What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Morning listening:

   

Pivking up where I left off many months ago with thus set if Purcell's complete sacred music.
Recent dynastic events in the United Kingdom were probably a reminder...

Even though my initial thoughts about this box were rather negative, I came to appreciate the performers,  especially the soloists of which I had doubts. I am still not totally convinced of Susan Gritton, or Lynn Dawson for that matter, but the music by Purcell is superb. And although I want to listen to it again, so many things are still waiting, I simply need an extra life or two to cope with the backlog.

[Que]

Even though my initial thoughts about this box were rather negative, I came to appreciate the performers,  especially the soloists of which I had doubts. I am still not totally convinced of Susan Gritton, or Lynn Dawson for that matter, but the music by Purcell is superb. And although I want to listen to it again, so many things are still waiting, I simply need an extra life or two to cope with the backlog.

Purcell's music is absolutely splendid....

At the moment my focus is on downsizing and reevaluating my collection, which brings my back to many old favourites or recordings that undeservedly gathered dust.... But also lots that I enjoy rehearing, but decide to cull anyway.
I try to explore and expand more systematically, using streaming services as a tool.

We only have a single life time and have to make the most if it! 

[Harry]

Purcell's music is absolutely splendid....

At the moment my focus is on downsizing and reevaluating my collection, which brings my back to many old favourites or recordings that undeservedly gathered dust.... But also lots that I enjoy rehearing, but decide to cull anyway.
I try to explore and expand more systematically, using streaming services as a tool.

We only have a single life time and have to make the most if it! 

That's exactly what I am doing. Started 6 months ago, and culled out more than 200 recordings already, and I use the same work ethic as you.

[Traverso]

Bach

CD 2

[Mandryka]

Demidenko's Scarlatti, the 2009 recording. Really special playing I think, without being quite sure why.

When Demodenko used to live in London, he'd turn up at the Wigmore Hall drunk at lunchtime to give a recital, and the sense of Dionysus in the music making was just amazing - big Russian bear emoting Schumann - the old fogies used to cringe but I loved it. That's absent here, and instead we have something tender and almost restrained.

[Harry]

Johann Pachelbel.
Complete Organ Music.
Volume III.
CD II from III.
Psalmlieder II.
Christian Schmitt, Organs.
Instruments:
Klosterkirche Rheinau, Main Organ, 1715., by Johann Christoph Leu, 1710-1746, and a  Choir organ, & Johannes Creutzburg, 1735, St Cyriakus, Duderstadt-Pitch: a1= 471 Hz, at 15 degrees C. Temperament: Neidhardt II, (1724.

[Traverso]

Prae Bach torius


A recording waiting to be heard again. Naturally beautifully sung by the Huelgas Ensemble. These Chorale settings are true gems in all their simplicity.

[Operafreak]

Mozart: Dissonances-Quatuor Ebène

[Florestan]

Demidenko's Scarlatti, the 2009 recording. Really special playing I think, without being quite sure why.

When Demodenko used to live in London, he'd turn up at the Wigmore Hall drunk at lunchtime to give a recital, and the sense of Dionysus in the music making was just amazing - big Russian bear emoting Schumann - the old fogies used to cringe but I loved it.

He's one of the most unassuming and amiable pianists I've ever seen in person. He played in Bucharest many moons ago (Rach 2 IIRC) and gave no less than 4 (four) encores, the largest number of encores I've ever witnessed. He'd have probably given a fifth but I guess the management of the concert hall persuaded him not to. 

[Que]

That's exactly what I am doing. Started 6 months ago, and culled out more than 200 recordings already, and I use the same work ethic as you.

Considering the size of your collections, your task is considerably more difficult than mine!   

Johann Pachelbel.
Complete Organ Music.
Volume III.
CD II from III.
Psalmlieder II.
Christian Schmitt, Organs.
Instruments:
Klosterkirche Rheinau, Main Organ, 1715., by Johann Christoph Leu, 1710-1746, and a  Choir organ, & Johannes Creutzburg, 1735, St Cyriakus, Duderstadt-Pitch: a1= 471 Hz, at 15 degrees C. Temperament: Neidhardt II, (1724.

I have been very impressed with the quality of Pachelbel's organ output.
He seems to have been shortchanged in terms of recordings, compared to, for instance, the multitude of Buxtehude organ music sets.

[Harry]

Derek B. Scott.
Orchestral Music.
Volume I.
John Dew, Highland Bagpipe.
Liepaja SO, Paul Mann.

He now belongs firmly to one of my favourite composers of the 21 century. Superb orchestrations, gorgeous melodies, and a deep dive into emotions that reach the outer borders of your mind. Excellent recording and performance too. A pity that he gets to little notice on this board.

[Florestan]

Act 2

I had forgotten how exhilaratingly funny this opera is. The "Pace e gioia" scene always puts a big smile on my face, and Bastianini's nasal tone is absolutely fantastic, but the real showstopper in this performance is not even sung, but spoken: the "Un non so che nell'occhio!" moment. Bastianini utters it with such a feigned conviction and pain that I couldn't help bursting into an irrepressible laughter which persisted for a few minutes. Even now I chuckle remembering it. Pure genius from both librettist (I don't remember if the moment is in the Beuaumarchais' play too) and Bastianini.

[Harry]

Considering the size of your collections, your task is considerably more difficult than mine!   

Yes thats true, but large or not, I have to prepare the collection for my wife to listen without hesitation when she will stop working, whatever she takes out for an airing. She trusts my choice in what stays and what goes out. That helps. I must however mention that I gave 50% of what I own, about *35.000, to a collector in Germany, and he in turn gives me scores of the music when needed.

* they came out of the estate of some of my musical friends that died a couple of years ago, and made me the main beneficiary. I went roughly through them and took some out for my own collection. I really have no time to to sort the others out too, so they go all mass to another collector, also in Germany, which are about 18.000 CD's, most of it Opera and other vocal things. I am glad I have a place to drop whatever I want to get rid off.

[Harry]

Considering the size of your collections, your task is considerably more difficult than mine!   

I have been very impressed with the quality of Pachelbel's organ output.
He seems to have been shortchanged in terms of recordings, compared to, for instance, the multitude of Buxtehude organ music sets.

Me too, Que, me too.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Antonín Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B minor, op.104. Mstislav Rostropovich, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic

Must be one of Dvořák's best works. Given a very fine performance here too.

+1

Zoltán Kodály: Háry János Suite, op.35a. János Ferencsik, Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra

Surprisingly excellent performance and sound! I don't know the music that well, but it's tuneful and lushly orchestrated.

😀

[Mookalafalas]

Damn, this set is soooo good. Made me fall in love with Haydn symphonies all over again...

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schoenberg: Gurrelieder. Giuseppe Sinopoli, Staatskapelle Dresden, choirs, soloists etc

How is the Sinopoli recording? He's usually very good with Germanic composers; I know he recorded some Schönberg, but so far I have never had the chance to listen to that.

By the way, I'm very glad to see that, the more you listen to Elgar, the more you like it, he's a stunning composer, whose music is absolutely worth exploring.

[vers la flamme]

How is the Sinopoli recording? He's usually very good with Germanic composers; I know he recorded some Schönberg, but so far I have never had the chance to listen to that.

By the way, I'm very glad to see that, the more you listen to Elgar, the more you like it, he's a stunning composer, whose music is absolutely worth exploring.

I thought it was excellent. I only listened to part 1 last night, but the "Lied der Waldtaube" was just explosive. I don't know the work well enough to comment on specifics of performance except that I thought it felt kind of luxuriant in terms of tempo and pacing. I have it as part of a Warner budget box that includes a bunch of other stuff by Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern with Sinopoli and the Staatskapelle Dresden. I would say the whole thing is well worth getting.

Regarding Elgar, that's exactly what's happening; his music is growing on me a lot. I think I had some unfair image in my head of him as this pompous English chap who wrote anthem after anthem for the British empire, but that really couldn't be further from the truth.

Speaking of:



Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations, op.36. John Barbirolli, Philharmonia Orchestra

If he'd written nothing else he'd be a genius for this work alone. It's so good. These old recordings of British music from the '60s, most of them on EMI, have a very distinctive sound—very dark. I don't know how else to describe it, but I'm hooked on it.

[Harry]

Derek B. Scott.
Orchestral Works, Volume II.
Symphony No. 1 & 2.
The Silver Sword.
Liepaja SO, Paul Mann.

Works to be cherished.

[Traverso]

Elgar


Enigma Variations