What are you listening 2 now?

[André]

Disc 6 & 7

Requiem - Grande Messe des Morts

Ronald Dowd - Tenor

Te Deum

Franco Tagliavini - tenor
Nicholas Kynaston - organ

Wandsworth School Boys' Choir
London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus - Sir Colin Davis

Davis's first recording of the Requiem was recorded in Westminster Cathedral in 1969, the Te Deum in Watford Town Hall in 1976, so there are newer recordings which probably capture better their sonic splendour, though none have captured so well the essence of these works, their magnificent gravity and seriousness. In any case, the recordings are incredible for their age and the performances surely never bettered, not even by Davis himself.

+1. Make that 2, actually.

There have been a few really worthy performances of the Requiem (Munch I and II, Beecham), but Davis 1969 is still a benchmark.

As for the Te Deum, his performance towers above the others (Nelson, Barenboim, Abbado, Inbal).

I don't think he recaptured that état de grâce in his later recordings of the works.

[ritter]

Cristina Ariagno plays Reynaldo Hahn's Le rossignol éperdu, from her complete set of the composer's piano music:

[aukhawk]

Ravel & Stravinsky : Beatrice Rana

She has great delicacy when required - I've never heard a better Barque sur l océan -
but elsewhere and especially in the Stravinsky extracts she relishes every opportunity to attack ATTACK. 
The recording is a bit disappointing for this day and age - could do with a bit more low-end grunt.

[Mirror Image]

Hanson
Symphony No. 3
Schwarz
Seattle Symphony

[André]

Disc 3 of this set



The variations on Chopin's Prélude no 20 caught my fancy. It's a popular work (one of Barry Manilow's most famous songs uses it), but it never fails to enrapture. The other works on the disc are excellent, too. Overall, this third disc is the most appealing of the set.

[Sergeant Rock]

Elgar Symphony No. 3 C minor, Hickox conducting the BBC Wales




Sarge

[steve ridgway]

Scelsi: Hyxos. Relaxing and a bit mysterious, the bells and gongs make a good contrast to the flute.

[asin] B00000AENR[/asin]

[steve ridgway]

Another flute piece, Varese: Density 21.5. Not too long for me, 4 minutes is fine.

[asin] B0001CKR28[/asin]

[steve ridgway]

Jean-Claude Risset: Saxatile for soprano saxophone & UPIC computer music system. Still quite slow and clear, the computer sounds like some of Ligeti's organ experiments to begin with before turning weirder.

[asin] B00005NG62[/asin]

[André]

Amazing harp and orchestra pieces by Henriette Renié, Théodore Dubois, Gabriel Pierné and C. Saint-Saëns. Renié studied under Dubois. As a player, she practically invented modern harp playing, teaching masters such as Marcel Grandjany and Lily Laskine, but also a certain Adolph Marks, with whom she is pictured here:



Young Emmanuel Ceysson has a magnetic presence and beautiful tone. He has recently been appointed to the Metropolitan Opera but pursues a solo career as well (not all operas have a harp part). This disc presents four very substantial pieces. Those expecting musical puffery are in for a surprise: this is meaty stuff. Recommended.

[Traverso]

I love this,Louis Thiry is a musician to my heart


https://www.youtube.com/v/dQ2JY-fqR44

[Daverz]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 8, original version

[asin] B002ED6VS6[/asin]

Some interesting differences, the first movement ending with loud brass being the most noticeable.  I do think the later first movement ending is more effective.

[listener]

ELGAR:  The Banner of Saint George  op. 33    Psalm 49: Great Is the Lord
Te Deum and Benedictus
Stephen Roberts (op.33) bar.   London Symphony Chorus,
Northern Sinfonia of England     Richard Hickox
Johann SCHOBERT  (1740 - 1767)   the "mushroom" one  short life like the "other" one
2 Violin Sonatas, a couple of trios and quartets
Luciano Sgrizzi, pianoforte  Chiara Banchini, Véronique Méjean, vn I.II   
Philippe Bosbach, cello

[André]

[SymphonicAddict]

I recall not being impressed or delighted by this work. I listened to this version and the Chandos one and my impressions were that this work is too diffuse and lacks direction.

[SymphonicAddict]

Symphony No. 5 'Concerto grosso No. 4'

Once again I'm quite impressed by this tremendous piece. I did recall it was good, but not much so!! The 3rd movement is a cracker by itself. In the 4th movement there are some mesmerizing effects that left me astounded. This is a masterpiece in my view.

[André]

I recall not being impressed or delighted by this work. I listened to this version and the Chandos one and my impressions were that this work is too diffuse and lacks direction.

There's a discussion of sorts going on in the Elgar Hillside thread  . I also have the Otaka version but cannot compare - it's been quite a while.

[André]

TD



The Schoenberg/Stein arrangement is kind of wobbly in the first two movements.  The stripped textures make them sound jerky and malnourished. Things improve markedly in the Adagio, where the nakedness of the orchestration brings the sublime architecture of the movement to the fore. The finale goes nicely as well. Soprano Alison Browner has the right timbre, uses portamento to judicious effect and brings the right vocal 'face' to the Wunderhorn song. Her intonation is sometimes suspect though, and this is emphasized by her close placement to the microphone.

[Mirror Image]

Elgar
Symphony No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 63
Davis
Philharmonia Orchestra



This is one of the best performances of the 2nd on record, IMHO. It's a live recording and there's an energy that simply isn't found in Davis' earlier account on Warner.

[bhodges]

Symphony No. 5 'Concerto grosso No. 4'

Once again I'm quite impressed by this tremendous piece. I did recall it was good, but not much so!! The 3rd movement is a cracker by itself. In the 4th movement there are some mesmerizing effects that left me astounded. This is a masterpiece in my view.

Not only one of my favorite Schnittke recordings, but one of my faves with Chailly and the orchestra.

--Bruce