What are you listening 2 now?

[vandermolen]

Part: Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten - perhaps my favourite work by Part:

[Florestan]

The eighth, last disc.

This set is a must for anyone interested in Classical era. First-rate music, top notch performance, excellent sound.

[Biffo]

Vaughan Williams: Scenes adapted from Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (1906) - BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus & soloists conducted by Martyn Brabbins. This is the fill-up to Brabbins' performance of Symphony No 5. RVW's first setting of PP and probably for completists only. Pleasant enough though the 'folk voice' of Emily Portman wasn't to my liking. I sense the word 'twee' will be putting in an appearance soon.

[Traverso]

Strauss & Wagner

[Todd]

[Traverso]

Debussy

Suite Bergamasque
Pour le Piano: Sarabande
La Plus que Lente ( Valse)
Valse Romantique

[pi2000]

Bach Violin Concerto Nr2 GEORGES ENESCU, w. Henri Pensis Cond. Luxembourg Phil.: Live Performance, 15 May, 1948;
from here:
https://www.norpete.com/s0779.html?viewfullsite=1

[Harry]

Backlog 2014. Sterling records 200.

August Södermann.

Orchestral works.

SO of Norrlands Opera, Roy Goodman.

This came as a big surprise, gorgeous music, perfectly performed, and sublimely recorded. Never heard of this composer, but from what is on this disc, makes me yearning after more of his music. Unfortunately he did not write much orchestral music, and even less is recorded. He was called the first Nordic romantic composer, and by what I hear and know, this rings true to my ears. He writes beautiful melodies, with an luscious harmonie to it. Goodman made it into a feast, so this one I can recommend.

[Harry]

Backlog 2014. Sterling records 2004.

August Halm.
Symphony in A Major.

Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Per Borin.

Another great in my book, a composer also completely forgotten, a marvelous romantic composer with a gift for pleasing and well accessible music. Halm found himself a failure, but he is as far from that as Berlin from Cairo. This is style in a high degree. Its a ambitious work, mature, and stylistically a very personal work. There are hints of Mahler, Bruckner, and Richard Strauss, but he has his own stamp on it all. This is very good music!
A great performance and very good sound.
Recommended.

[Todd]

Starting in on this cycle.  Perhaps it will displace Ovchinnikov.  Or not.

[Traverso]

Bach

[Sterna]

Liszt, Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major.

Denis Matsuev, piano.
St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zoltán Kocsis.

A very fine pianist playing, a legendary pianist (R.I.P.) conducting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb33KdTV0t4

[Traverso]

Offenbach

[André]

Symphony no 8 and The Noonday Witch op 108. Harnoncourt, RCOA.
'American Suite' Op 98b with Zinman and the Rochester Phil.

Harnoncourt completely rethinks the dvorakian phraseology and in the process uncovers myriad colours, especially in the winds and brass. These tend to be submerged in more linear conceptions of the music. Here they stand in bold relief. The effect is pretty much like that of watching the Sistine Chapel ceiling pre and post cleansing. Huge difference. I dare say the effect would have been damped down if a lesser orchestra had been playing. The RCOA provide a masterclass in orchestral virtuosity.

This very inexpensive 5cd box contains the last three symphonies and the great op 107-110 tone poems with Harnoncourt and the RCOA, as well as other yummies played by other orchestras/conductors.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Arvo Part DEPROFUNDIS     

[Mandryka]

This is one Deprofundis should try.

[Traverso]

Stravinsky

Le Sacre du Printemps

[André]

The BBC Northern Symphony play the Brahms 3. Its winds have trouble with their intonation (the initial chords sound quite sour) and the brass tend to get loud, but it's still a very nice performance. The Schumann is played by the BBC Symphony, a much better outfit.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

The 6 cd set, the Classical Music of Azerbaijan, arrived a few days ago. Solid recording. Each disc presents symphony, concerti, chamber music, piano works, ballet, and opera separately. The set offers many works of Amirov and Karayev of course. Unexpectedly the piano music and ballet sound very attractive. So glad that I purchased the set. The below is a review.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Apr03/Azerbaijaniset.htm

[listener]

The Naxos disc of "other Russian violin concertos"  again
CONUS, WEINBERG and ARENSKY
Sergey Ostrovsky, violin    Bournemouth S.O.   Thomas Sanderling
-
R. STRAUSS music for a cappella choir
Danish National Radio Chamber Choir, Danish National Radio Choir
Stefan Parkman, cond.