What are you listening 2 now?

[vers la flamme]

Luciano Berio: Sinfonia. Péter Eötvös, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, London Voices

This is an absolute killer of a piece; one of my favorites of all time. Maybe the best 20th century symphony that wasn't written by Gustav Mahler (I suppose it helps that some of it was written by Mahler.) And I can't imagine a better performance! That being said, I just found the Boulez/Orchestre National de France recording at a record store today and will be giving that a listen soon.

[Symphonic Addict]

The first two movements from the 8th struck me like the most interesting music of these three symphonies.

[vers la flamme]

Luciano Berio: Sinfonia. Pierre Boulez, Orchestre National de France, New Swingle Singers

Listening to two recordings of a symphony back to back is definitely not something I do often, but in this case it's a rewarding experience, going to show me that this piece is actually somehow even deeper than I initially thought. This is a much sharper edged, spikier performance; a cooler, more intellectual performance, possibly bringing it closer to the midcentury avant-garde tradition which birthed things like Boulez's own Le Marteau sans maître. I do reckon I'll be spending more time with this performance, though the third movement will make or break a Berio Sinfonia for me. I have yet to have as deep a connection with any other piece by Berio, but on the strength of this work alone I can safely count him as one of the greatest of his time in my book.

Edit: The voices really dominate the 3rd movement, which I like, though some of the reciters sound a bit campy. Boulez somehow seems to rebalance a lot of the orchestral textures compared to the recordings I'm more accustomed to. He kind of pushes the Mahler to the background for the most part. Somehow Boulez made this music even weirder than it already is.

[Symphonic Addict]

A. J. Kernis: String Quartet No. 3 'River'

More abstract and dissonant than the two previous ones, yet absolutely fascinating. I liked it very much.

[vers la flamme]

Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel. Gregg Smith, Gregg Smith Singers, with soloists Karen Phillips (viola) and James Holland (percussion)

Despite its sparse orchestration, and despite its relative brevity (especially in comparison to later Feldman) I always felt like this score comes off as something truly massive and expansive. This was the first Feldman I ever heard and it remains a favorite, though my current interest is more in late Feldman.

Edit: Now, For Frank O'Hara, with Jan Williams conducting a chamber ensemble from the Center for the Creative & Performing Arts at SUNY Buffalo. More opaque than the Rothko Chapel, but still manages to suspend time in a similar way.

[JBS]

Sinfonia Concertante in C Major for flute, clarinet, bassoon, violin, violincello, and orchestra (1814)
[17:19]

Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in B Flat Major Opus 40[no date given][30:04]

Sinfonia Concertante in F Major for flute, oboe, bassoon, horn, and orchestra (c 1814/15)[26:35]

The interplay of the soloists in the Sinfonie Concertante is interesting. The second one is structured a bit unusually: only two movements, the first switching from allegro to andante and then back to allegro, the second one a ten minute "allegretto con variationi".

I think I like these more than the piano concertos Brautigam recorded for BIS.

Recorded last year, released this year.

[Que]

This arrived yesterday:



Contrary to the previous volumes, this is a bare bones issue with the two discs in a cardboard folded envelope.  No jewel case, no texts (which were already without translations before). The short notes printed inside explain that in Gombert there isn't much connection between the texts and the music anyway. That may be, but I feel there is hardly any added value compared to streaming... And these Fra Bernardo issues are expensive!

[Harry]

Golden Strings.
Sonatas for violin and basso continuo.

Antonio Maria Montanari (1676-1737) Dresden sonatas.
Giovanni Mossi (c.1680-1742) Sonatas opus 5 & 6. World Premiere Recording.
Anima & Corpo.
Gabriele Pro, Violin & Conductor.
Maria Calvo, Cello.
Simone Vallerotonda, Archlute and Baroque guitar.
Cristiano Gaudio Harpsichord.
Recording, 18-21 July 2021 Auditorium di Sant'Agostino, San Ginesio (Macerata).

Well played, mildly interesting works, and fine recording.  Composers from the circle of Arcangelo Corelli, and worth hearing, albeit musically not on par with Corelli.  Performances without much expression, tis a bit on the bland side. To polite one might say, and rather slow in places.

[Harry]

This arrived yesterday:



Contrary to the previous volumes, this is a bare bones issue with the two discs in a cardboard folded envelope.  No jewel case, no texts (which were already without translations before). The short notes printed inside explain that in Gombert there isn't much connection between the texts and the music anyway. That may be, but I feel there is hardly any added value compared to streaming... And these Fra Bernardo issues are expensive!

Agree with all!

[Mandryka]

This arrived yesterday:



The short notes printed inside explain that in Gombert there isn't much connection between the texts and the music anyway.

I'm not sure this is true - for example there's a natural, unavoidable, question of how the placement of caesurae in the motets relate to the text.  How can anyone listen to, for example, Inviolata Integra on that CD (I just happened to listen to it) and not be curious about what's going on at the caesura? And it seems natural to seek a semantic explanation w.r.t. the poem.

[Que]

I'm not sure this is true - for example there's a natural, unavoidable, question of how the placement of caesurae in the motets relate to the text.  How can anyone listen to, for example, Inviolata Integra on that CD (I just happened to listen to it) and not be curious about what's going on at the caesura? And it seems natural to seek a semantic explanation w.r.t. the poem.

Agreed, I don't buy it either....

[Roasted Swan]

A first listen to this interesting and well-played programme;



I happened to pick this up cheap online and although none of the repertoire is exactly "rare" (Schulhoff's Ogelala is the least recorded) it makes for a unique and fascinating programme of Ballet scores from the inter-war years.  Very well played by the Borusan Instanbul PO too - with all the necessary virtuosity these scores demand but a good dose of snarl and bite too.  Generous 80 minute playing time is the icing on the cake....

[Harry]

Giovanni Legrenzi, (1626-90)
Mottetti.
Editions by Rinaldo Alessandrini.
Concerto Italiano
Sonia Tedla, Soprano.
Elena Carzaniga, Mezzo.
Valerio Contaldo, Rafaele Giordani, Tenors.
Salvo vitale, Bass.
Ugo di Giovanni, Franco Pavan, Theorbo.
Rinaldo Alessandrini, Organ and Direction.\
Recorded,July 2019, PARCO DELLA MUSICA, STUDIO 3, ROME.

I like this recording, voices well matched, sung with just the right amount of passion, thus the text and music are well projected against the backdrop of Legrenzi's heyday. A fine release. Into my fav list. Recording is very good.

At the same time I am reading Anthony Trollope's " The Warden" The Barsetshire novels, they work well  together.

[Traverso]

La Tragédie Cathare (1209-1229)

CD 2

"Early music is, to a certain extent, the history of Humanity's belly..." "It is the most universal language, it is the language of man". For Savall, "the magic of early music (is linked) to the magic of things that have disappeared...",(it is) "... the memory of civilization". And "...a civilization which has no memory, is a civilization that has no future".
 

[Iota]

Ravel: Introduction & Allegro

Michel Moragues (flute), Isabelle Moretti (harp), Pascal Moragues (clarinet)
Parisii Quartet

"Eight long days and three sleepless nights" was what Ravel said it took him to write Introduction & Allegro, according to the Beeb. I can't help feeling it was worth the effort.
I've never heard this recording before and it's a corker. Details as clear as birdsong on a windless afternoon.

[Harry]

Jacques-Philippe Lamoninary. (MAROILLES, 1707 – BOULOGNE-SUR-MER, 1802)
Six sonatas for two violins and bass opus 1 (1749).
Ensemble Hemiolia.
EMMANUEL RESCHE-CASERTA violin.
PATRIZIO GERMONE violin.
CLAIRE LAMQUET-COMTET violoncello.
TAKAHISA AIDA harpsichord & organ.
Organ by Etienne Debaisieux.
French double-manual cembalo by William Morton, after Ruckers (Colmar).

Recording Temple protestant (Arras, France) | November 2021.


This is a treat, to find a composer utterly forgotten, rediscovered, and perfectly performed by this for me unknow ensemble, in a more than excellent interpretation. The quality of the music is extraordinary, no doubt about that. It goes to show, how much is still waiting to be recorded, and which deserves to be heard. I guess a lot....Sound is perfect.

[vandermolen]

Tovey: Symphony
Keep coming back to this one:

[Lisztianwagner]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No.5

Mariss Jansons & Wiener Philharmoniker

[Harry]

Vissarion Shebalin.
Russian Overture. in E minor.
Symphonies no.2 in C sharp minor, & 4 in B flat major.
Russian Cinematographic SO, Sergey Skripka.
Recorded in 1996.

Listening to Shebalin's music, makes me want more. I have a few CD's of his music, but not as much I want due to the lack of decent recordings. The present one is quite good. At times the brass is blaring out in a ugly way, but the overal sound is quite decent, as is the performance.

[Traverso]

La Tragédie Cathare (1309-1453)

CD 3