What are you listening 2 now?

[foxandpeng]

Imants Kalnins
Complete Symphonies & Concertos
Symphony #2


Kalnins has been something of a revelation this year. #6 is still the one that really gets me, but all are enjoyable. Number 2 comes pretty high.

[Brian]

If you've ever said there's a choice to be made between high speed excitement and an abundance of detail, listen to Ozawa's Lutoslawski Concerto for Orchestra. A white-knuckle terror ride, grimy and sleazy and angry and ferocious and deranged - it would pair perfectly with Ozawa's Miraculous Mandarin suite with the BSO. But at the same time, so many incredible details popping up throughout. When have the double basses ever been this audible, especially in the second movement, the quiet ending of which turned out to have a half-dozen instrumental lines I had never heard before. And I've seen the piece live! Creepy harps, creepy pianos, creepy basses, creepy bassoons, there's a whole world of dark underbelly creatures popping out of this recording. Too bad the bass drum is poorly captured on the very last chord, because otherwise this is pure, spectacular insanity.

[Mirror Image]

If you've ever said there's a choice to be made between high speed excitement and an abundance of detail, listen to Ozawa's Lutoslawski Concerto for Orchestra. A white-knuckle terror ride, grimy and sleazy and angry and ferocious and deranged - it would pair perfectly with Ozawa's Miraculous Mandarin suite with the BSO. But at the same time, so many incredible details popping up throughout. When have the double basses ever been this audible, especially in the second movement, the quiet ending of which turned out to have a half-dozen instrumental lines I had never heard before. And I've seen the piece live! Creepy harps, creepy pianos, creepy basses, creepy bassoons, there's a whole world of dark underbelly creatures popping out of this recording. Too bad the bass drum is poorly captured on the very last chord, because otherwise this is pure, spectacular insanity.

But what do you think of Lutosławski's other music, Brian? The Concerto for Orchestra is a great work, but the composer didn't think much of it and it also doesn't really point to his later, more avant-garde style. I love all periods of this composer's oeuvre.

[Karl Henning]

David Matthews' Symphony No. 9, a real masterpiece that, like Martinu's Fourth, starts with pastoral simplicity and leads to heroic force, while, like Shostakovich's Ninth, is built in five movements. Of course, it sounds nothing at all like either of those composers. Totally original and fabulous. Composed 2016.

Most interesting, thanks!

[Mirror Image]

Following on Brian's heels:

Lutosławski
Concerto for Orchestra
CSO
Ozawa

[Roasted Swan]

Very standard fare at first glance;



but goodness these are two BLISTERING performances.  Super-virtuosic is the only description that comes close!  The early EMI digital recordings have that chill glaring clarity that bedevilled early DDD but the playing is so supremely brilliant that it can take this up close attention.  Muti is in young-blood mode - not looking for much nuance or half-tones in either work but they are stunning.  Interestingly this approach makes "Pictures" far les urbane and sophisticated than the Ravel orchestration often sounds.  I like the "painting in oils not watercolours" approach!  A definite keeper.

[amw]

I have to say I also find the Faure Nocturnes particularly compelling under Heidsieck's hands. It makes me lament the fact that Heidsieck did not record the Impromptus or Barcarollles (as far as I know), which are my favorite works by Faure.

He did record the Barcarolles for Cassiopée (along with e.g. the Bach Partitas, Handel, etc) although the recording is obviously now out of print. Not sure who would own the copyright for those recordings and thus be able to reissue them at this point.

[Mirror Image]

Following on Brian's heels:

Lutosławski
Concerto for Orchestra
CSO
Ozawa

I have to concur with Brian's take on this performance. The folk element isn't downplayed in this performance at all --- those lyrical sections where the woodwinds should have an earthiness yet also have a distinctive airiness to them is captured to great effect. Also, there is plenty of menace in the brass and strings. It's all just so exciting. Unfortunately, I had to buy this recording several years ago as a digital download as it wasn't readily available (even in Japan at the time) and I see that it still isn't. A shame as not everyone wants to buy the Ozawa Warner box set.

[Traverso]

Stravinsky

Le Chant du Rossignol

[Sergeant Rock]

Cheers, Sarge!

Hey, Karl 

Tried Haydn 29 on Sarge's recommendation. Wow, that trio is REALLY weird!

Waltzing trolls 

Sarge

[Traverso]

Stravinsky

Apollon Musagète

Suites 1 & 2

Four Norwegian Moods

Circus Polka

[André]

Fine, melodious, well-crafted quartets composed in 1931, 1947 and 1952. Too bad the only other disc of Fernström SQ duplicates 2 of the works recorded here. It does the composer or listener a disservice IMO. Excellent performances from the Vlach Qt of Prague (not to be confused with the Vlach Qt).

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Tonight I revisited Pierre Moulu on Brabant Ensemble by eminent  prestigious director one of there best they ever done, whit Thomas Crécquillon of course only town idiot would disagree on these two release of Brabant Ensemble we all know this me and 27 Swiss musicologist all in Mensa.

Okay here what I think the sleeve is a lovely fresque of renaissance whit an angel visiting a persona of the bible, let me guess Gabriel has an angel visiting a widow in tears Missa Est Gabriel Angelus and Missa Alma Redemptoris Mater.

Now you reading this thinking deprofundis why should we trust him, well what about the first opening Motet Mater Floreat this is quintessential.

You need to hear this, you, yes you and your  mother and cousins, for Christ sake just give it a try it's screaming awesome, what about it , please someone who has the CD defend me against my enemies out to put dirt on my name.

Deprofundis don't lie, I will never lie to you GMG on polyphony, If I says it's that great than Christ listen, don't listen to the moguls of my government shutting me down, censorship , despotism is not christian values.

[Mandryka]

He did record the Barcarolles for Cassiopée (along with e.g. the Bach Partitas, Handel, etc) although the recording is obviously now out of print. Not sure who would own the copyright for those recordings and thus be able to reissue them at this point.

Any idea about the reason behind the order  of the barcarolles on that CD? 3,5,8,6,4,1,9,10,7,2,,11,12,13. The sound quality is very good indeed.

He certainly seemed to be on good form in the early 1990s when he recorded for Cassiopée.

[SonicMan46]

Elgar, Edward (1857-1934) - Violin Sonata, String Quartet, & Piano Quintet w/ the performers on the cover art, plus several works from other English composers on the sonata disc w/ Daniel Hope - these are works from later in Elgar's life, i.e. 1917 & 1919 (Source) - reviews attached for those interested.  Dave

 

[Mirror Image]

Stravinsky

Apollon Musagète

Suites 1 & 2

Four Norwegian Moods

Circus Polka

How's the fidelity of this box, Jan?

[vers la flamme]

Maurice Ravel: Sérénade Grotesque, Gaspard de la nuit. Idil Biret

Hmm, I didn't always think very much of this recording, but now that I'm returning to it over a year and a half later I'm finding it quite interesting, detecting a kind of special, quiet transience that may not come through in other performances. It's the slowest in my collection by quite a wide margin, maybe that has something to do with it. Whatever; she's achieved something special here, I'm sure of it.

[foxandpeng]

Dag Wirén
String Quartets 2 - 5
Wirén Quartet
Nsxos

Final one this evening. Dag Wirén's SQs are immediately accessible, angst-free works which I very much enjoy. I don't know how the pieces stand up as intelligent or well-constructed compositions, but they have coherence, melody, and pleasing memorability. As an amateur listener, the performances sound great 🙂.

[VonStupp]

Ernest Chausson
Symphony in B-flat, op. 20
Viviane, op. 5
Soir de fête, op. 32
La Tempête, op. 18

BBC Philharmonic - Yan Pascal Tortelier

Nice to hear all of Chausson's orchestral music. The symphony doesn't strike me as much as César Franck's does, but there is plenty to enjoy here.

[vers la flamme]

John Cage: In a Landscape. Stephen Drury

Cage-lite, perhaps but it's a beautiful piece.