What are you listening 2 now?

[Christo]

You listening to Austrian composers?   

Die Seejungfrau is the clear highlight on the disc. I hope you enjoy it.

Old & jumpy, but I didn't know Mahler (born in Slovakia), Franz Schmidt (Hungarian from Slovakia) and Bruckner (Catholic without borders) wouldn't count as Austrians. 

[Iota]

I haven't heard that cd, but the cover image made a large number of the resident meerkats in my brain sit up and take notice! One of the more intense images I think I've seen on here.
I haven't listened to Esfahani for quite some time now, I should rectify that, I can't quite remember what I think of him.





Webern - 5 Pieces for Orchestra, op. 10


Magical and almost cruelly brief, though the pain maybe sweet. Pieces that radiate far beyond their dimensions.

[Biffo]

Old & jumpy, but I didn't know Mahler (born in Slovakia), Franz Schmidt (Hungarian from Slovakia) and Bruckner (Catholic without borders) wouldn't count as Austrians. 

Mahler was born in Bohemia and grew up in Moravia, both part of the Kingdom of Bohemia, part of the Austrian Empire. Mahler always identified himself as Bohemian, never German or Austrian. Prior to 1918 Slovakia was part of the Kingdom of Hungary.

[ritter]

As I've been in a Fauré mode these last couple of days, I thought I'd revisit a work I've never really warmed to, the mega-famous Requiem. First listen to Ernest Ansermet's  performance:



From the big box:

[asin]B00DT2322E[/asin]
Big mistake!  My reaction to this saccharine work hasn't changed at all in the years elapsed since I last listened to it, and I found this recording downright awful. The prestigious soloists (Danco and Souzay) are perfectly adequate, but the dry sound becomes unpleasant, and the choral contribution is very, very poor; uneven entrances throughout, shrill sounding sopranos, simply terrible. I'm turned away from the work for years to come, and if and when I revisit it, it certainly won't be in this recording.

[André]

Shuffling stuff from the shelves, discarding oldies/baddies and adding acquisitions, I wanted quality background music, so I listened to disc 1 of the Overtures and disc 1 of the baryton Octets from this nice 8 cd set:

[Christo]

Mahler was born in Bohemia and grew up in Moravia, both part of the Kingdom of Bohemia, part of the Austrian Empire. Mahler always identified himself as Bohemian, never German or Austrian. Prior to 1918 Slovakia was part of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Totally right, my haste - I once visited his birthplace, am staying a week in Czechia each year - offering no excuse. Know of course about Pozsony, or Preßburg, former Prešporok in Slovakian, Bratislava since 1920 (saw Hummel's home there). 

[JBS]

First listen to this recording
[asin]B00ECAAIX8[/asin]
It sounded quite good, but my preference remains Britten's own recording.

[Mirror Image]

Some excerpts from this new arrival:



Exquisite so far. Now this is what a Rachmaninov song recital should sound like --- plenty of atmosphere and a feel that's similar to sitting in a small concert hall with a fine acoustic --- warm, never harsh. The performances themselves are remarkable.

[Mirror Image]

As I've been in a Fauré mode these last couple of days, I thought I'd revisit a work I've never really warmed to, the mega-famous Requiem. First listen to Ernest Ansermet's  performance:



From the big box:

[asin]B00DT2322E[/asin]
Big mistake!  My reaction to this saccharine work hasn't changed at all in the years elapsed since I last listened to it, and I found this recording downright awful. The prestigious soloists (Danco and Souzay) are perfectly adequate, but the dry sound becomes unpleasant, and the choral contribution is very, very poor; uneven entrances throughout, shrill sounding sopranos, simply terrible. I'm turned away from the work for years to come, and if and when I revisit it, it certainly won't be in this recording.

I adore Fauré's music, Rafael, but I could have told you before you started listening to that Ansermet recording that it was going to be a scrappy one. I really like these two performances of his Requiem:



I love this work now but I must admit that I didn't exactly warm to it immediately. I think a lot of this had to do with my limited experience with Fauré and understanding his deeply personal style.

[Karl Henning]

RVW
A London Symphony
LSO
Previn

[ritter]

I adore Fauré's music, Rafael, but I could have told you before you started listening to that Ansermet recording that it was going to be a scrappy one. I really like these two performances of his Requiem:



I love this work now but I must admit that I didn't exactly warm to it immediately. I think a lot of this had to do with my limited experience with Fauré and understanding his deeply personal style.

Good evening, John. I presume those two recordings are of the original orchestration for reduced forces, which I don't know but is in my collection (Philippe Herreweghe, in a 10-CD Harmonia Mundi anthology of assorted choral music I bought for a pittance some years ago).

Funnily, I first encountered the Fauré Requiem (well, only the In Paradisum section IIRC) on British television almost 40 years ago when on holidays in London, in a program devoted to Celibidache, of all people. I said to myself "Well, that's lovely!" and went in to purchase on LP the Cluytens recording with de los Angeles and Fischer-Dieskau. But the complete work never made much of an impression on me, I must confess (and 40 years is plenty of time to form an opinion, I'd say  ). Now the Cluytens recording is back in my collection (along with his earlier effort) as part of the big box on Erato devoted to him. I also have the dreadful Ansermet, of course (another big box) and a live Munch from Boston. Perhaps Herreweghe will do the trick (someday, but not soon  ).

[vandermolen]

RVW
A London Symphony
LSO
Previn

Perhaps the greatest recording of the 1936 version, with an especially magical opening.

[Karl Henning]

RVW
Serenade to Music
Partita for Double String Orchestra
Sinfonia antartica
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Handley

[Mirror Image]

Good evening, John. I presume those two recordings are of the original orchestration for reduced forces, which I don't know but is in my collection (Philippe Herreweghe, in a 10-CD Harmonia Mundi anthology of assorted choral music I bought for a pittance some years ago).

Funnily, I first encountered the Fauré Requiem (well, only the In Paradisum section IIRC) on British television almost 40 years ago when on holidays in London, in a program devoted to Celibidache, of all people. I said to myself "Well, that's lovely!" and went in to purchase on LP the Cluytens recording with de los Angeles and Fischer-Dieskau. But the complete work never made much of an impression on me, I must confess (and 40 years is plenty of time to form an opinion, I'd say  ). Now the Cluytens recording is back in my collection (along with his earlier effort) as part of the big box on Erato devoted to him. I also have the dreadful Ansermet, of course (another big box) and a live Munch from Boston. Perhaps Herreweghe will do the trick (someday, but not soon  ).

Same to you, Rafael. The David Hill recording on Hyperion is for reduced forces while the one with Equilbey is the full-on orchestral version. As I mentioned, my appreciation for the work wasn't immediate, but I do rate it more highly than you. Perhaps one day it'll click for you. If not, oh well, there's plenty of music to go around.

[jess]

Two works, I think one each by Friancisco López and Miguel A. García, Untitled #351 and Applainessads in that order. I've been really enjoying exploring López's works recently.

[San Antone]

[staxomega]

I listened to Mahler's first symphony conducted by Bruno Walter/Columbia Symphony, very pleased to say that this is now the best sounding version I have heard  This is from the big Bruno Walter original jacket style box that came out recently.

I love this performance, it's so ingrained in me that it was so nice to hear it in this level of fidelity.

And coming up a first listen to Roger Woodward's complete set of Debussy's Preludes. I like Woodward so this was a rare blind buy without sampling it before hand. Hope it pays off.

[Symphonic Addict]

Two Finnish piano trios: Kuula and Englund



Toivo Kuula's monumental Piano Trio, Op. 7, lasting 50 minutes. I'd dare to say it's worth each minute. An impassionate creation, rather romantic in idiom. Great work.

The Englund is more compact, more piquant, reminding me a bit of Shostakovich, Bartók and Bloch. A substantial piece.

[amw]

Beethoven Op. 109 played (read) by, uh, me, in order to pinpoint all the areas where I make mistakes and also where my interpretation is unsatisfactory. I can't recommend the experience.

[Mirror Image]

And coming up a first listen to Roger Woodward's complete set of Debussy's Preludes. I like Woodward so this was a rare blind buy without sampling it before hand. Hope it pays off.

Let me know what you think of the Woodward performance. I'm not too fond of his piano playing (a bit too cold and cerebral for my tastes), but I'm quite biased when it comes to Debussy pianists.