What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

Do you feel like we do?!

Not until you show me the way.

[Mirror Image]

Nielsen
Symphonies # 4 & 5
SFSO
Blomstedt

Great performances for sure.

[André]

Terrific stuff. Walker's music is very much nature-oriented. But a craggy, forbidding, primeval type of nature. The works here call to mind the bluff, crusty orchestral landscapes of Pingoud, Kinsella, Leifs. Very impressive.

[listener]

String Octets by SVENDSEN and BRUCH

[Mirror Image]

Prokofiev
Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80
Ibragimova
Osborne

[j winter]

Good to see Peter Frampton branching out into the classical world

My first thought was, if you're going to steal a conductor's hairstyle, why choose Rattle?  Surely Karajan had a better hair game...

[JBS]

First listen to the Scholars's newest recording
[asin]B07TNVWKTR[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

Nielsen
Clarinet Concerto, Op. 57
Anthony McGill, clarinet
Alan Gilbert, conductor
New York Philharmonic

[dissily Mordentroge]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iwUJHbZIUw

I notice a lack of direct links to Youtube etc clips here. Is this a forum policy or simply a lack of a feature in the software to enable insertion of links?

[Que]

Morning listening:

[asin]B0000942GH[/asin]
Q

[vandermolen]

Le Tombeau de Couperin, which I heard on the car radio a couple of days ago (I thought I was listening to the Mother Goose Suite  ). I couldn't remember if I had a CD of it and then I remembered that I had this super-cheap ten CD set which features historical performances:

[Mandryka]

Very much enjoying late Cage at the moment.

[aligreto]

Sor: 24 Etudes, Nos. 12-24 [Yepes]

[Christo]

Terrific stuff. Walker's music is very much nature-oriented. But a craggy, forbidding, primeval type of nature. The works here call to mind the bluff, crusty orchestral landscapes of Pingoud, Kinsella, Leifs. Very impressive.

Thank you so much. I did have a try, last year, and know you're definitely right. Hope to listen again during my skiing vacation (Giant Mountains, Czechia, end of February). #plan 

[Irons]

Good to see Peter Frampton branching out into the classical world

I thought Rattle on a good hair day.

[vandermolen]

Such a fine symphony. Completely terrifying.

Absolutely!

[vandermolen]

Terrific stuff. Walker's music is very much nature-oriented. But a craggy, forbidding, primeval type of nature. The works here call to mind the bluff, crusty orchestral landscapes of Pingoud, Kinsella, Leifs. Very impressive.

I really liked this CD one of the best in that series I think, along with Spratley's symphony. I emailed RW and had a very nice conversation with him. He sent me a very nice CD of his chamber music.

[Harry]

Johann Kuhnau.
Complete Sacred Works. Vol. II.
Opella Musica-Camerata Lipsiensis, Gregor Meyer.

I found the first volume to be superb, but the second instalment is even better. Meyer did some fine tuning in a lot of things, like choir balance, openness of vocals, attention to soft and loud singing, more unity as a result. And the recording is also updated to match.
It must be sad that the soprano Heidi Maria Taubert is a real find, she reminds me of Suzie LeBlanc, in her younger years, and that's a huge compliment. All the soloists are well chosen, which makes this series a recommendation safely given. I am extremely happy with it. Looking forward to volume III, IV & V. The last two will be ordered soon.

"Part 2 of the  complete recording of sacred works by Johann Kuhnau exclusively features recording premieres. They offer a multifaceted picture of Kuhnau's cantata oeuvre. »Lobe den Herren, meine Seele« certainly numbers among the earliest of the compositions brought together on this CD; musically, it continues to be situated very much in the tradition of the sacred concerto of the late seventeenth century. Regrettably, broad segments of the music world have rather often perceived Kuhnau merely as a forerunner of the great Johann Sebastian Bach, subjecting him to unpardonable neglect and undervaluing him. However, to name one example, the magnificently designed cantata »Schmücket das Fest mit Maien« for four-part choir, two oboes, two recorders, two violini concertati, two violins in ripieno, viola, bassoon, and basso continuo demonstrates that he cannot at all be charged with a lack of innovative spirit. On the textual level this work proves to be a finely crafted combination of biblical texts, freely penned arias, and a concluding chorale. A conversation between the soprano and the bass drawing on markedly dialogic passages from the Song of Songs and original poetic verses inspired by them occupies the focus. Once again Gregor Meyer, the director of this extensive project, interprets the cantatas with the Opella Musica ensemble of soloists established by him in 2011 and the camerata lipsiensis orchestra adhering to the spirit of historical performance practice".

[vandermolen]

Kabalevsky: Cello Concerto No. 1 [Shafran/Kabalevsky]





I have not heard this concerto before now. This is a relatively short work but I find it to be an entertaining, charming and engaging one. Drama and emotion abound in the opening movement. The slow movement is something of a lament and Shafran makes the cello sing out for all that it is worth. I find that the final movement is exciting, assertive and atmospheric.

Here are the LP and CD releases of the Cello Concerto No.2 with Shafran conducted by Kabalevsky - best performance I know:


Thread Duty. Kabalevsky Cello Sonata (1962). Also a deeply felt work which I increasingly listen to although I bought the CD for the NYM sonatas:

[aligreto]

Jussi Bjoerling: Singing duets from operas by Puccini and Verdi