What are you listening 2 now?

[amw]

That set has one of the best available performances (although obviously using string sections rather than solo strings) of my favourite large-ensemble Mozart serenade, K334 in D major. K334 is obviously a long piece, as many of these serenades are, but does feature one of Mozart's three or four finest sets of variations in the first slow movement, a second slow movement of extreme beauty and stillness, and some of his best tunes.

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schönberg
Verklärte Nacht

[Linz]

Mahler Symphony No. 3 and Das Klagende Lied with Bernard Haitink and the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Maureen Forrester 

[foxandpeng]

One of the great SQ cycles. Hindemith knocked these out of the park. And as per my usual with this composer, they only got better with repeated listens.

Short detour into the Hindemith quartets, I think. Probably not that short, as there is a fair bit of meat on these bones. As you suggest, these are excellent and merit a meaningful excursus. The next release from the Nightingale Quartet in the Holmboe SQ cycle is due this month, so getting to know a new set of SQs could be a nice appetiser

Thread:

Paul Hindemith
Complete String Quartets
SQs 2 and 3
Amar Quartet
Naxos

[DavidW]

Yeah it cleared customs. 

Oh I got it today!

[vandermolen]

Pejacevik Symphony:

This is getting played a lot at the moment.

[SonicMan46]

That set has one of the best available performances (although obviously using string sections rather than solo strings) of my favourite large-ensemble Mozart serenade, K334 in D major. K334 is obviously a long piece, as many of these serenades are, but does feature one of Mozart's three or four finest sets of variations in the first slow movement, a second slow movement of extreme beauty and stillness, and some of his best tunes.

Thanks for the comments above - just pulled out the disc w/ K334 (pic below) and now listening (has been a while) - a long work as described below in the quote - forgot how good Vegh and his group were in these performances.    Dave

The Divertimento No. 17 in D major, K. 334/320b was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart between 1779 and 1780, possibly for commemorating the graduation of a close friend of Mozart's, Georg Sigismund Robinig, from his law studies at the University of Salzburg in 1780. Lasting about 42 minutes, it is the longest of the divertimenti by Mozart. The third movement (the first Menuetto) from the divertimento remains so popular that it is often referred to as Mozart's Minuet, although clearly not the only minuet by Mozart. An excerpt from this movement was used in the animated film Yellow Submarine (1968) when the string quartet was being annihilated by the Blue Meanies. (Source)

[Daverz]

Alfven: Symphony No. 2



Latest recording in the CPO Alfven cycle.

[Todd]

On par with Borowiak's disc from the series.  Sonics are a bit bright.

[Mapman]

Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Nelsons: Gewandhausorchester

This was an excellent performance. The orchestra doesn't hold back in the loud parts. I haven't heard all of the famous recordings, but I would be happy listening to this one in the future. It felt shorter than 34.5 minutes!

[DavidW]

Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Nelsons: Gewandhausorchester

This was an excellent performance. The orchestra doesn't hold back in the loud parts. I haven't heard all of the famous recordings, but I would be happy listening to this one in the future. It felt shorter than 34.5 minutes!

How does it compare with Kempe, my gold standard?

[Mirror Image]

How does it compare with Kempe, my gold standard?

Or my gold standard Karajan/Berliners (1974, DG)?

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Reger
Piano Quartet in D Minor, Op. 113
Claudius Tanski, piano
Mannheimer Streichquartett

From this 2-CD set -

[Mapman]

Or my gold standard Karajan/Berliners (1974, DG)?

I don't think I've heard that recording yet, and I haven't heard Kempe recently. Is there any section that you would recommend that I compare?

[Mirror Image]

I don't think I've heard that recording yet, and I haven't heard Kempe recently. Is there any section that you would recommend that I compare?

All of it.

[JBS]

Going through the Capriccio Schulhoff set again

[Mapman]

All of it.

I should have known that that would be your response!

I don't want to listen to Also Sprach Zarathustra two more times tonight, so I will compare the introduction and Tanzlied. I'm streaming all 3 recordings from the Naxos Music Library to try to make the comparison fair.

In the introduction, I think I like Nelsons better than Kempe. The trumpet tone is better, and Nelsons makes more of the decrescendos and crescendos written in the score. I think the modern sound quality is also an advantage. The Karajan is probably the most exciting opening: the trumpets are the softest at the initial entrance, and the tutti entrance is surprising. Karajan doesn't decrescendo as much as Nelsons.

In the Tanzlied, I think Nelsons and Karajan are of similar quality. There are particular moments that I prefer in one or the other, but I overall think that Nelsons' tempo choices make it flow better. However the solo violin in Leipzig sometimes gets a little buried. Kempe seems to have the good qualities of both, but with slightly lower sound quality.

Based on these excerpts, I think my order of preference would be Karajan>Nelsons>Kempe, with the Kempe lower only because of the sound quality. All 3 are excellent recordings, so I see no problem with your choice of gold standards. However, I didn't expect Nelsons to be this competitive: I'm pleasantly surprised at how good it is. (Of course, other people who may have been listening to Strauss for much longer than I have might disagree!)

[classicalgeek]

Hans Gal
Symphony no. 3
Symphony no. 4
Orchestra of the Swan
Kenneth Woods
(on Spotify)



Decided not to go with Qobuz as my 30-day trial was ending - the lack of gapless playback was a dealbreaker. If they implement gapless at some point, I may revisit them.

As for the music, Gal is very tuneful, pleasant stuff that sounds like it could have been written 50 years earlier than it actually was! It reminded me a little of Richard Strauss, a little of Mahler, and, most of all, of Franz Schmidt.

[Mirror Image]

I should have known that that would be your response!

I don't want to listen to Also Sprach Zarathustra two more times tonight, so I will compare the introduction and Tanzlied. I'm streaming all 3 recordings from the Naxos Music Library to try to make the comparison fair.

In the introduction, I think I like Nelsons better than Kempe. The trumpet tone is better, and Nelsons makes more of the decrescendos and crescendos written in the score. I think the modern sound quality is also an advantage. The Karajan is probably the most exciting opening: the trumpets are the softest at the initial entrance, and the tutti entrance is surprising. Karajan doesn't decrescendo as much as Nelsons.

In the Tanzlied, I think Nelsons and Karajan are of similar quality. There are particular moments that I prefer in one or the other, but I overall think that Nelsons' tempo choices make it flow better. However the solo violin in Leipzig sometimes gets a little buried. Kempe seems to have the good qualities of both, but with slightly lower sound quality.

Based on these excerpts, I think my order of preference would be Karajan>Nelsons>Kempe, with the Kempe lower only because of the sound quality. All 3 are excellent recordings, so I see no problem with your choice of gold standards. However, I didn't expect Nelsons to be this competitive: I'm pleasantly surprised at how good it is. (Of course, other people who may have been listening to Strauss for much longer than I have might disagree!)

Nice! Thanks for the write-up. Good to see you like the HvK/Berliners 1974 account.

NP:

Yoshimatsu
Symphony No. 2 "At terra"
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Yuzo Toyama



Listening to this symphony again. I recently listened to the Chandos recording, which was quite good. This one sounds great to my ears as well.

[Symphonic Addict]

Pejacevik Symphony:

This is getting played a lot at the moment.

The high point of the CD. I wonder how it compares with the CPO recording.