What are you listening 2 now?

[kyjo]

Fantastic, Kyle! Precisely those works are my favorites by him. I've heard his string quartet and piano quartet but they're not at the same level as the aforementioned works I'm afraid.

Indeed, the piano quartet struck me as not very impressive. Haven't heard the string quartet.

[kyjo]

This disc offers an utterly wondrous program of some striking, lovely and vigorous music by Doreen Carwithen, the wife of William Alwyn. The charming and impassionate Concerto for piano and strings is the main course here. It's such an endearing, unabashedly romantic piece. Suffolk Suite is quintessential English music, simply gorgeous, so are both Bishop Rock and ODTAA (One Damned Thing After Another) overtures. Any listener who responds to Alwyn and/or VW could enjoy these works enormously.

I can't recommend it enough. One of my discs of the year.



She was a pretty beautiful woman, wasn't she? Alwyn had good taste for sure.   

Duly noted; thanks Cesar!

[Karl Henning]

Landed today.  Decided to start at the end with Op.125

[asin]B087CP8SD7[/asin]

How did you like it?

[Mahlerian]

Mahler: Symphony No. 5
NDR Sinfonieorchester, cond. Tennstedt

[JBS]

How did you like it?

There was no reason to dislike it, certainly. But now I need to hear the other 8...

[Todd]

Disc 1.

[Mirror Image]

Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No.11 in G minor, op.103, "The Year 105". Vasily Petrenko, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

It seems this is generally accepted as the greatest of Shostakovich's "propaganda" symphonies and it ain't hard to tell why. I love the rich, calm expansiveness of the first movement—a real "calm before the storm" feeling. As for the 2nd movement, I'm afraid it overstays its welcome in my mind. I still haven't fully come around on the work as a whole, which is something I can say about many, if not most, Shostakovich symphonies. The ones I love without reservation are generally the shorter ones: No.1, No.9, No.5. I still have yet to hear 13, 14 & 15. I need to really be in the mood to listen to Shostakovich, but when I am, I enjoy his music quite a bit.

The 11th can be a bit heavy-going, but I truly believe it to be one of his best symphonies. The second movement, The Ninth of January is extraordinarily violent and I absolutely adore ever minute of it. I don't think it's overlong at all, but keeps a strong narrative that you're either onboard with or not. I can certainly understand it not being everyone's cup of vodka, but keep trying, I think you'll come to love it in time.

[Mirror Image]

The 4th:

[Mirror Image]

Violin Sonata No. 4, Op. 39

[vandermolen]

I have own this set as well. What do you think are the best performances from the set? I've been meaning to dive back into it at some point, but I really need to finish Kondrashin's traversal of these symphonies first.

Edit: I know our Karl thinks rather highly of these Maxim Shostakovich-led performances.

Do you know John that I've had that set for years and hardly listened to it - terrible isn't it? I always thought that Maxim's EMI Melodiya recording of Symphony No.15 was the best one ever, although that's not the same as the one here. Anyway, I'm going to start seriously listening to the recordings, certainly No.13 'Babi Yar' sounds very good indeed although Haitink and Kondrashin are probably my favourite versions.

[vandermolen]

Cool, Jeffrey. I only have two. Of the three you own, which performance is your favorite?

All good John but maybe the one on Olympia.

[vandermolen]

Agree, an interesting recording.

+1

[vandermolen]

This disc offers an utterly wondrous program of some striking, lovely and vigorous music by Doreen Carwithen, the wife of William Alwyn. The charming and impassionate Concerto for piano and strings is the main course here. It's such an endearing, unabashedly romantic piece. Suffolk Suite is quintessential English music, simply gorgeous, so are both Bishop Rock and ODTAA (One Damned Thing After Another) overtures. Any listener who responds to Alwyn and/or VW could enjoy these works enormously.

I can't recommend it enough. One of my discs of the year.



She was a pretty beautiful woman, wasn't she? Alwyn had good taste for sure.   

I really like that CD as well Cesar. BBC Radio 3 used 'Bishop Rock' as a starting point for listener's further suggestions a few weeks ago. Actually I enjoy every work on that CD and there is a nice Chandos CD of her chamber music. She was Alwyn's second wife.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doreen_Carwithen

[Traverso]

Richard Danielpour

Toward a season of peace (2012)

[vandermolen]

Shostakovich: Symphony 13 'Babi Yar' - a very good performance. What I notice here is the similarity of the concluding section to that of Shostakovich's 8th Symphony, here with the celesta and bell at the end, which brings us back full circle to the start of the symphony - very moving. The Temirkanov CD in the boxed set includes Schederin's 'Chimes' Concerto for Orchestra No.2 which seems like an entirely appropriate companion for 'Babi Yar', now on to Khachaturian's Symphony No.2 'The Bell':

[Madiel]

Schumann

Kinderball (6 easy dance pieces), op.130 - charming piano duets



Phantasie for violin and orchestra, op.131

[vers la flamme]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.9 in D major. Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic

Man, that adagio gets me every time. Astonishing music. Happy birthday to the master.

[Todd]

[aligreto]

Banchieri: Festino nella sera del giovedi grasso avanti cena [Fasolis]





This is wonderful entertainment from Late Renaissance Italy.

[André]

Richard Danielpour

Toward a season of peace (2012)

How is it, Jan ? I'm waiting for my order any time, now. Danielpour is one of my favourite contemporary composers.