What are you listening 2 now?

[vandermolen]

Of all the Vasks I've heard, his SQs speak to me the most. A lot of his other music just wasn't memorable or simply was uninteresting to me.

I like Symphony No.2 and 3 very much but I think I have to get that Piano quartet CD.

[Sergeant Rock]

Shostakovich
Quartets 10-15
Mandelring Quartet

Nice! I'll follow your lead and go through the Mandelring cycle over the next couple of days, starting tonight with String Quartets No. 1 in C major op.49 and No. 2 in A major op.68.




Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Nice! I'll follow your lead and go through the Mandelring cycle over the next couple of days, starting tonight with String Quartet No. 1 in C major op.49




Sarge

Beautifully done, Sarge!

[Karl Henning]

In the car earlier. Symphony No.12 'The Year 1917'. I enjoy this work more than many here I think:

Jeffrey, I erred in the matter of the band:

Shostakovich
Symphony # 6 in b minor, Op. 54
Symphony # 12 in d minor, Op. 112
Haitink
RCO

The Twelfth enjoys the distinction of being the only Shostakovich symphony to appear on Monty Python's Flying Circus

[Mirror Image]

Berg
Wozzeck
Theo Adam (bass), Reiner Goldberg (tenor), Helmut Klotz (tenor), Horst Hiestermann (tenor), Konrad Rupf (baritone), Rolf Wollard (baritone), Ekkehard Wlaschiha (baritone), Gisela Schroter (mezzo-soprano), Gisela Pohl (alto), Norbert Klesse (boy soprano), Aloys Tinschert (tenor), Monika Vahle (soprano), Heidrun Zienecker (boy soprano), Frank Grundei (boy soprano)
Leipzig Radio Choir, MDR Sinfonieorchester
Herbert Kegel





A towering performance from Kegel. All of the soloists are outstanding. This one doesn't quite edge out Boulez's, but it comes in a close second-place. It certainly has the better audio quality compared to Boulez's.

[Symphonic Addict]

Good to know Cesar!
Any favourite recording?

I've always been fond of Haitink/Decca. That would be my first choice.

[Symphonic Addict]

Symphony No. 2

This is a wallow a la Strauss. I didn't recall that at all. What I did recall was I had listened to the Rozhdestvensky of these works on Chandos, but I was severely underwhelmed by the rather slow pacing. This interpretation sounds more agile and more confident. Quite surprised I am.

[Mirror Image]

Symphony No. 2

This is a wallow a la Strauss. I didn't recall that at all. What I did recall was I had listened to the Rozhdestvensky of these works on Chandos, but I was severely underwhelmed by the rather slow pacing. This interpretation sounds more agile and more confident. Quite surprised I am.

Yes, Foster is more attuned to Enescu's musical language than Rozhdestvensky. The performances from Foster are also a bit edgier which helps in music with this kind of dense orchestration. Do check out Foster's recording of Enescu's Oedipe. I know you're not much for opera, but this is one great ones, IMHO.

[Karl Henning]

I've always been fond of Haitink/Decca. That would be my first choice.

I have been thinking tonight, that, while the Twelfth never arises when I have a hankering for a Shostakovich symphony, this Haitink/RCO recording sounds completely compelling!

[Symphonic Addict]

Yes, Foster is more attuned to Enescu's musical language than Rozhdestvensky. The performances from Foster are also a bit edgier which helps in music with this kind of dense orchestration. Do check out Foster's recording of Enescu's Oedipe. I know you're not much for opera, but this is one great ones, IMHO.

Definitely this set will be my go to from now. As for Oedipe, it'll be a promising score for me according to your recommendation.

[Symphonic Addict]

I have been thinking tonight, that, while the Twelfth never arises when I have a hankering for a Shostakovich symphony, this Haitink/RCO recording sounds completely compelling!

It's the recording I often return to. In fact, the whole set is of my first preferences.

[vers la flamme]

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.6 in F major, op.68, the "Pastorale". Franz Schubert: Symphony No.5 in B-flat major, D485. Karl Böhm, Vienna Philharmonic. Both phenomenal performances. I don't normally like either Schubert or Beethoven played in such a manner, but for these two symphonies in particular it really works.

[André]

The Verdi Requiem.

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Definitely this set will be my go to from now. As for Oedipe, it'll be a promising score for me according to your recommendation.

I hope you enjoy it.

[vers la flamme]

Claude Debussy: Estampes; Étude "Pour les arpèges composés"; Suite Bergamasque. Alexis Weissenberg. This is one of my favorite Debussy CDs. Completely different playing from most of my other favorite Debussyan pianists who tend to play in a more "impressionistic", airy style. Clean, highly virtuosic playing.

[Mirror Image]

Claude Debussy: Estampes; Étude "Pour les arpèges composés"; Suite Bergamasque. Alexis Weissenberg. This is one of my favorite Debussy CDs. Completely different playing from most of my other favorite Debussyan pianists who tend to play in a more "impressionistic", airy style. Clean, highly virtuosic playing.

If you can find Jacobs' or Kocsis' Debussy recordings, then please do so. I think you'll be great surprised by the authoritative way they have with the composer. I also like Ciccolini, Kodama (I wish she would recording more of his piano music) and Egorov. The biggest issue with Jacobs or Kocsis is the availability of their recordings.

[Daverz]

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No.6 in F major, op.68, the "Pastorale". Franz Schubert: Symphony No.5 in B-flat major, D485. Karl Böhm, Vienna Philharmonic. Both phenomenal performances. I don't normally like either Schubert or Beethoven played in such a manner, but for these two symphonies in particular it really works.

Listening now.  It really is a glorious recording of the Beethoven 6. 

And following up with the Violin Concerto:

[asin] B07VFQMF71[/asin]

Very fine.

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G. F. Malipiero
Cello Concerto
Silvia Chiesa, cello
Massimiliano Caldi
Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI



Better than anything Respighi or Pizzetti wrote. Again, Malipiero and Casella have proven themselves to me and have remained my favorite Italian composers. I love Dallapiccola and Scelsi, too, of course.

[Mirror Image]

Next up more Malipiero concerti:

Violin Concerti Nos. 1 & 2
Domenico Nordio (violin)
Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi
Tito Ceccherini

[André]

Partita 2, Sonata 3, Partita 3.

Barati's playing of the Chaconne is breathtaking - literally. He builds up a tremendous head of steam as it progresses, finishing it off under 13 minutes, some 2-3 minutes earlier than most, and a whopping 6 minutes less than Haendel, whose own super intense interpretation is just as exhausting emotionally, but through different musical means.

Throughout the playing is very intense, always musical, with the emotions à fleur de peau. My preference is for a slightly more equalized emotional display such as Grumiaux and Ehnes (2 recordings) provide. But there's no denying that this is simply tremendous violin playing and a total musical experience.

The booklet notes by the way are extremely informative. For the first time in my experience an easily understandable explanation of how a 'melody' instrument like the violin can produce different voices in a fugue is offered. Or how these works, specified to be senza basso accompagnato so strikingly give the impression of actually having a b.c. line or to be playing a duet with itself by constantly alternating between a high and a low register. This specific facet of the writing is spectacularly exploited by Barati, who often seems to play two instruments at once.