What are you listening 2 now?

[kyjo]

Great posts, Kyle. The Veress sounds intriguing. I know his two only symphonies and they don't disappoint in my view. Very accesible, though the 2nd has more Modern touches. I listened to Weinberg's 14th following your recommendation and I have to say it is a hell of a work. I don't get the idea why it went unnoticed for me when I listened to it for the first time. Maybe I wasn't as prepared to figure out how it was going to be the music as now? Rather likely, I guess. A superb discovery. Thanks for the heads up!

I'll have to look into Veress' symphonies. Glad you enjoyed the Weinberg - a thought-provoking work to say the least!

[vers la flamme]

Claude Debussy: Prèlude à l'après-midi d'un faune. Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Great recording of this masterpiece.

[kyjo]

One of the most incredible pieces of chamber music I think he's written is Rosengaardsspil for string quartet. Give it a listen:

https://www.youtube.com/v/RShME_NaotE

Thanks, John! I'll report back when I do.

[Mirror Image]

Thanks, John! I'll report back when I do.

Sounds like a good plan to me, Kyle.

[kyjo]

Reinhold Glière
The Sirens, op. 33

Slovak PO - Stephen Gunzenhauser

Glière seems to be going for a Scriabin-esque tone poem, but with far more Romanticism. The sound isn't great from this mid-80's recording.

VS

Such an appropriately seductive, atmospheric work. A shame it wasn't included in Chandos' Glière survey, because it really calls for a top-notch performance and sound.

[Mirror Image]

Revisiting this old friend:

Debussy
Estampes
Jacobs

[kyjo]

Little-known works of Busoni's. The 'Indianische Fantasie' is not about India, but about what the booklet calls Red Indians  . It's a substantial work for piano and orchestra. Gesang vom Reigen der Geister (Song of the Spirit dance) also draws from Native American folklore. It belongs to Busoni's orchestral elegies (like his better-known Berceuse élégiaque). Both works were written near the beginning of WWI. Funny that another italian composer wrote an opera about the Wild West at the same period. There must have been a Buffalo Bill factor at work then. Fine performances and very good sound.

The Indianische Fantasie is a really colorful, interesting, and substantial work. It was a nice discovery for me a few months ago!

[kyjo]

Piano concerto by women composers. All 3 are substantial works that would be big hits in the concert hall. There is drive, energy, lots of colours and plenty of fireworks. Modernist/neo-classical would describe the styles best, but there is plenty of repose when needed. That's an excellent release.

I have positive memories of the Kuzmenko concerto!

[kyjo]

Another Bliss ballet:

Arthur Bliss
Checkmate
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
David Lloyd-Jones



What a remarkable work! Totally imaginative and colorful, both the composition and orchestration. It's tremendously exciting in spots; I imagine it's not programmed in concert often, if at all (either the complete ballet or a suite.) Too bad, because it contains some wonderful music!

Pounds the table! Have you heard Bliss' deeply moving Meditations on a Theme of John Blow, which I consider to be his masterpiece?

[vers la flamme]

^Y'all are making me want to check out this Arthur Bliss character...

... for now, the hits don't stop:



George Frideric Handel: Water Music Suite in F major, HWV 348. Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert

Such a good performance of this work, which I love.

[Bachtoven]

[classicalgeek]

Adam Zero is a great and imaginative score. It receives a thumbs up from me too. One of my favorite ballets, actually.

I really was taken by it too... really captivating and original music. There's a full orchestral score if you subscribe to Nkoda... I listened the first time without a score, but I definitely want to follow the score next time. Earlier tonight I listened to Checkmate, which I also just loved.

Gilbert is indeed splendid with the NYPO on these recordings and performances.

I also rate Rozhdestvensky's cycle very highly. The performances could be more soft-edged, more "romantic", less hysterical, but those are not an obstacle to enjoy them enormously. The performance of the 3rd is particularly charming and uplifting!!

I'm not sure if I've listened to Rozhdestvensky's Nielsen or not, but now I'm curious! My Nielsen cycle of choice before I heard Gilbert was Schonwandt on Dacapo... but I think Gilbert at least equals if not exceeds him. The playing of the New York Phil alone is a reason to love Gilbert's cycle!

Pounds the table! Have you heard Bliss' deeply moving Meditations on a Theme of John Blow, which I consider to be his masterpiece?

I think I know what I'm listening to next! 

[classicalgeek]

As recommended by Kyle above:

Arthur Bliss
Meditations on a Theme by John Blow
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis
(on Spotify)



Totally agree with Kyle that this is a masterpiece! Again, a really unique and innovative compositional process is paired with masterful orchestration and the result is astounding, and some of the music is just **gorgeous** (The Lambs and In Green Pastures.) Again I've discovered a composer whose music I've listened to, but not taken the time to fully appreciate previously; just in the last few months it's happened with Lloyd, Koechlin, Barber, Poulenc, Arnold, Stenhammar, Alfven - and now Bliss. And that's thanks in large part to fellow GMG-ers - so keep the recommendations coming! 

[Tsaraslondon]

Claude Debussy: Prèlude à l'après-midi d'un faune. Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Great recording of this masterpiece.

This is a wonderful two disc set. Fabulous performances and really gorgeous analogue sound.

[Irons]

Great selection of beautiful V-W works; I can't say that I remember much regarding the 'Serenade to Music' though, it's been ages (and there are several versions, chamber & orchestral, I think); I'll listen to it now ...

With and without voices I believe.

[Irons]

Lennox Berkeley: 2nd String Quartet.

Strong echoes of Britten's quartets. Possibly my mood at time of listening, but much preferred the 2nd to 1st.

[The new erato]

Worthwhile.

[Irons]

Pounds the table! Have you heard Bliss' deeply moving Meditations on a Theme of John Blow, which I consider to be his masterpiece?

+1

[vandermolen]

+1

+2 (re: Bliss Meditations on a Theme by John Blow)

Andrew Davis's is the best performance since Hugo Rignold's CBSO recording on Lyrita.
The Melee Fantasque and Hymn to Apollo are other works which I like very much.

[vandermolen]

Such an appropriately seductive, atmospheric work. A shame it wasn't included in Chandos' Glière survey, because it really calls for a top-notch performance and sound.

I agree Kyle.