What are you listening 2 now?

[DavidW]

I wanted a good DSCH 8 after yesterday. I listened to the terrific Mravinsky. 

[DavidW]

And now a superb Rach 2.

[Todd]

Disc 2.  More (near) magical results.  The Prokofiev Second PC emerges as the best version I've heard alongside memories of a radio broadcast of Volodos playing it, which means that this is the best one I have readily available.  Three Movements from Petrushka bests Pollini's erstwhile reference version, with only Pollini's dizzyingly fast run any better, and with Trifonov's more varied touch making the Italian sound crude.  He does not, however, supplant YES as the new reference version.  The Scriabin Piano Concerto, a piece I pretty much never listen to, emerges as more of a Rach sound piece than a Scriabin sounding piece, but it works quite well.

[amw]

One of the less noticed releases of the Beethovenjahr. Modern instruments, period style. It could just be my mood but I am really enjoying this performance of Op. 59 no. 3; it's worth sampling for anyone so inclined. The set also contains 18 no. 1 and 135. Hope they get around to the rest someday.

[Karl Henning]

CD 11

"Papa"
Symphonies nos. 39 in g minor, 29 in E, 28 in A
DRD
Stuttgarters

All of it excellent. I especially savored the Poco adagio from the A Major symphony

https://www.youtube.com/v/f44C0npyD3Q

[Todd]

[André]

Quintets for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and piano, both composed in the mid-1890s. Caplet's is a light, playful and melodic work that uses each individual voice to engage in a lively conversation. Magnard's way with the same forces is to blend and fuse sounds  within a strongly profiled thematic vein, then letting individual voices come out and back into the texture. IOW it is more 'orchestral', both in texture and thematic development. These contrasting ways with identical chamber music forces makes for a highly stimulating hour of fine music. Recommended.

[Madiel]

La bonne chanson - piano quintet version



One of the few times I've been really convinced of the merits of an arrangement (possibly Faure's own though this isn't completely certain). Sanford Sylvan sings this repertoire extremely well, with all the long phrasing that it needs.

[T. D.]

[Todd]

The second disc of Heidsieck's earlier Handel recordings.  Proper A/Bs with his older self are warranted.  More pianists (pianists, not harpsichordists) really ought to record these.

[Mirror Image]

Good to know, John. Thanks.

My pleasure, Cesar.

[Mirror Image]

+1

+2

[Mirror Image]

NP: Stravinsky Pulcinella (Stravinsky et. al.)

[Mirror Image]

Bună seara, Andrei!Indeed! That's the set I was referring to.

And good evening to you both, John and Jan.

And a fine evening to you as well, Rafael.

[Que]

Via Spotify:



"In addition to the works attributed to the lutenists active at the Royal Polish court in the late sixteenth century, there is a substantial repertoire of compositions identified as 'Polish dances' or 'Polish songs' which have been preserved in numerous sources of late Renaissance lute music. Characterized by an irresistible melodic charm and a straightforward harmonic and rhythmical texture, such musical polonica spread across Europe, achieving what might have been the widest distribution of musical 'Polishness' before Chopin. Four hundred years later, Polish lutenist Michal Gondko sets out to trace polonica in lute tablatures from around 1600, and presents a selection of forty compositions, many of which have not been previously recorded."

Q

[Harry]

Johann Sebastian Bach.
Complete Organ Works.
Volume XIII.
Olivier Vernet plays on a Christoph Treutmann Organ in Grauhof-Goslar.

Dritter Theil der Clavier Übung (End)
Praeludium and Fugue in C Major, twice and E minor.
Miscellaneous works. 

Such an organ always gives good results. Vernet keeps the quality high.

[Irons]

Four more discs to go of this very rewarding box.



Symphony no. 9 --- Sir Yehudi Menuhin / Menuhin Fetsival Orchestra

Excellent performance in superbly recorded sound.  Not the first names that come to mind with respect to this work but surprisingly good --- nay, absolutely top notch on all counts.

Well said! Not fashionable to praise Menuhin. I rate him highly as a musician.

[Irons]

Novak: De Profundis.

Symphonic Poem for large orchestra and organ.

A befitting dark work written in 1941 as Novak's response to the Nazi occupation of his homeland. The work ends positively with his faith that victory will prevail.

[vandermolen]

Novak: De Profundis.

Symphonic Poem for large orchestra and organ.

A befitting dark work written in 1941 as Novak's response to the Nazi occupation of his homeland. The work ends positively with his faith that victory will prevail.

That's a great LP Lol and it was my first encounter with both works. The 'despair to hope' trajectory of 'De Profundis' is very moving and it was courageous of Novak to compose it during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia. There are those who argue that Novak's best works were composed early in his career but I completely disagree with that verdict. De Profundis and the South Bohemian Suite, composed late in Novak's career, are two of his greatest works IMO. That LP had a great effect on me and it's good to see it again. Fine cover art too.

[vandermolen]

Ruth Gipps: 'Song for Orchestra'
This was played on the radio this morning and I'd forgotten that it featured on this fine CD of Ruth Gipps's music - so, I'm playing it now:

(Earlier) Walton conducts Walton: Symphony No.1 - a very good performance which, like Sargent's, tended to be underrated in favour of Previn's LSO account which I don't like as much: