What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

Schnittke: Symphony No. 4.

Possibly the Schnittke Symphony I like best.

[Karl Henning]

CDs 24-26: pf sonatas by "Papa" "Wolferl" & LvB

And:

"Papa"
Missa in tempore belli, Hob. XXII:9
Salve Regina, Hob. XXIIIb:2
Motteto "O cœlitum beati" Hob. XXIIIa:G 9

Tafelmusik '& al.
Weil

[T. D.]

CDs 24-26: pf sonatas by "Papa" "Wolferl" & LvB

And:

"Papa"
Missa in tempore belli, Hob. XXII:9
Salve Regina, Hob. XXIIIb:2
Motteto "O cœlitum beati" Hob. XXIIIa:G 9

Tafelmusik '& al.
Weil

Good reminder...
I purchased this box years ago mostly for the operas and vocal music, never fully explored the instrumental works.

[Maestro267]

Myaskovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 26 & 2
RFASO/Svetlanov

[André]

Very evocative works, strong on atmosphere, powerfully orchestrated and written without unnecessary gestures.

[André]

Scherchen was only 15 when, in 1906, he purchased the score of the 6th symphony (just printed) and studied it for weeks on end in his room. In 1911 he was a violist in the orchestra that gave the Berlin premiere of the 7th. For his conducting debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1914 he programmed the 5th symphony. Solid mahlerian credentials by any standard.

This version of the 5th is not an only choice, and probably not among the top five contenders, but very special and certainly unique nonetheless. The orchestra is the VSOO, made up in good part of members of the WP. At the time (1953) that didn't mean technical excellence. The orchestra sounds almost tipsy at times - not together, ragged ensemble, insecure intonation (the opening trumpet solo had me clasping the arms of my chair for balance). And yet they have a collective sway, a sense of give and take between sections that makes the orchestra sound like a group engaged in animated conversation. Nothing rigid or mechanical here. Scherchen conceived the symphony classically in terms of overall architecture, but quite loosely in terms of thematic development, almost as if improvising. Each episode has its own character. There is no preconceived 'plan' in which the music would fit neatly.

The sound is quite okay, with a wide soundstage (almost sounds like stereo) and commendably wide dynamic range.

[j winter]

Mahler 4, Maazel WP.  Sarge knows his Mahler... 

[ritter]

First listen to Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari's two piano trios.

[asin]B00I7U0MS0[/asin]

A penny for your thoughts.

I wa listening to it more as background music, and in that respect it was splendid!  At the beginning, I thought of the Trio No. 1, "this wouldn't be out of place in the Caffé Florian in Venice, while sipping an (outrageously expensive) espresso". 

But the music sounds beautifully crafted, and the melodious gift is very apparent. Perhaps Trio No. 2 tries too much to be "expressive", and I think the composer is best in a light-melancholy vein, but it was still very enjoyable.

The performances are very convincing.

[vers la flamme]

Morton Feldman: Crippled Symmetry. California EAR Unit

I'm over the halfway point & still totally transfixed. This piece is really something special. I'm glad to have found it.

[vers la flamme]

Finished it, all 87 minutes.  Just phenomenal. If I didn't already have immense respect for Morton Feldman and his art, I would have gained it just now.

Moving onto another flute-driven 20th century piece, albeit in a completely different vein...:



Pierre Boulez: ...explosante-fixe... Sophie Cherrier, Emmanuelle Ophèle, Pierre Boulez, Ensemble Intercontemporain

Really enjoying this so far.

[JBS]

Finished it, all 87 minutes.  Just phenomenal. If I didn't already have immense respect for Morton Feldman and his art, I would have gained it just now.

Moving onto another flute-driven 20th century piece, albeit in a completely different vein...:



Pierre Boulez: ...explosante-fixe... Sophie Cherrier, Emmanuelle Ophèle, Pierre Boulez, Ensemble Intercontemporain

Really enjoying this so far.

I'm about due for another visit to Boulez. But right now
Domenico Scarlatti
Keyboard Sonatas Kk 1-19
Scott Ross harpsichord

[vandermolen]

Creston: Symphony No. 3 'Three Mysteries'.
It has a most beautiful and darkly searching slow movement.
How did I miss the qualities of this symphony before?
This is a marvellous disc which includes Copland's craggy and monolithic 'Symphonic Ode':

[Malx]

Vagn Holmboe, Symphony No 9 - Aarhus SO, Owain Arwel Hughes.

[SonicMan46]

Well, moving on today to a very 'windy' composer:

Reicha, Anton (1770-1836) - Bassoon, String Quintets, & Clarinet/Horn Quintets w/ the performers shown below; I own nearly two dozen discs of this Bohemian composer (on route to Vienna & Paris - see quote), but just over half of my collection is in a 12-disc box (last pic) of his 24 Wind Quintets performed by the Westwood Wind Quintet (on modern instruments).  Dave

Anton Reicha (1770–1836) was a Czech-born, later naturalized French composer. A contemporary and lifelong friend of Beethoven, he is now best remembered for his substantial early contributions to the wind quintet literature and his role as teacher of pupils including Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz and César Franck. He was also an accomplished theorist, and wrote several treatises on various aspects of composition. Some of his theoretical work dealt with experimental methods of composition, which he applied in a variety of works such as fugues and études for piano and string quartet. ([ur=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Reichal]Source[/url])

     

[Pohjolas Daughter]

A penny for your thoughts.
I wa listening to it more as background music, and in that respect it was splendid!  At the beginning, I thought of the Trio No. 1, "this wouldn't be out of place in the Caffé Florian in Venice, while sipping an (outrageously expensive) espresso". 

But the music sounds beautifully crafted, and the melodious gift is very apparent. Perhaps Trio No. 2 tries too much to be "expressive", and I think the composer is best in a light-melancholy vein, but it was still very enjoyable.

The performances are very convincing.

I like your description re café, etc.     I have very little of his music, but your description makes it very tempting--especially for these days and times.   

Best wishes,

PD

[Karl Henning]

CD 27: La naissance du quatuor

[vandermolen]

Roy Harris: 'Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight' for mezzo-soprano and piano trio.
Since it's not far off midnight here this seems like an appropriate work to play. Actually it's a hauntingly beautiful work, rather in the spirit of Barber's 'Knoxville' and is one of my favourite works by Roy Harris:


Here it is if you want to sample it:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ig8t40U-lE

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It's raining and (almost) cold. I'm listening to Bach while preparing the evening meal:

So, how did your Bachian-infused dinner come out [Note:  I said "Bachian" not "Baccahanalian"   ].

Best,

PD

[vandermolen]

Finally for tonight - Lepo Sumera, Symphony No.2.
One of my favourite modern symphonies:

[Tsaraslondon]

Disc 2

Dowland: Come again, sweet love
Campion: Never love unless you can
Campion: Oft have I sighed
Campion: If thou longst so much to learn
Fain would I wed
with Robert Spencer (lute)

Purcell: Sleep, Adam, sleep
Purcell: Lord, what is man?
Monro: My lovely Cecilia
Boyce: Tell me, lovely shepherd
with Martin Isepp (harpsichord), Ambrose Gauntlett (viola da gamba)

Arne: Where the bee sucks
with Martin Isepp (harpischord), Ambrose Gauntlett (viola da gamba), Douglas Whittaker (flute)

Henry Lawes: A dialogue on a kiss
William Lawes: A dialogue between Charon and Philomel
William Lawes: A dialogue between Daphne and Stephen
Handel: Gia nel Tartael regni
Handel: Quando in calma rida il mare
with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), Kenneth Heath (cello), George Malcolm (harpsichord)

Purcell: Come ye sons of art away - Sound the trumpet
Purcell: Pausanius - My dearest, my fairest
Purcell: The Maid's Last Prayer - No, resistance is but vain
Purcell: King Arthur: Shepherd, leave decoying
Mendelssohn: Abschied der Zugvögel
Mendelssohn: Wie kann ich froh und lustig sein
Mendelssohn: Herbstlied
Mendelssohn-Hensel: Suleika und Hatem
Cornelius: Heimatsgedanken
Cornelius: Verratene Liebe
Cornelius: Ich und du
Cornelius: Der beste Liebesbrief
with Dietrich Fischier-Dieskau (baritone), Daniel Barenboim (piano)

The second disc of this exhaustive surevy of Janet Baker's EMI recordings covers early English song and excerpts from a couple of live duet recitals with Fischer-Dieskau, recorded in the Royal Festival Hall in 1970 and the Queen Elizabeth Hall in 1969. Baker brings a personal touch to all she sings and she and Fischer-Dieskau collaborate wonderfully well in duet.