What are you listening 2 now?

[Symphonic Addict]

Petite symphonie concertante for harp, piano, harpsichord and string orchestra

What an astounding work this is!!! Masterly from start to finish. Martín is featured by writing serious music. Well, we have that here but mixed with piquancy a la Martinu. And this rendition is simply exemplary. Very recommended.

[vandermolen]

Hendrik Andriessen: Symphony No.3 (1946)
I like all the Andriessen symphonies but this is my favourite. It has something of the spirit of Vaughan Williams's contemporaneous 6th Symphony with its powerful and sombre urgency.
Thanks to Johan/Christo for this fine discovery:

[Irons]

I remember great things being said about his recording of Elgar's Second Symphony.

The best Holst "The Planets" I have heard and yet sunk without trace.

[Spineur]

This takes some getting used to. Over an hour of slow-moving, sparsely accompanied monodic chanting. Once the musical idiom is absorbed, listening is pleasant, but the sameness brings a detachment from the literary/dramatic argument. IOW one stops paying attention to what's sung. Not a significant musical or spiritual experience, then. And yet, there are 3 recordings of it...

I agree.  This is hard-core Pärt.  The last minute, when one moves from the minor to the major key is nice.  One minute out of an hour.

[Roasted Swan]

The best Holst "The Planets" I have heard and yet sunk without trace.

I had a friend who was a conducting student of George Hurst.  By all accounts a very fine musician/conductor but an extremely difficult person to work with.  I suspect that since much of conducting - certainly with professional orchestras - is down to respect and collaboration, players simply would not tolerate his approach and temperament.  I must admit I don't find his Planets to be that remarkable (it used to be available on Amazon as a download I think) and the Naxos/Elgar discs (there's an Enigma as well) are good without being for me the best.

[Spineur]

Federico Moreno-Torroba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Moreno_Torroba was a 20th century composer and impressario.  His composition range from the lyric (Zarzuelas and operas), the symphonic, the chamber music and the instrumental.  He was a very good friend of Andres Segovia and composed many guitar pieces for him.  This integral box is quite nice.

[Tsaraslondon]

Wonderful Mozart and Bach from Schwarzkopf, recorded when her voice was at its absolute peak.

[Que]

The set is completed by 20 minutes from an unfinished oratorio, Christus. Mendelssohn died before he could get more work done. Despite their fragmentary nature, the extracts are major Mendelssohn, truly gorgeous music.

Paulus is a powerful work, one I enjoy somewhat more than Elias. Unfortunately the first disc had a defect that really marred listening. Otherwise, the performance is splendid.

I had a glitch in a Carus disk once, turned out to be in every copy and at Carus they were not very helpful.
Do you have the three-in-one set?

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Q

[Florestan]

[Spineur]

In the past year, I spent a small fortune with Marston records remastering of historical vocal recording.  Today I am listening to Maurice Renaud http://cantabile-subito.de/Baritones/Renaud__Maurice/renaud__maurice.html recitals recorded between 1901 an 1908.  Yes, very old indeed, but with the remastering, they constitute a very valuable testimony of the art of singing 120 years ago.  Renaud has an absolutely constant tone over his whole vocal range and an amazing legato.  My impression is also that he used somewhat slower tempo compare to most of my other recodings.  This double CD is OOP.  This is the cas of half of Marston remastered CD's.

[Tsaraslondon]

The LSO certainly justify their reputation of one of the great orchestras of the world in this set. The playing is just magnificent and Gergiev, who presumably had the work in his blood, the perfect interpreter.

[Marc]

Schumann, Kreisleriana, op. 16.

Vladimir Horowitz, recorded 1985, issued 1986 by DG.

Music that I rarely listen to, but now I'm taking the opportunity, staying & working at home due to the corona thing.
I'm enjoying it. Recording sounds very good, too.

[Christo]

Hendrik Andriessen: Symphony No.3 (1946)
I like all the Andriessen symphonies but this is my favourite. It has something of the spirit of Vaughan Williams's contemporaneous 6th Symphony with its powerful and sombre urgency.
Thanks to Johan/Christo for this fine discovery:

Great to learn, last week I listened to some Frank Martin and suddenly I realized their similarities, in worldview but also their musical world, though Andriessen the greater communicator. Perhaps you can understand why the 'Fifth' on this same disc, the 1962 Symphonie concertante, means even more for me? It is the most 'Dutch' per content (full of references to the Dutch Renaissance, Valerius' battle songs a.s.o.) and per musical tradition both, I mean?  0:)

[Harry]

Not much time to listen these days. My time is occupied with the Coronavirus, which means I am out of the house more as 12 hours a day.
Having some spare time I play the Cello sonatas by Bach, 4-6, performed by Anner Bijlsma, that will sooth my mind.
Keep healthy and above all safe.

[Traverso]

Bach

Cantatas

[Mahlerian]

Bruckner: String Quintet in F
Fine Arts Quartet (+1)

[Biffo]

Brahms: Sonata in F minor for Piano & Viola, Op 120 No 1 - Elisabeth Westenholz piano and Nils-Erik Sparf viola - today's daily bargain from eclassical

[Que]

Not much time to listen these days. My time is occupied with the Coronavirus, which means I am out of the house more as 12 hours a day.

Are you doing volunteer work, Harry?

Keep healthy and above all safe.

Same you, take care! 

Q

[Maestro267]

Prokofiev: Symphonies Nos. 3, 4 & 5
London SO or PO/Weller

[Que]

After this:

[asin]B07F4DFHSM[/asin]
Nice, but I wondering if Pérès' "Byzantine" approach is the perfect fit for this music...

Spotify suggested this:

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Which is an utterly charming recording, that I didn't know existed.. 

Q