What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

Do you know Koussevitsky's recording of Symphony No.3 John? It has an intensity unlike any other recording that I know:

No, I haven't heard that recording, but I will definitely check it out. I hope it's not 'historical' in the sense that the audio quality is subpar.

[Christo]

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.

One doesn't '''e-mail''' a living composer, do you?!? The disturbing BLEEP that might then take off from their desk could easily disrupt a bubbling musical idea, and without knowing you may have smothered the greatest musical masterpiece in world history (and beyond), broken in the bud. (Wouldn't it be a shame? Of course it's okay after their demise.) 

[Madiel]

Pounds the table! I haven't heard any of Ashkenazy's Sibelius is ages. How do you like his cycle, Madiel? Would you say he's a top Sibelian in your view? I mean I know who my favorite Sibelius conductors are, but there's always room to reconsider and expand on my biases.

Well, yet again this is the only set I have (though I do have in mind to stream at least one of the other well known conductors sooner rather than later). It does seem to be a positively regarded set in general.

What I'll say for myself is that the brass is a big highlight. Truly superb. Many of my favourite moments in various symphonies are brass moments, key climaxes where the music has a blazing intensity.

[Que]

Way, way late to this party, but this concerto was a disappointment to me. Agree on the solo works, but Zuev - like a surprisingly large number of the NIFC HIPsters - doesn't really capitalize on the instrument or alter his approach significantly to match its sound.

I found it frustrating: you can hear the potential, but it doesn't materialize....
Put it in the rejections box, but will fig ut up to give the solo pieces another go. 

Q

[Que]

Morning listening:

[asin]B0143VFTJ8[/asin]
As apparent from the cover, this is the last of the series... 
A retrospective, themed "Lassus the European". It covers his entire oeuvre with pieces in various languages, published in Flanders, France, Italy and Bavaria.

Q

[vandermolen]

No, I haven't heard that recording, but I will definitely check it out. I hope it's not 'historical' in the sense that the audio quality is subpar.

You have to hear the Dutton transfer John. They have done wonders with the sound and the performance is in a class of its own.

[vandermolen]

One doesn't '''e-mail''' a living composer, do you?!? The disturbing BLEEP that might then take off from their desk could easily disrupt a bubbling musical idea, and without knowing you may have smothered the greatest musical masterpiece in world history (and beyond), broken in the bud. (Wouldn't it be a shame? Of course it's okay after their demise.) 

On the contrary - such a 'disturbing bleep' might be just the sort of thing the composer needs to hear to spark him or her on to greater creativity. How do you think minimalism was born? Clearly a succession of email or mobile phone bleeps proved crucial at this junction of musical history.

[Christo]

How do you think minimalism was born? Clearly a succession of email or mobile phone bleeps proved crucial at this junction of musical history.

Fair enough. Yet also underlining my fears, as expressed. 

[vandermolen]

Fair enough. Yet also underlining my fears, as expressed. 

Thread Duty
Bax: Northern Ballad No.1 LPO/Boult
The Lyrita cover for the LP and for their release which included 'November Woods' was so much better that the dreary repetitive sleeve designs for their symphony series:

[Madiel]

Why the hell would a composer leave their email turned on while composing anyway? Just close Outlook until afterwards.

[aukhawk]

Bylsma's first recording of the Bach cello suites.

I apologise for seeming contradictory, but I believe that is his second recording.
I know I bought that double CD and was severely disappointed, having previously heard Bylsma's Bach on the radio, to discover I had not bought the version I'd heard.
His earlier recording (generally fleeter and lighter in texture) can be found packaged as 'Sony Essential Classics' and maybe in other ways, I don't know.

[Que]

First run:

[asin]B076L84936[/asin]
Organ is big and a Schnitger-style reconstruction after the organ of the St. Jacobi in Hamburg, Georg Böhm's home for several years. The hypothesis of these recordings is that most pieces date from that period. My initial response to the "big sound" was reservation, but I was soon won over. Davidsson treats this giant like a baby and manages to create intimacy when needed.

I was pleased to see the slimness of the packing: three discs and a booklet in a 4-way folding cardboard slipcase.
Though less pleased when trying to squeeze out the 1st disc produced a small rip.... I won't repeat here my utterings at that particular moment.... But it seems that anything less than a digipack or a carboard box is literally a ripoff....

Q

[ritter]

From the Linos Ensemble box on Capriccio:



This arrangement was made by Rudolf Kolisch, a Schreker pupil and Schönberg's brother-in-law (that came later, though, when his sister Gertrud became Mme Schönberg II).

Schönberg was fascinated by Reger and yet had a hard time coming to terms with his music. He wrote: « In my view Reger must be played often. 1. Because he wrote a lot. 2. Because he is dead and we still do not have any clarity about him (I consider him a genius) ».

The impulse to have the concerto (and also the Romantic Suite) arranged for small ensemble stemmed from Schönberg's, Berg's and Webern's fascination with Reger's protean musical proclivities and huge output. Now that the concerto has attracted the attention of dedicated soloists we have multiple performances of the original large orchestra version to chose from, so the chamber arrangement can be viewed more as a curiosity than anything else. Nevertheless, Schönberg being more famous than Reger, it continues to be performed. I'm glad to have it, but will go for the real thing next time I want to hear it.

That set of arrangements for the Association of Private Musical Performances looks very interesting, and your comments hace certainly whetted my appetite, André. Thanks for this. I'll certainly consider getting it (as it's avaiable quite cheaply). 

[ritter]

Gotta say apart from the "ascent" and "descent" portions, which are genuinely cool and interesting, I'm not a big fan of this.

Boulez once said that for the Helicopter Quartet to really be interesting, one of the helicopters would have to crash or something like that.....

[Irons]

Thread Duty
Bax: Northern Ballad No.1 LPO/Boult
The Lyrita cover for the LP and for their release which included 'November Woods' was so much better that the dreary repetitive sleeve designs for their symphony series:

Jeffrey, I read somewhere - no idea where - that Sir Adrian was not an admirer of Bax. I have not a clue if this is true but if not would like to dispel the theory as when ever I think of Bax and Boult together......have you come across this?  The Bax tone poems on Lyrita are superbly done by Boult with the exception of "November Woods" which I prefer the more urgent reading of Thomson on Chandos. I do wonder why Sir Adrian did not record any Bax Symphonies, it seems a big omission in his discography.

[aukhawk]

This CD contains the best recordings of CPE Bach that I've heard, which is not much. I would like to hear more, but I don't really know where to start. I hear the harpsichord and fortepiano concertos are supposed to be very good. I do not consider him to be a composer of the same stature as Haydn or Mozart, but I know many do, and I am waiting on the right recording to convince me.

I think his three cello concertos are especially good - I particularly like the one in A minor.  They seem very Haydn-esque to me (but maybe it was the other way around, and actually Haydn was CPE-esque, I don't know without researching it.  [Edit - CPE's concertos date from early 1750s, Haydn's from 1761 and 1783).  There are lots of CDs of the three, for example recorded by Dieltiens, or Bylsma, or Coin - most of the HIP cello suspects in fact - or what about this which includes very good renditions of two of them (A major and A minor) alongside a Sinfonia and a Trio Sonata for a broader overview:


CPE Bach : Gaillard

I also very much like CPE Bach's solo keyboard music, which alone can fill over 35 CDs - here's a good one, although the Tangent piano can be an acquired taste, other volumes in the series use other instruments:


CPE Bach : Keyboard Music Vol.33 : Spanyi

[Harry]

First run:

[asin]B076L84936[/asin]
Organ is big and a Schnitger-style reconstruction after the organ of the St. Jacobi in Hamburg, Georg Böhm's home for several years. The hypothesis of these recordings is that most pieces date from that period. My initial response to the "big sound" was reservation, but I was soon won over. Davidsson treats this giant like a baby and manages to create intimacy when needed.

I was pleased to see the slimness of the packing: three discs and a booklet in a 4-way folding cardboard slipcase.
Though less pleased when trying to squeeze out the 1st disc produced a small rip.... I won't repeat here my utterings at that particular moment.... But it seems that anything less than a digipack or a carboard box is literally a ripoff....

Q

Thanks for the warning. It should arrive today, and I will take extra care getting the CD'S out. Would not want fool language, now would we?

[Madiel]

Beethoven op.10 sonatas



Not really a massive fan of op.10/1 here, though I think that's more the work than the performance. We will see how the rest goes.

EDIT: Enjoyed op.10/2 considerably more.

[Tsaraslondon]

Sibelius
Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63
HvK
Berliners



Sublime! My favorite performance of this symphony. HvK captures the bleakness and uncertainty of this symphony magnificently.

Mine too. My favourite performance of my favourite Sibelius symphony.

[Tsaraslondon]

I used to have the Previn RCA box set of the Vaughan Williams symphonies on LP so they have a certain amount of nostalgic memories for me, the third and fourth being two of my favourites.