What are you listening 2 now?

[Papy Oli]

A bit different, eh Olivier?

Quite, Fergus. I found the folk undertones interesting but there's too much shrieking throughout for my own taste

I much prefer the other CD with Prillar & Sun God Symphony.

[aligreto]

Quite, Fergus. I found the folk undertones interesting but there's too much shrieking throughout for my own taste

I much prefer the other CD with Prillar & Sun God Symphony.

Yes, I might have predicted that outcome 

[Madiel]

This sonata is one of my favourite Myaskovsky pieces—much more like early Scriabin or Szymanowski than like, well, Myaskovsky's later music (sonatas 2, 3 and 4 are more like mature Scriabin, and also quite good, though I don't remember them as well). I think also the first appearance of his favourite descriptive term elevato/con elevazione

The First Sonata is not an easy piece to interpret and neither of the two recordings is ideal. What it needs is I guess a Polina Leschenko or similarly demonstrative Russian music specialist with a great deal of fire. It's possible to sight read, but a bit of a pain, full of long chains of block chords.

I can't say I was that excited by it, but then I was trying to revise some annoying legislation at the same time. Perhaps if I try again now while washing the dishes...

The 1st movement fugue was a bit of a surprise. That doesn't sound much like Scriabin or Szymanowski until things warm up.

[Papy Oli]

Time to spend some time with Poulenc :



CD1 -
Trois Mouvements perpétuels
8 Nocturnes
Suite Française D'Après Claude Gervaise
3 Novelettes
15 Improvisations
Promenades

[amw]

I can't say I was that excited by it, but then I was trying to revise some annoying legislation at the same time. Perhaps if I try again now while washing the dishes...

The 1st movement fugue was a bit of a surprise. That doesn't sound much like Scriabin or Szymanowski until things warm up.

I was thinking of, e.g., the fugue in Szymanowski's first sonata as a comparison, rather than any of his later works, but yes. It's not a piece where the style is particularly crystallised or even consistent from one movement to the next. I am still fond of it anyway, but most other people probably aren't going to be.

[Biffo]

Delius: Brigg Fair An English Rhapsody - Halle Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli

[Madiel]

I was thinking of, e.g., the fugue in Szymanowski's first sonata as a comparison, rather than any of his later works, but yes. It's not a piece where the style is particularly crystallised or even consistent from one movement to the next. I am still fond of it anyway, but most other people probably aren't going to be.

I'm liking it better on a second listen, but in patches.

I've no idea yet how I'm going to feel about later Myaskovsky, what with my chronological listening habits.

[vandermolen]

Alwyn: Violin Concerto (1937-39)
- a most heart-warming work and my favourite British violin concerto by far.
Its neglect by the BBC and the British musical establishment of the time is inexcusable. Alwyn never even heard it during his lifetime (apart from a violin and piano reduction) and it has never, as far as I'm aware, been performed live at a public concert. Thank goodness for Chandos and Naxos for recording it. It is eloquent music of consolation and compassion from a fine composer:

[aligreto]

Piano Sonatas Nos. 19 & 20 Op. 49/1-2

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Good luck. It's been OOP for a long time.

It's the only CD recording of the fine 1st Symphony - difficult to find, although Anosov's performance is available as a download.
PS the CD recording is available for £22 on Amazon UK. Expensive but not absurdly priced.

£22 doesn't sound that bad. I will place an order 
Thank you for the info.

[Mirror Image]

+1 Great disc.

Yes, indeed.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Prokofiev/Malko.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Mahler
Symphony No. 2
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano), Hilde Rössl-Majdan (contralto)
Philharmonia Chorus & Orchestra
Klemperer

[Irons]

That is IMO the best version of Symphony No.2 and was my first encounter with Alwyn's music. Lyrita's Alwyn LP covers were much more interesting than their Bax LP series.

Now playing - Taneyev's Symphony No.2 (my favourite of his works):

The Alwyn 2nd is a fine symphony indeed.

I did find it amusing that Alwyn is quoted as saying that he is not interested in melody, only structure. A huge contradiction as the 1st Quartet contains in the second part of the slow movement a melody that rivals that of the corresponding movements of the quartets of Borodin 2nd and Tchaikovsky 1st.

[steve ridgway]

Murail - Désintégrations. I'm very glad I stumbled upon this on archive.org, it's just what I wanted.

[SonicMan46]

More Graupner today - quoted post below from yesterday - some great wind players today in Frey & Azzolini!  Dave

   

Graupner, Christoph (1683-1760) - Music w/ Chalumeaux from the recordings below - one of my favorite Baroque composers in part because of the uniqueness of his instrument combinations - own about 20 CDs of harpsichord, chamber and orchestral works - none of his tremendous output of sacred and secular vocal compositions.  Dave

Graupner was a prolific composer. There are about 2,000 surviving works in his catalog, including 113 sinfonias, 85 ouvertures (suites), 44 concertos, 8 operas, 1,418 religious and 24 secular cantatas, 66 sonatas and 57 harpsichord partitas. Nearly all of Graupner's manuscripts are housed in the Technical University Library in Darmstadt, Germany. He wrote for exotic combinations of instruments, including the oboe d'amore, flute d'amore, and viola d'amore. Over half of his sinfonias require brass and timpani, with about 25 sinfonias requiring 3 to 4 timpani.... (Source)

   

[bhodges]

Murail - Désintégrations. I'm very glad I stumbled upon this on archive.org, it's just what I wanted.

Thanks for posting this! Years ago, the New York Philharmonic did Murail's Gondwana, which was likely the first microtonal piece the orchestra had ever performed. If I had known what a cool piece it would turn out to be, I would have gone to all 3 performances. They did it beautifully.

Am a big fan of his music in general. Very happy to know of this recording, which I will put high in the queue.

--Bruce

[steve ridgway]

I stumbled upon this too and am also enjoying it greatly so far.

Grisey - Quatre Chants Pour Franchir Le Seuil.

[Symphonic Addict]

Yngve Sköld: Symphony No. 2

This work sounds so fresh, sparkling and magnificently orchestrated. The slow movement is so lovely. The only recording of this work, but how good it is. Yet another composer where we are waiting for all his symphonies recorded.

[Karl Henning]

LvB Overtures—not my favorite disc in the set. Not the composer's fault: it's just that the programming of the CD coincides with Stuff that WCRB Classical Boston overplays.

Leonore № 3, Op. 72a (rec. 24 Oct 1960)
Consecration of the House, Op. 124
King Stephan, Op. 117
Fidelio, Op. 72b
Egmont, Op. 84
Leonore № 3, Op. 72a (rec. 9 Oct 1976)
NY Phil
Lenny

This all'altra mano is one of my favorites in the set (and notwithstanding the fact that the Rakóczy March and the Roman Carnival are frequent WCRB fare:

Berlioz
Grande Ouverture de Benvenuto Cellini, Op. 23
Le Carnaval romain, Op. 9
Roméo et Juliette, Op. 17 (excerpts)
Marche hongroise from La Damnation de Faust
NY Phil
Lenny