What are you listening 2 now?

[Roasted Swan]

I need to investigate these chamber works. Until Cesar (SA) I think and Kyle introduced me to the wonderful, epic Piano Quintet I only ever listened to the Harp Quintet amongst the chamber work. Isn't one of the piano sonatas the First Symphony in disguise?
Yes it is! I have both these CDs which I enjoy:

The E flat Sonata/symphony No.1 is NOT one of the numbered sonatas.  It post dates the first two numbered sonatas and was (I guess) going to be the 3rd Sonata until friends including Harriet Cohen pointed out its symphonic/orchestral potential.  There are also earlier sonatas but they are really 'juvenalia' I think

[Florestan]

Trying this:



Sorry Florestan, but I do not like his voice enough to rate this really highly. Well actually, what I think of his voice shifts every couple of seconds. Some of it is very pleasant, but then he makes certain vowel sounds and it's all "reedy" (to borrow a word from a review of a different album of his).

It's weirdly inconsistent. When he lets rip in a bolder song (Chant d'automne, track 3, or parts of Larmes, track 20) it's a nice, full sound. But when he's aiming to be delicate and a little coy, that's when the vocal tone sometimes disappears.

Some of the performances also feel a bit casual or glib to me, partly because of fast tempos (this is not a universal problem by any means, some songs seem spot on).

It's by no means terrible, but it's not going to be one of my top recommendations.

Thanks for this detailed review. Don't worry,  I don't disagree generally. His vpoice is inconsistent and not very versatile or flexible --- he can't hold a candle in this respect to my latest revelation in the art of Lieder singing, Ernst Haefliger. Besides, his tone is sometimes raher frivolous, more apt for a chansonette than for a melodie (the very first track, Le papillon et la fleur, bears witness to this). I was blown away simply by his diction which is one of the most accurate and audible I've ever heard in French singing, actually in any language. Whether the merit is his or the sound engineer's, or both, I don't know but I have rarely heard such perfect diction (Haefliger is another example: every word of his Schubert Lieder, including the fanous cycles, is clearly audible).

[vandermolen]

The E flat Sonata/symphony No.1 is NOT one of the numbered sonatas.  It post dates the first two numbered sonatas and was (I guess) going to be the 3rd Sonata until friends including Harriet Cohen pointed out its symphonic/orchestral potential.  There are also earlier sonatas but they are really 'juvenalia' I think

Thanks for the clarification.

TD Schnittke Symphony No.8

[Mirror Image]

Yes, besides those pictured in my previous post, I've also got the complete Villa Lobos string quartets, and some LPs of the piano music, and almost all the concertos, plus some further orchestral and chamber music (three piano trios, cello sonata), on CD and LP. But not yet all of the Choros, for example.

First supplementary buyings will be

- "Complete Guitar Manuscripts" on Naxos 3CD. A funny, somewhat misleading title for the set, which includes a lot of music with orchestra, vocals etc. Except for the Guitar Concerto, the Sextuor Mystique and a bit more, these will be new works in my collection
- "Uirapuru" and the Cello Fantasia, 1CD. I've only got Uirapuru on LP, and not the Fantasia.
- "Momoprecoce", Saxophone Fantasia, some piano works, Bachianas etc. EMI 2CD. Have only got LPs of these works, plus all of the Bachianas on CD.
- "Floresta Amazonas" in the complete version with soprano, 1CD. I've only got an old LP of this fine work, VL himself conducting, and am looking forward to getting the Renee Flemming recording.
- Cello Concertos. I've only got the 2nd on LP, and the 1st as a download.

Long term buyings will be
- the complete existing symphonies etc., CPO 7CD. I know there are good things in the Naxos set too, but have decided for the CPO one. I've only got two symphonies right now, an LP of the 2nd with VL conducting, and the 6th as a download.
- more piano works (complete on Naxos maybe, or maybe less) on CD
- more, lesser known orchestral works; some remaining Choros. I will keep your Marco Polo recommendations in mind.

Let me just say that the symphony series on Naxos with Karabtchevsky and the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra blows the St. Clair/Stuttgart set away on CPO. There's nothing like hearing Brazilians in this music and the colors they bring to the music is much more livelier and vivid. I would also go with the John Neschling recording of Floresta do Amazonas on BIS. It blows the Fleming/Heller recording away. I urge you to go through the Villa-Lobos composer thread before making any purchases.

[Mirror Image]

TD Schnittke Symphony No.8

Pounds the table! Remarkable symphony.

[Biffo]

Bliss: Violin Concerto - Alfredo Campoli violin with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer

[aligreto]

Corcoran:





Quasi Una Missa
Piano Trio
Balthazar's Dream


Frank Corcoran's musical language is terse and lean and it is apparently related to similar approaches by Lutoslawski and Ligeti. The sound world is very different to what I normally listen to and I had to take a break halfway through, listening to just these three works, in order to digest it properly.

[Mirror Image]

Symphony No. 7 in F major, Op. 77, 'Pastoral'

[vandermolen]

Pounds the table! Remarkable symphony.

thumbs up for Glazunov's 7th Symphony as well - alway one of my favourites.

[Mirror Image]

thumbs up for Glazunov's 7th Symphony as well - alway one of my favourites.

Yes, indeed. Such a fantastic work --- the slow movement is undoubtedly one of the most gorgeous pieces of music I've ever heard.

[Mandryka]

Well, the music I rather like, but the choice of text is a trifle bizarre...

LOL

[Irons]

I wonder if that is because he is not strictly an English music composer. He was heavily influenced, as you know, by Celtic themes and mysticism which heavily permeates his music? I wonder if that difference is making itself heard on your ear. There is nothing wrong with that but it is a possibility.

A good point but I would prefer to think not true. I have visited Ireland and enjoyed the culture (and the Guinness) immensely so can associate with the roots of the music. I think it is more to do with the rhapsodic nature of Bax. Unlike RVW and Elgar he wanders around and I get lost!

[Thom]

Harmony of Spheres by Joep Franssens. Extraordinary!

[SurprisedByBeauty]

#morninglistening to #Beethoven #PianoTrios w/#BeethovenTrioBonn on #CAviMusic

: http://a-fwd.to/W4TfEP7

[aligreto]

A good point but I would prefer to think not true. I have visited Ireland and enjoyed the culture (and the Guinness) immensely so can associate with the roots of the music. I think it is more to do with the rhapsodic nature of Bax. Unlike RVW and Elgar he wanders around and I get lost!

OK, fair enough so.
I hope that we treated you OK while you were here.

[not edward]

From this out-of-print collection, the Beethoven String Quartet's performance of the 2nd string quartet. If I had to nominate a favourite recording of a Schnittke quartet, this would be the one: the moods of despair, rage and deep sadness are brought out with incredible intensity here.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'll put this here, since I've been listening to the CD for the past week.  My review of a wonderful mostly-Gabrieli CD went up today.

There is a fine making-of video which gives an idea of the sound:

https://www.youtube.com/v/aHs4W3bdReI

Nice review job there Karl!  And must have been some feat to get all of those musicians together.

I started wondering how hard it would be to assemble all of the necessary brass for Janacek's Sinfonietta and ran across this:  https://floridaorchestra.org/12-trumpet-players/

PD

[vandermolen]

Bliss: Violin Concerto - Alfredo Campoli violin with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer

A fine performance.

[vandermolen]

Yes, indeed. Such a fantastic work --- the slow movement is undoubtedly one of the most gorgeous pieces of music I've ever heard.

I like the scherzo very much as well.

[aligreto]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 [von Karajan - EMI]





This wonderful, lyrical yet yearning music is given a powerful performance of great weight and gravitas here. The depth of emotion is palpable. The BPO plays superbly, presenting and delivering the music in the best possible way. Von Karajan controls the pacing, the intensity and the levels of emotion and tension extremely well. I find it to be a superb presentation. The slow movements in particular are quite magnificent.