What are you listening 2 now?

[springrite]

Suk
Under The Apple-Tree, Suite from the music to the dramatic legend by Julius Zeyer, Op. 20
Eva Děpoltová, soprano
Czech Philharmonic
Libor Pešek

Love these Supraphon covers in the Suk series!
Honestly, I bought them for the cover!

[Operafreak]

Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra, Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel -DR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Krzysztof Urbański

[Harry]

Franz Ignaz Beck.

Six Symphonies, opus 1.

New Zealand Chamber Orchestra, Donald Armstrong.

Powerful and well driven symphonies, expertly played by this orchestra. They may sound a bit bigger as the footprint of this composer's era allows, but the detailed and enthusiastic performance makes more than up to it. The recording is very good, and allows ever detail and nuance to be heard however far into the orchestra. Not a period performance, but for me this works.

[Lisztianwagner]

Alexander Zemlinsky
Der Zwerg

[Operafreak]

Brahms & Schumann: Lieder

Ann Murray (mezzo-soprano) with Malcolm Martineau, Hester Dickson, Benjamin Appl, John Mark Ainsley & Johnny Langridge

[Iota]

Bach: WTC II
Freidrich Gulda (piano)


I've had this set for a long time, but it doesn't come out as much as it might. It's very closely mic-ed with a dry acoustic, which Gulda seems to like. The problem is I don't so much. Nonetheless, essential listening I'd say.

[Florestan]

I haven't heard this one yet. I really liked the first movement of his D960 (the fortepiano sounds somewhat like a lute, but I enjoyed it personally) and then fell asleep to the Winterreise with Ernst Haefliger, mostly because I was curious as to how good he was in the mid-1990s (answer: yes).

I was blown away by Haefliger in Die Schoene Muellerin and a disc with a selection of other Schubert Lieder. His versatile and velvety voice was in a class of its own. I'm currently not in the mood for Winterreise.

[Florestan]

Streamed the first couple Violin Sonatas from this set.  They are exactly what I thought they would be: superbly played, very serious, and eminently enjoyable.  Both instrumentalists deliver personal touches aplenty, with Lonquich more restrained than normal in that regard, but as compelling as always.  I will definitely be buying this set, but as part of the full FPZ box, given all the other enticing recordings in that set.

Wishlisted, thank you.

[Florestan]

[Sweden] doesn't quite have a figure like Grieg, Nielsen or Sibelius that clearly stands as having the most influence.

Indeed, a curious exception.

[Florestan]

Hahn: Concerto provençal

Eminently pleasant in the very meaning of the word. Music to relax and let you take a breath. Sous les pins was especially evocative.

That whole disc is a treasure trove and Reynaldo Hahn is one of my favorite French composers.

[Biffo]

Elgar: Sea Pictures - Constance Shacklock contralto with the Halle Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli - from the Royal Albert Hall, 21 October 1958. Magnificent performance.

[Madiel]

Vaguely planning to listen... sadly the libretto in English doesn't seem to be available anywhere (short of Google translating the Czech)

[Florestan]

Vaguely planning to listen... sadly the libretto in English doesn't seem to be available anywhere (short of Google translating the Czech)

How many operas did Dvorak wrote? I suspect his case is similar with Saint-Saens', who wrote lots of unkown ones.

[Madiel]

How many operas did Dvorak wrote? I suspect his case is similar with Saint-Saens', who wrote lots of unkown ones.

There are 11. When you count 2 entirely separate compositions of the same libretto (King and Collier).

Really only Rusalka seems to have gained much popularity.

[Florestan]

There are 11. When you count 2 entirely separate compositions of the same libretto (King and Collier).

Really only Rusalka seems to have gained much popularity.

As I said. Saint-Saens composed 12 and only Samson and Delilah is popular. 

[Roasted Swan]

I'm sure like others here, you start with one disc - possibly a random choice - but that sends you down a rabbit hole of (re)discovery.  Recently on the forum someone mentioned an orchestration of Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit.  That had me digging out this disc;



which I had no particular memory of.  But in fact it is really very good indeed from first to last.  I am a sucker for an interesting arrangment so Eugene Goossens' "Le Gibet" I find fascinating.  But even the Ravel "standards" here are done very well - a lovely piano concerto and an excting Daphnis Suite No.2.  Terrific Phil;harmonia playing too.  So then I tried;



also really fine with Percy Grainger's orchestration of "La vallee des cloches" simply remarkable and modern sounding in its gamelan-like restraint.  So then I was into digging out other Geoffrey Simon/Cala recordings all of which (for me) contain interesting byeways of the repertoire consistently well-played and recorded.  A classic exasmple of taking very good recordings somewhat for granted;

[DavidW]

Brahms 2nd Jochum/BRSO.  Recording really highlights the woodwinds.  Contrary to what others say, I think that the recording has excellent sound.  Jochum's approach to the symphony is unusual.  I had not listened to this recording in a long time, and I was surprised by how different it is from the normal approach.

[foxandpeng]

Outcast
Silvestrov SQ 1
Schnittke SQ 3
Matangi Quartet
via Spotify

Both of these SQs are new to me, and both composers mostly, but both were immensely worthwhile: the Silvestrov, particularly. Really thought-provoking, atmospheric and contemplative, even plaintive. There is something mood-changing that pulls at the heart, here. I stopped short of hearing the DSCH SQ 8 on the disc, because it has sufficient emotional impact without going there.

An excellent release, but caution required due to mournfulness!

[Linz]

Cd3  of Ofra Harnoy  playimg Vivaldi Complete Cello Concertos RV 411, 404, 420, 407, 417 & 544

[VonStupp]

Re: Prokofiev's 2nd and 3rd

Yeah, I totally understand where you're coming from - these symphonies represent Prokofiev at his most modernistic. Although I prefer his 1st, 5th, 6th, and 7th symphonies, the 2nd and 3rd are fascinating works in their own right. Andrew Litton's recent recording of them with the Bergen PO on BIS softens their edges a bit, and not in a bad way - he makes them less gnarly by focusing on their lyricism and inventive use of orchestral sonority.

I do prefer jagged edges in many composers, such as Prokofiev, but I would be interested in hearing another take. I seem to remember many liking Litton's series on GMG, so it may wait in the queue.

VS

First-Time listen:

Richard Strauss
Ariadne auf Naxos Symphonic Suite
(D. Wilson Ochoa)

Buffalo PO - JoAnn Falletta