What are you listening 2 now?

[vandermolen]

Holst: 'First Choral Symphony' (fine performance/recording of one of my favourite works by Holst)

[Tsaraslondon]

This famous first recording of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, conducted by Walter, who conducted the premiere in 1911, has hardly ever been out of the catalogue, and righty so.

In terms of sound, it has no doubt been bettered by more modern alternatives, but it should really be in the collection of anyone who loves this work, who will no doubt want more than one version (I have a fairly conservative four).

There is something so intrinsically right about Walter's conduction and of course one senses the deep rapport that existed between him and Kathleen Ferrier, who died from cancer the following year. Ferrier is wonderful of course and it is very difficult to separate the performance from the cicumstances of its recording, which makes her contribution doubly moving. I may still prefer Baker for her absolute vocal mastery, but I would never want to be without Ferrier's unique account.

I'm afraid I find it hard to join in the general praise for Patzak, who sounds strained much of the time. He is certainly no match for Wunderlich, and, to be honest, I prefer Kmentt and König, who are on my other three recordings.

The three Rückert Lieder included here are also essential listening. A great disc.

[aligreto]

A Secret Labyrinth [Van Nevel]:






CD 9: comprises the music of Costanzo Festa, a composer of whom I have not heard before.

I would initially describe the music as intrinsically infused with a sense of calm, at least that which I have heard on this CD. It is very engaging music and it is very well presented here, as always.

[Traverso]

Haydn

String Quartets OP.20 1-2 & 3

[Que]

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Cantata BWV 105 Herr, Gehe nicht ins Gericht [Gardiner]





The music in this Cantata is filled with anxiety and anguish. This is well reflected in the pulsating strings and the sound of the plaintive oboe. The music of the third movement is both haunting and divine. It combines those trembling strings and the plaintive oboe with a wonderfully expressive soprano aria. This is exquisite musical writing. The following Bass aria is also impressive. The music of the Tenor aria is more assertive and self-assured, involving fine scoring for brass. The string writing in the final Chorale is atypical and arresting in its construction, to my ear.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Works for "spatialised orchestra" by Marc-André Dalbavie : Concertate il suono, Antiphonie (double concerto for clarinet —Romain Guyot— and basset horn —Jérôme Voisin— ), and The Dream of the Unified Space.


Pascal Rophé conducts the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.

Of course the spatialisation cannot be appreciated in a standard stereo recording, but there's plenty of musical interest in these pieces regardless, and I have always found Dalbavie's very sensual language hugely appealing.

Sounds interesting!

PD

Almost forgot:

Current morning listening - Rameau in Versailles with Orchestra de Chamber Jean-Francois Paillard on Erato.  On it, 6 Concerto Transcriptions et "Hippolyte et Aricie (Excerpt)"

[vers la flamme]

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.6 in F major, op.68, "Pastorale". Bruno Walter, Columbia Symphony Orchestra

Doesn't get much better than this recording of the Pastorale.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Sibelius
Symphony No. 6 in D minor, Op. 104
San Francisco SO
Blomstedt

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Mahler
Kindertotenlieder
Christa Ludwig, mezzo-soprano
New York Philharmonic
Bernstein

[Traverso]

Bruckner

Symphony No.9

[Mirror Image]

Bruckner

Symphony No.9

Pounds the table! A great performance, Jan.

[Traverso]

Pounds the table! A great performance, Jan.

You are right again John  , Bruckner fest !!  My favorite sets are Haitink (Philips) and all other Haitink recordings...   Jochum (DG) en Maazel (BR Klassik) The Böhm 3/4 (Decca) 7/8 (DG) Giulini 9 (EMI) Karajan(DG)   Klemperer (EMI) and last but not least van Beinum (Philips)  further Karajan (EMI)
I'm more a Bruckner than a Mahler man. 

[Mirror Image]

You are right again John  , Bruckner fest !!  My favorite sets are Haitink (Philips) and all other Haitink recordings...   Jochum (DG) en Maazel (BR Klassik) The Böhm 3/4 (Decca) 7/8 (DG) Giulini 9 (EMI) Karajan(DG)   Klemperer (EMI) and last but not least van Beinum (Philips)  further Karajan (EMI)
I'm more a Bruckner than a Mahler man. 

Excellent. I love Bruckner, but my preference is for Mahler for the variety in his symphonies (they're all so different --- some even being night/day different), those incredible song cycles and Das Lied von der Erde, which is one of my favorite pieces of music of all-time.

[Traverso]

Excellent. I love Bruckner, but my preference is for Mahler for the variety in his symphonies (they're all so different --- some even being night/day different), those incredible song cycles and Das Lied von der Erde, which is one of my favorite pieces of music of all-time.

I have a strong preference for his songs ,  Das Lied von der Erde and des Knaben Wunderhorn.from his symphonies,the delightful fourth and the ninth.The beautiful third and the impressive sixt.

By the way ,there is variety enough in the Bruckner symphonies but I get your drift. 

[Todd]

Revisiting.

[Mirror Image]

I have a strong preference for his songs ,  Das Lied von der Erde and des Knaben Wunderhorn from his symphonies, the delightful fourth and the ninth.The beautiful third and the impressive sixth.

By the way ,there is variety enough in the Bruckner symphonies but I get your drift. 

I just don't feel that Bruckner's symphonies are worlds unto themselves quite like Mahler's. Of Bruckner's symphonies, the 5th through the 9th get the most listening time (I adore all of these symphonies). Of Mahler's, I especially love the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th and, of course, Das Lied, which is a symphony --- a song-symphony to be exact.

[Traverso]

I just don't feel that Bruckner's symphonies are worlds unto themselves quite like Mahler's. Of Bruckner's symphonies, the 5th through the 9th get the most listening time (I adore all of these symphonies). Of Mahler's, I especially love the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th and, of course, Das Lied, which is a symphony --- a song-symphony to be exact.

Bruckner is more universal.less personal,less sorrowful ego exhibitionisme.For this reason alone Harnoncourt refused to direct or recorded a Mahler symphony.Bruckner is a more open space.

I'm not attacking Mahler but it is what it is.

[SonicMan46]

Re-post from yesterday w/ information on Brilliant's 2-CD release of Picchinini's lute/chitarrone music (licensed from Tactus); two different performers (as discussed my a number of members in previous recent posts) - Dave

Well, I thought that Brilliant 2-CD looked familiar - it was 'hiding away' in a corner of my den! 

Below the cover/back art and a listing of the works on both discs - as stated above Conti on Bk 1 and Torelli on Bk 2 - the latter helped write the short notes in the booklet; each CD is under 60 mins; the instruments used, i.e. lute or chitarrone are indicated by asterisks on the back cover (unclear from the discussion whether restored or reproduction instruments were used?).  Also, not sure if these recordings contain 'all' of the composer's works for these instruments?  For those interested, a short synopsis HERE w/ pics and a description of the chitarrone.  Dave

 

[ritter]

More not so unknown Richard Strauss: the Parergon zur Symphonia Domestica and Panathenäenzug. Anna Gourari (pf —left hand—) and the Bamberger Symphoniker conducted by Karl Anton Rickenbacher.

CD 6 of this set: