What are you listening 2 now?

[Biffo]

Beethoven: Symphony No 2 in D major - Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by William Steinberg - another lively, highly enjoyable performance

[vandermolen]

Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony, Hallé Orchestra, Barbirolli.

[Biffo]

Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony, Hallé Orchestra, Barbirolli.

Possibly (today) my favourite recording of the 'London' although I prefer the Lento (2nd mvt) from the later 1968 recording.

[Que]

Q

[Madiel]

Holmboe, To a Living Stone

[vandermolen]

Possibly (today) my favourite recording of the 'London' although I prefer the Lento (2nd mvt) from the later 1968 recording.

I like both of Barbirolli's recordings, which have a greater warmth than Boult's (much as I like them as well).

[Madiel]

*deep breath*

Can Gielen improve my view of Mahler 8? It's time to find out.



EDIT ABOUT 90 MINUTES LATER: No, not really.

[Traverso]

Silvius Weiss

CD 9

Sonata No.24-25 & 26

[Christo]

[Cato]

We recently re-watched the original animated version of The Lion King.  Since Hans Zimmer (or his staff: I understand he farms out work to others, but takes the main credit himself) either lifts or imitates a good amount of music for key dramatic moments from Schumann's Second Symphony (not to mention Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus), I thought it was time to revisit my complete Schumann Symphonies with The Cleveland Orchestra conducted by George Szell.  They were from the early stereo era, late 1950's and early 1960's.  The collection also has the Manfred Overture.


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[Harry]

Luca Marenzio.
Quinto libro di Madrigali a sei voci, 1591.
La Compagnia Madrigale.

Absolutely beautiful.

[Irons]

First listen

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Do you like it?

[JBS]

Do you like it?

It was worth getting, but I need more listens to give a worthwhile opinion.

[Todd]

Disc 3.

[Irons]

It was worth getting, but I need more listens to give a worthwhile opinion.

Thanks. I have a couple of symphonies on order although not hearing a note of his music. The VC received good reviews.

[Irons]

Hi PD. I came across the comment in the notes for Benjamin's very enjoyable Symphony on the Lyrita label. Benjamin, who was an Australian, won a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London in 1911, so I guess that Stanford must have made his unpleasant comment around that time. I find much of Stanford's music to be tedious but enjoy the Irish Symphony (No.3), Symphony No.5 and, in particular, the Irish Rhapsody No.4. Remember too, that despite his antisemitism, Arthur Benjamin held his teacher, Stanford, in the highest regard. Stanford was quite a musical disciplinarian according to Vaughan Williams (who often disagreed musically with Stanford but clearly learnt a lot from him). The young VW would show Stanford one of his compositions, which he was very proud of, and Stanford would look at it and say 'All rot m'boy!'. VW thought that Bax would have benefitted if he'd had 'some gruelling lessons with Stanford' but then suggested that they would probably have just argued! I think that Stanford is an example of the maxim that the greatest composers are not necessarily the best teachers and the best teachers (like Stanford and Parry) are not necessarily the greatest composers:

I feel sorry for him. To witness the rise of his pupils who in his own mind were musically not as gifted as himself must have been galling. Reading his letters which are rude to his friends and colleagues you get the impression of a bitter unfulfilled old man, but he needed to understand without him the English musical renaissance would not have occurred. He earned his place in the development but not in the way he wanted. Quite sad really.     

[Mirror Image]

Those were three great sets - I like all of them but recently have been enjoying the one featuring the Symphony for Organ and Orchestra, the Symphonic Ode (a favourite of mine) and 'Statements'. I notice that our paths cross online when you are up quite late and I am up (usually forced to by the cat demanding his breakfast!) quite early.

Yes, indeed, Jeffrey. I'm kind of a night owl, so I'm usually in the bed until about 1 or 2. Yes, that Early Orchestral Works is a great set. I do like those works you mentioned, but also Short Symphony (an arrangement from his String Sextet). I'm surprised that record labels haven't done something special for Copland this year as it's the 30th anniversary of his passing. I guess they'll wait until 2040 for the 50th year of his passing.

[Mirror Image]

SQ No. 3 from this recording:

[Biffo]

Elgar: Symphony No 2 in E flat major - London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult - fine performance from Boult but I prefer his earlier Lyrita version

[Mahlerian]

Stravinsky: The Nightingale
Phyllis Bryn-Julson, Neil Howlett, Ian Caley, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, cond. Boulez


I like the cover for this: