What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Rouse
Symphony No. 3 (After Prokofiev)
New York Philharmonic
Alan Gilbert

[foxandpeng]

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.

Enjoyed hearing the Blair Quartet version of the Ives SQs. Good call, thank you. I like both of the SQs very much!

[Todd]

Disc three, an all-Sibelius affair.  Nice.

[JBS]

Better than Zehetmair? That's pretty high up. I guess another for the shopping cart.

TD
From the Warner Barbirolli box

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto 4
Saint Saens Havanaise
Sarasate Ziguenerweisen

Jascha Heifetz violin

London Philharmonic in the concertos, London Symphony in the concertante works.

Continuing on with the next CD, more violin concertos--this time Beethoven and Brahms, with Fritz Kreisler as soloist, and London Philharmonic Orchestra in both. Recordings made in 1936.

[Klavier1]

Superb playing and sound.

[André]

Available on Spotify, this towering, searingly intense version of Schönberg's Pelleas und Melisande. With Bruno Maderna and the SWF Baden-Baden orchestra. From 1960. Mono but wide-ranging and clear sound.

[kyjo]

Thuille: Sextet for Winds and Piano



An effortlessly tuneful and enjoyable work which, despite the composer's Austrian heritage, is not far from Saint-Saens in style.


Penderecki: Sextet



Another sextet, this time a more modern one (albeit not inaccessible). My attention was held throughout due to its inventive sonorities.


Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata no. 2



I'm probably alone in thinking this, but I feel that Rachmaninoff's melodic muse was overall stronger in his orchestral, concertante, and chamber works than in his solo piano works. But maybe that's just because I'm a bigger fan of those genres than of solo piano music. The most memorable and touching music of this sonata can be found in the slow movement.


Barber: Piano Concerto



Despite being a huge Barberian/Barberite, this is far from one of my favorite PCs I must say. The outer movements are a bit too "crash-bang-wallop" for my taste and end up getting rather tiresome to my ears. Now, the intimate and nostalgic slow movement is a completely different story. That's the Barber I like!


Rozycki: Mona Lisa Giocanda (symphonic poem)

https://youtu.be/Kar0GBsOjpE

Beautiful late-romantic luxuriance!!

[Florestan]

I'm probably alone in thinking this, but I feel that Rachmaninoff's melodic muse was overall stronger in his orchestral, concertante, and chamber works than in his solo piano works.

If you mean his piano sonatas, you might have a point. If you mean his non-sonata piano works, you're utterly wrong.  Utterly, I tellya.

[Madiel]

Dvorak

Theme and Variations op.36
Scottish Dances op.41
Two Furiants op.42

[Karl Henning]

CD 33

Dvořák
Serenade in d minor, Op. 44

Gounod
Petite Symphonie in B^b

Handel
Suites taken from Rodrigo & Serse arranged by Anthony Lewis/Philip Cranmer & Hoffman, respectively)

[Madiel]

Bad mid-1980s pop... after that I expect it will be Dvorak again. 

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony 9 from Hans Rosbaud set CD8

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Dvořák
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 3, B. 9, "The Bells of Zlonice"
Hussite Overture, Op. 67, B. 132
Staatskapelle Dresden
Suitner



This is simply outstanding. Suitner's cycle of Dvořák, for me, is preferable over Kertész (I never really liked the sound of the LSO in his cycle) and Kubelik. I'd rate him with my other favorite cycle: Neumann (analog cycle) on Supraphon.

[kyjo]

The entire disc:



Man, more of this guy's substantial output (including 9 symphonies!!) needs to get recorded ASAP!! This disc is a total stunner, both in terms of the music and the performances. The Ukrainian Klebanov successfully avoided being derivative of Prokofiev and Shostakovich while occasionally acknowledging their influences. His style is characterized by an earthy folksiness which is totally winning, but it doesn't lack seriousness either. The SQ no. 4 is the most "straightforward" work, quoting the Ukrainian Carol of the Bells in the very opening, and the wonderful Piano Trio no. 2 may be the highlight of the disc. The SQ no. 5 is a bit more "challenging", but not by a large margin.


Arnold: Symphony no. 2



My second favorite symphony of his after the 5th, with the 7th following in third place. A tremendously engaging work from first note to last! The outer movements are two of Arnold's most joyful/positive symphonic movements (rather in the vein of the orchestral dances), though threatening forces often lurk closely around the corner. God, that theme in the finale is so incredibly catchy, and the way Arnold plays with it over the course of the movement is sheer witty genius. To say nothing of the brilliantly malicious scherzo, or the profoundly haunting and funereal slow movement. A masterpiece!


Balakirev: Symphony no. 2



The first two movements are quite enjoyable with their often "exotic" melodies and motives. I thought the final two movements were significantly less inspired. IMO, his 1st Symphony is overall a better piece.


Suk: Serenade for Strings and Kodaly: Hungarian Rondo



The Suk is just sheer loveliness in every way! Interesting how the soulful melody of the slow movement sounds more (to my ears) like an American spiritual than anything Czech. And the Kodaly - what an incredibly fun romp of a piece! Wonderful performances by the Orpheus CO, with liberal use of string portamenti which I find delicious.


Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra



I must admit that I struggled with this work. I couldn't discern many themes or motives to easily "latch onto" and help me get my grasp on Berg's complex idiom.

[kyjo]

NP:

Dvořák
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 3, B. 9, "The Bells of Zlonice"
Hussite Overture, Op. 67, B. 132
Staatskapelle Dresden
Suitner



This is simply outstanding. Suitner's cycle of Dvořák, for me, is preferable over Kertész (I never really liked the sound of the LSO in his cycle) and Kubelik. I'd rate him with my other favorite cycle: Neumann (analog cycle) on Supraphon.

Yeah, I like Suitner's Dvořák a lot too. What do think of Rowicki's cycle on Decca? I've really enjoyed what I've heard of it.

[Mirror Image]

Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra



I must admit that I struggled with this work. I couldn't discern many themes or motives to easily "latch onto" and help me get my grasp on Berg's complex idiom.

For me, Berg isn't about "themes" but rather about atmosphere. There are many things to latch onto in this work, Kyle, and sometimes they're happening at the same time! Keep trying. Do you like the Violin Concerto?

[Mirror Image]

Yeah, I like Suitner's Dvořák a lot too. What do think of Rowicki's cycle on Decca? I've really enjoyed what I've heard of it.

Rowicki is good, too, but there's something about the sound of these Suitner recordings that just do it for me every time. He really allows this music to bloom and the pacing he achieves allows this to happen.

[kyjo]

If you mean his piano sonatas, you might have a point. If you mean his non-sonata piano works, you're utterly wrong.  Utterly, I tellya.

I mostly mean his piano sonatas, and partially mean his other solo piano works.

[Madiel]

Rowicki is good, too, but there's something about the sound of these Suitner recordings that just do it for me every time. He really allows this music to bloom and the pacing he achieves allows this to happen.

I'll be buying Suitner. It's just a question of what edition of Suitner I will try to buy.

People seem to like Rowicki for being fast and exciting, but when I tried Symphony no.1 he was rather too "fast and exciting", and I absolutely agree with you that Suitner's pacing is excellent.

[Mirror Image]

I mostly mean his piano sonatas, and partially mean his other solo piano works.

I love Rachmaninov's solo piano music, but also his chamber music. I personally don't see any need to prefer one over the other whenever the writing is this consistently great. I mean we could say, of course, that there are some composers who excelled in this or that genre when discussing their oeuvres, but there are composers who wrote great in all of them and Rachmaninov was certainly one of them for me.