What are you listening 2 now?

[Traverso]

Grofé & Gershwin

[aligreto]

Buxtehude: Sacred Cantatas [Le Blanc/Kirkby/Harvey/Purcell Quartet]





I gave this CD another listen over the past few days.

The vocal harmonies and counterpoint are divine in this presentation. Kirkby and LeBlanc are both long term favourite vocalists of mine and their joint performances of this music are simply haunting and oftentimes ethereal. The voice of Harvey, where applied, also makes a very valuable contribution. The musical accompaniment to these works is very sympathetic to the vocal lines. This is a very fine recording and any ardent Buxtehude follower who does not know this recording would do well to become acquainted with it. It comes highly recommended.

[aligreto]

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

It has been a while since I last listened to that excellent set. I really should listen to it again soon.

[Linz]

Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major op. 61 Cadenzas from Beethoven's arrangement of op. 61 for piano and orchestra adapted for the violin by Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Wolfgang Schneiderhan violin, Berliner Philharmoniker

[Traverso]

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!

Integrity comes first, so I have great appreciation for art without a signature as was customary in the early Middle Ages. The artist who is gifted with a dose of sensitivity and musical talent must also first give his thanks to the muse, more than for the glory of  his ego.One sheep will bleat more loudly, but there will be little applause for it. It is the herd that produces the talent, and it is foolish for it to be carried on a chair for it

[Linz]

Bantock

[JBS]

This afternoon, CDs 15-17 of the Warner Ballets Russes box
Saison 1921
The Sleeping Princess

With CD 17 filled out by
The Buffoon

Represented here by the suite, borrowed from Decca. Of the three Prokofiev ballets included in this set, only one (The Steel Step) is a Warner recording.

Bonus image from the Previn LP set, just because

[Baxcalibur]

I've been listening to Ludolf Nielsen lately. A contemporary of Carl Nielsen, he wrote music that is full of warmth and joy. There's nothing radical, not even in the percussion scoring. But he should be as famous as any other Danish composer.

Besides this recording, I recommend all the releases from the Dacapo label. They've done the major orchestral works, and even the first symphony is a great piece that is as characteristic of Nielsen as anything he wrote.

Now it's on to the string quartets.

[vers la flamme]

Bohuslav Martinů: Sinfonietta La Jolla. Ondřej Kukal, Prague Chamber Orchestra

First listen. Sounds pretty damn good! Lots of Martinů trademarks like heavy syncopation, extensive scoring for piano (the pianist is Josef Hála—though it is not a piano concerto, per se), and more.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Holmboe Chamber Concertos. Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Hannu Koivula.

[foxandpeng]

Peteris Vasks - Symphony No.1 "Voices"

I love this.

Holmboe Chamber Concertos. Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Hannu Koivula.

I also love this!

[foxandpeng]

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

Russian Federation Academic Symphony
Yevgeny Svetlanov

Another first listen.

Joining you for another listen before I move on to 26. This is a fine work.

[Lisztianwagner]

Johannes Brahms
Symphony No.3

Herbert von Karajan & Berliner Philharmoniker

[vers la flamme]

William Schuman: Symphony No.3. Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic

First listen. Neo-baroque vibes. I'm really enjoying this.

[brewski]

Donnacha Dennehy: Grá Agus Bás (Iarla Ó Lionáird, vocals / Crash Ensemble / Alan Pierson, conductor) - Over the ensemble with steady, relentless rhythms and a mournful cast, the vocalist's role is based on ancient Irish songs. (From the notes: "Sean-nós is a type of unaccompanied Irish vocal music; translated as the 'old style' or 'old tradition,' it is transmitted from generation to generation orally.")

As the score progresses, it becomes both more luminous and more frenzied. The result sounds totally contemporary, with an intriguing nod to the past. Quite liking it. Both the vocalist and the Crash Ensemble are superb. (Thanks to @aligreto for the additional encouragement to check this out.)

-Bruce

[vers la flamme]

Another first listen;



Hubert Parry: Symphony No.5 in B minor, "Symphonic Fantasia 1912". Matthias Bamert, London Philharmonic Orchestra

Sounds good, not sure quite what it reminds me of, but has some nice string writing.

[Todd]

The only Dvorak string quartet recording I'd not heard from the Prazak.  The other two are reference level, along the the Panocha (as usual), and this disc is no different.

[vers la flamme]

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No.4 in F minor. Robert Spano, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Not a favorite RVW symphony for me–though I know it is for a lot of others–but this is a very solid performance of it.

[foxandpeng]

Peter Maxwell Davies
Symphony 5
PMD
Philharmonia Orchestra
Naxos

Nicolai Miaskovsky
Complete Symphonies
Symphony 26
Svetlanov
State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia



Very different back to back works. Both excellent.

[Karl Henning]

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

Russian Federation Academic Symphony
Yevgeny Svetlanov

Another first listen.

The luscious first movement is rather easier-going than your average Allegro.