What are you listening 2 now?

[HIPster]

Starting off the day with this wonderfully atmospheric recording:

[asin]B000069B6A[/asin]

[Papy Oli]

Ralph Vaughan Williams

O Merciless Beauty
the Water Mill
The New Ghost
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Yorkshire Wassail song
In Windsor Forest
Songs of Travel

[Papy Oli]

Ralph Vaughan Williams

The House of Life
Songs of Travel (piano version)

[Roasted Swan]

Dvorak's Bagatelles has the harmonium taking the place of viola in a string quartet. Attractive pieces but the sound of the harmonium is strange.....don't think it will catch on.

I'm rather partial to a good harmonium!  Such a distinct sound - I love the way Percy Grainger uses it in some of his "flexible" ensembles.  It also turns up in a lot of light music as an optional/alternative instrument for groups back in the day who did not have access to a full wind or brass section.  You all but never hear those pieces that way today but the orchestral sets often included an optional harmonium part.  My favourite(?) harmonium in an orchestral setting is Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony.  The final big climax of the work is usually crowned these days in concert and on disc with a mighty proper organ but the score clearly states "harmonium"

[Karl Henning]

Hi Fergus and Karl!

Is there a way to purchase this?  I would love to hear this and play it for my two year old daughter (whose name is Josephine ).

Thanks! 

Thank you!

[Karl Henning]

Henning: Pour la petite Joséphine





I have been fortunate to hear this work a number of times recently. I really like this music and its tone. It is suitably and appropriately simple; a parent talking softly and tenderly to a newborn child and filling their future world full of promise. I also particularly like the very interesting accompaniment which I think is wonderful.

Many thanks!

[Traverso]

Chopin & Liszt

Etude Op. 10 No. 3 In E Major   
Etude Op. 10 No. 12 In C Minor   
Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 In E-flat
Nocturne Op. 15 No. 2 In F-sharp   
Ballade No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 23   
Prelude Op. 28 No. 7 In A: Andantino 
Prelude Op. 28 No. 15 In D-flat: Sostenuto   
Mazurka Op. 7 No. 1 In B-flat   
Mazurka Op. 33 No. 2 In D   
Scherzo No. 3 In C-sharp Minor, Op. 39   
Polonaise Op. 40 No. 1 In A Major "Military"   
Polonaise Op. 53 in A-flat Major "Héroique" 6:01   
Waltz No. 1 in D-flat "Minute"   
Waltz No. 2 In C-sharp Minor   
Fantaisie-impromptu In C-sharp Minor, Op. 66

Franz Liszt
 
Un Sospiro (Trois Études De concert, S144)
Liebesträume No. 1 In A-flat
Liebesträume No. 3 In A-flat 4:34

[Karl Henning]

Mozart
"Gran Partita, K. 361/370a
Berg
Chamber Concerto for pf,  vn & 13 winds

Uchida
Tetzlaff
Ensemble InterContemporain
Boulez

[Ratliff]

Faure, Theme and Variations, Three Romances Sans Paroles.



The Theme and Variations does not strike me as among the best of Faure. I have the impression that the variations format is not consistent with his musical imagination. The Romances sans Paroles are perfect early pieces with beautiful melodies floating above free flowing accompaniment. Not as rich as middle and late Faure, but perfect little gems.

Excellent performance and recording.

[vandermolen]

I can't stop playing Bloch's early symphony. The sadly lamented cilgwyn, formerly of this forum, used to be highly amused by my 'can't stop playing it' remark, imagining that I was suffering from an obsessive disorder which obliged me to play the disc over and over and over again, or that I didn't actually know how to stop the disc playing.

[vandermolen]

Dvorak: Symphony No.7
My brother wrote the booklet notes for this release:
[asin][/asin]

[HIPster]

Starting off the day with this wonderfully atmospheric recording:

[asin]B000069B6A[/asin]

Now up:

[asin]B000Y0UYL6[/asin]

A nice companion to the earlier release. 

Soundwise, the Decca recording is excellent, but the Challenge release is at another level altogether!  Wow.  Really interesting sounding lute constructed by the leader of the group, Alexandre Danilevski.

[Maestro267]

Ives: Symphony No. 2
Los Angeles PO/Mehta

[Harry]

I can't stop playing Bloch's early symphony. The sadly lamented cilgwyn, formerly of this forum, used to be highly amused by my 'can't stop playing it' remark, imagining that I was suffering from an obsessive disorder which obliged me to play the disc over and over and over again, or that I didn't actually know how to stop the disc playing.

Yes he was quite a character, and I loved his stories. I miss him too! This anecdote made me grin from ear to ear, thanks for sharing!   

[Harry]

Now up:

[asin]B000Y0UYL6[/asin]

A nice companion to the earlier release. 

Soundwise, the Decca recording is excellent, but the Challenge release is at another level altogether!  Wow.  Really interesting sounding lute constructed by the leader of the group, Alexandre Danilevski.

d'Epinal is an awesome disc, I have played that disc over and over again!

[Mandryka]

Now up:

[asin]B000Y0UYL6[/asin]

A nice companion to the earlier release. 

Soundwise, the Decca recording is excellent, but the Challenge release is at another level altogether!  Wow.  Really interesting sounding lute constructed by the leader of the group, Alexandre Danilevski.

Yes.

d'Epinal is an awesome disc, I have played that disc over and over again!

Yes me too.

CarloGesualdo should hear this.

[Symphonic Addict]

You're welcome, Cesar. And while we're at it, let me recommend you the most passionate, white hot performance of Tchaikovsky's PC1 I've ever heard: Lev Oborin / Alexander Gauk / USSR State Symphony Orchestra, 1946 (I think). It's in the Tchaikovsky big Brilliant Classics box and also on YT. If you can put up with the sound, which isn't unlistenable, you're in for a real treat, a mindblowing performance.

I'm not too keen on old recordings, but anyway, let's see how I react to that rendition. Thanks!

[Symphonic Addict]

Two more great discs, the Lyrita in particular is a thing to treasure.

Indeed. Those concertos on the Lyrita CD don't disappoint at all.

[Symphonic Addict]

I'm aware that this is not bad music, but these quartets failed to engage me. I felt them too predictable and it's the kind of music that doesn't allow to me to say "wow" or "this is interesting". They work better like background music.

[Karl Henning]

Berg
Vn Concerto, To the Memory of an Angel
Zimmermann
Stuttgart Radio Symphony
Gelmetti