What are you listening 2 now?

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Manos Kalomiris: Minas the Rebel.
Karlovy Vary Symphony, Fidetzis.

 

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Now, that cover is some real eye candy!

[foxandpeng]

Eduard Tubin
Complete Symphonies
Symphony 7
Neeme Jarvi
Gothenburg SO

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Until I purchased this recording, I had not even seen the name Mladen Čolić.  I only bought this recording when I decided to buy all extant Naxos recordings of Soler sonatas on piano, part of a big lump of repertoire.  This is much, much more than that.  Čolić's recital offers some of the very best Soler playing I've heard, right up there with Marie-Luise Hinrichs and Frederick Marvin.  Stylistically, he is very different than Hinrichs, who sort of inhabits her own artistic world.  He's closer to Marvin, but then he's not really like Marvin.  Čolić's playing surpasses either Hinrich's or Marvin's in sheerly pianistic terms, and at least matches Borowiak in the Naxos series. 

But Čolić goes further.  There's no way that this obvious contract job of consecutive sonatas represents the pianist's favorite Soler, but you'd never know that from the playing.  From first note to last, he imparts energy, wit, charm, fun - so much fun - with C Major as sunny as the key can get, and a sense of fresh discovery, delivered with felicitous touch after felicitous touch.  There are so many, in every movement of every work, it is impossible to pinpoint any one or ten or twenty.  He does especially well dispatching arpeggios quickly, cleanly, with each note distinct.  In multiple places, he very slightly delays a right hand note just that teeny tiny bit, to excellent effect each time.  His dynamic control is supremely fine and performed within a proper range - there's no hammering out unneeded fortissimo here.  He is content to find shade after shade between mp and mf in extended passages, though he plays louder or softer with ease and panache and a just right feel.  His rhythmic variegation matches his dynamic control. 

Čolić has a thin discography, only three titles, two of them on Naxos.  Some YouTube videos of him playing other repertoire are available.  Though I doubt it happens, I'd love to hear him record a broad array of repertoire, starting with Scarlatti and Mozart, and then moving on to everything else.  I fear he may end up more like Julian Gorus. 

A real find, and in excellent sound, to boot.

Thank you for the detailed, and well-written, review. I will check out the recording!

[Symphonic Addict]

I agree. I haven't taken the Prokofiev opera plunge yet even though I have the Gergiev Decca set lying around. I won't be listening to any of Prokofiev's operas, however, until I've given another listen to Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

The only operas I've ever heard by these composers are Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel and War and Peace. Shosti's Lady Macbeth awaits me for a first listen and I hope to do it soon (along with Schreker's operas).

[Mandryka]

It's been so long since I've heard these quartets it's like I'm hearing them for the first time. Tatrai are definitely not the last word, they are consistently serious and weighty and some of this music seems to cry out for a bit more lightheartedness. But they are still more than interesting, and above all their phrasing is a miracle, a joy to hear.

[Symphonic Addict]

How interesting Cesar - I don't know that work at all.

Giving this a listen on a different recording this morning. It is a fun score! Not sure if I will pursue the opera quite yet.

VS

I gotta hear this! There's lots of music by this great Russian that remains surprisingly unknown.

It has lots of character, forceful passages and a sort of nobility, albeit not devoid of contemplative moments. In some respect I was reminded of his 4th Symphony.

[Symphonic Addict]

I've just ordered that set (on special offer at Presto £30.00)

You didn't have the complete set yet, Jeffrey? The epic 1st Symphony should be right up your alley, Jeffrey.

[Symphonic Addict]

Well, according to Hurwitz, certainly not his 2nd Symphony or VC!

Well, I feel quite good since I don't share Hurwitz's view on those works in the least. 

[Symphonic Addict]

... less "30s Mediterranean neoclassicism" and more angular...

Will do, Rafael!

To the bolded text: Take those words into account especially, Kyle. 

[Tsaraslondon]

A really excellent performance of the not so regularly performed 3rd Symphony is here coupled yo a rather lugubrious 1st, which is a shame because this 3rd really is superb.

[Karl Henning]

CD 13

JSB
Partitas BWV 828-830

[VonStupp]

Sergei Prokofiev
The Steel Step, op. 41
The Prodigal Son, op. 46

WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne
Michail Jurowski

For this afternoon:

Both of these 30+ minute ballets were great to listen to. I was particularly taken with Steel Step (Le pas d'acier), but Prodigal Son was right there with it.

It is interesting to hear Prokofiev's musical take on the scene shift from the West to the Soviet motherland in Steel Step. His musical language seems to get more complex, although the West music seems a caricature at times too.

I almost hear a jazzy inflection in the opening of Prodigal, but that might be me putting that unintended aspect onto his music. The virtuosic clarinet movement was really something that caught me off guard.

VS

https://www.youtube.com/v/cnskfxYHNk4&ab_channel=%20WDR%20Sinfonieorchester%20Köln%20-%20Topic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnskfxYHNk4&list=OLAK5uy_mT8w3L_KlVa0AEKdgHTtgwNlDGrTNYzUo&index=18

[Todd]

[Karl Henning]

The virtuosic clarinet movement was really something that caught me off guard.

VS

That scene is the cat's pajamas!

TD:

CD 79
Oboe Concerti by Corelli, Pergolesi, "Papa" & RVW

CD 14
JSB
Kind of a "Cantata Sampler"

[Bachtoven]

[JBS]

CD 2

Trio concertante no.3 en si mineur*
Quatrieme Trio concertant pour piano, violon, et violoncelle en si mineur Op. 2**
Andante Quietoso pour violon avec accompagnement de piano Op 6***
Solo de piano en mi majeur avec accompagnement de quintette a cordes Op 10****

A varied crew of performers
Pianists: Frank Braley*, Alexandre Chernokian**, Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden***, Salih Can Gevrek****
Violinists: Anna Agafia Egholm*, Shuichi Okada**, Leon Blekh***
Cellists: Ari Evan*, Gary Hoffman**
Double Bassist: Philippe Cormann****
Ensemble: Karski Quartet****

[Mirror Image]

An Aussie and a Kiwi go into a bar...

NP:

Sculthorpe
Kakadu
Sydney SO
Stuart Challender

Lilburn
A Song of Islands
New Zealand SO
William Southgate

From these recordings -

[kyjo]

You didn't have the complete set yet, Jeffrey? The epic 1st Symphony should be right up your alley, Jeffrey.

Yeah, I was also quite surprised to read that Jeffrey didn't own the complete Atterberg symphony set on CPO already.

[kyjo]

To the bolded text: Take those words into account especially, Kyle. 

I will beware! But as long as those Petrassi works don't enter Jolivet Cello Concerto no. 2 territory, I should be fine.