What are you listening 2 now?

[Traverso]

Richard Strauss

Arabella

[Mirror Image]

Thank you for your kind words  ,are you familiar with this particular recording?

My pleasure, Jan. I'm not familiar with that recording, but I own so many recordings of the Préludes that I still haven't listened to everything I've got. I keep returning to Jacobs, Kocsis and Sasaki.

[aligreto]

Brahms: Symphony No. 2 [Walter]





This is another wonderful opening to a symphony and Walter pulls it off very nicely. I like Walter's pacing in this movement. Nothing is rushed and the music really breathes [not that is slow by any means]. There is also a very good level of tension built up as the movement progresses. The only way that I can describe the presentation of the two inner movements is soulful. The Final movement is terrifically exciting and Walter drives the music very well, infusing great tension as well. The Finale is wonderful.

[aligreto]

Hello,I start listening to music again after some weeks without listening to a single piece.

Personally, I blame all of that  Messiaen for your absence 
Good to see you back my friend 

[aligreto]

Richard Strauss

Arabella

I am not a huge fan of the Strauss operas other than Rosenkavalier but I do like Arabella. That is the only version that I own as I have never felt the need to go beyond it.

[Traverso]

Personally, I blame all of that  Messiaen for your absence 
Good to see you back my friend 

You could not be more wrong but it makes clear what your view is on Messiaen.

[Que]

Brahms: Symphony No. 2 [Walter]





This is another wonderful opening to a symphony and Walter pulls it off very nicely. I like Walter's pacing in this movement. Nothing is rushed and the music really breathes [not that is slow by any means]. There is also a very good level of tension built up as the movement progresses. The only way that I can describe the presentation of the two inner movements is soulful. The Final movement is terrifically exciting and Walter drives the music very well, infusing great tension as well. The Finale is wonderful.

One of the best Brahms cycles! 

[Traverso]

I am not a huge fan of the Strauss operas other than Rosenkavalier but I do like Arabella. That is the only version that I own as I have never felt the need to go beyond it.

It is also my only recording of this opera ,it is at times intoxicatingly beautiful .

Do you not like Salomé?

[Artem]

Debussy

Hello,I start listening to music again after some weeks without listening to a single piece.
Jean Rodolphe Kars is an interesting musician .The tranquility in his playing is very surprising and appealing.It works very fine with Debussy but less ( my opinion)in his recording with Schubert piano pieces.
His approach is the opposite of Zimerman who plays these music amost if it is Liszt
After hearing his Messiaen recording of Vingt Regards sur L'Enfant Jésus, I became particularly interested in this pianist.
I am therefore pleased with this recording that unleashes a convincing vision on these pieces by Debussy.

I like the way Kars plays Schubert. It is tranquil but very precise too. His disk on Eloquence that came out several years ago is really fine. I hope to buy his Debussy too.

[Traverso]

I like the way Kars plays Schubert. It is tranquil but very precise too. His disk on Eloquence that came out several years ago is really fine. I hope to buy his Debussy too.

I purchased the Schubert recording at JPC this afternoon,very cheap,1,99€.I think that this are some last ones.
You certainly must look for the Debussy Préludes and some Messiaen pieces.There was also an Elquence edition but that is sold out,but it must be possible to find one second-hand. 

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/jan02/Debussy_Messiaen.htm

[SonicMan46]

Stamitz, Carl (1745-1801) - Clarinet Concertos & Quartets w/ the performers on the cover art - the concertos are a 3-disc collection (several reviews attached for those interested). Brief bio quoted below - he grew up in Mannheim when the orchestra was considered the 'best' on the continent at the time and famous for many innovations (e.g. treatment of the winds and crescendos). He was a prolific composer of instrumental music, writing 50 Symphonies, 38 Symphonies Concertantes, 40+ concertos for various instruments, and much chamber music for example.  Dave

Carl Philipp Stamitz was the most prominent representative of the second generation of the Mannheim School. Born in Mannheim, he received lessons from his father and Christian Cannabich, his father's successor as leader of the Mannheim orchestra. In 1770, he began traveling as a violin virtuoso; he visited a number of European cities, living for a time in Strasbourg and London. In 1794, he moved with his family to Jena in central Germany, but his circumstances deteriorated and he descended into debt and poverty, dying in 1801. Stamitz wrote symphonies, symphonies concertantes, and concertos for clarinet, cello, flute, oboe, bassoon, basset horn, violin, viola, viola d'amore and different combinations of these instruments. Some of his clarinet and viola concertos are particularly admired. He also wrote duos, trios and quartets. ( edited Source)

 

[Que]

[André]

Disc 18

[Karl Henning]

Tippett. PC.

Nice!

[Karl Henning]

You could not be more wrong but it makes clear what your view is on Messiaen.

(* chortle *)

[aligreto]

Glass: Cello Concerto [Lloyd Webber/Schwarz]





This is my first listen to this work. The opening I found to be disconcerting from a listening point of view. The cello playing against a double bass accompaniment is not successful, sonically or texturally, for me. He is focusing too heavily on the lower register strings of the cello for far too long. Once we get past this opening section the music and sonorities open up and expand nicely. The slow movement is an easy flowing, low key work. It is lyrical and it has a sense of poignancy to it but it is too long, to be honest. I really like the final movement. It is a terrifically powerful piece of music with great forward momentum. I like the tempo changes which augment the sense of tension and excitement.

[aligreto]

You could not be more wrong but it makes clear what your view is on Messiaen.

From your point of view I am delighted to read that, Jan 

[aligreto]

Do you not like Salomé?

Actually, I had forgotten about Salomé. Yes, I did like it but once again I only have one version and that is by von Karajan. In Strauss, I have to admit, that I am very biased towards von Karajan's interpretations. To my ear he was the greatest Strauss interpreter so I am always biased towards him 

[aligreto]

I own that set and what I particularly like about it is that way in which the technology, by way of the instrument played, keeps track with the date of the compositions.

[André]