What are you listening 2 now?

[Madiel]

Just finished listening to this extraordinary new release. Wow, such masterful playing and arrangements.

If he'd called it Music On Guitar it would be rather more accurate.

[Traverso]

Mozart

piano concertos 6-7 & 8

London Symphony Orchestra  Alceo Galliera

Ludwig Hoffman (7)
Sas Bunge (7)

[Que]

[Papy Oli]

Stradella - San Giovanni Battista

[Madiel]

I promised myself I'd have another crack at Saint Ludmila. Apparently Dvorak found the composition process for this massive oratorio (over 2 hours) exhausting.



I suspect the only way I can get through it is by paying very minimal attention to the words. Because the plot is pretty dire - probably not helped by a very old-fashioned translation, rhyming and using words like "thou". But it's Dvorak. Surely I'll find the music rewarding on its own.

EDIT: It's not going that well so far. 20 minutes of highly devout choral singing (even if they're singing to pagan gods, not the one true God whose messenger is going to turn up in a while), followed by an overwrought soprano, then more choir.

The whole tone is just so excessively, seriously, religious. In ways that actual religious pieces like the Stabat Mater and Requiem somehow avoid. It's too static. Maybe it's the particular performance, but I don't think the modern reception of the work is all that positive in general.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Ernst von Dohnanyi.
Orchestral Works.
Suite, opus 19 in F sharp minor.
Variations on a Nursery theme, for Piano and Orchestra, opus 25.
From the Veil of Pierrette, opus 18.
Howard Shelley, Piano.
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra,  Matthias Bamert.
Recorded in 1998, at the New Broadcasting House, Manchester.

Superb performances and sound. Brilliant and sparkling. A favourite!

Scary cover! 

PD

[Que]

Lol, this one is the exception, I do not own it. So your votes please!

Worth a streaming session, I think. 

Francesco Araja wrote in free, improvisatory late Baroque Neapolitan style, so for me this has special appeal. Pellegrini is in a more Galant style, but nothing to sniff at.

[vers la flamme]

Ludwig van Beethoven: Diabelli Variations, op.120. Claudio Arrau

One of the Beethoven works that I'm least familiar with. Sounds good.

[Spotted Horses]

Schubert Piano Sonata in c minor D958, Pollini



Listening as a contrast to Badura-Skoda's recording on Fortepiano.

I've had this recording since it was a new release in 1987, and it still makes an impression. Not as sharply characterized as I my hazy memory led me to believe. Pollini uses his considerable technique to make the music sound clear and effortless. Thoroughly enjoyed.

[Todd]

[Lisztianwagner]

Béla Bartók
Piano Concerto No.1

Maurizio Pollini
Claudio Abbado & Chicago Symphony Orchestra

[Mookalafalas]

[ritter]

The image posted above by @Lisztianwagner (good afternoon to her!  ), which mentions  both "Maurizio Pollini" and "20th century", prompted me to revisit Pollini's recording of Luigi Nono's haunting ...sofferte onde serene... for piano and tape.



It's been a while since I've listened to Nono. But I now reconfirm my feeling that when Nono is good, he's very good...

EDIT: Folloeing the above with more 20th century piano music...

Pierre-Laurent Aimard plays Messiaen's La Rousserolle Effarvatte (Catalogue d'oiseaux, Book 4).

[The new erato]

Simply a great set:

[VonStupp]

Emmanuel Chabrier
Orchestral Works
Suisse Romande - Neeme Järvi

Lollipops🍭! Otherwise, the angular leaping melody in Bourrée Fantasque was his only surprise.
VS

[ritter]

Simply a great set:

Good to know... might explore (I had never heard of Stuck, but am always interested in an unknown tragédie lyrique  ). Good afternoon to you, new erato!

THREAD DUTY:

More 20th century piano music (solo or piano duo), but closer to home. Cristóbal Halffter.

[Bachtoven]

I heard this in the car on KBACH (Phoenix, AZ public radio) via streaming yesterday--quite a powerful performance. Stokowski's orchestration is heavier than Ravel's, but he knew a thing or two about getting sound out of an orchestra!

[Lisztianwagner]

The image posted above by @Lisztianwagner (good afternoon to her!  ), which mentions  both "Maurizio Pollini" and "20th century", prompted me to revisit Pollini's recording of Luigi Nono's haunting ...sofferte onde serene... for piano and tape.



It's been a while since I've listened to Nono. But I now reconfirm my feeling that when Nono is good, he's very good...

Glad my post was helpful, good afternoon (now evening) to you too, Rafael! I'm not a very big fan of Nono, but ...sofferte onde serene... is a quite good piece, Pollini interprets it beautifully.

Now:
Béla Bartók
Piano Concerto No.2

Maurizio Pollini
Claudio Abbado & Chicago Symphony Orchestra

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No. 4 in E flat "Romantic", 1878/80 Version (1880 with Bruckner's 1886 revisions) - Ed. Leopold Nowak, Riccardo Muti, Berliner Philharmoniker

[Traverso]

Mozart

piano concerto no.9
piano concert no.10 + Ludwig Hoffmann