What are you listening 2 now?

[vers la flamme]

C.V. Stanford: Symphony No.7 in D minor, op.124; Irish Rhapsody No.3 in D major for Cello & Orchestra, op.137. Vernon Handley, Ulster Orchestra, with Raphael Wallfisch, solo cello

First listen. All sounding very good. I have to admit that Stanford's music has been a surprisingly major discovery for me. I wasn't expecting to enjoy any of his music so much.

[Bachtoven]

On a Cristóbal Halffter binge since returning home (after a week on business in Cannes, and five days in Tenerife attending a family wedding).



This recent purchase is really a find. I already knew Halfbéniz from another recording (the composer's son Pedro conducting the Spanish National Orchestra on a DG disc that had very limited distribution), but here the work is much more engaging. The work is a divertimento on Albéniz's El Albaicín from book 3 of Iberia. There are a couple of quotes from that work, but when Halfbéniz really gets going (about halfway through the 15-minute piece) is when Halffter starts working on the complex rhythmic cells of El Albaicín's opening measures, which he turns into a moto perpetuo where he displays all his orchestral abilities. A dazzling, brilliant work, which I'm not afraid to call a masterpiece. A real pity that, as @Brian has pointed out, no recording of it has been uploaded to YouTube.

The CD also contains two works new to me: a Double Concerto for Violin and Viola from 1986, an attractive two-movement piece, where the addition of a harpsichord to the string orchestra (plus percussion) produces some quite interesting effects), and the earlier (1972) Requiem por la libertad imaginada for orchestra, which sounds much closer to the arid, post-expressionistic run-of-the-mill 1970s avant-garde, and (on this first listen at least) hasn't left much of an impression.

Sounds very interesting. Can you please provide the CD label and catalog number? I'm not having much luck finding it.
EDIT: I found a streaming site with it--seems to be a low resolution MP3, but at least I can hear it. I'd still prefer a CD or hi-res download. https://archive.org/details/cd_orquesta-filarmonica-de-malaga_cristbal-halffter

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No. 4 in E Flat Major, 1880 (aka 1878/80) - Ed. Robert Haas [1936] from Gunter Wands Berliner Philharmoniker Box

[Daverz]

On a Cristóbal Halffter binge

Thanks for the write-up.  I'm pretty familiar with the music of Ernesto and Rodolfo, but haven't explored Cristobal much.

Now playing Mathias Harp Concerto:

[foxandpeng]

Shostakovich
Symphony 3 'Pervomayskaya'
Kitayenko
Gurzenich Orchester Koln

Kitayenko works for me, alongside Petrenko.

[JBS]

This btw is the last CD devoted to the Ballets Russes programs per se. The last CD is a bonus of "Historical Recordings": Chaliapin in a hodgepodge of excerpts from Boris Godunov, Monteux's 1929 Paris recording of Sacre du Printemps, and Markevitch conducting Satie's Parade in 1954.

Now listening to this Historical Recordings CD. The Sacre--the first commercial recording of the work--is a new remastering, and generally very good, although there are a few rough spots.

[JBS]

Would you recommend? I'd love to have a complete set of the Hungarian Rhapsodies.

I would nominate Jeno Jando

[JBS]

Wrapping up the last of the current batch of Delitiæ Musicæ recordings of Monteverdi's Madrigals I purchased.  I already owned Books 6-9, so this makes my second complete set after La Venexiana.  Initially, I hesitated to even try any Delitiæ Musicæ recordings since it is an all-male group, and I'm not big on male high voices generally.  Of course, Chanticleer is out there, producing some of the most beautiful extant a capella recordings, so ultimately a while back I went for Delitiæ Musicæ, liked what I heard, and kept buying.  They sound notably different from La Venexiana, and not just because of the voices used.  Their style is even more flexible, more stylish, sort of Italianate in an almost operatic way.  The instrumental accompaniment is very fine, and the recording at times sound spatially artificial/augmented, but that ends up helping.  La Venexiana remains my first choice for the complete set overall, but for some of the earlier books, 1 and 4, especially, I prefer Delitiæ Musicæ.  Few complete sets exist, though more of the later books exist, especially the monumental eighth, so I don't have huge numbers of options to choose from. 

I have one installment of the Brilliant series, but it didn't strike me as better than either Venexiana or Delitiae Musicae, although it might be worth getting if someone didn't already have one of those two.

[Mapman]

I saw an excellent performance today: Beethoven's Septet, Op. 20, and Mendelssohn's Octet, Op. 20. I especially enjoyed the Mendelssohn (such beautiful melodies!), and the young clarinetist in the Beethoven was excellent.

[Karl Henning]

Again:

Myaskovsky
Symphony № 23 in a minor, Op. 56 (1943)
Had to come back to this. Of course! In the middle of the first movement Myaskovsky makes use of the same Kabardino-Balkarian folk song which Prokofiev incorporates into his Second Quartet.

And:

Brahms
String Quartet № 1 in c minor, Op. 51 № 1
Amadeus Quartet

I'll "blame" @Spotted Horses for this.

[mouseyhairedlabrat]

Heard a wonderful rendition of Mendelssohn's Octet for Strings in E Flat Major, Op. 20 performed live!

[Que]

Morning listening on Spotify:

[Harry]

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL. (1685-1759)
SALVE REGINA.
Concerto a 5.
Salve Regina, HWV 241.
Praise the Lord with cheerful voice (from Esther, HWV 50)
Harp solo: Marie Bournisien.
Silete venti, HWV 242.
Tu del ciel ministro electo (from Il Trionfo del tempo, HWV 46a).

Julie Roset: Soprano.

MILLENIUM ORCHESTRA, Leonardo Garcia Alarcon.
Yves Ytier: concertmeister
Laura Corolla, Kirsti Apajalahti, Lucien Pagnon: violins I
Amandine Solano, Jorlen Vega Garcia, Hans Cammaert, Roxane Rastegar: violins II
Pierre Vallet, Brigitte de Callataÿ, Camille Feye: violas
Cyril Poulet, Karolina Plywaczewska: cellos
Éric Mathot: double bass
Shai Kribus, Seung Kyung Lee Blondel: oboes
Giulia Genini: bassoon
Adria Gracia Galvez: organ & harpsichord
Marie Bournisien: harp.
Recording: Namur Concert Hall (Grand Manège) – September 2021
Recording: Manuel Mohino.
TT.= 74:00.

There has been a lot of Buzz around the soprano Julie Roset, and with reason. Apart from winning a lot of awards for her musical achievements, she has a voice very much like the sweet voice of Emma Kirkby. Pure, and with an unfailing pitch. Her voice is not a big one, but makes a big impression. Knife edge vibrato less singing. I really love her voice, she will certainly get far and even further, but what am I saying, she is already ascended to heavenly spheres. No vibrato, apart from natural, and no legato. I remember hearing Kirkby's voice decades ago and said the same thing and had the same emotion of elation. I recently listened to madrigals by Sigismondo d'India, a doubled album, in which she was also the star, which made me sit up. I played that album already dozens of times, and still cannot get enough of it. This CD with music by Handel will undergo the same treatment. Pristine sound and performance of all the musicians involved.

[Irons]

The Film Music.

Doreen Carwithen.

Men of Sherwood Forest-Ouverture.
Prelude & Apotheosis from "To the Public Danger.
Boys in Brown Suite.
East Anglian Holiday.
Mantrap Suite.
Three Cases of Murder Suite.
Travel Royal Suite.

BBC Concert Orchestra, Gavin Sutherland.
Recorded in 2010, Abbey Road, Studio 1, London.
TT= 61:00.

Quite exceptional really. I did not realize how beautiful her film music is. She has a very imaginative mind, getting so much creativity out of it, and producing glorious scores, filled with countless pivotal melodies. My mind never wanders off with all what she has on offer. Fine performances and sound.

Light music at it's best. Background to Travel Royal Suite here - http://landofllostcontent.blogspot.com/2022/12/doreen-carwithen-travel-royal-suite.html

[ritter]

Sounds very interesting. Can you please provide the CD label and catalog number? I'm not having much luck finding it.
EDIT: I found a streaming site with it--seems to be a low resolution MP3, but at least I can hear it. I'd still prefer a CD or hi-res download. https://archive.org/details/cd_orquesta-filarmonica-de-malaga_cristbal-halffter

I was unaware of this release (recorded in July 2002) until I spotted a used copy in the Spanish site todocoleccion.com. It seems that it was released by the Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga's house label. The logos of "A B Master Records", "natural" (with the mention "CD-02-VII"), and "Control Remoto" also appear on the back cover. I had never heard of any of these labels or companies until now. 

[Papy Oli]

Good morning all,

Hanson - Symphony No.1 (G. Schwarz)

[foxandpeng]

Again:

Myaskovsky
Symphony № 23 in a minor, Op. 56 (1943)
Had to come back to this. Of course! In the middle of the first movement Myaskovsky makes use of the same Kabardino-Balkarian folk song which Prokofiev incorporates into his Second Quartet.

Thanks, Karl. I will go away and listen to both of these once I have finished with my current play. Really helpful insights.

Ib Nørholm
Symphony 3
Serov
Odense SO

I really love Ib Nørholm's symphonies.

[Papy Oli]

JS Bach - Clavier-Übung III
Isoir (CD14)

[Harry]

Edgar Bainton.
String Quartet in A major.

Hubert Clifford.
String Quartet in D major.

The Locrian Ensemble.
Recorded in 2005 at St Martin's Church, Newbury Berkshire, by Michael Ponder.
TT.= 54:00.

Both Quartets are in my comfort zone. I love the Orchestral music of both composers, and I consider the SQ as minor orchestral works. They have certainly the dimension in terms of musical content. This slightly of scale otherworldliness is at one moment unsettling, and at other moments immensely comforting. Kind of embracing music, like a warm cuddle it feels. It is absolutely well performed and Micheal Ponder made a good recording of it.

[Harry]

JS Bach - Clavier-Übung III
Isoir (CD14)

A fine set to have. I enjoyed it immensely.