What are you listening 2 now?

[Scion7]

I'm very thankful to CPO for having brought Bischoff's music to this superb recording (there is another CD devoted to his Symphony No. 1). Anyone who likes Bruckner and/or Strauss will be in for a treat.

The 2nd symphony sounds a lot like Elektra in parts.  I'd never heard this composer before - he has no Grove entry, and surprisingly neither Krause, Schmid, Youmanns, or Ashley mention him in their biographies of Strauss, but Del Mar notes he did two piano transcriptions of Strauss's works. From what I am hearing, if there ever was a student, he's certainly one.

[Mirror Image]

One more work before bed...

Villa-Lobos
Suite Floral
Sonia Rubinsky

[Que]

Morning listening - trying to catch up with the latest WTC recordings (via Spotify):



Q

[Que]

Que, this is a series of three double CDs which you should try I think, now you have Spotify. I bet you will not like them, they are completely iconoclastic, but they show something new about what can be made of the music, new and not uninteresting. This particular CD really takes off half way through, when she plays some pieces by Mezangeot and two anonymous suites.

Noted, thnx! 

Q

[Mandryka]

This, and his second recording of music from the Fitzwilliam book, called Heaven and Earth, is also essential to explore, but this time que, I think you will like it. A great selection across the two CDs, intense interpretations on three different instruments, well recorded. There is no better Fitzwilliam stuff on record that I know of, in fact I'd go as far as to say that they're the best that I know of.

[pjme]

I was listening to this earlier tonight

Almost all of it music I've never heard before. His style seems distinctive, but with only one listen I'm not sure how to describe it.

Antonio de Almeida recorded a brillant version with the New Philharmonia Orchestra (complete, with chorus) in 1970.It hasn't been reissued, but can be heard on YT.
https://youtu.be/X04B4Hk5sO4

Falletta's program seems excellent though.

[Harry]

Johann Pachelbel.
Complete Keyboard Works, Volume II.
Simone Stella plays on a Harpsichord by William Horn, after Joannes Ruckers 1638.

Well performed and recorded. Pachelbel is by no means a easy composer to perform, for his compositions are as difficult to grasp as Bach.

[pjme]

Yes of course I can Peter.
He is indeed firmly late romantic, with a streak of modernity in the scoring. Strauss is certainly a good example to compare, but Wetzler goes a bit further in his  compositions. I find him to be impressionistic in a spiritual dreamlike way, and expressionistic, with hints to Bruckner, especially in the climaxes, when the brass comes out at full force. Assisi is a walk through mist and mystery, a tour through the composers emotional imprint. Sound is excellent, and the performance leaves no wishes open.

thanks Harry. I'm tempted.

[Madiel]

Dvorak, String Quartet No.12



(And before that, the Gavotte for 3 violins)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Dvorak, String Quartet No.12



(And before that, the Gavotte for 3 violins)

That's a lovely set!  A nice bonus:  it has the string quartet version (Cypresses) of 12 of 18 of his love songs on it. 

Enjoy!

PD

[Harry]

Andrzej Panufnik.
Volume VIII.

Violin concerto.
Cello concerto.
Piano concerto.

Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Lukasz Borowicz.
Alexander Sitkovetsky, Violin.
Raphael Wallfisch, Cello.
Ewa Kupiec, Piano.

Everytime when I listen to Panufnik, I am amazed how much I like what I hear. This CD is a firm favourite in this series. Excellent performances and recording.

[Madiel]

Shostakovich, String Quartet no.13

[Todd]

Disc 5.

[Harry]

Felix Mendelssohn.

Violin concerto in E minor & D minor.
Violin sonata in F minor.

Tianwa Yang, Violin.
Romain Descharmes, Piano.
Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä, Patrick Gallois.

Tianwa Yang is my favourite violinist, and is sublime in these concertos, as expected. A very successful CD in every respect.

[Traverso]

Fitzwilliam Virginal Book

CD 9

[bhodges]

Terry Riley: In C (Brooklyn Raga Massive, live from the Art Cafe, 2014) - My favorite version of this piece (of many fine ones around) is still by the Bang on a Can All-Stars, with its brightly-lit, upbeat mood. But this one has quite a bit of charm -- if nothing else, watching 21 musicians crammed into this intimate space in Brooklyn. Also demonstrates that the piece works beautifully on non-Western instruments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I_VUKmIB8c&t=1s

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

Copland: Symphony No. 3



Waaaay out West.  The New Zealanders sound great in all departments.

One fine disc!

[Mirror Image]

Villa-Lobos
Ciclo Brasileiro
Rubinsky

[Florestan]

Fitzwilliam Virginal Book

CD 9

I don't know why but as of late I can't see any of the pictures you post. 

[André]

Symphony no 5, Egmont (overture and vocal selections), Grosse Fuge.

Contrary to his Brahms and Bruckner (full textures and sometimes very slow tempi), Nagano's Beethoven is combative, fleet, nervous, with sudden rather than progressive fortissimos. Dynamics are very wide, vibrato sparely used, timpani unusually prominent. 34 minutes with all repeats, including the rarely observed one in the third movement scherzo, make it one of the fastest on disc. I love it.

In Beethoven's day his symphonies were often buried in ultra long programmes, so their stature was put in a different perspective. Nowadays the 5th is played alone in the second part of a concert, held aloft like an icon or a monstrance for all to look at with reverence. Nagano will have none of that. This fifth is lean, feline, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. I find it very refreshing. Particular attention is paid to wind lines (an arresting oboe solo in I, piccolo and bassoon in IV), the timpani part is fulminant when called for. I'd say this conception is the opposite of those offered by Bernstein, Böhm, Klemperer and the like.

The Egmont bits are excellently done. Adrienne Pieczonka is very good, although she is no Nilsson or Janowitz. The distant snare drum in Die Trommel gerühret is perfectly placed in the sound picture - a nice touch. The Grosse Fuge is played last, a stern monolith staring us down.