What are you listening 2 now?

[T. D.]

Listening to the discs from these new arrivals that I didn't spin yesterday:
 
Really enjoying disc 3 of the Kalabis, especially the Sonata for Trombone and Piano (!) and harpsichord works.

[JBS]

Just finished


Of course it's the stuff that doesn't get to be on the front cover that make this CD interesting.
Now

Shostakovich Quartets 8, 7, and 3

[Todd]

[Symphonic Addict]

Piano Concerto in A major

As other works I've heard by this composer, the music just doesn't feel "fluent", natural, but rather prosaic, a bit forced. His style is like that of Reger, but less chromatic.

[Mirror Image]

Piano Concerto in A major

As other works I've heard by this composer, the music just doesn't feel "fluent", natural, but rather prosaic, a bit forced. His style is like that of Reger, but less chromatic.

Thanks for taking one for the team, Cesar. I wasn't sure about this composer, but your description of the composer doesn't sound flattering at all. You saved me some money, which is always a good thing.

[Mirror Image]

Stravinsky
Orpheus
LSO
Craft

[Symphonic Addict]

Thanks for taking one for the team, Cesar. I wasn't sure about this composer, but your description of the composer doesn't sound flattering at all. You saved me some money, which is always a good thing.

Oh, yes. That composer is not your cup of tea at all, I suspect. 

The first two symphonies are pretty good, though.

[Mirror Image]

Oh, yes. That composer is not your cup of tea at all, I suspect. 

The first two symphonies are pretty good, though.

You suspected correctly.

[T. D.]

Revisiting this, enjoying it more than on the first go-round. But if I decide to further explore Milhaud, I'll take John's suggestion and start with string quartets.

[Mirror Image]

Revisiting this, enjoying it more than on the first go-round. But if I decide to further explore Milhaud, I'll take John's suggestion and start with string quartets.

Very nice, T. D. Well, really any of his chamber music is worth exploring, but yes, those SQs are rather special. I'll also say I've enjoyed his solo piano music (or, at least, what I've heard so far).

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Milhaud
String Octet, Op. 291
Quatuor Parisii, Quatuor Manfred



I have to say that I've really fallen under the spell of this composer. Thankfully, I already owned many box sets and individual issues of his music, so I didn't have buy anything else. One of the luxuries of having a large collection is if you dislike something right now, chances are in a year or more, you'll enjoy it, but, of course, there's always the scenario that the music will never grow on you, which pretty much explains my situation with someone like Bax or Reger.

[SimonNZ]

[steve ridgway]

The start of my 1969 collection yesterday - Xenakis Anaktoria, Pierre Henry / Spooky Tooth Ceremony: An Electronic Mass. The latter was very strange - a rock version of the Catholic Mass in English with superimposed musique concrete sound effects. It gradually starts to make sense by relaxing into it and builds up to a wonderfully absorbing sound effect in the last few minutes like the Messe de Liverpool of two years earlier does. What I only just discovered though was that Luther Grosvenor played the lead guitar - I have long appreciated his work of a few years later in Mott the Hoople to whom he was recruited on condition that he adopted the stage name Ariel Bender.

[Madiel]

After some discussion on here of one part of it, trying this somewhat curious double-album (which will eventually get to the 5th symphony after the presentation of a compound thematic work drawn from Egmont, King Stephen and other things).



EDIT: Yeah. This narration thing is going to get dull real fast. Let's just move on to the symphony.

SECOND EDIT: Honestly? The opening movement is feeling a bit matter-of-fact and underpowered.

THIRD EDIT: And I'm into the 3rd movement, and none of it's been very interesting. I might go to my Zinman recording after this.

FINAL EDIT: Aha. It was all a plot to make the finale seem more exciting in comparison. Suddenly the energy level goes up several notches.

[SimonNZ]

[Que]

Morning listening  (via Spotify):



Q

[Que]

Also via Spotify:



A Mandryka recommendation. 

Q

[Que]

Q

[Que]

Q

[Harry]

Johann Pachelbel.
Complete Keyboard Works, volume III.
Simone Stella plays on a Harpsichord by William Horn, after Ruckers, Antwerp, 1638.