What are you listening 2 now?

[ritter]

Manuel Rosenthal conducts Ravel's Le tombeau de Couperin.


One of my favourite compsotions by anyone, ever, in one of my favourite recordings of it. 

From this treasure trove of a set:

[asin]B0000AKPNY[/asin]

[Iota]

Later today, I'll be listening to Peter Serkin's recording of the Schoenberg PC conducted by Boulez.

Oh yes indeed, I'd forgotten about that one, a corker for sure! I shall find something of his this week (perhaps the Schoenberg) to celebrate his memory, it'll be interesting to look through his discography.

TD:



Debussy: Estampes

I like Blechacz and this is good, but at times a little too manicured perhaps, not sure, will see if a second listen changes my mind.

[Karl Henning]

It's an interesting one. Faure's music has never entirely carved out a niche for itself, and that's partly because he stands at a weird crossroads. Somewhat Romantic, somewhat Modern (heck, he outlived Debussy and wrote some of his greatest works once he'd retired and time to devote himself to composition).

And more than anything else, subtle.

He rarely stands up and shouts for attention. The liner notes for Stott make that point if I recall correctly, that some pianists don't warm to Faure because the reward-to-effort ratio is a bit skewed. You work damn hard and you don't get everyone going wow and ooh and aah about how spectacular it all sounds. The relationship between what the musician sees on the page and what an audience hears can be quite surprising.

If anything makes Faure stand out it's his sense of harmony and of line. There are long sequences of modal inflections and twists and turns.

Nice post.

Jeffrey, my ears have had a similar difficulty. I think I need to get my ears to "refocus" a bit, to be fair to Fauré. Historically,my ears "refocused" for Nielsen, e.g. so I do feel that the game will be worth the candle.

[San Antone]

Grisey : Le temps et l'ecume
Ensemble S

[Mirror Image]

Manuel Rosenthal conducts Ravel's Le tombeau de Couperin.


One of my favourite compsotions by anyone, ever, in one of my favourite recordings of it. 

From this treasure trove of a set:

[asin]B0000AKPNY[/asin]

One of my favorite pieces, too, Rafael. I prefer the original solo piano version of Le tombeau de Couperin, but of the orchestrated version, I like Boulez's earlier recording on Columbia the best. Ozawa has a pretty good one, too, on DG. That set you linked looks interesting, but I only have an interest in a few of the composers in the set and Tchaikovsky certainly isn't one of them!

[Ratliff]

Legend, by John Ireland. Piers Land, Lloyd-Jones, Ulster Orchestra



A remarkable single movement piece for piano and orchestra. It starts out with a mysterious horn call, joined by strange string harmonies, then expands to an extended section in which piano and orchestra expand on the horn motif. There is a faster central section suggesting dance rhythms, and a return to the material of the opening section.

The notes suggest that the piece can be traced back to an experience Ireland had in which he sat musing in the sun on the hills above Angmering, a coastal town in England, and saw children dancing in the distance. Ireland's subsequent musings on England's neolithic past inspired the music.

[Traverso]

Shostakovich

Chamber Symphony in C minor Op.1  ( String Quartet 8 orchestrated Barshai)
Symphony No.10 in E minor ,Op.93


Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

[André]

Disc 5

[ritter]

One of my favorite pieces, too, Rafael. I prefer the original solo piano version of Le tombeau de Couperin, but of the orchestrated version, I like Boulez's earlier recording on Columbia the best. Ozawa has a pretty good one, too, on DG. That set you linked looks interesting, but I only have an interest in a few of the composers in the set and Tchaikovsky certainly isn't one of them!

I have equal admiration for the piano and orchestral (shorn of two pieces) Tombeau... Truly wonderful music! Boulez (who was my introduction to this music) is fantastic, but in IMHO this Rosenthal recording is just as good (if very different).

The set I posted (which unfortunately seems unavailable now) is essentially 2 CDs of Debussy, 3 of Ravel's and 1 of Spanish music (Falla and the Albéniz/Arbós Iberia), coupled with Dukas's Sorcerer's Apprentice. The Russian pieces are all short and only used as fillers— fortunately —in one disc each of Debussy and Ravel. But Rosenthal's recordings of both of these composers are really, really good (so if you locate the set at an affordable price, John, don't think twice  ).

The complete Ravel recordings have been uploaded—nicely indexed— to YouTube, so you can sample them:

https://www.youtube.com/v/PY0q8blcOs4

P.S.: Thank you for the kind remarks elsewhere on the forum. They're fully reciprocated.

[The new erato]

What a great song composer Eisler is. Great disc!

[Mirror Image]

I have equal admiration for the piano and orchestral (shorn of two pieces) Tombeau... Truly wonderful music! Boulez (who was my introduction to this music) is fantastic, but in IMHO this Rosenthal recording is just as good (if very different).

The set I posted (which unfortunately seems unavailable now) is essentially 2 CDs of Debussy, 3 of Ravel's and 1 of Spanish music (Falla and the Albéniz/Arbós Iberia), coupled with Dukas's Sorcerer's Apprentice. The Russian pieces are all short and only used as fillers— fortunately —in one disc each of Debussy and Ravel. But Rosenthal's recordings of both of these composers are really, really good (so if you locate the set at an affordable price, John, don't think twice  ).

The complete Ravel recordings have been uploaded—nicely indexed— to YouTube, so you can sample them:

https://www.youtube.com/v/PY0q8blcOs4

P.S.: Thank you for the kind remarks elsewhere on the forum. They're fully reciprocated.

You're welcome, Rafael and thank you for the feedback regarding Rosenthal's Ravel. It seems one of my general problems with his recordings are the age of the audio, but the YouTube video you linked does sound quite good despite this. If I ever find this rare set, I'll be sure to snap it up (if the price is reasonable of course). One can never have too much Debussy, Ravel, or Falla in their collection.

Thread duty -

Szymanowski
Symphonie concertante, "Symphony No. 4", Op. 60
Piotr Paleczny, piano
Jerzy Semkow, conductor
Polish RNSO



Spirited performance from all-involved in good sound.

[SimonNZ]

earlier:



now:

[Symphonic Addict]

Prokofiev - Symphony No. 4, Op. 47 (Kitaenko): I had never cared for this work before, but now it clicked on me. Granted, it's a very structured, rhytmic work and has drive enough, but its weakness is the thematic material. It lacks much memorability. The 2nd movement has a dreamy feel to it that enchanted me.

Mahler - Symphony No. 6 (Bernstein, DG): It's my first time listening to this very famous rendition, and I already get why has that reputation. This is very impressive, it has to be one of the best I've ever heard of this towering masterpiece. For some strange reason, the Scherzo is the only movement that doesn't convince me entirely, but it doesn't mean I don't like it. But it's definitely the massive 4th movement the most remarkable highlight on this performance. Absolutely overwhelming, crushing, dramatic. This movement is a masterwork in itself. I listened to it with the stereo at high volume and WOW!!! Like an earthquake!! A great idea!! 

Tubin - Symphony No. 10 (Järvi): I did recall I had liked all his symphonies when I listened to them years back. Revisiting them randomly, the turn was for the 10th. This time, this work resonated with me as never. Tubin at his most personal and austere but with certain drama. This is really good stuff. Another favorite.

[Mirror Image]

Szymanowski
String Quartet No. 2, Op. 56
Carmina Quartet



A string quartet melting pot: a sprinkling of Second Viennese School, a dash of Debussy, and a dollop of Bartók is what this reminds me of and, yet, all of these things are filtered through Szymanowski's own highly perfumed and unmistakable style.

[Symphonic Addict]

H. D. Koppel - Symphony No. 5: The 2nd movement just finished. Mmmm, I feel it's the weakest thus far.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Dear Gurn and folks outhere, I was surprise, Listening to Roland de Lassus By Bo Holten and is Musica Ficta, whit his St Matthew passion, well at first when I purchase it, I was not thrill because it was highly Liturgical, religious music, now I find it amazing, there nothing wrong whit it and it's an incredible Naxos release.

Liturgical music, sometime is harder to get into, but sit and listen, empty your mind, it's sung whit devotion & heart, it's beautiful, what made me change my mind well Jachet de Mantoue ensemble Lamentations of prophet Jeremiah, there is a lecture before each signing and it's  interesting in a detached way, I don't know...

Since than I love Liturgical music, too bad, it scare people away tonight I will attack another Naxos I left out and did not listen, Pierre de la rue double CD thee Magnificats.

See Liturgical music is like learning to love something that  good for karma I guess in a non religious sense, just like eating Shitaki Mushrooms at first I hated mushroom, but eventually I got hook on these.

Give a decent effort in listening to liturgical work, they may be a reward in the end...

I know some people HATE
(in caps lock) everything liturgical, but have few listen be patient, after few listen it may grow on you.

There nothing wrong whit religious theme or religious music, music is music for everyone it does not discriminate.

Have a good night ladies & gentlemen, I know I will...

[Karl Henning]

Prokofiev - Symphony No. 4, Op. 47 (Kitaenko): I had never cared for this work before, but now it clicked on me. Granted, it's a very structured, rhytmic work and has drive enough, but its weakness is the thematic material. It lacks much memorability. The 2nd movement has a dreamy feel to it that enchanted me.

Mahler - Symphony No. 6 (Bernstein, DG): It's my first time listening to this very famous rendition, and I already get why has that reputation. This is very impressive, it has to be one of the best I've ever heard of this towering masterpiece. For some strange reason, the Scherzo is the only movement that doesn't convince me entirely, but it doesn't mean I don't like it. But it's definitely the massive 4th movement the most remarkable highlight on this performance. Absolutely overwhelming, crushing, dramatic. This movement is a masterwork in itself. I listened to it with the stereo at high volume and WOW!!! Like an earthquake!! A great idea!! 

Tubin - Symphony No. 10 (Järvi): I did recall I had liked all his symphonies when I listened to them years back. Revisiting them randomly, the turn was for the 10th. This time, this work resonated with me as never. Tubin at his most personal and austere but with certain drama. This is really good stuff. Another favorite.

Nice

[Mirror Image]

Trying not to make my day's listening session completely about Szymanowski, so now playing:

Ives
The Unanswered Question
Central Park in the Dark
Sinclair
Northern Sinfonia



Following by more Charlie:

Piano Sonata No. 2, "Concord Mass"
Kalish

[San Antone]

Rautavaara : Missa a cappella - Sacred Choral Works

[André]

Works written in 1997, 2004 and 2005.

Turnage's two song cycles deal with heavy stuff - a woman imprisoned for stabbing her abusing husband with a kitchen knife, and a cycle of poems dealing with WWI tragedies: the loss of a son, of legs (great poem by Wilfred Owen), of mental sanity. Throughout, the emphasis is on a kind of uneasy bergian lyricism. Turnage has a knack for creating an atmosphere entirely borne of the fusion of words and music. Both soloists are very strong vocally and dramatically. Hidden Love Song is not a vocal work, but an instrumental one, featuring the soprano saxophone. Placed strategically between the two song cycles, it distils a calm lyricism. Conductor Marin Alsop, the LPO and singers Sarah Connolly and Gerald Finley are totally involved. A powerful program, splendidly realized.