What are you listening 2 now?

[vers la flamme]

Bach's St. Matthew Passion part 1:



Suzuki I (i.e. the one in the box set, not the newer recording)  I love the more spiritual approach he brings.  Too many recordings are just too swift and bouncy for such a monumental work.

I have, and may revisit today, Suzuki's recording of the Johannes-Passion. I agree he brings a very devotional approach to the music.

[DavidW]

OK fine, I guess I can't expect much better than that. I usually see the Leonhardt/Harnoncourt going for around $100, but it's probably the only one that is that cheap—and probably the one I will end up getting, eventually, for that reason 

Yes Harnoncourt/Leonhardt, Rilling and Leusink usually hover around $100 or lower.  And obviously all are on the table for cheap if you just stream!

Out of the bargain sets:
Harnoncourt/Leonhardt: an all male choir and soloists, usually boys makes this a thumbs down for me.  Sorry Karl.
Rilling: the only traditional set with modern instruments.  This is not Furtwangler conducts Bach though.  He uses smaller forces and tries to highlight the polyphony and rhythm instead of long legato line phrasing as you might expect from big band Bach.
Leusink: these are all well played but Rilling has better soloists.  While not competitive with Koopman, Suzuki, Kuijken and Gardiner, this is a really good set and is highly underrated.  It is my pic for the bargain sets.

But if you want a lot of music, but it doesn't have to be complete... the best sub-$100 set by far is Kuijken.

[foxandpeng]

Alexander Glazunov
Orchestral Works Volume 15
Symphonies 5 and 8
Alexander Anissimov
Moscow SO
Naxos

Stellar stuff.

[Que]

It took me a moment to figure out the programming function of my discplayer to extract a sterling period performance of Schumann's Klavierquartett by La Gaia Scienza from a bunch of Schumann adaptations by the Uri Caine Ensemble, but I managed...

[VonStupp]

And now, something lighter for First-Listen Friday:

Paging @VonStupp

Thanks Karl! I have been eyeing Albany's Gould recordings for some time. Haven't pulled the trigger yet!
VS

[Karl Henning]

Alexander Glazunov
String Quintet
Five Novelettes
Fine Arts Quartet
Naxos

It's been a while, so I'm in, Danny!

Glazunov
Cello Quintet in A, Op. 39 (1891-92)
The Gringolts Quartet & Christian Poltéra

[Todd]

What's not to love about Jan Talich joining the Prazak to play quintets by Mozart and Bruckner?  Nothing, nothing at all.  The Mozart delights, as it should, and the Bruckner, hardly a towering masterpiece, comes off very well.  One can here germs of musical ideas that the composer later redeployed.  I've heard one or two other takes, but this one actually left an impression.  Another peach of a disc from the Prazak box.

[Roasted Swan]

Thanks Karl! I have been eyeing Albany's Gould recordings for some time. Haven't pulled the trigger yet!
VS

Pull the trigger - they are the best Gould discs!

[Karl Henning]

It's been a while, so I'm in, Danny!

Glazunov
Cello Quintet in A, Op. 39 (1891-92)
The Gringolts Quartet & Christian Poltéra

The Quintet grabs me, as the symphonies have not, especially, and so, 'tis time to try afresh:

Glazunov
Symphony № 8 in E^b, Op. 83 (1905-06)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Tadaaki Otaka

[Todd]

[vandermolen]

Composer : Dmitri Shostakovich
Recording : Symphony No. 10 (Sanderling - 1977)
Performers : Kurt Sanderling, Berlin Symphony Orchestra

Great performance.

If it's anything like the earlier (live performance) just released on ICA it should be terrific. I have a CD of him performing Symphony No.8 in that series.

[vandermolen]

Sauguet: Symphony No.1 'Expiatoire'
One of my favourite Marco Polo releases - I find it very moving:

[Lisztianwagner]

Charles Ives
Symphony No.2

Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic

[vandermolen]

I thought that I should jump on the Taneyev bandwagon and since I'm having a 'Marco Polo Evening' I thought that I'd play this CD (Symphony No.2)
It is my favourite of the Taneyev symphonies and the most memorable.

[Mapman]

It's Hamerik's birthday, so it seems like a good time to listen to this:
Symphony #6, "Symphonie Spirituelle"
Dausgaard: Helsingborg

[vandermolen]

Aaron Avshalomoff: Symphony No.1
Another Marco Polo favourite from this Siberian/Jewish/Chinese composer

[Harry]

Aaron Avshalomoff: Symphony No.1
Another Marco Polo favourite from this Siberian/Jewish/Chinese composer

I have all his music too, bought it when it was released. I love the things he wrote.

[vandermolen]

Last Marco Polo CD of the evening:

[Lisztianwagner]

On youtube, first listen to:
Franz Schmidt
Clarinet Quintet in A major

Ján Slávik (cello), Aladár Jánoska (clarinet), Daniela Ruso (piano), Alexander Lakatos (viola), Stanislav Mucha (violin)

[Mapman]

Romberg: Clarinet Quintet, Op. 57
Klöcker: Consortium Classicum

I continue to be impressed by Romberg's music. This feels like a predecessor to Weber's music for clarinet. The 3rd movement is particularly beautiful.