What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

I will check the disc, thank you. 

Get ready for a surprise. There are no melodies, rhythms come and go, but the general atmosphere and textural aspect of her music is what draws me into it.

[Spotted Horses]

Now playing:



Maurice Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales; Pavane pour une infante défunte. Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

This set came VERY highly recommended to me a couple years back by an odd character on another forum who is an avid, card-carrying Ravelian (I believe he was active here at one time; Paul Best, if anyone remembers him). Anyway, it seems this guy thought this was the only Ravel solo piano set worth listening to. Can't say I share that sentiment, but it is very good, both in terms of technique and sound, but also interpretation; it seems to be a more modernistic, less impressionistic take on Ravel. Razor sharp. Well worth a listen.

I like that set a lot. Crisply performed, beautifully recorded. Hewitt and Francois are other favorites.

[foxandpeng]

I think the rest of that set is merely good, but I find the performance of the first 2 symphonies to be among the best I've heard.

I must admit to being fairly ignorant of the most recommended cycles for LVB, so any suggestions for an overall winner would be appreciated?

Thread Duty as a last hurrah before sleep:


Tigran Mansurian SQs
Rosamunde Quartett

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Yep, huge fan of the Tharaud Harmonia Mundi set. He's sensational in Ravel.

In his Bach album, his playing (and the recording sound) is very cheesy and sugary. I love the disc, but I imagine that purist people wouldn't like it.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Gubaidulina
String Trio
Molinari

[Mirror Image]

In his Bach album, his playing (and the recording sound) is very cheesy and sugary. I love the disc, but I imagine that purist people wouldn't like it.

I don't listen to Bach, but I'll take your word for it.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Górecki
Symphony No. 3, Op. 36, "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"
Upshaw
London Sinfonietta
Zinman



A bonafide classic and, for me, one of great works of the 20th Century. This work has it's detractors as does this particular performance from Upshaw/Zinman, but I've always found much to admire about it. I also love the Zofia Kilanowicz/Wit performance on Naxos. I'm sure there are others that are equally noteworthy, but these are my two favorite performances of the ones I've heard.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Nystroem
Sinfonia del Mare
Elisabeth Söderström, soprano
Swedish RSO
Westerberg

[Brian]

In his Bach album, his playing (and the recording sound) is very cheesy and sugary. I love the disc, but I imagine that purist people wouldn't like it.

I agree - I love his Bach album and if you do too you should try Vikingur Olafsson, which has a similar level of perfectionist beauty but with a little bit different demeanor. More like flawless museum artwork pieces rather than big rich slices of cake.

[Madiel]

Brahms, Piano Concerto No.2 (Nelson Friere)

[Harry]

Marin Marais.

Troisieme Livre de Pieces de viole (1711)
Volume III.

CD III

Suite No. V en si bemol majeur.
Suite No. VI en sol mineur

Francois Joubert Caillet, Bass viol.
L'Acheron.

Marvelous set, and that goes for the previous volumes too.

[vandermolen]

NP:

Nystroem
Sinfonia del Mare
Elisabeth Söderström, soprano
Swedish RSO
Westerberg

A great work!

[Que]

Morning listening on Spotify:



https://frabernardo.com/portfolio-item/circa-1500-capilla-flamenca-music-from-the-time-of-albrecht-duerer/#tab-id-2

The subtitle of the double album is "Music from the Time of Albrecht Dürer".
It's a mixed program with chant and organ interludes, but the first disc is built around De La Rue's Missa "lste est speciosa". Other than the cover suggests, this is a collaboration between Capilla Flamenca, Beauty Farm and Schola Gregoriana Lovaniensis and Joris Verdin at the organ.

Performances are absolutely splendid. 

[Irons]

Bartok: 1st Piano Concerto.

Serkin and Szell are a perfect match for Bartok.

[Mandryka]

Dufay's Ma belle dame souveraine is very successful!

[foxandpeng]

Tigran Mansurian
Confessing with Faith (1998)
Monodia
Kim Kashkashian
The Hilliard Ensemble

[Traverso]

NP:

Gubaidulina
Fachwerk
Geir Draugsvoll (bayan), Anders Loguin (percussion)
Trondheim Symphony Orchestra
Oyvind Gimse

Gubaidulina is one of those strange cases where I felt the music was nothing more than a bunch of empty gestures all wrapped up in some pseudo-spirituality or whatever the critics told me I should be hearing. Schnittke, on the other hand, is one of the only late Soviet period composers that has truly impressed me.

You recently  made this comment, quite negatively about Gubaidulina, what has happened or changed in the meantime?

[Traverso]

Dufay's Ma belle dame souveraine is very successful!

It's beautiful 

[vandermolen]

The Planets - a very fine performance with the 'big tune' in 'Jupiter' played as a folk dance rather than as a patriotic hymn which, I imagine, is what Holst would have wanted. Great coupling as well - the magical 'Perfect Fool' Ballet Music:

[Traverso]

Bach