What are you listening 2 now?

[foxandpeng]

Charles Ives
Symphonies 1 - 4 & Misc
Melbourne SO
Sir Andrew Davis
Chandos

Isn't it strange how some things people say, stay with you, sometimes for years?

I was advised as a young man that some composers would be 'too difficult' for me, and that I should avoid them. It colours my thinking even now, at times, even though my capacity for challenging music is somewhat developed. Perhaps that's why some of the music to which I gravitate isn't always very accessible to others and that I'm subconsciously trying to prove something to myself? Interesting...

Anyway. Along with Shostakovich, Schoenberg, and others, Charles Ives was one of the composers I was told that I wouldn't ever understand. What a shame that I've never really taken the plunge to listen to him apart from recently. Symphonies 1 - 4, New England Holidays, Orchestral Sets 1 & 2, The Unanswered Question, Central Park in the Dark... etc ... all very much worth hearing. I'm a little bemused as to why Ives would be cast this way. Maybe because #4 is more dense and overlaid?

Ives of March? Enjoyable few days.

[Mirror Image]

Tend to agree with you John. Berglund's is terrific as well. The historic Boult on Decca is very special to me however - especially with the composer's recorded vote of thanks to Boult and the orchestra ('including the lady harpist') at the end.

As you wrote earlier, this is a difficult symphony to get right and very few have managed to do this effectively, but, man, this Thomson was in a class of its own.

[Mirror Image]

Charles Ives
Symphonies 1 - 4 & Misc
Melbourne SO
Sir Andrew Davis
Chandos

Isn't it strange how some things people say, stay with you, sometimes for years?

I was advised as a young man that some composers would be 'too difficult' for me, and that I should avoid them. It colours my thinking even now, at times, even though my capacity for challenging music is somewhat developed. Perhaps that's why some of the music to which I gravitate isn't always very accessible to others and that I'm subconsciously trying to prove something to myself? Interesting...

Anyway. Along with Shostakovich, Schoenberg, and others, Charles Ives was one of the composers I was told that I wouldn't ever understand. What a shame that I've never really taken the plunge to listen to him apart from recently. Symphonies 1 - 4, New England Holidays, Orchestral Sets 1 & 2, The Unanswered Question, Central Park in the Dark... etc ... all very much worth hearing. I'm a little bemused as to why Ives would be cast this way.

Ives of March? Enjoyable few days.

Ives was one of the first composers I got into (along with Bartók) and I had no difficulty appreciating his idiom. I also want to mention that the chamber music (esp. the Violin Sonatas and SQs) and the Concord Sonata are very much worth your time. The songs are also excellent, but I know this particular genre isn't for everyone. Anyone who says a composer will be "difficult" for you, is completely full of it. How presumptuous it is for anyone to say what you will or will not gravitate towards.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Adams
Harmonielehre
San Francisco SO
MTT



Thinking of MTT and his current health situation. It's such horrible news, but this man has given us so much including this spectacular reading of Adams' Harmonielehre.

[foxandpeng]

Ives was one of the first composers I got into (along with Bartók) and I had no difficulty appreciating his idiom. I also want to mention that the chamber music (esp. the Violin Sonatas and SQs) and the Concord Sonata are very much worth your time. The songs are also excellent, but I know this particular genre isn't for everyone. Anyone who says a composer will be "difficult" for you, is completely full of it. How presumptuous it is for anyone to say what you will or will not gravitate towards.

Thanks, John. VSs and SQs next, then. Appreciate your pointers.

NP the SQs with The Lydian String Quartet  which seems to be the only streaming version available on Spotify.

[vandermolen]

Weinberg: Piano Quintet

[Que]

Nos. 35, Kv 385 ("Haffner") and 36, Kv 425 ("Linzer")

[Mirror Image]

Thanks, John. VSs and SQs next, then. Appreciate your pointers.

NP the SQs with The Lydian String Quartet  which seems to be the only streaming version available on Spotify.

I found several of them:

https://open.spotify.com/search/Ives%20String%20Quartets/albums

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Ives
Dedication
Gidon Kremer, violin
Münchner Philharmoniker
Roman Kofman

[Todd]

Wrapping up another run through of the cycle.  One of the better cycles available.

[foxandpeng]

I found several of them:

https://open.spotify.com/search/Ives%20String%20Quartets/albums

Thank you

[Mirror Image]

Thank you

The Juilliard String Quartet's recording of the Ives SQs is my favorite of the three or four recordings I own of them.

[Papy Oli]

[JBS]

I confess to never really having gotten along with Ives's symphonies. His orchestral not-symphonies however I like a lot. The only recording of the SQs I have is on Naxos. Been quite a while since I've listened to them, however.


TD
The Krauss Complete Decca Recordings CD 4
Combining from 1951

And from 1952

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Holst
Japanese Suite, Op. 33, H. 126
Ulster Orchestra
JoAnn Falletta



Absolutely infectious. Holst was such a brilliant composer. A shame his legacy seems to rest on The Planets.

[Biffo]

Vaughan Williams: Sancta Civitas - London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus conducted by Richard Hickox. I found it impossible to balance this recording - the opening was inaudible and the soloist almost inaudible at his first entry. When I adjusted the volume so that the soloist sounded natural the chorus jumped out the sound picture - very loud and also shrill and metallic. I must have noticed this before but don't recall it being quite so bad. I listened to some of Hill/Bournemouth SO etc (Naxos) and didn't find it anywhere near as bad. I will have to dig the Willcocks LP from out of the vaults for another comparison.

[Mirror Image]

Vaughan Williams: Sancta Civitas - London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus conducted by Richard Hickox. I found it impossible to balance this recording - the opening was inaudible and the soloist almost inaudible at his first entry. When I adjusting the volume s that the soloist sounded natural the chorus jumped out the sound picture - very loud and also shrill and metallic. I must have noticed this before but don't recall it being quite so bad. I listened to some of Hill/Bournemouth SO etc (Naxos) and didn't find it anywhere near as bad. I will have to dig the Willcocks LP from out of the vaults for another comparison.

For me, the Willcocks performance is still the one to best.

[Biffo]

For me, the Willcocks performance is still the one to best.

I haven't heard it for a while, probably because I only have it on LP and don't visit my LP collection as often as I should. May give it a listen tomorrow.

[Linz]

Bruckner 9 with Herbert Blomstedt and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

[SonicMan46]

Brahms, Johannes - Violin & Viola Sonatas w/ the performers on the cover art; for the violin works, I like the Khachatryan brother and sister duo best (a Jerry Dubins rave in the attached reviews) - last discs in the survey of my Brahms collection - have culled out or replaced about a half dozen recordings.     Dave