What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

I agree Karl. It's especially poignant as NYM was terminally ill when he wrote the 27th Symphony. The slow movement is deeply moving and eloquent and, to me, the finale suggests the return of Spring after, the Winter, even though Miaskovsky knew that he would not be around to see it. The inclusion of the Cello Concerto is the icing on the cake.

Yes, Ivashkin playing the Concerto is divine. Jeffrey, do you know if Prokofiev heard the piece?

TD:

JSB
BWV 61 « Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland »

Myaskovsky
Symphony № 26 in C, Op. 79 (1948)
Russian Federation Academic Symphony
Yevgeny Svetlanov

The Symphony is a first listen.

[vers la flamme]

Bohuslav Martinů: Symphony No.2. Bryden Thomson, Royal Scottish National Orchestra

The shortest Martinů symphony, but one of my favorites so far.

[Brahmsian]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 (Jochum/Staatskapelle Dresden)

Am rather tempted by this set. I grew up with my older brother playing the earlier (DGG) Jochum set on LP.

It is now reissued under Warner Classics, in 2020 (remastered too apparently).  I have the EMI box set (green box) just like Todd above.

A sentimental favourite! 

@vandermolen Jeffrey, I can wholeheartedly recommend you press the purchase button. 

[vers la flamme]

It is now reissued under Warner Classics, in 2020 (remastered too apparently).  I have the EMI box set (green box) just like Todd above.

A sentimental favourite! 

I bought the box in its most recent incarnation sometime last year. I still haven't heard all of it, but I'm very impressed with what I have heard. I love the Staatskapelle Dresden; they've been one of my favorite orchestras ever since I first got into orchestral music, and they play ferociously throughout this set. Jochum is an unusual Bruckner conductor. A lot of the other successful Brucknerians (Wand, Karajan etc) tend to emphasize the "monolithic" character of the music by keeping tempos steady throughout, whereas Jochum is kind of all over the place with the tempos, injecting a good bit of extra drama into the music. Whether one likes it or not is all up to individual preference, but I find it a valid way of interpreting the scores. I can't comment on the versions/editions Jochum uses because I'm fairly ignorant about all that stuff. Worth a listen I think.

[Karl Henning]

Myaskovsky
Symphony № 26 in C, Op. 79 (1948)
Russian Federation Academic Symphony
Yevgeny Svetlanov

The Symphony is a first listen.

I like the unhurried affability of so much of this symphony. The piece doesn't shake the heavens, nor does it sense any need to.

[Papy Oli]

Telemann - Concerto for Flute, Violin, Violoncello, Strings and Basso continuo in A major TWV 53:A2
(Musika Antiqua Koln)

[Brahmsian]

I bought the box in its most recent incarnation sometime last year. I still haven't heard all of it, but I'm very impressed with what I have heard. I love the Staatskapelle Dresden; they've been one of my favorite orchestras ever since I first got into orchestral music, and they play ferociously throughout this set. Jochum is an unusual Bruckner conductor. A lot of the other successful Brucknerians (Wand, Karajan etc) tend to emphasize the "monolithic" character of the music by keeping tempos steady throughout, whereas Jochum is kind of all over the place with the tempos, injecting a good bit of extra drama into the music. Whether one likes it or not is all up to individual preference, but I find it a valid way of interpreting the scores. I can't comment on the versions/editions Jochum uses because I'm fairly ignorant about all that stuff. Worth a listen I think.

Zeke, what is the packaging like?  Is it cardboard sleeves, and do they include original artwork?

[Traverso]

Incredible playing in the elegies.  Just amazing really.

Did you know that these are live recordings?

[vers la flamme]

Zeke, what is the packaging like?  Is it cardboard sleeves, and do they include original artwork?

Yes, cardboard sleeves with original artwork. I'll find the box and take a pic for you later.

[Karl Henning]

CD 16

Pf Cto № 2 in c minor, Op. 18
Pf Cto № 3 in d minor, Op. 30
Volodya Ashkenazy, pf
LSO
André Previn

and

JSB
BWV 62 « Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland »

I did a double-take, not knowing, in my innocence, that he'd written two ....

[Mandryka]

Did you know that these are live recordings?

Recorded in a single take in front of an audience? That's astonishing, the booklet doesn't mention it unless I'm missing it.

[Traverso]

Recorded in a single take in front of an audience? That's astonishing, the booklet doesn't mention it unless I'm missing it.

There won't be that many composers who have so consciously avoided becoming really popular.  Like Liszt and Rachmaninov, Busoni had a rather envious view of his career as a virtuoso pianist, a career he considered a vain alternative to serious work as a composer.  That is why his works often breathe an atmosphere of dark intellectuality and also of desolation, loneliness.

In Brendel's words, such music only begins to live and glow when the right eyes fall on it.  In that regard, Geoffrey Douglas Madge is an excellent advocate.  Apart from a few less successful moments, he has an excellent technical command over the often very difficult and very complex music.  When he sometimes puts the left hand side a bit heavy, that may well be in accordance with the composer's intentions.  There is nothing to complain about pure endurance in the heavier, longer pieces, but more importantly, he also expresses the sensitive and mysterious moments.

The fact that the interpretations are not always 100% successful is forgivable when we know that these are 'live' recordings, where the audience kept silent (or was edited out afterwards).  This is an admirable achievement.

Unfortunately, the Philips recording is officially out of circulation, but the three parts are still available separately via the internet as no. 420.741/2, 420.742-2 and 420.743-2.

Those who want to work with smaller chunks of Busoni piano music can try Pöntinen (CPO CPO 999.702-2 and 999.853-2) or Tozer (Chandos CHAN

[Karl Henning]

Myaskovsky
Symphony № 25 in D♭, Op. 69 (1946, rev. 1949)

Russian Federation Academic Symphony
Yevgeny Svetlanov

Another first listen.

[Brahmsian]

Yes, cardboard sleeves with original artwork. I'll find the box and take a pic for you later.

Oh no, that's ok!  Just wanted to know.  Good to know.  Thank you. 

[Papy Oli]

JS Bach / Freiburger Barockorchester / Concerto For 3 Violins & Strings, BWV 1064

[Mandryka]

There won't be that many composers who have so consciously avoided becoming really popular. 

One cool thing about Madge is that he supports the underdog, the composers who have "avoided" becoming really popular.  That's very British of him!

[Lisztianwagner]

Alfred Schnittke
Symphony No.3

Eri Klas & Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

[Papy Oli]

Mozart - Symphony No.31 (Pinnock)

[Harry]

Indian Classical Music.
CD I.

Ravindra Shankar Chowdhury & Ravi Shankar.

[Papy Oli]

Peteris Vasks - Symphony No.1 "Voices"