What are you listening 2 now?

[Spotted Horses]

Well, you've seen it all now! I seem to recall that Mirror Image shared your negative opinion of the Bryden Thomson set. If I ever decide to hear another Martinu cycle I might have to check out one of those Czech ones you mentioned.

In more than 50,000 posts, I suspect you can find a negative and a positive MI opinion about any recording.

It's not that I find Thomson bad, I just like some others much more. For a Czech orchestra. you could also consider Belohlavek/Czech Phil (rather than BBC Philharmonic) on Chandos, although it is not a complete cycle.

[Operafreak]

Delibes: Ballet Suites/ Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Järvi

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole

Notable not only the precision of the Chicago Symphony under Reiner, but he is actually smiling on the cover. Not a occurrence often witnessed!

PD

[Florestan]

In more than 50,000 posts, I suspect you can find a negative and a positive MI opinion about any recording.

Sometimes in the space of a single page. 

[Que]

Morning listening:

[Que]

Nicolaus Bruhns Organ Works. Joseph Kelemen.

Excellent! 

[vandermolen]

Arthur Honegger: Symphony No.2 for Strings & Trumpet. Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic

Ages since I've heard this one.

One of the greatest ever Honegger recordings (No.3 is in a class of its own).
NP
Holst: The Planets, Bernstein NYPO (Dutton)
Having seen an extraordinary photo of the planet Neptune in today's paper (the one on the far right) I thought that I would listen to this fine new remastering:

[aligreto]

Vivaldi: Gloria RV589 [Allesandrini]





This is not the fastest version of this work that I own but it is not far off it. This aspect of this particular presentation sometimes, but not always, causes me a little conflict. This time my particular mood appreciated the tempo more than it does at other times. Either way, it is always a wonderful performance from all of the forces present here.

[Operafreak]

Bach: Goldberg Variations/ David Fray (piano)

[foxandpeng]

Allan Pettersson
Symphonies 4 and 16
Symphony 4
Christian Lindberg
Norrkoping SO
BIS

Backtracking a little in my Pettersson ponderings after symphony 8, to relisten not just to the Lindberg performances of the first 7, but to take in the CPO and other releases. I very much like #4, with its rural melody and hymn-like snippets, to which Pettersson gave the dedication ...

'Symphony 4: To my mother, who has gone home to the life in which goodness is personified in God'

There seem to be moments of beauty and hope - even peace - interspersed with the dissonance and conflict so often present in his other symphonies. I guess there is some understandable conflict in Pettersson with themes of Christian hope vying with the personal troubles and pessimism which are his natural air. It seems to me that what has sometimes been seen as clunky or unsatisfactory in #4 may be as much to do with this tension as much as Pettersson's development and growth in musical language. Maybe.

[Que]

Vivaldi: Gloria RV589 [Allesandrini]





This is not the fastest version of this work that I own but it is not far off it. This aspect of this particular presentation sometimes, but not always, causes me a little conflict. This time my particular mood appreciated the tempo more than it does at other times. Either way, it is always a wonderful performance from all of the forces present here.

The neck breaking speed on Alessandrini's 1st recording was too much for me, but to my ears this 2nd recording sounds right.  Also an improvement in other ways.

[ritter]

Some vintage Georges Enesco today at work. He conducts his Romanian Rhapsodies No. 1 & 2, op. 11 (Orchestre des Concerts Colonne), Dinu Lipatti plays the Piano Sonata No. 3 in D major, op. 25, and then Enesco conducts the Orchestre Symhonique de Paris in Ernest Chausson's Poème, op. 25, with a very young Yehudi Menuhin as soloist.

CD 1 of this ultra-budget set:

[aligreto]

Poulenc: Piano Music played by Eric Le Sage





From CD 3:


L' Histoire de Babar [narration by Frédéric Lodeon]

This is the first time that I have heard Babar narrated in French. The intonation and inflections of Lodeon's voice and his storytelling capabilities are both wonderful. His delivery and the playing and interpretation by Le Sage bring the work to life in an appealing and engaging animated presentation. It was most enjoyable.

[aligreto]

The neck breaking speed on Alessandrini's 1st recording was too much for me, but to my ears this 2nd recording sounds right.  Also an improvement in other ways.

I like everything that I have heard from Allessandrini without hesitation, Que, but, as mentioned above, this work does cause me some conflict under his directorship. Perhaps that is because I simply like it so much and would like him to deliver a "perfect" version of it for me. 

[Traverso]

Bach

Vol.6

CD 2

[aligreto]

Bax: Cortège [Thompson]





This is a short but atmospheric work in a festive, upbeat and celebratory vein.

[Todd]

[Traverso]

Milhaud

[Operafreak]

Mendelssohn: Paulus, Op. 36

    Gundula Janowitz (soprano), Rosemarie Lang (contralto), HermannChristian Polster (bass), Hans Peter Blochwitz (tenor), Theo Adam(bass), Gothart Stier (bass)
    Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Leipzig Radio Choir, GewandhausKinderchor/    Kurt Masur
   

[Karl Henning]

Hendrik Andriessen


CD 3

Nice! Goedendag, Jan!

TD:

A little peculiar that this is an inaugural listen. The exchange on the Hillside made me realize it's time:

NP: The Maggini Quartet playing Elgar's e minor string quartet, Op. 83