What are you listening 2 now?

[Mahlerian]

Awesome. I bet that was a great live experience. The only Shostakovich I've seen live was the Leningrad, with the Atlanta Symphony, about a year ago, coupled with Bernstein's 3 Meditations from Mass. It was a great concert.

As for that Schoenberg, I really want to get that CD. Looks excellent. But I'm trying to exercise restraint with music purchases, lately.

Incidentally, the coupling on the concert I attended was also Bernstein, the Symphony No. 2, with Thibaudet doing the solo (I think?).

I haven't actually listened to the Verklaerte Nacht yet (though I should!), and I just got a digital copy of the Violin Concerto, but yes, it was well worth paying for.

[aligreto]

Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony No. 1 [Svetlanov]





This is actually only the first time that I have heard this work. The set was recommended to me by Symphonic Addict methinks.

I do not know his symphonies yet but I do know that Rimsky-Korsakov was an excellent orchestrator. And so it is here. He weaves a wonderful tapestry of atmospheric sounds in this work. These attributes are also enhanced with wonderful tension and drama scattered throughout this work.

[aligreto]

More Sibelius. The 6th still with Blomstedt.

I think I am finally having a breakthrough with his music. There are some magnificent moments across what I have listened to so far.

I really liked the 1st and 3rd. The 4th still eluded me overall though. Distracted listen to the 5th earlier today, i need to queue it again. Only the 7th to try and I'll finish at the end with the 2nd, the only symphony of his i used to like.

I was going to wait until you had finished the cycle, Olivier, but you have preempted my question which was going to be "How are you getting on with Sibelius"? I am delighted to read that you are having a breakthrough here although I, and others no doubt, would take grave exception to your "some magnificent moments" comment    .

Joking aside though, as far as No. 4 is concerned one has to take the personal circumstances of his writing it seriously into consideration in order to fully grasp it, I feel. Death hovered over both him and the World.
Well done with your perseverance which is obviously beginning to reap reward.

[Mahlerian]

Incidentally, the coupling on the concert I attended was also Bernstein, the Symphony No. 2, with Thibaudet doing the solo (I think?).

I haven't actually listened to the Verklaerte Nacht yet (though I should!), and I just got a digital copy of the Violin Concerto, but yes, it was well worth paying for.

I should remedy that right now, actually.

Schoenberg: Verklaerte Nacht Op. 4, for string sextet
Isabelle Faust, Anne Katharina Schreiber, Antoine Tamesit, Danusha Waskiewitz, Christian Poltéra, Jean-Guihen Queyras

[Papy Oli]

I was going to wait until you had finished the cycle, Olivier, but you have preempted my question which was going to be "How are you getting on with Sibelius"? I am delighted to read that you are having a breakthrough here although I, and others no doubt, would take grave exception to your "some magnificent moments" comment    .

Joking aside though, as far as No. 4 is concerned one has to take the personal circumstances of his writing it seriously into consideration in order to fully grasp it, I feel. Death hovered over both him and the World.
Well done with your perseverance which is obviously beginning to reap reward.

Hey Fergus
To be honest, i haven't read anything about the symphonies or Sibelius in advance at all. At this time, I just listened to the symphonies on their own merit so to speak, without context or background info. Sibelius, like RVW, was very much a mental block for me. I always had an impression of cold shapeless monoliths and this time I was just surprised by some beautiful moving sweeping moments... Now, they've opened up a little i'll spend more time and read about each work in more details, like i did with RVW to great results. I need to address the Shostakovitch and Rachmaninov symphonies next. 


TD: Sibelius 7 

[Biffo]

Two Renaissance masses (Josquin, Bawldeweyn), and one motet (Brumel) well-sung by The Tallis Scholars (released in 2019)



Early Music Review

Just listened to the Josquin Missa Mater Patris on Spotify - excellent - now have to decide whether to buy the whole album

[André]

Recent releases: Some excellent french mélodies in perfect diction.  The first one is dedicated to the Boulanger sisters (mostly Nadia and some Lili) sung by the wonderful tenor Cyrille Dubois.  He has a vocal technique in which he attacks the notes without any vibrato and let it grow.  It is rarely done as it require a perfect pitch right on.  This technique suits the french repertoire best.  Add to this, the delightful music of the Boulanger sisters never performed.  This is a fantastic CD not to be missed



Marc Mauillon is best known in the medieval and renaissance repertoire.  Here he sings some of the best Fauré repertoire.  His diction is just amazing, not only because you hear all the words distinctively, but also because he understand the texts ans is able to express all their pathos.  Very good.   



Of the two, I would say the Cyrille Dubois/Boulanger sister is the best: better music and a fantastic voice.

Thanks for the comments, Spineur. I'm not a mélodies guy, but I'm a huge fan of tenor Cyrille Dubois. He does have a very peculiar technique. The moment he opens his mouth, one sits up and takes notice. I'll put this one on the wishlist  .

[not edward]

Hoy, Edward! Very nice to see you!

Thanks, Karl!



I've just downloaded and am about to listen to this recording, which I'm glad to see is in Amazon's top 20 classical sellers. I really want to hear what Barbara Hannigan makes of Grisey's great song cycle, the first performance of which was one of the most overwhelming experiences of my musical life.

[Tsaraslondon]

Both the piano concerto and the piano sonata are heavily jazz influenced, but quite serious works, whilst the Li Po songs are more lyrical in vein.

Mr Bear Squash-you-all-flat is an unusual work, a ballet based on a Russian chudren's tale, for narrator and ensemble. It was completed shortly before Lambert's nineteenth birthday but had to wait until 1979 for its first performance (at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester) and when this recording was released in 1995 had had no further public performances.

[Irons]

That's my favourite work by Stanford and that's a very fine performance of it. You'll enjoy the Handley set Lol.

Good to know, Jeffrey. Good price too.

[ritter]

...


I've just downloaded and am about to listen to this recording, which I'm glad to see is in Amazon's top 20 classical sellers. I really want to hear what Barbara Hannigan makes of Grisey's great song cycle, the first performance of which was one of the most overwhelming experiences of my musical life.

That one looks really interesting, with such imaginative programming!

THREAD DUTY:

Some Boulez, fresh from the post...

[asin]B083XV7L3L[/asin]
First impressions are that i) the sound is excellent, highlighting the shimmering and magical textures of the score, ii) Daniel Kawka's tempos are faster than those of other recordings (e.g., the composer's last studio effort), and certainly sound faster—but not rushed—, iii) the conductor seems to seek to "encapsulate" each musical phrase on its own, with clear pauses between them (but there's no sense of "stop and go", and the music flows naturally), and iv) Salomé Haller is a most engaging vocalist, highlighting the lyrical aspect of the vocal lines rather than any "expressionistic" component.

This seems to be a major addition to the discography of Le marteau sans maître. What a fascinating, beautiful, extraordinary work this is!

[Karl Henning]

Only every seventh year in average.

(* chortle *)

[Karl Henning]

Mozart: Two works for the Glass Harmonica [Bloch]





Adagio KV 356
Adagio und Rondo KV 617

Apparently KV 617 was Mozart's last chamber music work and on its first public performance Mozart played the viola part. It is a wonderfully intriguing piece scored for Glass Harmonica, Flute, Oboe, Viola and Cello.

Exquisite!

[Karl Henning]

My favorite recording of Appalachian Spring.

Yes!

[SonicMan46]

Kiel, Friedrich (1821-1885) - Chamber Works & Piano Concerto w/ performers shown below - Kiel was a German composer and pedagogue, and yet another 19th century Romantic lost to history - these are the only recordings in my collection (all purchased over 10 years ago, and not much new at Amazon - just checked).  He wrote over 70 compositions (LIST) and his chamber works have received excellent reviews (attached) - plenty left for another 3-4 recordings!  Dave

     

[Kaga2]

The Haydn marathon continues, with a repeat of op 33.
If I am in (voluntary) lockdown then so is Papa Joe!

[Karl Henning]

Tippett
Symphonies # 1 & 2

Absolutely fine symphonies, I'm particularly fond of the rhythmic-atmospheric 'pounding the table' opening chords of the Second. But I dare confess more than a liking for the more-than-enigmatic Third and am old enough to recall the sense of sensation on hearing the premiere of the Fourth, opening as it does with its heavy breathing sounds. Nothing wrong with symphonic master Tippett, more a riddle why he seems almost forgotten. 

Yes, and here, I've listened again to the First and Second. On to the Third!

[Florestan]

The Haydn marathon continues, with a repeat of op 33.
If I am in (voluntary) lockdown then so is Papa Joe!

In the last two weeks I've been listening massively to Haydn. I strongly feel that my musical trinity (Mozart, Schubert, Chopin) is going to turn into a quartet. 

[Kaga2]

In the last two weeks I've been listening massively to Haydn. I strongly feel that my musical trinity (Mozart, Schubert, Chopin) is going to turn into a quartet. 

Jeez man. Social distancing.

[Spineur]

Thanks for the comments, Spineur. I'm not a mélodies guy, but I'm a huge fan of tenor Cyrille Dubois. He does have a very peculiar technique. The moment he opens his mouth, one sits up and takes notice. I'll put this one on the wishlist  .

You may also be interested in his Liszt mélodies he recorded just before the Boulanger disc.  It is also very nice, but his technique is less suited to the romantic repertoire where one expects a more sustained vibrato.  Still the diction in french and german is impecable.