What are you listening 2 now?

[ritter]

May I add a Sinfonia Concertante KV 364 to die for? Never heard about Ludwig Bus* and Ulrich Koch but boy, this is a crackerjack performance, with a sublime slow movement.

*he was the SWF concertmaster for many years, according to the booklet, so I assume Ulrich Koch was the principal violist.

The set seems to be unavailable now  (or  for my wallet)...

[Florestan]

The set seems to be unavailable now  (or  for my wallet)...

It's available from me alright.  

[Todd]

[Operafreak]

 





Schumann: Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61/  Schumann: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 97 'Rhenish'


    Chamber Orchestra of Europe-    Yannick Nézet-Séguin
   

[aligreto]

Barber: Piano Concerto [Prutsman/Alsop]





I am not, in truth, a lover of piano concertos in general. I am somewhat reticent to report on them when I listen to them because of my bias.
 
What I will say here is that I did not like the piano line in the opening movement even though I did enjoy the musical language, the power and the drama and tension of the movement.
The second, slow movement is a much more lyrical and gentle affair and it is a great contrast to the opening movement. The piano line replicates this.
We return to a turbulent world in the final movement. Once again I did not like a lot of the piano line in this movement but did enjoy Barber's musical language and scoring.

[Linz]

Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op.73

[DavidW]

Simpson's clarinet quintet, which is a lovely melancholic piece and a wonderful contrast to his bombastic symphonies:


Gorecki's 4th which I believe (?) are incomplete sketches that had to be completed by someone else.  Can anyone verify or falsify that claim?  Some lovely music but not on par with his greater orchestral works.


Gorecki's 2nd string quartet, my favorite of the three.  Fans of his third symphony should check it out, captures a somber mood well without being quite as simple as that symphony (which don't get me wrong, I love!)


Rachmaninoff's melodic cello sonata rounded out the listening session:

[Florestan]

Concerto for Flute and Harp, with (presumably) orchestra members as soloists.

As high quality as everything else I've heard so far fom this set which I'm enjoying enormously.

[Brian]

Settling in for a long winter's nap opera:



First-ever listen to Boris Godunov, in either this original version or any of the subsequent ones incorporating opera company's requests (for a love interest storyline) or the Rimsky-Korsakov edits. In general, Rimsky-Korsakov was bad for Mussorgsky's originality as an orchestrator, and the Rimsky version of "Bald Mountain" is much inferior, so I am hoping this untouched Boris will be an interesting listen.

[Harry]

Claudio Monteverdi.
Selva morale e spirituale, Complete.
Le Nuove Musiche, Krijn Koetsveld.

Not bad, not bad at all. Did not find blemishes. The expression in the narrative narrative is a bit undernourished, but that's all.

[Operafreak]

 Debussy Impressioniste

Jean-Guihen Qyeyras (soloist), Alexandre Tharaud (soloist), Jean-Guihen Queyras, Cédric Tiberghien (soloist), Isabelle Moretti and Gérard Caussé, Gérard Caussé and Isabelle Moretti, Philippe Bernold (soloist), Gerard Causse (soloist), Isabelle Moretti (soloist), Alain Planès (soloist), Claude Helffer.

[Karl Henning]

Settling in for a long winter's nap opera:



First-ever listen to Boris Godunov, in either this original version or any of the subsequent ones incorporating opera company's requests (for a love interest storyline) or the Rimsky-Korsakov edits. In general, Rimsky-Korsakov was bad for Mussorgsky's originality as an orchestrator, and the Rimsky version of "Bald Mountain" is much inferior, so I am hoping this untouched Boris will be an interesting listen.

This is actually my next stop in the Mitropoulos box.

[Brahmsian]

Gorecki's 4th which I believe (?) are incomplete sketches that had to be completed by someone else.  Can anyone verify or falsify that claim?  Some lovely music but not on par with his greater orchestral works.


Gorecki's 2nd string quartet, my favorite of the three.  Fans of his third symphony should check it out, captures a somber mood well without being quite as simple as that symphony (which don't get me wrong, I love!)

Looking forward to listening to these David. I've had the seven disc Nonesuch set for a number of years and only going through it now. 😂

[Todd]

Settling in for a long winter's nap opera:



First-ever listen to Boris Godunov, in either this original version or any of the subsequent ones incorporating opera company's requests (for a love interest storyline) or the Rimsky-Korsakov edits. In general, Rimsky-Korsakov was bad for Mussorgsky's originality as an orchestrator, and the Rimsky version of "Bald Mountain" is much inferior, so I am hoping this untouched Boris will be an interesting listen.

I didn't know Nagano released a newer audio only recording.  I know there are DVDs of both Boris and Khovanshchina, but I have not tried them.  Do report back.  My interest is piqued.

I generally agree that Mussorgsky's orchestration is superior to the Rimskied version, and it's nice that there is a new competitor to Gergiev's take on the 1869 version.  That written, the Rimsky version packs a punch, and if you go with Abbado, you get an augmented edition.  I'd still like to see the original Abbado led version of Tarkovsky's production, even though other versions are available.

[Karl Henning]

Granados
Goyescas, an Opera for Piano
Jean-François Dichamp

[Roasted Swan]

A couple of recent acquisitions getting their 1st listens....



This was a cheapy disc in the Dutton/Vocalion sale.  Well played and recorded but pretty weak musical fare.  Somehow lacking in much of anything - proficiently written but simply lacking real musical character.  The sort of disc I should probably sell because I can't imagine ever digging it out again!

Much much beter was this one;



D'Avalos manages to get playing of real fire from the Philahrmonia and the Franck symphony especially emerges with a dynamism and attack it can sometimes lack.  The brass have a field day (which I rather enjoy) - well engineered too.  The Chausson is a great work and gets a strong performance too.  Definitely a disc I will return to.

[Harry]

A couple of recent acquisitions getting their 1st listens....



This was a cheapy disc in the Dutton/Vocalion sale.  Well played and recorded but pretty weak musical fare.  Somehow lacking in much of anything - proficiently written but simply lacking real musical character.  The sort of disc I should probably sell because I can't imagine ever digging it out again!

The artwork though is superb.      

[ritter]

On YouTube, Rondeña and Almería from Albeniz's Iberia, played by Nelson Goerner.



This is good, very good! Thinking of buying the CD (even if I don't really need an umpteenth recording of Iberia in my collection).

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Hindemith: Amor and Psyche.
Hindemith/Berliner Philharmoniker.

[Florestan]

What you now must check out are Rosbaud's recordings of the three da Ponte operas from Aix-en-Provence. Very old-style (recitatives with piano accompaniment), but quite wonderful (not least for the presence of the great Teresa Stich-Randall in leading rôles in the three operas).

There are two Don Giovanni, one live and one studio.

This is the live one:



and this is the studio one:



Which one should I get?