What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

Warm performances of both works. The orchestra's strings at the beginning of the symphony are not as black and electric as the NBC's under Toscanini, but their intensity and commitment are never in doubt. It should come as no surprise that the orchestra (the brass esp.) has a darker, more blended sonority than its other gallic counterparts. In the 19th and 20th centuries Strasbourg was alternately French, then German, then French, German again and finally French following WWII. The Philharmonic was honed under Pfitzner, Mottl, Klemperer, then Ropartz, Munch, Bour etc. Very good recorded sound. A fine disc.

Damn, stop posting more recordings I want to buy. Just kidding...looks like a lovely disc. I'm quite enamored with much of Franck's music.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Penderecki
Kosmogonia
Orkiestra Symfoniczna Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie
Chór Filharmonii Narodowej
Andrzej Markowski



An absolute feast for the ears! An eerie earlier work written in 1970. This particular performance was never issued on CD until this label Cold Spring (a metal label) made it happen. It originally appeared on Philips who, for whatever reason, never released it on CD. Talk about a missed opportunity for them. Oh well, I doubt it would sound as good as this recording on Cold Spring anyway.

[VonStupp]

How's the character?

I haven't heard much of this set yet, but Concerto 1 was a joyous breath of fresh air and 5 was standout for Michael Schönheit's harpsichord. I am in #6 currently, and am a little underwhelmed with it, although this set is spirited and warm so far.

For me, Chailly's 'third way' is right up my alley, though. I am ambivalent over period instruments, and while modern instruments satisfy me more, their old recordings don't always.

VS

[Todd]

[Karl Henning]

I haven't heard much of this set yet, but Concerto 1 was a joyous breath of fresh air and 5 was standout for Michael Schönheit's harpsichord. I am in #6 currently, and am a little underwhelmed with it, although this set is spirited and warm so far.

For me, Chailly's 'third way' is right up my alley, though. I am ambivalent over period instruments, and while modern instruments satisfy me more, their old recordings don't always.

VS

Interesting, thanks!

[Klavier1]

[JBS]

I haven't heard much of this set yet, but Concerto 1 was a joyous breath of fresh air and 5 was standout for Michael Schönheit's harpsichord. I am in #6 currently, and am a little underwhelmed with it, although this set is spirited and warm so far.

For me, Chailly's 'third way' is right up my alley, though. I am ambivalent over period instruments, and while modern instruments satisfy me more, their old recordings don't always.

VS

I don't like anything other than period instruments in the Brandenburgs and Overtures, but Chailly did an excellent job with the Christmas Oratorio.

On another topic:
Don't forget Brautigam didn't stop with the sonatas, but went on to do the rest of the solo keyboard works



The Diabellis are the weakest link, but for those Staier and Schiff (and possibly others) provide fortepiano alternatives.

TD
Barbirolli conducting Elgar
Froissart
Three Pomp and Circumstance marches
Elegy
Sospiri
Falstaff

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Berio
Folk Songs
Cathy Berberian, mezzo-soprano
Juilliard Ensemble
Berio



Exquisite!

[Traverso]

NP:

Berio
Folk Songs
Cathy Berberian, mezzo-soprano
Juilliard Ensemble
Berio



Exquisite!

Take that damn pipe out of your mouth, you rat....

[Mirror Image]

Take that damn pipe out of your mouth, you rat....

[TheGSMoeller]

Ture Rangström: Symphony No. 4
Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra / Yuri Ahronovitch

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First-Listen Thursday

Berio
Eindrücke
Orchestre National de France
Boulez



I have two issues of this particular recording --- this Apex one and the other is in the Boulez Erato box set. Anyway, this is a pretty cool work! It almost has this Mission Impossible meets Varèse vibe to it. I know that sounds crazy, but this is what I'm hearing.

[Mirror Image]

Last work for the night:

Berlioz
Les nuits d'été, Op. 7
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, mezzo-soprano
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Nicholas McGegan

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Akio Yoshiro
*Piano Concerto
Symphony
*Hiromi Okada, piano
Ulster Orchestra
Takuo Yuasa
(on Spotify)



Both endlessly fascinating works, which pay homage to Messiaen (especially the Piano Concerto), but are still highly individualistic. There are nice touches of orchestration throughout.

My modest contribution to this week's musical Nippon-o-thon :



Very enjoyable program  .

I didn't know about these recordings. I will look for the discs.
As for Kono(y)e, he is a younger brother of Prince Fumimaro Konoe- one of the prime ministers during WW2 and a war criminal after the War. Prince Fumimaro committed suicide to avoid the war crime tribunal.  Konoe is one of the oldest and most prestigious aristocratic families in Japan.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Revisiting one of my favorite recordings of both works from Stravinsky and Bartók with Christoph von Dohnányi and the Wiener Philharmoniker:

Excellent recording!

[Mirror Image]

Excellent recording!

Absolutely. It was one of the first classical recordings I ever bought and the performances still hold up so well even after all of the other performances of these ballets I've heard through the years.

Edit: Just looked at an older Amazon order and I bought this back in April of 2008.

[Que]

Beethove, LV - String Trios w/ L'Archibudelli on period instruments and the Lendvai String Trio on modern ones - reviews attached (included are also reviews of the Leopold and Zurich String Trios, alternates to the Lendvai ST) - Dave

 

Those L'Archibudelli recordings nailed it for me.

[Que]

Morning listening is a return to this:




BTW the music has very little to do with this bare chested gentleman on an psychodelic trip.... 

[Harry]

Not a very good morning, Russia has started a war against the Ukraine, I have many friends in Kiev.

Music for peace!

Girolamo Alessandro Frescobaldi.
Complete Unpublished Works for Organ and Harpsichord.
CD V.
Works for Harpsichord.
Roberto Loreggian plays on a F. Gazzola, 1989, copy of a anonymous Italian harpsichord from the 17th century.

This set on Brilliant is an eclatant success. All is in balance in this production, from head to toe. A welcome addition on the already existing box released by the same label.

[aligreto]

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas No. 2, Op. 2/2 & No. 3, Op. 2/3 [Brautigam]