What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

Another recording of Roussel Bacchus et Ariane, Cluytens, Paris Conservatory Orchestra



I have it in the complete Cluytens box, which claims to have been remastered.

Wow! This may be my favorite, up there with Markevitch/Lamoureux, although it is only the orchestral suite (No 2) and not the full ballet as performed by Martinon/ORTF. Beautiful playing which conveys a lot of intensity and energy without being overpowering, in the best French tradition.

Pounds the table! Yes, a fine recording, but, unfortunately, not complete.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Bartók
Violin Sonata No. 2, BB 85, Sz. 76
Isabelle Faust, Florent Boffard

From this OOP 2-CD set -

[MusicTurner]

Cage - Works for prepared piano /B. Berman /naxos

A fine recording of these rather entertainingly silly & tribalesque pieces. I much prefer it to the Brilliant Classics one. This CD doesn't comprise any 'Sonatas & Interludes', they are in Vol.1 ...

[vers la flamme]

William Alwyn: Symphony No.1. David Lloyd-Jones, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

First listen. Wow, this is killer. I may prefer DL-J to the Hickox on Chandos in Alwyn's symphonies. As for the music, it's rather Holstian, no? Maybe Alwyn had not quite come into his own at this point (1949), but the music is clearly the product of a skillful mind. One of my favorite English symphonists, alongside Malcolm Arnold. I've greatly enjoyed coming into contact with his music over the past year or so—gradually at first, but I've been quite obsessed for a couple weeks.

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Saturday

Hahn
Douze Rondels
Stephen Varcoe (baritone), Graham Johnson (piano), Dame Felicity Lott (soprano), Susan Bickley (mezzo-soprano)
The London Schubert Chorale
Stephen Layton



This is utterly enchanting.

[Iota]

Liszt Sonata in B Minor 
Philipp Kopachevsky (piano)

Stumbled across this on youtube, a nervous, restless performance, more rapier intensity than granitic splendour. I liked it.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajNNTBObBZk)


Which had been preceded by this:



Brahms Op.116
Paul Lewis (piano)

Having found Lewis rather vapid in something or other a while ago, I have possibly unjustly avoided him since, but wanted to hear this Brahms and it's gone some way to restoring some faith in him. Sympathetic, unpretentious, engaging playing which I enjoyed very much. Look forward to the rest of the set.

[Florestan]

I seem to recall an Alkan box on Brilliant, is that any good Andrei?

Don't have it, Harry, so can't comment.

I'strongly recommend you start with Hamelin, he and Alkan's music is a match made in heaven.

[Florestan]

First-Listen Saturday

Hahn
Douze Rondels
Stephen Varcoe (baritone), Graham Johnson (piano), Dame Felicity Lott (soprano), Susan Bickley (mezzo-soprano)
The London Schubert Chorale
Stephen Layton



This is utterly enchanting.

I'm glad you're digging Hahn. 

[Mirror Image]

I'm glad you're digging Hahn. 

Thanks, Andrei. I'm not sure why I never gave his music much of a chance, but I'm glad I finally did --- it's exquisite music.

[ritter]

First-Listen Saturday

Hahn
Douze Rondels
Stephen Varcoe (baritone), Graham Johnson (piano), Dame Felicity Lott (soprano), Susan Bickley (mezzo-soprano)
The London Schubert Chorale
Stephen Layton



This is utterly enchanting.

Glad you're enjoying these songs, John!

Good day to you!

[Mirror Image]

Glad you're enjoying these songs, John!

Good day to you!

Thanks, Rafael. And the same to you.

A little side note: I've been enjoying all of the Hahn works I've heard so far. Several of them I've already revisited 3-4 times. Such gorgeous music.

[Harry]

Don't have it, Harry, so can't comment.

I'strongly recommend you start with Hamelin, he and Alkan's music is a match made in heaven.

Yes I was already convinced that is the road to go with Alkan, Thanks!

[JBS]

Don't have it, Harry, so can't comment.

I'strongly recommend you start with Hamelin, he and Alkan's music is a match made in heaven.

Hamelin will give you all the virtuosity and pyrotechnica you'd want (possibly more than you want) so he's an obvious place to start. I seem to recall some of his Alkan is on Youtube, so you can judge it that way.

The Brilliant box has a hodgepodge of stuff, including CDs devoted to chamber music, organ music, and chamber concertos, so you'll probably want it (or the individual CDs it was compiled from).
When comparing Hamelin's recordings to the recordings of the same pieces in the Brilliant set, I prefer Hamelin, but 1)I like pyrotechnical pianism and 2)Brilliant has a bunch of stuff Hamelin didn't record.

[I don't have any of the Naxos CDs.  Lowenthal is Hamelin's equal but he recorded fewer works.]

[Florestan]

Yes I was already convinced that is the road to go with Alkan, Thanks!

Let us know what you make of it.

[Traverso]

Jacques Duphly



Because Leonhart's father was an admirer of Mahler, he was called Gustav
Unfortunately, this did not apply to his son, who had little regard for his namesake.

[Florestan]

(Alkan's) chamber music,

Which is not half bad either. This is what I have:

[Florestan]

Because Leonhart's father was an admirer of Mahler, he was called Gustav

I've always wondered about how come a Dutch was christened Gustav, so thank you very much for this trivia. 

[springrite]

Because Leonhart's father was an admirer of Mahler, he was called Gustav
Unfortunately, this did not apply to his son, who had little regard for his namesake.

Good thing it was not Havergal...

[Florestan]

Lowenthal is Hamelin's equal but he recorded fewer works.

True but there's no exaggeration in stating that Lewenthal single-handedly rescued Alkan's music from the oblivion in which it had been lingering. 

[Florestan]

Good thing it was not Havergal...

Reynaldo Leonhardt sounds rather cool.