What are you listening 2 now?

[Spotted Horses]

Mozart's Gran Partita, Marriner, ASMF



Gorgeous music and a satisfying recording.

I used to think that the Gran Partita was a bit overlong compared with the other big wind serenades, KV375 and KV388. Two menuettos with two trios each seemed excessive, but I didn't appreciate the brilliance of Mozart's menuettos in those days. These are miraculous in their harmonic subtlety and texture. Some of the most striking bits in this piece come when Mozart interrupts the generally joyful mood with a minor key passage.

Probably I will listen to the piece again in a PI version, either Zefiro or Harmoncourt/CMV.

[Lisztianwagner]

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.3

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Prokofiev SY4-II. Litton/Bergen.

[Biffo]

Vaughan Williams: A Pastoral Symphony - Philharmonia Orchestra with Linda Hohenfeld soprano conducted by Leonard Slatkin

[SonicMan46]

Yes, I find it quite good. It has the low pitch A' 392 and the OVPP in common with Egarr's recording which I listed above. This gives the music a warmer and darker sound and makes it easier to blow the brass-instruments. Butt's recording is more lively than Egarr's which is rather calm.  This is the reason why I prefer Egarr even if I still find Butt's recording very worthwhile. IMO They do not differ enough to justify a purchase of Egarr's recording. It's only die hard nerds like me, who must have both.         

Hi again : premont : - gave Egarr's BCs a listen on Spotify this morning and enjoyed - a little laid back but not as raucous as Butt can get at times - both approaches I like - but OOP and expensive used - will look around (also will give my Belder a spin but likely will prefer Egarr?).  Dave

[SonicMan46]

Faure, Gabriel - Piano Quartets & Quintets - own duplicates below of these works and enjoy all, so will spend the morning w/ these recordings - Dave

     

[aukhawk]

Vikingur might be the best choice for a non-Glass listener, he has a way of making it seem not so repetitive. This and Batagov's are the two etude discs I spin the most. Although Batagov is more of a slow burn, less exciting, but a much weightier tone and atmosphere. For example for Etude No. 6 Olaffson's time is 4:27, Batagov is 5:49. Both reach successful results to my ears.

Timings for Etude No.6 can be deceptive, because some pianists omit one or more repeats.  Both Olafsson and Batagov are I think definitive, in playing the whole thing with all marked repeats, but others including the composer himself play a shortened version.  Some pianists however break the 6 minute barrier - Sally Whitwell a measured 6:28, Andrew Chubb a rather laboured 6:52.  Jacopo Salvatori takes an expansive and serene 8:19.  And that's without mentioning the impossible recording by Nicholas Teague that takes  10:39   (no, don't seek this one out, it's just too painful to listen to)

[MusicTurner]

Faure, Gabriel - Piano Quartets & Quintets - own duplicates below of these works and enjoy all, so will spend the morning w/ these recordings - Dave

     

These are extremely fine works, I'm particularly inclined towards the piano quartets.

[Karl Henning]

First listen ever to this work. From the Sony Peter Serkin set.

As with almost everything I've heard by Messiaen, I'm not terribly impressed.
More than enough notes but not enough music.



ETA
Either my ears adjusted or Messiaen got better as he went along. Still not a cycle I'll be returning to often.
I do suspect it's better experienced as 20 pieces to be played separately and not one grand cycle.

Easy to reach sensory overload with Messiaen, I think.

[vers la flamme]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.5 in C-sharp minor. Sir John Barbirolli, New Philharmonia Orchestra

Awesome recording of one of my favorite Mahler symphonies. (Though I guess my favorite Mahler symphony is whichever I happen to be listening to at the time )

When I was first getting into Mahler, I used to frequent another classical music forum which shall not be named, and everyone there went completely gaga over Barbirolli's Mahler. Nowadays I never hear anyone talk about it. Do Sir John's Mahler recordings have their fans here on GMG? I haven't heard much, but I kind of like it. This one gives me a very "dark Romantic" kind of feeling, very intense, almost grotesque, like the kind of music you might read Edgar Allan Poe or Mary Shelley to. But it's a VERY solid conception of the work; everything flows, every note perfectly succeeds what came before. The funeral march really does sound like a funeral march here, which is something I can't say about some of the other recordings I love (i.e. Boulez/Vienna, Karajan/Berlin).

Very happy to be revisiting this performance right now!

[vers la flamme]

OK, round three with this in as many days...:



Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.2 in C minor, the "Resurrection". Georg Solti, London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

Definitely a new favorite recording of this symphony.

[Traverso]

Beethoven


String Quartet Op.59 Nr 3


​String Quartet Op.74 (Harfenquartett)   

[Linz]

Mahler Symphony No 4 with the Concertgebouw Orchestra Violin solo Jaap van Zweden, and soprano Tölz Boys' Choir

[aukhawk]

When I was first getting into Mahler, I used to frequent another classical music forum which shall not be named, and everyone there went completely gaga over Barbirolli's Mahler. Nowadays I never hear anyone talk about it. Do Sir John's Mahler recordings have their fans here on GMG? I haven't heard much, but I kind of like it. This one gives me a very "dark Romantic" kind of feeling, very intense, almost grotesque, like the kind of music you might read Edgar Allan Poe or Mary Shelley to. But it's a VERY solid conception of the work; everything flows, every note perfectly succeeds what came before. The funeral march really does sound like a funeral march here, which is something I can't say about some of the other recordings I love (i.e. Boulez/Vienna, Karajan/Berlin).

There was a blind listening comparison here on GMG of Mahler's 6th - which was won by Barbirolli (out of 32 starters).

[SonicMan46]

Woelfl, Joseph (1773-1812) - Piano Sonatas w/ the performers below - last October I left a longer post HERE w/ an attachment, if interested - own about 10 CDs of his music (more piano, symphonies, and string quartets) - Dave

   

[prémont]

Hi again : premont : - gave Egarr's BCs a listen on Spotify this morning and enjoyed - a little laid back but not as raucous as Butt can get at times - both approaches I like - but OOP and expensive used - will look around (also will give my Belder a spin but likely will prefer Egarr?).  Dave

Glad you like it 

Even this can be purchased as a download from Presto Classical (in Denmark for about 20 Euro's including booklett - prices vary a bit from country to country):

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7978630--bach-j-s-brandenburg-concertos-nos-1-6-bwv1046-1051

[Linz]

Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 Neeme Jarvi

[SonicMan46]

Glad you like it 

Even this can be purchased as a download from Presto Classical (in Denmark for about 20 Euro's including booklett - prices vary a bit from country to country):

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7978630--bach-j-s-brandenburg-concertos-nos-1-6-bwv1046-1051

Thanks for the comments - Discogs has a 'used copy' for about $17, and at Qobuz, an MP3 DL is just $10, however no other format is being offered (as is usual, such as WAV).  I've kind of decreased my DL activities, BUT always an option.  Dave

[prémont]

Thanks for the comments - Discogs has a 'used copy' for about $17, and at Qobuz, an MP3 DL is just $10, however no other format is being offered (as is usual, such as WAV).  I've kind of decreased my DL activities, BUT always an option.  Dave

With music which is so delicate soundwise I think mp3 should be avoided even in our age. Some will call this an illusion, but I prefer to maintain it 

[Todd]

Revisiting the Takacs cycle for the first time in a long time.  Op 18 is splendidly played, and there are no substantive gripes.  Eminently enjoyable, it just lacks what, say, the Prazak brings.  It's basically undefinable.