What are you listening 2 now?

[Symphonic Addict]

A son of Trenton

And enfant terrible. 

[Symphonic Addict]

For some strange reason, whatever moment I look at this harpsichordist's face, I feel an atmosphere of boredom, like too "mannered" refined. Granted, expertly played, but without too much sentiment or emotion.

[Mirror Image]

Looks like no many people that lately are following your musical journeys this time, John. It looks like your namesake is not enough popular, isn't him?

You're often quite organized and manages to distribute the space of the cover arts uniformly.

Yeah, it doesn't seem too many people here are that interested in John Adams. I don't care really. I'll continue posting what I'm listening to anyway. And thank you, yes, I try to make my posts look clean and not just thrown together masses of visual noise. If this makes any sense.

[Symphonic Addict]

Yeah, it doesn't seem too many people here are that interested in John Adams. I don't care really. I'll continue posting what I'm listening to anyway. And thank you, yes, I try to make my posts look clean and not just thrown together masses of visual noise. If this makes any sense.

It does. 

[JBS]

Yeah, it doesn't seem too many people here are that interested in John Adams. I don't care really. I'll continue posting what I'm listening to anyway. And thank you, yes, I try to make my posts look clean and not just thrown together masses of visual noise. If this makes any sense.

I've always enjoyed Adams's music when I hear it, but I rarely feel the desire to seek it out.  When I connect with it's an intellectual connection not an emotional one.

TD


I'm not sure if I have ever heard these two works before.

[Mirror Image]

It does. 

I could've gone four years without seeing that orange barbarian again.

[Que]

Revisiting this morning an old favourite. One of the first Huelgas Ensemble recordings I bought, and recorded 30 years ago.
When rereading the notes, there is no speculation on the composer(s) of these splendid anonymous masses. There can't be that many eligible candidates in Burgundy between 1450 -1463? They are frequently attributed to Antoine Busnois/Busnoys, who seems a obvious possibility.

[Tsaraslondon]

A useful two disc set of Falla's music, covering orchestral, solo piano and vocal works.

Disc One starts with El amor brujo. Oralia Dominguez is the fiery soloist, but I thought the orchestral response by the Philharmonia under André Vandermoot a little tame. It is followed by a fine performance of the Suites from The Three-Cornered Hat with RPO under Artur Rodzinski and the Seven Popular Songs sung by the wonderful Victoria De Los Angeles with Gonzalo Soriano on the piano.

Soriano is the soloist for the whole of the second disc. He is joined by the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire uder Frühbeck der Burgos for Nights in the Gardens of Spain and also plays on his own Four Spanish Pieces and the Fantasia Baetica, moving over to the harpsichord for a performance of the Concerto for Harpsichord and Five Instruments.

[vandermolen]

Yeah, it doesn't seem too many people here are that interested in John Adams. I don't care really. I'll continue posting what I'm listening to anyway. And thank you, yes, I try to make my posts look clean and not just thrown together masses of visual noise. If this makes any sense.

I've enjoyed nearly everything I've heard by John Adams and attended an all Adams concert some years ago in London, at which the composer was present.

Now playing:
Dmitri Klebanov String Quartet No.4 (shows some influence of those by Debussy and Ravel but in a more modern idiom, sometimes reminiscent of Shostakovich and Weinberg's piano quintet). I'm delighted with this new disc:

[Que]

Following up on recent talk on father (Georg) and son (Gottlieb) Muffat...



Contrary to what the cover suggests, Georg Muffat's Missa in labore requies is the major work on this recording.

[vandermolen]

A useful two disc set of Falla's music, covering orchestral, solo piano and vocal works.

Disc One starts with El amor brujo. Oralia Dominguez is the fiery soloist, but I thought the orchestral response by the Philharmonia under André Vandermoot a little tame. It is followed by a fine performance of the Suites from The Three-Cornered Hat with RPO under Artur Rodzinski and the Seven Popular Songs sung by the wonderful Victoria De Los Angeles with Gonzalo Soriano on the piano.

Soriano is the soloist for the whole of the second disc. He is joined by the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire uder Frühbeck der Burgos for Nights in the Gardens of Spain and also plays on his own Four Spanish Pieces and the Fantasia Baetica, moving over to the harpsichord for a performance of the Concerto for Harpsichord and Five Instruments.

'Nights in the Garden of Spain' is a most poetic  and atmospheric work which I like very much.

[Papy Oli]

Good morning all,

JS Bach - Organ works CD2 (Isoir)

I think I have found my proper entry point in his organ music. Superb.

[Tsaraslondon]

'Nights in the Garden of Spain' is a most poetic  and atmospheric work which I like very much.

Absolutely gorgeous, and this is a very good performance.

[Tsaraslondon]

Not a prime recommendation for Fauré's ubiquitous Requiem. The choir is a bit shakey and so is Suzanne Danco, who sounds decidedly out of sorts. The best thing about it is Gérard Souzay, who sings the baritone solos.

Happily the orchestral items are much better and the main reason for me keeping this disc in my collection.

[aligreto]

Schutz: Johannes-Passion [Hillier]





This is a wonderful work. In terms of tone, the sense of the devotional is wonderfully balanced with a sense of the dramatic. I like that the music has a sense of being slightly driven here, which is unusual, without affecting its integrity. This adds to the sense of drama. The vocal contributions are all excellent. The presentation is full sounding in a warm and slightly reverberant acoustic. Wonderful!

[listener]

more RUFINATSCHA:  Th Bride of Messina Overture   and Symphony no.6
BBC Philharmonic      Gianandrea Noseda cond.
A symphony that lovers of the music of Dvořák might enjoy.  LIke his Symphony no.1 (The Bells of Zlonice) it is nearly an hour long and feels it.
next up TANEYEV: At the Reading of a Psalm (Cantata no.2) op. 36
Russian National Orchestra  SATB soloists  choirs

[Traverso]

For some strange reason, whatever moment I look at this harpsichordist's face, I feel an atmosphere of boredom, like too "mannered" refined. Granted, expertly played, but without too much sentiment or emotion.

It is certain that Leonhardt is not your average person. He cannot be blamed for revealing little of his personality in front of the camera.
He was famous but at the same time happy not to be recognized on the street.
I don't have to defend Leonhardt, listening to his recordings has given me so much joy, I can only say it's a shame you don't hear it.

[Karl Henning]

It is certain that Leonhardt is not your average person. He cannot be blamed for revealing little of his personality in front of the camera.
He was famous but at the same time happy not to be recognized on the street.
I don't have to defend Leonhardt, listening to his recordings has given me so much joy, I can only say it's a shame you don't hear it.

All well taken.

[vers la flamme]

Malcolm Arnold: No Love for Johnnie Suite; David Copperfield Suite. Rumon Gamba, BBC Philharmonic

This was a random bookstore find from yesterday morning, but it's excellent. Quite a bit better than I was expecting. Arnold was a brilliant composer.

[aligreto]

Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 [Schmidt-Isserstedt]


This symphony certainly is different; different from its predecessor the seventh and its successor the ninth. It has no slow movement. It is also the shortest of his symphonies. There is no long, slow introduction to the work, instead we dive straight into the body of the first movement. He then simply carries on with the second theme. There is a great pulsating sense as the music moves steadily forward. Another interesting touch is that the movement ends with the same music as it started with. Schmidt-Isserstedt delivers the requisite power in this wonderful delivery. The music is wonderfully attacked and very well driven. I also like the dynamic range delivered in this presentation. It can be quite powerful, exciting and exhilarating.
I remember reading somewhere [source forgotten] that Beethoven composed this movement as a tribute to his friend Johann Maelzel who had invented the chronometer which was an early version of the metronome. Maelzel had also made various hearing aids for Beethoven. The steady rhythmic ticking of the woodwinds certainly lends credibility to the required effect of imitating the metronome. I like the steady drive of this presentation. There is a wonderful clarity in the woodwinds.
The third movement, "Tempo di Menuetto", sounds like a rustic folk dance to me; the horns and clarinets in the Trio like section also give credence to this sentiment for me. This is yet another big sounding movement that is well delivered here.
I find the tone of the final movement to be light hearted and even playful. It also appears to me to be somewhat fragmented; stop/start. The quiet beginning suddenly transforms into a loud, boisterous affair. This pattern is repeated in this Rondo form movement; another experiment in orchestral dynamics perhaps? The work winds its way forward and gradually concludes with a very long and assertive coda.
Schmidt-Isserstedt delivers a powerful and assertive presentation throughout the entire work. It is crisply sharp and very exciting in its delivery.