What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Dmitri Shostakovich.

CD I from 11.

Symphony No. 12 in F minor & No. 3 in E flat major. "The First of May", sans the last movement, "V pervoye Pervoye maya".

London PO, Bernard Haitink.

[Madiel]

Sibelius - Fantasia for cello and piano... but it's not that great to listen to because only the cello part survives. So you're listening to a solo cello work that wasn't intended to be one. And then end of the cello part is lost anyway...

There's only one recording apparently. Strictly for completists.

[Lisztianwagner]

Richard Strauss
Aus Italien
Macbeth

[Harry]

Michael Tippett.

The Symphonies.
CD I from IV.

Symphony No. 1 & II.

Bournemouth SO, Richard Hickox.

I decided after listening to both symphonies that Tippett is not my cup of tea, so I take it out of my collection.

[vandermolen]

Patrick Hadley 'The Hills'

[Todd]

Vestard Shimkus' disc of Soler sounds sort of like a blend of Marie-Luise Hinrich's Soler and Mikhail Pletnev's Scarlatti, though he doesn't go as far as either pianist in their respective styles.  He displays a delicate touch, with many shadings in quieter music, like Hinrichs, though he doesn't play with as ethereal a touch.  He displays a lithe, virtuosic touch reminiscent of Pletnev as well, though I wouldn't say he displays quite the same level as mastery.  He may be able to in other repertoire, like some Rach he recorded.  Anyway, this is a very fine entry in the Naxos cycle.

[Mirror Image]

I agree - but this was back in the day when conductors didn't have to record complete cycles as the norm.  I do wonder whether quite a lot of the time now conductors end up recording works they don't have a whole lot of empathy for literally for the sake of completeness.

That's a good point, but this didn't stop conductors from recording complete Beethoven, Dvořák, Sibelius, Mahler et. al. cycles. I think it's impossible to have a love for every work one conducts. Like, for example, if I were a famous conductor who took on a Shostakovich project, I'd only record Symphonies Nos. 4-11 & 13-15. These are the symphonies that mean the most to me.

[Mirror Image]

Now playing Adams The Dharma at Big Sur with Leila Josefwicz and the composer conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic:



One of the only digital downloads in my collection as there was never a physical release of this performance.

[DavidW]

Faust is on fire here!



And sublime performance of the 7th

[Irons]

Now playing Sibelius' 4th with Sanderling and the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester from this set:



Amazing performance!

The darkest I have heard.

[Mirror Image]

The darkest I have heard.

Indeed. It really plumbs the depths in a Germanic way. Totally works, too.

Now playing Albéniz Chant d'espagne, Op. 232 with Miguel Baselga from this fantastic set:

[Brian]

[SonicMan46]

Well a small box arrived yesterday from PrestoMusic - first 3 up for last night and this morning below - Dave

   

[Iota]

Faust is on fire here!

I had Beethoven's death mask (on which that image is based) lying around for years, until it went missing in a move. Such a battle worn and defiant expression. The mask's physicality was striking, and certainly made my connection with him as a person feel more personal.

Speaking of sublime...

Now playing Shostakovich 8th with Sanderling and the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester from this set:



Too bad Sanderling never recorded a complete cycle, because if conducted them with the same mastery as he does in this partial set, then it would be a top choice for me.

Snap, except in this previously unheard recording ..




.. which is an utterly gripping performance. The shrieks of agony/despair from the orchestra in the last movement are visceral, and the long high note on the strings that closes the piece, just luminous.

[vandermolen]

The darkest I have heard.

It's a v good set.

[Karl Henning]

CD 26
Monteverdi & JSB

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Vestard Shimkus' disc of Soler sounds sort of like a blend of Marie-Luise Hinrich's Soler and Mikhail Pletnev's Scarlatti, though he doesn't go as far as either pianist in their respective styles.  He displays a delicate touch, with many shadings in quieter music, like Hinrichs, though he doesn't play with as ethereal a touch.  He displays a lithe, virtuosic touch reminiscent of Pletnev as well, though I wouldn't say he displays quite the same level as mastery.  He may be able to in other repertoire, like some Rach he recorded.  Anyway, this is a very fine entry in the Naxos cycle.

Nice recording!

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Indeed. It really plumbs the depths in a Germanic way. Totally works, too.

Now playing Albéniz Chant d'espagne, Op. 232 with Miguel Baselga from this fantastic set:

Hot!

[DavidW]

I had Beethoven's death mask (on which that image is based) lying around for years, until it went missing in a move. Such a battle worn and defiant expression. The mask's physicality was striking, and certainly made my connection with him as a person feel more personal.

I would have liked to seen the look on the mover's face when he packed that death mask!

[Iota]

I would have liked to seen the look on the mover's face when he packed that death mask!

  I don't think they ever actually got to see it as it was covered, but I imagine a slew of Roll Over Beethoven jokes might have resulted ...