What are you listening 2 now?

[Mandryka]

What is interesting to me about the op 109 here is how Osborne has found a way of playing which brings the sonata close to earlier "middle period" Beethoven - vigorous movement and confident assertive gestures.

[Harry]

Morning listening - starting with a recently arrived 5CD box set:

 

That box did not disappoint in any way, I think is quite marvelous!

[Harry]

 

A Glossa recording from 2011.

Q

I let that box pass, for I have already much of the music. Question to you! Was that wise?. Or do you think I should buy it? JPC has it for 40 euros, is that the price you paid for it?

[Harry]

Johann Sebastian Bach.
Complete Organ Works.
Volume VII.
Gerhard Weinberger, Organ.

Orgelchoräle BWV 736/718/726/733/738/732/1085/730/731.
Sonata No. 2 BWV 526 & No. 5 BWV 529.
Passacaglia in C, BWV 582.

Instrument on this recording:
Heinrich Gottfried Trost, 1735-1739) Schloẞkirche Altenburg.
Pitch: A= 468 Hz. (Chorton)
Temperament: Modified meantone, after Neidhard I.

A fine organ, and an excellent performance in good sound.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

My friend, I love your programming choice and I'm going to join you for some of these. But first up forgive me for offering the opposite opinion on the Górecki. I really do like Gerrard's voice in other contexts but I feel she's overreaching here - her range seems stretched. When the emotional climax arrives in the second movement it didn't have enough power and fell a bit flat, compared to my favourite performance by Polish soprano Zofia Kilanowicz which is heart-piercingly intense.

If think the most generous thing I can say about Gerrard's performance is that it is very human in its frailty and perhaps you could argue that in the grief-laden context of the piece, that's a desirable quality.

Vehadi though - this is gorgeous and a fantastic display of her talents, and I will listen to this again.

David I wonder if you might like this disc. It's an odd one - from 1989 era Jan Garbarek on ECM so expect a bit of synth and icy sax - but the singing is not something you hear every day and it is idiosyncratic, but most importantly very beautiful. I think it's really special, I have an inkling you might agree. I'm discovered it in Spotify - seems to be well OOP on disc.

Benji,

Do you like the version with Dawn Upshaw?  I'm quite a fan of her singing/voice.  I have that Medieval Norwegian CD.  Should revisit it.

I was driving very much earlier today and I overheard a keyboard concerto which I thought it was by CPE Bach. Then the speaker lady announced it was "The Keyboard Concerto Catalogued as Number 1053 by Joseph Haydn" (sic!)

At which point I ejaculated an expletive --- and it's not for the first time that the speakers of the Romanian classical radio station make such blunders --- one of them, a male one that time. thrice announced "Turandot by Verdi", and when the tenor who had been invited corrected him he (the speaker) asked innocently: "Is it really by Puccini?" Needless to say, he's still a speaker for the Romanian Classical Music station.

  Sigh....

Enjoying a morning baroque program on the radio to start the day.

[Traverso]

Schubert

CD 8

[Harry]

Karl Goldmark.

Symphony No. 1, "Ländliche Hochzeit" opus 26.
No. 2 in E flat major, opus 35.

Singapore SO, Lan Shui.

For me personally the best interpretations available. State of the Art sound.

[Roasted Swan]

Benji,

Do you like the version with Dawn Upshaw?  I'm quite a fan of her singing/voice.  I have that Medieval Norwegian CD.  Should revisit it.   Sigh....

Enjoying a morning baroque program on the radio to start the day.

I'm with Benji regarding Gorecki 3 - for me Kilanowicz nails the passion behind the purity - Upshaw does the purity but not the passion.  Not heard the version that prompted this discussion though......

[Brahmsian]

I'm with Benji regarding Gorecki 3 - for me Kilanowicz nails the passion behind the purity - Upshaw does the purity but not the passion.  Not heard the version that prompted this discussion though......

I, for one, love both singers immensely in this piece (Upshaw and Kilanowicz).

[DavidW]

Great selection of works. I enjoy them all, not necessarily the same recordings, though, it's good to see mentions of Simpson, Górecki and Bliss, besides Tchaikovsky and Penderecki.

Well the Bliss came from recent discussion here!  Gorecki's 3rd is one of my favorite symphonies and I have listened to every available recording.  People usually listen to the Upshaw but I prefer Perruche.  I also really like his second symphony, harpsichord concerto and his string quartets.

[Todd]

[DavidW]

My friend, I love your programming choice and I'm going to join you for some of these. But first up forgive me for offering the opposite opinion on the Górecki. I really do like Gerrard's voice in other contexts but I feel she's overreaching here - her range seems stretched. When the emotional climax arrives in the second movement it didn't have enough power and fell a bit flat, compared to my favourite performance by Polish soprano Zofia Kilanowicz which is heart-piercingly intense.

I haven't heard that recording in a long while, I'll have to give it a fresh listen.  I remember really liking it in contrast to Upshaw because the second and third movements were just as engaging as the first.

If think the most generous thing I can say about Gerrard's performance is that it is very human in its frailty and perhaps you could argue that in the grief-laden context of the piece, that's a desirable quality.

That is what I liked about it.  But also it was well recorded and it sounded like her voice floated above and just filled my room.  That did play a significant part beyond the performance itself.

David I wonder if you might like this disc. It's an odd one - from 1989 era Jan Garbarek on ECM so expect a bit of synth and icy sax - but the singing is not something you hear every day and it is idiosyncratic, but most importantly very beautiful. I think it's really special, I have an inkling you might agree. I'm discovered it in Spotify - seems to be well OOP on disc.

I've added it to my favorites for listening later, I'll tell you what I think!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I, for one, love both singers immensely in this piece (Upshaw and Kilanowicz).

I'm with Benji regarding Gorecki 3 - for me Kilanowicz nails the passion behind the purity - Upshaw does the purity but not the passion.  Not heard the version that prompted this discussion though......

I'll see if I can find a way to listen to the recording with Kilanowicz. 

[Maestro267]

Interesting that the symphony has attracted singers now from outside the classical spectrum, what with this and Portishead singer Beth Gibbons' fairly recent recording.

[DavidW]

Interesting that the symphony has attracted singers now from outside the classical spectrum, what with this and Portishead singer Beth Gibbons' fairly recent recording.

Yeah I heard that one too.  I enjoy 'em.  It is probably because it is so popular.  The Upshaw recording is one of the best selling recordings in classical music of all time.  And it has been used in countless movies.

[DavidW]

I'll see if I can find a way to listen to the recording with Kilanowicz. 

It is on Naxos so it is cheap if you're not into streaming.

[Harry]

Bohuslav Martinu.

Early Orchestral Works Volume II.

Stin-(The Shadow)-Ballet in One Act.

Sinfonia Varsovia, Ian Hobson.

One of the best productions in this ongoing series. I love this ballet.

[Biffo]

Elgar Cockaigne Overture; Introduction and Allegro for strings
Halle Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli - recorded 1953- 54

[Mirror Image]

NP: Enescu Piano Trio in A minor (Trio Brancusi)

[ritter]

Some ultra-late-romantic chamber music with piano left hand (at the request of Paul Wittgenstein, of course).

Leon Fleisher with distinguished instrumentalists (incl. Yo-Yo Ma and Jaime Laredo) play Korngold's Suite, op. 23, and Franz Schmidt's Quintet in G major.



The Suite (with its use in the fourth movement—Lied—of the haunting theme of "Mond, so gehst du wieder auf" from the Abschiedslieder) is probably my favourite work by Korngold.