What are you listening 2 now?

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Love this box!

Yes nice box. I like Leinsdorf a lot.

[Mirror Image]

Before heading off to work Adams Road Movies with Leila Josefowicz and John Novacek:

[vers la flamme]

Aldo Ciccolini's recording of Chapelle de Guillaume Tell, from Liszt's Années de pèlerinage, is simply magnificent.

Agreed—so is Lazar Berman's which I've been listening to these past couple of days.

[Que]

On Spotify:

[vers la flamme]

Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, op.77. David Oistrakh, Franz Konwitschny, Staatskapelle Dresden

This is an amazing recording. Oistrakh was just a killer violinist, such a fluid, singing tone. Mono recording from 1954, but the sound is totally listenable and quite clear. There is something special about these old DG mono recordings. As for the Brahms VC, I haven't spent much time with it lately. I did listen to the Perlman/Giulini/Chicago recording recently but otherwise it's been a few years since I've explored the work in much depth. What an incredible concerto.

[vandermolen]

Right up your alley, Jeffrey: epic, dark, gloomy, fate-defiant and resigned valedictory. Run, don't walk! 

Excellent Andrei! Only the sense of impending catastrophe seems to be missing. 

[Florestan]

Excellent Andrei! Only the sense of impending catastrophe seems to be missing. 

I knew I forgot one of your favorite genres, just couldn't figure out which one. 

Seriously now, here's a good review of that disc:

A lonesome traveler is wandering alongside a plowed field. Behind the distant hills the sun slowly begins to rise, coloring the cloudy grey sky in warm shades of pink and orange. This scenery depicted on the cover of the recording, a painting from 1830 by Caspar David Friedrich, perfectly captures the mood of the opening chords of the recording; bright and refreshing as the first rays of the morning sun, the music rises and unfolds itself in the most vibrant colors. Due to the historically informed rendering on period instruments, the music is presented as it might have been heard 200 years ago, opalescent yet translucent. Even 10-year-old Mikhail Glinka, who according to a letter witnessed a performance of one of the quartets, raved about the "unbelievable, novel impression" the music left on him.

The author of this memorable music is no one less than the "chamber musician and clarinetist to the King of Sweden," Bernhard Henrik Crusell. Crusell, who lived from 1775-1838, is mostly remembered today as a clarinet virtuoso who wrote three fabulous clarinet concerti and the variations on a Swedish theme. However, Crusell also composed three equally beautiful quartets for clarinet, violin, viola and violoncello. Since no autograph has been found, the recording is based on the first editions of the quartets, published in the years 1812, 1816 and 1823. They are presented in reverse chronological order on the disc, starting with Op. 7 in D major, then Op. 4 in C minor and ending with Op. 2 in E-flat major.

As a common structure they each have four movements, and with the exception of the Quartet Op. 4 in C Minor, where the Menuetto precedes the slow movement, they roughly follow the compositional structure of their time. While the framing Allegro and Rondo movements are of a lively brilliant character and require great virtuosity of the instrumentalists, the menuetti are of a light-footed and elegant tone. Especially imaginative and appealing are Crusell's slow movements, titled "Romance" or "Pastorale," where lovely arioso themes are bestowed on the clarinet, expressing the sort of "northern melancholy" inherent to Crusell's compositions.

https://clarinet.org/audio-reviews-september-2018/

[SonicMan46]

Reicha, Anton (1770-1836) - Wind Works & Cello Quintets on the CDs below - now on this composer - more to come although I will not pull out my 12-disc box of the Wind Quintets, a recent listen last year - for those interested, more at his THREAD - Dave

     

[kyjo]

Casella: Symphony No. 1 in B minor

Even though his Symphony No. 3 is his masterpiece in the genre, I can't live without the first two either.

There is something about symphonies in B minor that just touches a sensitive and epic fiber on me: Atterberg 1, Langgaard 1, Tubin 2, Glière 3, Tchaikovsky Manfred, Paderewski Polonia, Myaskovsky 22, etc. Wonderful pieces all of them.

+1, though I haven't listened to the Paderewski yet. Don't forget Braga Santos' 2nd!

[Karl Henning]

I've decided to listen to this set and it's companion in it's entirety. I've heard many of these works at various times, but I want to become familiar with all of them.



On disc 2 I am confronted with Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (groan). It is certainly one of the most overplayed works of Mozart, but not having listened to it for a decade, at least, it managed to surprise me with it's charm and felicity. And the final rondo has a startlingly dramatic close. It works well as a string quintet, rather than an orchestral piece.

As an orchestral piece, tiresome, alas!

[Mapman]

Wagenaar: Sinfonietta, Op. 32
Hermus: Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie

I'm glad I finally listened to this: it's wonderful music. The final two movements reminded me of Dvořák.

[vandermolen]

I knew I forgot one of your favorite genres, just couldn't figure out which one. 

Seriously now, here's a good review of that disc:

A lonesome traveler is wandering alongside a plowed field. Behind the distant hills the sun slowly begins to rise, coloring the cloudy grey sky in warm shades of pink and orange. This scenery depicted on the cover of the recording, a painting from 1830 by Caspar David Friedrich, perfectly captures the mood of the opening chords of the recording; bright and refreshing as the first rays of the morning sun, the music rises and unfolds itself in the most vibrant colors. Due to the historically informed rendering on period instruments, the music is presented as it might have been heard 200 years ago, opalescent yet translucent. Even 10-year-old Mikhail Glinka, who according to a letter witnessed a performance of one of the quartets, raved about the "unbelievable, novel impression" the music left on him.

The author of this memorable music is no one less than the "chamber musician and clarinetist to the King of Sweden," Bernhard Henrik Crusell. Crusell, who lived from 1775-1838, is mostly remembered today as a clarinet virtuoso who wrote three fabulous clarinet concerti and the variations on a Swedish theme. However, Crusell also composed three equally beautiful quartets for clarinet, violin, viola and violoncello. Since no autograph has been found, the recording is based on the first editions of the quartets, published in the years 1812, 1816 and 1823. They are presented in reverse chronological order on the disc, starting with Op. 7 in D major, then Op. 4 in C minor and ending with Op. 2 in E-flat major.

As a common structure they each have four movements, and with the exception of the Quartet Op. 4 in C Minor, where the Menuetto precedes the slow movement, they roughly follow the compositional structure of their time. While the framing Allegro and Rondo movements are of a lively brilliant character and require great virtuosity of the instrumentalists, the menuetti are of a light-footed and elegant tone. Especially imaginative and appealing are Crusell's slow movements, titled "Romance" or "Pastorale," where lovely arioso themes are bestowed on the clarinet, expressing the sort of "northern melancholy" inherent to Crusell's compositions.

https://clarinet.org/audio-reviews-september-2018/

That's really helpful Andrei - thank you.
I might have guessed that the cover painting was by Caspar David Friedrich - he is one of my very favourite painters. Will look out for the disc.
PS I've just sampled the music on You Tube and it sounds delightful.

[vandermolen]

Rawsthorne: PC No.2

[Florestan]

That's really helpful Andrei - thank you.
I might have guessed that the cover painting was by Caspar David Friedrich - he is one of my very favourite painters. Will look out for the disc.
PS I've just sampled the music on You Tube and it sounds delightful.

Nice. You should check his clarinet concertos too.

[Lisztianwagner]

On youtube, first listening to:

Alexander Zemlinsky
Der Traumgörge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFvJXVOAA9U

[vandermolen]

Leon Orthel 'Evocazione'

[Mapman]

Reger: Suite a-moll für Violine und Orchester, Op.103a (#3 orchestrated by Reger, others orchestrated by Adalbert Baranski)

[VonStupp]

Edward Elgar
Pomp and Circumstance Marches 1-5, op. 39

London PO
Sir Adrian Boult (rec. 1976-77)

Slipped out for commencement services today. I like to ease these into my listening for that occasion.

I'll probably listen to the 1970 Boult/LSO Enigma for good measure too! 

VS

[Todd]

Another go.  Like his two Decca discs, it gets better with each spin.  When it levels off, it will be near-reference for all three works.  It is already.

[Spotted Horses]

Agreed—so is Lazar Berman's which I've been listening to these past couple of days.

Berman's recording of Années de pèlerinage was the first I ever listened to, and it earned my respect for the piece. One of those recordings that remains on my shelf (actually my hard drive) but which I haven't listened to for more years than I can recall.