What are you listening 2 now?

[Symphonic Addict]

Two very promising Naxos discs:


Álvaro Cassuto: Return to the Future

The rather famour Portuguese conductor is also a fine composer.

Joly Braga Santos meets Philip Glass? This work is quite fascinating, a curious hybrid between minimalism a la Glass and Portuguese roots. The result is a work of a quite uplifting nature, optimistic, visionary-like, not hard to assimilate at first. There is a little fragment where sounds like a section from the 1st movement of Beethoven's 9th. Surprisingly compelling and good music.




Balada: Guernica, for orchestra

Superb, fantastic sound world, something like a Spanish Lutoslawski? The textures, timbres, sonorities and atmosphere this work conveys are nothing short of spellbinding and effective.

[Symphonic Addict]

https://www.amazon.com/Fiddlers-Jig-Scherzo-Henry-Cowell/dp/B000001SHY

This is Cowell in "Rubbra" mode.  Lovely disc.



And here he is in cheeky, "bad boy" mode.

Thanks, Daverz. Yet another promising and enticing composer to discover.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Adams
Harmonielehre
San Francisco SO
De Waart



This is still a great performance even if it doesn't quite match MTT or Adams' own performance with the Berliners. Sonically, it's not too bad. I love the sound of these old Nonesuch recordings.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Adams
Harmonielehre
Saint Louis SO
Robertson



Another excellent performance. This one I had to buy as download because it hasn't had a physical release unfortunately.

[Symphonic Addict]

Salvador Brotons: Symphony No. 5 'Mundus noster'

All these Iberian composers have ended up notable finds. This symphony goes from dark to light, crossing through turmoil and depression, to reach a sort of cathartic and forceful conclusion. His style is highly approachable, it can engage you very easily.




Joonas Kokkonen: String Quartet No. 2

Serious, dour, somewhat depressing, poetic and eloquent at once. Not necessarily friendly to the ear instantly, albeit I did enjoy hearing this. It invites to keep listening to it.

[Symphonic Addict]

That made me throw up a little in my mouth, but this made me feel better:

Oh, take care. Good to know the CD helped you. 

[Symphonic Addict]

TANEYEV: At the Reading of a Psalm (Cantata no.2) op. 36
Russian National Orchestra  SATB soloists  choirs

Love the Taneyev. The composer at his most lyric.

[Que]

Listening to this, which I find the most satisfactory complete Ciconia, because I like the voices of the people singing

Listening to it now (on Spotify):

[Tsaraslondon]

This 1988 recording of Fauré's Requiem is a reconstruction of Fauré's original orchestration for performances at the Madeleine in 1893 - 1894  and predates the full orchestral version, the orchestration for which may or may not be by Fauré himself. As was the practice at the Madeleine, the upper voices are sung by boys, though the soprano solo is given to Agnès Mellon, who however has a suitably boyish timbre. This is a lovely performance and may well be my favourite of the work.

As a coupling we have the much smaller scaled Messe de pêcheurs de Villerville, which was penned by Fauré and his friend Messager in 1881, while they were staying with the Clerc family in Normandy as a contribution to a charitable institution of the fishermen of the town, a slight but charming work.

[Traverso]

The art of the recorder

[Papy Oli]

Good morning all,

Bax - Spring Fire

[Traverso]

I like the discs by Haselbock!


Nice set of the Southern German organ music. The other set of Northern German Organ music is excellent as well.

Thank you,good to know that there is also this set but is has not the attractive price of the set I just purchased.

[Papy Oli]

Webern
Im Sommerwind
Passacaglia Op.1
(Sinopoli)

[Traverso]

Dufay

Music for St James the Creator

[Papy Oli]

Bax

Northern Ballad No.2
Northern Ballad No.3
Mediterranean
Symphonic Scherzo

[Biffo]

Villa-Lobos: Symphony No 9 - Sao Paolo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Isaac Karabtchevsky

[Traverso]

Buxtehude

[Tsaraslondon]

Cross posting from the opera forum:



Fauré's opera Pénélope was first staged in 1913 at the Salle Garnier in Monte Carlo, but failed to establish itself in the repertory and is now rarely heard. It is a beautful work, but the lack of dramatic event could perhaps be the reason for its neglect. Though not in the least bit Wagnerian, it follows Wagner's system of Leitmotiven, associating themes with the main characters and significant emotions.

Whatever the reasons for the lack of stage performances, it works well enough as an aural experience and this is a very fine recording of the work with a mostly French cast. Jessye Norman is splendid in the title role and there are certainly no problems with her top register here. Alain Vanzo has been criticised for sounding to young at the beginning when he is disguised as an old man, but perhaps the fault is Fauré's and the tenor register tends to sound youthful anyway. In any case I can't imagine the opera being better performed than it is here.

[vandermolen]

Henry Cowell: Variations for Orchestra

The content of this disc continues impressing me. This is my first listen ever to anything by this American composer, and it turned out to be revelatory music. To me, his style sounds like Rubbra but with more rhythmic vitality. Solemnity and intensity live together in this astonishing work. Now, I want to hear more of this composer. Are there any recommendations?

This disc will become another remarkable find in this year.

I remember greatly enjoying this disc Cesar:

The Cassuto CD on Naxos looks interesting.
Now playing, Holst's First Choral Symphony - possibly my favourite work by Holst:

[Papy Oli]

Some first listens from the Fremaux Icon box:

Berlioz - Benvenuto Cellini Overture
Berlioz - Les Troyens Act 4: No. 29 Chasse royale et orage
Berlioz - Les Troyens Act 1: No. 11 Marche troyenne