What are you listening 2 now?

[Symphonic Addict]

Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is with Florent Schmitt. He's like a cross between Debussy and Strauss without a unique voice of his own. I remember going through a lot of my Schmitt recordings and not remembering a note from any of them.

Schmitt is much more than a mere cross between Debussy and Strauss as you state. And I find much more interesting Schmitt than Debussy. To each his own. 

[Symphonic Addict]

Henze seems to work in a lot of strange genres that I am not tempted to hear, although I have been very impressed with all of the symphonies I have listened to, especially in Henze's own recordings.

Yes, most of his symphonies are quite interesting, albeit I heard the Wergo recordings of them.

[Mirror Image]

Good evening, John! No...you've got me all wrong  . I think Bartók is a composer of the highest rank. I think there's a lot to admire in his music, but it's that I simply don't love it that much. But, for example, I do listen to Duke Bluebeard's Castle every so often, as well as some other works (the Concerto for Orchestra, the Divertimento, the Dance Suite, The Wooden Prince being among my favourites—off the top of my head).

Having said that, do give La tragédie de Salomé another chance. Even Stravinsky couldn't help but saying "Ah! Que c'est beau!" about that great score...

THREAD DUTY:

I find this CD of (really not so secret) Fauré rarities a pure delight:

[asin]B07D55HVP9[/asin]
The prelude to Pénélope  (pity that AFAIK the composer's own piano reduction has never been recorded) and Pelléas et Mélisande are all-time favourites of mine, and the incidental music to Caligula and Shylock are also very appealing. The orchestrated (partly by the composer himself) songs are a nice bonus.

Now that you mention it, Rafael, I do like Schmitt's La tragédie de Salomé quite a bit, but this is probably his most well-known work. I can't say I've enjoyed much else. Admiring Bartók's music and loving it are two totally different things of course and when I mentioned this I knew well that you didn't love his music hence why I made the comment I did. Schmitt seems to be a composer you love. I can definitely see myself buying those Fauré recordings. I'm not completely won over by his orchestral music (yet), but I've read good things about that recording and the other, The Secret Fauré II.

[Symphonic Addict]

The only Melartin's opera (IIRC).

[Mirror Image]

This is such a great set, I need to finish ripping it so I can hear the last couple of discs with the transcriptions.

A great set, indeed. Continuing on with the set now...

Rachmaninov
Moments Musicaux, Op. 16
Ashkenazy

[Mirror Image]

The only Melartin's opera (IIRC).

Whoah.. surprised to see you listening to an opera, Cesar. In fact, many of your posts lately have surprised me as you've been listening to more solo piano music, which is awesome. I love solo piano music now, but I initially had a difficult time getting into it (for whatever reason).

[Symphonic Addict]

Whoah.. surprised to see you listening to an opera, Cesar. In fact, many of your posts lately have surprised me as you've been listening to more solo piano music, which is awesome. I love solo piano music now, but I initially had a difficult time getting into it (for whatever reason).

I stopped listening to operas two months ago because I felt some of they didn't fulfill my expectations (counting some by Respighi). I also listened to all the Strauss operas and most of them were unquestionable masterpieces I thought. Now I'm going to listen to some of them but not with the same intensity than before. Moreover, my listens are often unpredictable lately. 

[André]

Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel (Chicago Symphony) and the Alpensinfonie (BRSO). The virtuosity of the Chicago Symphony in Till is awesome and a pure delight.

[Mirror Image]

I stopped listening to operas two months ago because I felt some of they didn't fulfill my expectations (counting some by Respighi). I also listened to all the Strauss operas and most of them were unquestionable masterpieces I thought. Now I'm going to listen to some of them but not with the same intensity than before. Moreover, my listens are often unpredictable lately. 

Very nice. What are some of your favorite operas?

[HIPster]

Hi Andre! 

You inspired me to play the only Panufnik recording in my library:

[asin]B000EQHVB6[/asin]

Nice avatar update as well!  Just read about it in The Diner.

Cheers!

[Symphonic Addict]

Very nice. What are some of your favorite operas?

My list may be a bit long, but here it goes:

Puccini - Turandot (a firm candidate for my favorite ever), Madama Butterfly, La Rondine

Strauss - Salome, Ariadne auf Naxos, Die Frau ohne Schatten

Janacek - The Cunning Little Vixen, From the House of the Dead, Jenufa, Kata Kabanova, The Makropoulos Affair

Wagner - The Ring, Tristan and Isolde, Rienzi

Berlioz - Benvenuto Cellini

Szymanowski - King Roger

Vaughan Williams - The Pilgrim's Progress, Sir John in Love

Langgaard - Antikrist

Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana

Nielsen - Saul and David

Respighi - Semirama

These are some that really have blown me away.

[Mirror Image]

My list may be a bit long, but here it goes:

Puccini - Turandot (a firm candidate for my favorite ever), Madama Butterfly, La Rondine

Strauss - Salome, Ariadne auf Naxos, Die Frau ohne Schatten

Janacek - The Cunning Little Vixen, From the House of the Dead, Jenufa, Kata Kabanova, The Makropoulos Affair

Wagner - The Ring, Tristan and Isolde, Rienzi

Berlioz - Benvenuto Cellini

Szymanowski - King Roger

Vaughan Williams - The Pilgrim's Progress, Sir John in Love

Langgaard - Antikrist

Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana

Nielsen - Saul and David

Respighi - Semirama

These are some that really have blown me away.

From this list, I love the Szymanowski. I'm coming around to Janáček's operas. A few of my favorites (in order):

Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande
Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle
Ravel: L'enfant et les sortilèges
Enescu: Œdipe
Wagner: Das Rheingold
Berg: Wozzeck
Martinů: Julietta
Szymanowski: King Roger
Britten: Death in Venice
Barber: Vanessa
Strauss: Elektra
Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District

[Mirror Image]

Prokofiev
L'enfant prodigue, Op. 46
Rozhdestvensky
USSR Ministry of Culture SO

[André]

Hi Andre! 

You inspired me to play the only Panufnik recording in my library:

[asin]B000EQHVB6[/asin]

Nice avatar update as well!  Just read about it in The Diner.

Cheers!

Thanks!

I have that disc, too, will listen to it soon. But before that I'll give a spin to this one I just received:



It contains the Mistica, which I will then compare to Atherton's.

[Mirror Image]

Pärt
Te Deum
Tallin Chamber Orchestra, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Tõnu Kaljuste

[listener]

ERNST: String Quartet, lots of  short pieces for violin and piano
SALZEDO:  Sonata for violin viola, 2 string quartets
MYASKOVSKY:  Links, Sinfonietta in A,  Serenade 1, Slav Rhapsody

details should be on the images if I can get them to come up..   It's winter without snow which would reflect what light there might be.

[Mirror Image]

Koechlin
4 Poemes d'Edmond Haraucourt, Op. 7
Juliane Banse (soprano)
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR
Heinz Holliger

[Ratliff]

I find this CD of (really not so secret) Fauré rarities a pure delight:

[asin]B07D55HVP9[/asin]
The prelude to Pénélope  (pity that AFAIK the composer's own piano reduction has never been recorded) and Pelléas et Mélisande are all-time favourites of mine, and the incidental music to Caligula and Shylock are also very appealing. The orchestrated (partly by the composer himself) songs are a nice bonus.

The Penelope overture is by far my favorite orchestral work of Faure, and Ansermet's recording with the Suisse Romande is my favorite, just superb.  I've not come across another recording that compares, although I have not heard the Bolton recording.

[springrite]

Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is with Florent Schmitt. He's like a cross between Debussy and Strauss without a unique voice of his own.

Well, Schmitt's music is sexier than both. 

[Que]

Morning listening:

[asin]B001D7T34I[/asin]
Q