What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Composer : Carl Nielsen
Recording : Clarinet Concerto (Bostock - 2001)
Performers : Douglas Bostock, The Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice, John Kruse (clarinet)

One of my favourite concertos, let alone favourite clarinet concertos. Not the best performance, though: things sound a little rough: I think I prefer the ease and gloss of Bliss or Fröst. On the other hand, one can never have too many Nielsen Clarinet Concerto recordings...

Correct, that was my conclusion too!

[Roasted Swan]

Well I won't be listening to the BBC Singers for much longer......

This is a disaster for music-making in the UK.  The BBC is the largest employer of musicians in the country (of all genres)

https://inews.co.uk/news/bbc-cultural-vandalism-singers-axed-orchestras-cut-2193349

[Que]

Morning listening:



A Harry recommendation. Wonderful! I love English lute music.
But how could I have missed this little jewel that is now OOP? 

[Irons]

Beethoven: String Quartet No. 15 Op. 132 [The Hungarian Quartet]





The performance of the opening movement has the requisite lyricism, with a touch of poignancy to it, and assertiveness in the relevant passages. There is a questioning conversation going on here between the players which I quite like.
The second movement has much the same tone and atmosphere as the opening movement. One, however, feels a greater sense of tension or nervous energy.
The slow movement is played gracefully and delicately and with great sensitivity. To my ear there is a great sense of peace and solace emanating from this very intense performance. 
The gay tones of the opening of the final movement are in stark contrast to the tone of the third movement. As the movement progresses the tone of the music becomes more sober and intense. The movement, however, finishes on a positive note.

The Hungarians are top draw but the EMI Beethoven set has a reputation amongst the vinyl fraternity for being cut at a low level. Did you notice any deficiency in playback?

[Harry]

Well I won't be listening to the BBC Singers for much longer......

This is a disaster for music-making in the UK.  The BBC is the largest employer of musicians in the country (of all genres)

https://inews.co.uk/news/bbc-cultural-vandalism-singers-axed-orchestras-cut-2193349

Devastating news indeed!

[Harry]

Morning listening:



A Harry recommendation. Wonderful! I love English lute music.
But how could I have missed this little jewel that is now OOP? 

Well as a consolation I missed it too! It is still to be had on Amazon, but it comes with a price!
I will put it in my streaming library.

[Irons]

Well I won't be listening to the BBC Singers for much longer......

This is a disaster for music-making in the UK.  The BBC is the largest employer of musicians in the country (of all genres)

https://inews.co.uk/news/bbc-cultural-vandalism-singers-axed-orchestras-cut-2193349

Well, they have to find the money for Garry Linekar's wages from somewhere. Travesty!

[Harry]

Music in Germany from Schutz to Bach.
CD VI.
Music by: Weckmann, Böhm, Scheidemann, Tunder, Buxtehude, Bruhns, Lütkemann, Franck, Praetorius, Moritz von Hessen, Scheidt, Isaac Posch, Schein, Johann Hentzschel.

Lots of Organ Music on this disc, played by Bernard Foccroulle, and other vocal and instrumental music from known and unknown composers. Quite a good assembly this time.
What I noticed in the playing of Foccroulle is that he favours slow tempi throughout, especially in Böhm's "Vater unser in Himmelreich", but also in Weckmann's organ music. Not to say that I did not like it, god forbid, but I simply noticed it.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Paul Paray conducts Dances of Death. Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Paul Paray.

[Tsaraslondon]

Disc 12

This disc covers recordings from 1968 to 1990. We start with Strauss songs with Gerald Moore on the piano, move on to the Wood Dove from Schoenberg's Gurrelider under Ferencsik and then, perhaps a little incongruously, one of her final recordings, Respighi's La Sensitiva under Richard Hickox.

[Papy Oli]

JS Bach
Trio Sonatas No.3 & 4
(Isoir)

[Harry]

Anton Stepanovich Arensky.
Orchestral Works.
Violin concerto in A minor.
Sergej Stadler, Violin.
Leningrad PO, Vladislav Chernushenko.

Egyptian Nights.
USSR Radio SO, Boris Demchenko.

Piano Concerto in F minor.
USSR Radio SO, Alexander Alexeev.
Alexander Cherkassov, Piano.

The Violin concerto is well recorded and performed to a high standard, be it that with almost 23 minutes it is at places a tad to slow for my taste.
Egyptians night is a fun piece, also a good recording, and the performance is smashing.
The Piano Concerto  is well recorded, and very satisfactorily performed.
Three pieces by this composer that belong to my favourites.

[71 dB]

Well I won't be listening to the BBC Singers for much longer......

This is a disaster for music-making in the UK.  The BBC is the largest employer of musicians in the country (of all genres)

https://inews.co.uk/news/bbc-cultural-vandalism-singers-axed-orchestras-cut-2193349

Well, nothing surprising there. The UK is in a fast downward spiral as a country. We others can only watch the ship sink and it is a sad view... 

Thread duty: Cherubini's Symphony D major (CPO recording) on Spotify.

[Operafreak]

Saint-Saens: Danse Macabre et al

Fanny Clamagirard


 
   

[Brahmsian]

It's time to probably round out the Rachmaninov/Rachmaninoff listening for the day with the music from the Great Disaster.

I rather like Symphony No.1, which has always made me feel that the disastrous premiere was very much due to the conductor and the performance, rather than the music itself.

My favourite Rachmaninov work!

[Lisztianwagner]

Alexander Zemlinsky
Die Seejungfrau
Sinfonietta

Thomas Dausgaard & Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra

[Lisztianwagner]

My favourite Rachmaninov work!

I concur, Symphony No.1 is absolutely a thrilling composition, one of my favourite Rachmaninov's works too!

[aligreto]

The Hungarians are top draw but the EMI Beethoven set has a reputation amongst the vinyl fraternity for being cut at a low level. Did you notice any deficiency in playback?

No, thankfully. Nothing untoward. I will say that I was concentrating very hard on the music but nothing glaringly hit me as being wrong.

[Harry]

Richard Arnell.
Ballet Music.

The Great Detective opus 68. (1953)
The Angels, opus 81. (1957)
BBC Concert Orchestra, Martin Yates.
Both works are first CD recordings
Recorded in 2008.

I am wholly dedicated to this composer, and thus love both pieces to bits. For me he belongs in the top echelon of British composers. The performance and recordings are first rate.

[Traverso]

Bach


CD 5