quite a bit as well. Concerning Madetoja, I enjoy his music well enough but find it a bit too understated for my tastes. I think I like the 2nd Symphony the best of the three - it's painted on a broader emotional canvas.

[kyjo]

Incendiary performances and excellent sound.

I love Bloch's piano quintets (especially the 1st, what a masterwork!) but haven't yet listened to this recording. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

[kyjo]

Fabulous CD and works. I think that Bloch should be much better known - I've never heard any of his works in concert.

Indeed. Only Schelomo is performed with any regularity in the US.

[kyjo]

This looks like a most desirable new release! The Gliere Octet and Hahn Piano Quintet are both delightful, generously melodic works.

[Mirror Image]

Martinů
Symphony No. 2, H 295
Jiří Bělohlávek, conductor
BBC Symphony Orchestra





I believe it was Brian or some other member here who said Martinů's second symphony was like his 'pastoral symphony' or something along these lines. While I agree there is some of this sound in this symphony, there are some aggressive moments and even haunting ones like the introduction of the second movement, Andante moderato, which has this yearning quality to the main melody --- almost as if you can feel Martinů's homesickness. Even though I argued with Dancing Divertimentian about this particular cycle from Bělohlávek, I have to say that he was right and I was wrong --- it is, by far, the most consistent, most well-played, and the interpretations hit close to home more than any other cycle I've heard.

[Mirror Image]

I can feel that today will be one of those Martinů days.