What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

New Philharmonia Orchestra
Rafael Frûhbeck de Burgos
Released 1996

Merci, mon cher!

[Karl Henning]

D  12 of the Craft box. This is almost like a musical pilgrimage, in that this is the landmark recording of Ionisation which had so profound an impact on Franco di Zappa.

On one hand, there is no denying that I want another listen. On t'other, the Bach on CD 13 is the perfect change of pace:

Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl, BWV 198
Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131

[SonicMan46]

Bach, JS - Sonatas Violin & Keyboard - spent the afternoon listening to a disc from each of the 2-CD sets shown below - enjoyed all but the violin playing of Florence Malgoire on the ZigZag recording was grating for me (Rannou was fine) - decided to cull out the set - my two favorites were Mullova and Ngai w/ Dantone and Watchorn. Reviews attached for those interested.  Dave

P.S. now there are 'dozens' of recordings of these popular Bach works done over the decades - I'm sure some will 'chime in' with their favorites whether of recent vintage or going deep into the last century - 

     

[vers la flamme]

Excellent! I need to rrevisit this!

I found it last night buried in a stack in the corner at a record store in Greenwich Village, unpriced. Thankfully the shopkeeper gave it to me for $15 which seemed reasonable for an OOP CD of rare repertoire. (Everything else there was hellaciously overpriced.) The music proved a satisfying discovery. It looks like a new recording of Cardillac just came out this year on the BR Klassik label, I wonder if anyone has heard it.

[Lisztianwagner]

Alexander Zemlinsky
Maeterlinck-Lieder

Jard van Nes (mezzosoprano)
Riccardo Chailly & Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

[Lisztianwagner]

Funny enough my review is the same for both.  The soloist delivers a passionate performance, but the orchestral playing is clinical, detached and slightly odd.  The recordings illuminate every detail of their respective works, allowing me to hear things I don't usually but I didn't walk away from either having enjoyed my time.  And it is really strange to have the exact reaction to two very different recordings from different composers done by different performers.

I got the Aimard/Salonen recording of Bartók's Piano Concertos too, but I haven't listened to it yet; your feedback gives me interesting expectations as it seems the pianist and the orchestral playing creates a particular, bizarre contrast worth analysing anyway.

[Karl Henning]

I found it last night buried in a stack in the corner at a record store in Greenwich Village, unpriced. Thankfully the shopkeeper gave it to me for $15 which seemed reasonable for an OOP CD of rare repertoire. (Everything else there was hellaciously overpriced.) The music proved a satisfying discovery. It looks like a new recording of Cardillac just came out this year on the BR Klassik label, I wonder if anyone has heard it.

Great catch!

[Madiel]

Haydn op.33/4



Haydn (or maybe the Mosaiques, but I think it's mostly Haydn) seems to be playing with little silences here. The ending is an absolute hoot - and in the original Artaria edition, it's the end of the entire set of 6 string quartets. It made me laugh. After a couple of hours of music you've got a pizzicato passage to finish.

[Karl Henning]

Haydn op.33/4



Haydn (or maybe the Mosaiques, but I think it's mostly Haydn) seems to be playing with little silences here. The ending is an absolute hoot - and in the original Artaria edition, it's the end of the entire set of 6 string quartets. It made me laugh. After a couple of hours of music you've got a pizzicato passage to finish.

I'm in, esp. as it's been a while!

[DavidW]

I love Bach's flute sonatas!

[prémont]

Bach, JS - Sonatas Violin & Keyboard - spent the afternoon listening to a disc from each of the 2-CD sets shown below - enjoyed all but the violin playing of Florence Malgoire on the ZigZag recording was grating for me (Rannou was fine) - decided to cull out the set - my two favorites were Mullova and Ngai w/ Dantone and Watchorn. Reviews attached for those interested.  Dave

P.S. now there are 'dozens' of recordings of these popular Bach works done over the decades - I'm sure some will 'chime in' with their favorites whether of recent vintage or going deep into the last century - 

I own a few recordings of these sonatas. Among these some of my faves are:

MI (including revival harpsichord):
Szeryng / Walcha
Suk / Ruzickova (preferably the first recording of three they made)
Schneiderhan / Karl Richter
Barchet / Veyron-Lacroix
Menuhin / Malcolm
Lautenbacher / Galling
Lautenbacher / Klinckerfuss

PI:
Pierot / Gester (organ)
Kuijken / Leonhardt
Huggett / Koopman
Wallfish / Nicholson
Blumenstock / Butt
Valetti / Frisch
Terakado / Henstra
Malgoire / Rannou
Harnoncourt/ Tachezi
Santos / Belder

[Mapman]

Spohr: Clarinet Concerto #4 in E minor, WoO 20
Grammenos

It seems like Spohr was influenced by Weber. I enjoyed hearing another concerto in that style in a minor key.

[Madiel]

Mendelssohn string quintet no.1 (op.18) - the Mandelring quartet plus friend...

Unusual and interesting textures. Mendelssohn seems to like having the instruments do a kind of hushed scurrying.

It's a concept I kind of understand after doing a Gilbert & Sullivan with a large chorus. A large number of people singing quietly is a very specific effect you can't get with a few people singing quietly. 

[Cato]

Paul Hindemith: Cardillac. Gerd Albrecht, RSO Berlin, RIAS Kammerchor

First listen. Sounds good!

Excellent! I need to revisit this!

I have the performance on DGG with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau: a slam-bang work by Hindemith and Fischer-Dieskau is at his best, parallel with his performance in Doctor Faustus by Busoni.

My German IV students enjoyed both works...in general!  There were always some who refused to give anything a chance, but these works did convert several students every year, especially Cardillac!

Igor Stravinsky

Threni

Robert Craft & Philharmonia Orchestra

Threni has been a favorite for decades!  Angular, yet a quasi-dodecaphonic Gregorian Chant for the motet.

[JBS]

Continuing with Beghin's solo recordings, this is the first time I've heard this music. It's made me think of Marais' Suite d'un goût étranger - totally different obvs. but there's the same sense of fun and testing the limits of the instrument. Honestly, some pianists ought to play this stuff - it has the potential to be really popular. I'm finding it very hard to tear myself away from the music, even though I have other things I need to take care of.

It took me a moment to realize that wasn't from Esfahani's Bach series. The bust seems to be from the same group Esfahani's CDs draw from.

Some of those pieces may be among the ones in Hamelin's CPEB recording


TD

[JBS]

Moving on to the next CD in the Ma/Ax set

[andolink]

Per Nørgård: Symphony No. 8
Vienna Philharmonic, Sakari Oramo

[Que]

Morning listening:



Now Hyperion goes streaming, I'm taking the opportunity to explore the recordings by Cupertinos. A real Portuguese ensemble this time!

[Harry]

Morning listening:



Now Hyperion goes streaming, I'm taking the opportunity to explore the recordings by Cupertinos. An real Portuguese ensemble this time!

I did not like this recording, not a bit!

[Irons]

Bartok: Piano pieces.

Fifteen Hungarian Peasant Songs.

Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Songs.