What are you listening 2 now?

[Pohjolas Daughter]

at the beastly hour of seven a.m., I was listening to Ravel's  Morning Song of the Jester  on the classical station when I had to run out and pick up a few things for the nurse

Beastly?  No, that's [normally] far into the morning for me. 

PD

[vandermolen]

Beastly?  No, that's [normally] far into the morning for me. 

PD

Me too PD - the cat usually jumps on my chest at any time between 5.00am and 6.00am to indicate that it's time for his breakfast and then I have to get up to take my wife a cup of tea in bed. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Me too PD - the cat usually jumps on my chest at any time between 5.00am and 6.00am to indicate that it's time for his breakfast and then I have to get up to take my wife a cup of tea in bed. 

Cats are very good at reminding you of your duties.    But it's so sweet of you to bring your wife a cup of tea....in bed no less.  May I ask if this is due to her recentish fall or are you just being extra-sweet?  In any event, a thumbs up (approval) for you.    And good wishes to you both.

PD

[Scion7]

Well, I'm into my retirement now, and I am usually asleep now at that time! it was also raining in this area.

The things we men do for beautiful women ....

[Karl Henning]

I get to hear the WSO perform the Classical symphony live in concert this weekend. Looking forward to it. 🙂

Great fun!

[Karl Henning]

at the beastly hour of seven a.m., I was listening to Ravel's  Morning Song of the Jester  on the classical station when I had to run out and pick up a few things for the nurse

Love that 'un!

[MusicTurner]

Vaughan Williams 'A Cotswold Romance' and 'Death of Tintagiles' (also the subject of a fine tone poem by Loeffler):

A great, rather tuneful disc ...

[Traverso]

Bach

Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor BWV 903

I like to have a musical shower,this Chromatic Fantasy will do.

[Artem]

Flute concerto

[bhodges]

Flute concerto

As a big fan of Hosokawa, this looks fascinating. Comments?

--Bruce

[kyjo]

I have to say, Cesar, that this is one of the strangest, most incomprehensible statements I've ever read on GMG. Care to elaborate it, please?

Really? Clearly you haven't been reading a lot of GMG posts closely enough, including those from myself!

[vandermolen]

Cats are very good at reminding you of your duties.    But it's so sweet of you to bring your wife a cup of tea....in bed no less.  May I ask if this is due to her recentish fall or are you just being extra-sweet?  In any event, a thumbs up (approval) for you.    And good wishes to you both.

PD

Thanks PD. No, 'tea duty' pre-dates my wife's accident.

[Artem]

As a big fan of Hosokawa, this looks fascinating. Comments?

--Bruce

I have rather mixed feelings on Hosokawa. His orchestral music sounds very much the same. The most of his concertos that I have heard so far follow a very similar format of an ocean wave. If you listen to that disk in its entirety, it will feel like one long composition as opposed to the actual three different concertos, composed at different time. Yet, my curiosity about his music remains.   

[Daverz]

I have to say, Cesar, that this is one of the strangest, most incomprehensible statements I've ever read on GMG. Care to elaborate it, please?

A lot of people dislike operatic singing, and perhaps verismo in particular.  "Opera without words" is a thing, after all.

[bhodges]

I have rather mixed feelings on Hosokawa. His orchestral music sounds very much the same. The most of his concertos that I have heard so far follow a very similar format of an ocean wave. If you listen to that disk in its entirety, it will feel like one long composition as opposed to the actual three different concertos, composed at different time. Yet, my curiosity about his music remains.   

Interesting, thank you. I've heard some of his orchestral music but none of the concertos. (My favorite recording so far is the string quartets, also on NEOS.)

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

"Wolferl"
Symphony № 39 in E^b, K. 543
Orchestra Mozart
Abbado

RVW
Symphony № 2 « A London Symphony »
LSO
Previn

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Bach

Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor BWV 903

I like to have a musical shower,this Chromatic Fantasy will do.

Nice set. I love all these Seon recordings..

[Traverso]

Nice set. I love all these Seon recordings..

Indeed a fine high quality label

[André]

Were it not for some ungainly singing from the tenor (an important part in this work) I think I'd choose this performance as a reference for the work. Although 12 minutes slower than Haitink, I was often reminded of the dutch maestro's interpretation. It moves organically and naturally, with beautifully elucidated balances. The chorus sings with good body of tone and fine ensemble (very impressive basses in the intro to Part II). Also, the organ is given just enough presence in the mix.

[foxandpeng]

Actually I prefer Blomdahl's 1st Symphony more than the better-known (I was going to write 'famous' although that is hardly the case) 'Facetter' Symphony. I find, quite often, it is the first symphonies by 'modernist' composers which I like best, before they went all 'atonal' (or at least more modernist) if you know what I mean. Other examples are the first symphonies by Robert Simpson (I know that he was not really atonal), Benjamin Frankel, Norgard, Blomdahl, Shchedrin. Do you know the Robin Walker CD on Toccata Danny? I thought it was great and have had some lovely exchanges with the charming cat-loving composer who very kindly sent me some other CDs of his fine music:

Fascinating. I have had Walker's music on my 'to do' list for some time, but today is the first time I have made the space to get there. Thank you for the prompt.

This is a worthwhile hour of music in every way. Anyone citing influences from Tippett and Birtwistle, and so warmly commended by David Matthews (whom I have come to admire immensely), has to be worth hearing. I'm acquiring a real love for Tippett and Matthews in particular, so the step to Walker is a timely one!

I confess, I was expecting something more challenging and muscular considering his influences, but not so. I've been listening to Peter Maxwell Davies and Humphrey Searle a great deal too, and with some benefit, so maybe that influenced my expectations!

This is far more immediate and listenable on first hearing than I imagined but is still powerful stuff. Brooding, elemental, complex, with the spirit of Yorkshire's hard Northern landscape, brass, and colliery bands infusing it. I'm glad you encouraged me to get acquainted with it. I played The Stone Maker twice this evening - first rate music.