What are you listening 2 now?

[Todd]

[André]

Came up high, second in fact, in a recent survey of the 7th on BBC radio 3 "Building a Library".

Let me guess: Davis/Concertgebouw was no 1 ?

[vandermolen]

One of the only gaps in my Crystal Records Hovhaness collection - Symphony No.23 'Ani' Symphony.
Crystal include a disclaimer pointing out that the music is played by a college band and and is not up to their usual professional standard. However, it made no difference to my enjoyment of this interesting work. 'Spirit of Ink' is an atmospheric work for three flutes:

[André]

Looks most interesting. Does the music remind you of any other composers André?

Not quite anyone else I know, Jeffrey. Harry has commented on another Sterling disc of his music, which prompted me to pull this one off the shelves.

Jacques-Dalcroze has a very striking melodic gift. He doesn't seem to be interested in building symphonic edifices in a classic way. Things happen, recede or disappear and something else comes up. And yet it's never inconsequential. A story is told, just not in the usual way.

Apparently (per the excellent booklet notes) he is mostly known as the inventor of a method called rythmique, which he fostered through the Institut Jacques-Dalcroze. To this day, his work seems to have been seminal (eurythmics, leading to contemporary dance) and is still taught in various Instituts Jacques-Dalcroze around the world, as well as being part of the curriculum in many prestigious schools and universities. Link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalcroze_eurhythmics

[Biffo]

Let me guess: Davis/Concertgebouw was no 1 ?

Well you guessed wrong. It was the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Jiri Belohlavek. On the strength of that recommendation I bought the whole cycle and have been working my way through it, currently listening to Symphony No 5 in F major. A fine cycle so far.

[Harry]

Backlog 2014. Sterling disc, recorded 2003.

Fritz Brun.
Symphony No. 3 in D minor.
Variations über ein tessinisches Drei-Köniigslied.
Allegro non Troppo.

Moscow SO, Adriano.

I am a great admirer of Brun's music, It's melodic, romantic, with a tinge of the 20th century, but all in good taste. Would not want to be without this composer..
The performance sounds good, and Adriano makes a statement with this complex work.

[Iota]

Gesualdo: Madrigals book 3


A pure, unalloyed joy. La Compagnia del Madrigale are an exceptional ensemble.

[André]

Well you guessed wrong. It was the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Jiri Belohlavek. On the strength of that recommendation I bought the whole cycle and have been working my way through it, currently listening to Symphony No 5 in F major. A fine cycle so far.

Good! I've been eyeing the Neumann cycle for quite some time. Will keep the other eye open for Belohlavek, then.

I've watched the Dave Hurwitz Show clip on the D7. He dismissed Kertesz and promoted Dohnanyi/Cleveland ('better than Szell').

[Harry]

Gesualdo: Madrigals book 3


A pure, unalloyed joy. La Compagnia del Madrigale are an exceptional ensemble.

+1.

[Irons]

My three favourite Ireland works along with 'These Things Shall Be'.
What a fabulous LP.

Enjoyed very much, Jeffrey. Will of course give "These Things Shall Be" a spin, which is coupled on LP with PC.

[Irons]

Good! I've been eyeing the Neumann cycle for quite some time. Will keep the other eye open for Belohlavek, then.

I've watched the Dave Hurwitz Show clip on the D7. He dismissed Kertesz and promoted Dohnanyi/Cleveland ('better than Szell').

Neumann received a big thumbs down on the programme.

[Biffo]

Good! I've been eyeing the Neumann cycle for quite some time. Will keep the other eye open for Belohlavek, then.

I've watched the Dave Hurwitz Show clip on the D7. He dismissed Kertesz and promoted Dohnanyi/Cleveland ('better than Szell').

Kertesz is probably my favourite for D7 though there are other fine recordings around. I haven't heard Dohnanyi/Cleveland. The Neumann cycle is very good though I was disappointed with No 8; when we discussed it here others weren't.

[JBS]

Gesualdo: Madrigals book 3


A pure, unalloyed joy. La Compagnia del Madrigale are an exceptional ensemble.

I was listening to the same music, as performed by Delitatiae Musicae, last night.  Delight from start to finish there as well.

[vandermolen]

Not quite anyone else I know, Jeffrey. Harry has commented on another Sterling disc of his music, which prompted me to pull this one off the shelves.

Jacques-Dalcroze has a very striking melodic gift. He doesn't seem to be interested in building symphonic edifices in a classic way. Things happen, recede or disappear and something else comes up. And yet it's never inconsequential. A story is told, just not in the usual way.

Apparently (per the excellent booklet notes) he is mostly known as the inventor of a method called rythmique, which he fostered through the Institut Jacques-Dalcroze. To this day, his work seems to have been seminal (eurythmics, leading to contemporary dance) and is still taught in various Instituts Jacques-Dalcroze around the world, as well as being part of the curriculum in many prestigious schools and universities. Link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalcroze_eurhythmics

Most interesting. Thanks André.

[vandermolen]

Enjoyed very much, Jeffrey. Will of course give "These Things Shall Be" a spin, which is coupled on LP with PC.

This was one of my favourite record library discoveries on LP. Unfortunately the Legend, Mai-Dun and The Forgotten Rite were put on separate CDs when Lyrita released them on CD:

[T. D.]

I was listening to the same music, as performed by Delitatiae Musicae, last night.  Delight from start to finish there as well.

I pieced together a 6-disc Gesualdo Madrigal set with six different ensembles (one per book). La Compagnia del Madrigale on Glossa was one, but not for the third book.
Haven't heard D. M., but I noticed their tempi on Books 5 and 6 are extremely slow. They take 3 CDs for the 2 books combined, I'd only seen 1 CD per book on other recordings.

[Harry]

Backlog 2014.

Helmer Alexandersson.
Overture in C minor.
Symphony No. 2 in G minor.

Uppsala Chamber Orchestra, Paul Mägi.

Sterling recording 20o6. Live recording.

This unknown and very talented composer died at the age of 41. Little is know about him, and even less is recorded of his oeuvre. Although he was celebrated, he died in extreme poverty. Two of this celebrated compositions are on this disc, in pristine performances and sound.
Fine accessible music, brimful with tuneful melodies, and an excellent orchestrator to boot. Very much worthwhile to explore.

[André]

Neumann received a big thumbs down on the programme.

And a big thumbs up for the 7th  .

[André]

Symphony no 5. A big, imposing, enigmatic work. One of the best things to come out of Denmark.

[Brian]

Last week I listened to a big ol' pile of music from my collection which hadn't gotten played in a long time. Specifically, I listened to everything from the letter T-Z. This week, the whole week is devoted to the letter S.

Still going in reverse alphabetical, here's the week's playlist!

Stravinsky: Two piano music including Rite (Andsnes, Hamelin, Hyperion)
Stravinsky: Firebird, Jeu de cartes, Apollon musagete (Chailly, Decca)
R. Strauss: the Blomstedt disc of waltzes and Burleske, the Dohnanyi/Vienna/Decca disc with Tod und V and Metamorphosen, the Honeck/Pittsburgh opera suites
Smetana: Piano recital (Ohlsson, Hyperion)
Smetana: String quartets and piano trio (Prazak!)
Smetana: Ma vlast (Kubelik in Prague 1990)
Silvestrov: Two discs on ECM, piano music with Lubimov and chamber music
Sibelius: Violin Concerto (Haendel/Berglund on UNESCO)
Sibelius piano recitals by Janne Mertanen, Leif Ove Andsnes, Folke Grasbeck
Shostakovich and Kabalevsky: Cello Sonatas (Isserlis/Mustonen, Hyperion)
Shostakovich 10 (Mravinsky live)
Scriabin: recital by Alexander Melnikov
Schumann: String Quartets 1-3 and piano quintet (Leipzig, Zacharias, MDG)
Schumann and Schubert recital by Vera Gornostaeva
Schumann: Davidsbundlertanze and Kreisleriana (Eugen Indjic)
Schumann: Quartet 1 and piano quintet (Prazak and Koroliov)
Schubert: Winterreise (Trekel/Eisenlohr, Naxos)
Schubert: Quintet D956 (Emerson with Rosty)
Schubert: Octet (Consortium Classicum, MDG)
Schubert: Arias and overtures (Daniel Behle and HIP orchestra on DHM)
Schubert: Unfinished and Great (Mackerras in Scotland on Telarc)
Scarlatti "recreated" (transcriptions and piano arrangements, recital by Sandro Russo
Scarlatti on guitar (Marchionda on MDG)
Scarlatti piano recital with Sudbin (I)
Saint-Saens: Piano etudes (Piers Lane, Hyperion)
Saint-Saens: Woodwind sonatas (Canadian artists on Naxos)

Nine days later, I'm just now finishing up my sweep through the letter S! And I'm ready to start in on letters O, P, Q, and R. (Actually I don't have anything by Q composers.)

* = first listen to the music

Elena Ruehr: Shimmer, Vocalissimus, Cloud Atlas. Jennifer Kloetzel, cello; Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Gil Rose
Roussel: Chamber music (complete). Brilliant Classics
Roussel: Symphony cycle (complete). Royal Scottish Natl Orch; Stephane Deneve
Rodrigo: Concierto pastoral. Sharon Bezaly, Sao Paulo SO, John Neschling (coupled with Borne and Ibert)
Respighi: Trittico Botticelliano. Lausanne CO, Jesus Lopez-Cobos
Ravel piano recitals by Gwendolyn Mok (HIP), Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (HIP), Alessandra Ammara
*Ravel: Song recital. Gerald Finley, Julius Drake
Ravel: Piano concertos. Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Montreal SO, Charles Dutoit (coupled with Honegger and Francaix)
*Ravel: Trio and violin and cello sonatas. Trio Dali
Ravel: L'enfant et les sortileges. Nashville SO (Naxos)
Rautavaara: Complete works for string orchestra. Ostrobothnian CO, Juha Kangas
Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances, Isle of the Dead, The Rock. Royal Liverpool PO, Vasily Petrenko (autographed!)
Rachmaninov: Symphony No 3 and "Youth" Symphony. Concertgebouw, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Rachmaninov: Symphony No 2. Budapest Festival Orch, Ivan Fischer
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky. Czech PO, Karel Ancer
Prokofiev: Symphony-Concerto. Andre Navarra, Czech PO, Karel Ancerl
Prokofiev: R&J. Cleveland Orch, Lorin Maazel
Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky and Lieutenant Kije suite. Berlin PO, Claudio Abbado
Poulenc: Figure humaine etc. Swedish Radio Choir, Peter Dijkstra (Channel)
Popper: Suites for one, two, and three cellos. Alexander Hulshoff, Martin Rummel, etc. (Paladino)
Pierne: Piano Quintet. Goldner Quartet with Piers Lane (coupled with Vierne string quartet)
Pierne: Cydalise et le chevre-pied. Luxembourg PO, David Shallon
Papandopulo: Piano Concerto No 2 etc. Oliver Triendl, Zagreb Soloists (CPO)
*Onslow: Quintets and Sextet. Ensemble Concertant Frankfurt (MDG)

Should keep me busy at least through November 8. I wonder how long it will take to do this completely non-exhaustive, non-thorough, impulsive sweep through the alphabet.