What are you listening 2 now?

[aligreto]

recorded in Winchester Cathedral I seem to remember which helps a lot with the spatial separation so crucial in this work.....  Andrew Davis did a version in Gloucester Cathedral for a TV programme (that ended up on a BBC Music Magazine cover disc) which is even more successful in that regard I think.  Davis gets the meditative/visionary quality of this remarkable work to perfection. 

Yes, I have checked for you and you are indeed correct. It was recorded in Winchester Cathedral. Your memory serves you well.

[aligreto]

 

My preference goes to this one

Terrific!

Be aware that you are looking at a  treasure that is almost vanished

https://www.youtube.com/v/RGU7MhlhXfk

Charming. Thank you for posting.

[aligreto]

There has been some controversy for years over the Szell recording. Apparently the tape speed during the recording was out which affects the pitch of Oistrakh's violin. This error was not rectified during mastering to CD.

That is most interesting. I was not aware of that fact.

[Florestan]

Charming. Thank you for posting.

+ 1.

[aligreto]

Rodrigo [Bonell]





Pequenas Sevillanas
Ya se van los pastores
Fandango

[Tsaraslondon]

I think the Waldstein is possibly my favourite Beethoven sonata.

Superb playing from Emil Gilels.

[vers la flamme]

Anton Bruckner: Symphony No.9 in D minor. Daniel Barenboim, Berlin Philharmonic. Currently the scherzo, awesome.

[aukhawk]

Fun: Charles II had this hung behind a landscape, which he swung back to allow favoured guests to peer at. (Wiki)

Hah!  I rest my case, m'lud. 

[Traverso]

Bach

Cantatas CD38

[Harry]

New arrival,latest release in this series, 2019.

Secondo Libro di madrigali, a cinque voci, Ferrara 1594.
Additional composers on this disc:
Pomponio Nenna, Giovanni de Marque, Giuseppe Palazzotto Tagliavia, Sigismondo d'India.

Book II was compiled when Gesualdo was in a gentler mood, compared to his volatile compositions in the later books. So this is sit back and enjoy the gentleness that was also in the character of this much plagued human, who committed with people of the lower social class a double murder, and never recovered from this deed most foul. He only gained satisfaction in the heat of the moment, although it was all carefully planned. He was haunted by it the rest of his life.
However this is a superb disc, well sung and recorded, which offers much consolation. If missing the somewhat volatile thrill, you can always turn to Pomponio Nenna, his "Oime mi scacci", and "Sospir, baci e parole", offer more than enough of that. La Compagnia del Madrigale is an ensemble that does surprise me again and again. They are really good.

[Madiel]

Sibelius, Humoresques for violin and orchestra, op.87/89 (intended as a single set of 6, despite the opus numbers)



I haven't heard these for a couple of years. No.2 is glorious. I'll have to come back to tell you about 3-6...

EDIT: Oh gosh, they're all pretty good. I think 2, 3 and 6 are my favourites. And there are some really obvious signs in places that they're meant to be linked together.

[Biffo]

Martinu: Magic Nights Three songs to Chinese texts for soprano and orchestra - Dagma Peckova soprano with the Prague Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jiri Belohlavek

[Harry]

French Organ Masters. CD III. Apogee Classique. (L'Eloquence de la Musique d'orgue Française)
From Louis XIII to Louis Philippe.

Composers on this disc:
Lully, Grand Jeu G Major, Couperin, Dialogues inter Jesum et Hominem" & Offertoire sur les grands jeux, Usquequo Domine"  Marchand, Grand dialogue from "Livre III"; Premier Livre, de Grigny, Hymne veni creator

Organs used:
Isnart-Organ Saint-Maximin-La-Sainte-Baume; Clicquot-Organ Souvigny, Jean-Boizart-Organ Saint-Michel Thiérache, Lepine-Organ Sarlat.

Played by:
Michel Alabau, Frederic Desenclos,  Andre Isoir.


I have nothing but praise for this box, music and performance. Sound is excellent too. In terms of the organ literature a great success.

[Madiel]

Sibelius, Sonatina for violin and piano op.80



First listen. Completely gorgeous. Reported to have been inspired by a sleigh ride on Christmas Day 1914, and really does sound like it.

A delightful album all in all. I'm beginning to realise that any distrust I had of solo violin music depended entirely on the quality of the playing. In the right hands, the violin is a beautifully warm instrument. Saarikettu is lovely to listen to.

[vandermolen]

Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis [Silvestri]





A rich, powerful and lush sounding performance.

My favourite performance of that work in its cathedral acoustic. Sadly Silvestri died comparatively young - a great loss to music. That's a great double-CD set with excellent performances of the symphonies 4-6. I could have done without the garish wasp photo however.

[vandermolen]

Honegger: Symphony No. 3 [von Karajan]





This is a terrific, exciting performance of the first movement which is full of drama and tension as it sweeps along. It is almost angry and breathless in places. The slow movement is a wonderful contrast to the first movement with its portrayal of lyricism and serenity. The performance builds to a big crescendo in the middle section of the movement and this powerful performance gradually tapers off in intensity to return to the pastoral-like mood and tone. The movement concludes on a somewhat wistful note. I like the gradual build up in drama and tension in the final movement. The musical language is harsh and the performance, once again, sounds wonderfully angry in the middle section with the biting brass. The conclusion is a wonderful contrast to what went before in the movement ending in a hymn like theme.


I have thoroughly enjoyed these two performances and the CD certainly lives up to all of the hyperbole surrounding it.

The 'birdsong' at the end of the 'Liturgique' is unrivalled in any other performance IMO. One of my favourite moments in classical music.

[Karl Henning]

Festetics Quartet, Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ for string quartet, Bartok's first and second piano concerti (Pollini/Abbado/CSO)

Very nice!

[vandermolen]

I'm in, Jeffrey! It is far too long since I listened to it. IIRC, he composed it for Hindemith.

Walton
Viola Concerto
Paul Neubauer
Bournemouth Symphony
Litton

Glad you think so Karl. It was one of my first and happiest Walton discoveries.

[Karl Henning]

The previous two hours devoted to:

1: Schnittke Cello Concerto #2 (Ivashkin, Polyansky)
2: Beethoven Hammerklavier + Opus 111 (Ugorskaja)

Cheers, Paul!

[Harry]

Glad you think so Karl. It was one of my first and happiest Walton discoveries.

A woman friend of mine is studying this Viola concerto, at my home, to perform it very soon. It is indeed a fine work, reading through the score. And of course I have recordings of it. Both of us listening with a smile on our faces.