What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

My sense is that the Viola Concerto has always been considered the greatest of Walton's concertante works

Did Hindemith play the première, or do I misremember?

[Bachtoven]

Stunning playing and big, rich sound.

[classicalgeek]

I much prefer it to the more famous Violin Concerto and think that it is a deeper work.

+1. A superb concerto. I had the rare opportunity of seeing it live here in Madrid last year.

What an opportunity that must have been! I think it must be rare to hear any viola concerto done in concert.

My sense is that the Viola Concerto has always been considered the greatest of Walton's concertante works

I was definitely extremely impressed by it - it's hard to imagine a better-crafted work, and the viola writing is just about perfect. I need to listen to Walton's Violin Concerto - I'm as unfamiliar with it as I was his Viola Concerto before today!

Did Hindemith play the première, or do I misremember?

You remember correctly, Karl! Walton wrote it for Lionel Tertis, who at first declined to play it before taking it up later.

For me, the greatest of Walton's works full stop.

I'm still partial to the First Symphony, but the Viola Concerto is right up there!

They're on the now-defunct (I think) Koch label.

You're right! And I haven't seen recordings on Koch for streaming - I don't know who (if anyone) owns the Koch catalog, so I don't if it will ever be available for streaming.

[vers la flamme]

Robert Schumann: Dichterliebe, op.48. Fritz Wunderlich, Hubert Giesen

Greatest single Lieder disc ever recorded? It's got my vote.

[Todd]

[classicalgeek]

The 20th Century's other widely known viola concerto:

Bartok
Viola Concerto
James Ehnes, viola
BBC Philharmonic
Gianandrea Noseda
(on Spotify)

[vers la flamme]

The 20th Century's other widely known viola concerto:

Bartok
Viola Concerto
James Ehnes, viola
BBC Philharmonic
Gianandrea Noseda
(on Spotify)

I have the recording by Kim Kashkashian, but I never listen to it. I seem to remember hearing that it was unfinished, which for some reason made me lose interest. Now I think I may have to revisit it.



Béla Bartók: Viola Concerto, Sz. 120. Kim Kashkashian, Péter Eötvös, Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra

So far so good...

[Daverz]

Very good, particularly the Violin Concerto.

[vers la flamme]

Paul Hindemith: Kammermusik. Claudio Abbado, members of Berlin Philharmonic, several soloists

Finding my way back to some Hindemith lately. I became interested in his music early on in my listening discoveries, but kind of forgot about him for years.

Kammermusik No.7, op.46 no.2, features a solo organ part, and is a particular standout for me.

[classicalgeek]

I have the recording by Kim Kashkashian, but I never listen to it. I seem to remember hearing that it was unfinished, which for some reason made me lose interest. Now I think I may have to revisit it.



Béla Bartók: Viola Concerto, Sz. 120. Kim Kashkashian, Péter Eötvös, Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra

So far so good...

I think Bartok completed it in sketch form before he died, he just left it unorchestrated, a task completed by Tibor Serly a few years after Bartok's passing. It isn't like, for instance, Mahler's Tenth Symphony, where the composer left the work in a much more primitive state.

TD:
York Bowen
Viola Concerto
Doris Lederer, viola
Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra
Paul Polivnick
(on Spotify)



What a delightful piece! Colorful and full of great tunes.

[classicalgeek]

Paul Hindemith: Kammermusik. Claudio Abbado, members of Berlin Philharmonic, several soloists

Finding my way back to some Hindemith lately. I became interested in his music early on in my listening discoveries, but kind of forgot about him for years.

Kammermusik No.7, op.46 no.2, features a solo organ part, and is a particular standout for me.

I just love the Kammermusiken - and the one for organ just might be my favorite! 

[vers la flamme]

I just love the Kammermusiken - and the one for organ just might be my favorite! 

They're really good! Happy to be listening to Hindemith again; I'm still not sure I understand what he was all about, after all these years, but I enjoy the sound of his music.

[Baxcalibur]

I listened to two recordings of Frank Martin's Requiem, including this one:



There's something special about this work. It is direct, concise in delivery if not in length, and you might feel that the composer gives you the bare essence of the subject matter.

I had a similar impression of the oratorio "Golgotha."

[Mapman]

They're really good! Happy to be listening to Hindemith again; I'm still not sure I understand what he was all about, after all these years, but I enjoy the sound of his music.

I'll need to listen to them at some point! I enjoyed Hindemith's Kleine Kammermusik (for wind quintet) a few months ago. It seems that it is not on the CD you heard, so you might be interested in it if you want more Hindemith. @Karl Henning recommended Konzertmusik für Klavier, Blechbläser und Harfen, Op.49 to me, and I enjoyed it too.

[brewski]

Tristan Murail: Gondwana (1980, Orchestre National de France / Yves Prin). One of the great works of the time period, in which Murail depicts the shifting of continents in about 15 minutes (surprisingly, it works).

I opted for this recent upload with the score, which turned out to be frustrating since the score as reproduced here is all but unintelligible, with what looks like 60 small staves. Now and then I love following scores when listening to music, but this time didn't really pay off.

Oh well, never mind, the piece is great.

-Bruce

[Daverz]

Frank Martin: Piano Quintet (1919)



I wouldn't have guessed that this beautiful early work was by Frank Martin; it's in the mold of Ravel and Debussy.

Kuhlau: String Quartet in A minor

 

A fine work that sounds a bit like early Beethoven with hints of Mendelssohn.

[JBS]

The 20th Century's other widely known viola concerto:

Bartok
Viola Concerto
James Ehnes, viola
BBC Philharmonic
Gianandrea Noseda
(on Spotify)

I would think Hindemith's two concertos (Schwanendreher and Trauermusik) are as well known as either the Walton or the Bartok
TD

[brewski]

Hindemith: Five Pieces for Strings, Op. 44 (Ganghyeon Park / Ensemble Spes). Not familiar with any of these artists, but a fantastic version of one of my favorite works.

-Bruce

[Peter Power Pop]

Bizet: Carmen & L'Arlésienne Orchestral Suites (Orchestre De Paris / Semyon Bychkov)

[Spotted Horses]

Mentions of the Hindemith have reminded me how much I enjoyed the Chailly/RCO set (which I had when it was a Decca new release, although the image shows the most recent release as a "Double Decca."