What are you listening 2 now?

[T. D.]

[Symphonic Addict]

In oblique solidarity, I've cued up:

Nice! Looks like a fine twofer.

[Symphonic Addict]

Yes they are!

I'm listening to the Chandos discs and they're much better indeed.

[SimonNZ]

[Symphonic Addict]

Piano Concerto No. 1

Mendelssohn's PCs are often overlooked. It should not be so. This one is very good, especially because of the endearing slow movement.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Never been very lucky with Carles Magraner, but recent positive comments from Mandryka et al persuaded me to try some stuff out.
As for instance:

[asin]B084X92KFK[/asin]
I'm not always a fan of instrumental accompaniment, but not obtrusive here and quite a good performance!

Q

Excellent choice +2, Carles Magraner & his Capella DE Ministers is super done a wonderful job here, thank you Mandryka indeed, It will be my bed time album I'm drinking my glass of milk and after this listen, will sleep like a baby. Lauda label version of lamentation is quite something too, have you heard it?, Cristobal de Morales is a favorite among Renaissance  era and spagniards composers.

[Spineur]

[GioCar]

Good Friday

[SimonNZ]

"Instrumentalkonzerte Mittldeutscher Meister" - Kurt Redel, cond.



Handel's Utrecht Te Deum - Geraint Jones, cond.

[Madiel]

If in doubt, Faure.

Barcarolle No.12, op.106b. Exquisite. One of the warmest late pieces.
Violin Sonata No.2, op.108

[vandermolen]

Bliss conducts Bliss
'Introduction and Allegro'
Bliss may not have been one of the very greatest British composers but there is something endearing about his music which I often return to. This is a particularly fine disc:

PS I'm now on to 'A Colour Symphony'.

[Florestan]

[vandermolen]

Well, unless I'm losing it already, it's the first time I see this composer or that work, so you owe your thanks to another forum member, methink  .

Oh, right André. But I have much music to thank you for generally.
You might well enjoy this darkly reflective work so do let me introduce you to it!


It could have been jowcol or 'J' to whom I owe a lot of great musical discoveries to as well, not to mention several others here.

[San Antone]

Messiaen started writing Trois petites liturgies in November 1943 and completed the piece in March 1944. The text was written by Messiaen as he composed, often drawing from his favorite sacred texts. The words are set forth by a choir of women's voices. Accompanying them is an unusual ensemble of percussion, piano, string orchestra, and ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument that creates an ethereal sound.

The composition offers a striking array of tonalities and textures that range from sensuous, rich singing in the choir to rhythmic shouting and percussion. Messiaen uses the piano and vibraphone together in a miniature ensemble that he compares to the Balinese gamelan. The string writing provides a lush, other-worldly atmosphere that envelopes and draws the other elements together.

[Maestro267]

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4
Perahia (piano)/Concertgebouw Orchestra/Haitink

[ritter]

Messiaen started writing Trois petites liturgies in November 1943 and completed the piece in March 1944. The text was written by Messiaen as he composed, often drawing from his favorite sacred texts. The words are set forth by a choir of women's voices. Accompanying them is an unusual ensemble of percussion, piano, string orchestra, and ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument that creates an ethereal sound.

The composition offers a striking array of tonalities and textures that range from sensuous, rich singing in the choir to rhythmic shouting and percussion. Messiaen uses the piano and vibraphone together in a miniature ensemble that he compares to the Balinese gamelan. The string writing provides a lush, other-worldly atmosphere that envelopes and draws the other elements together.

I've said it before, but to me the Trois petites liturgies sounds like "Fauré meets Mars Attacks!". 

[San Antone]

I've said it before, but to me the Trois petites liturgies sounds like "Fauré meets Mars Attacks!". 

Interesting description, but not words I would choose.  I am new to the work and have not formed any opinion.

I know of only two other recordings, Bernstein/New York and Ludovic Morlot/Seattle, neither of which I have heard.  Are there others?   Is it the work you don't care for, or Chung's recording?  If the latter, do you have a recording you prefer?

[ritter]

I only have two recordings of the Trois petites liturgies, the Chung you've posted, and the one conducted by Marcel Couraud on Erato. IIRC, my Mars Attacks! quip occurred to me after listening to the Chung. I should listen to the Couraud to see whether my perception changes.

The thing is I'm feeling more and more distant from Messiaen's music. I have great admiration for the piano pieces, think there's much to enjoy in Saint François d'Assise (even if the opera is flawed and overlong—compared to it, Tristan und Isolde has the lightness of touch of Die Fledermaus), but lose patience with most of his orchestral output. The Turangalîla-Symphonie is a work that makes a strong (but, in my case, short-lived) impression when heard live. I haven't listened to the Quatuor pour la fin des temps for ages, so might do so soon (I enjoyed it in my teens, but I've outgrown my teens  ).

Then, there are works that I find pretentious to the extent of bring ridiculous (I'm thinking of Harawi, with its onomatopoeias and Quechua words thrown in).

[San Antone]

For me, his organ and piano works are what I listen to the most.  I usually avoid his orchestral stuff, but I don't consider Trois petites liturgies orchestral since the instrumental forces are so unique.  I continue to find Messiaen a very rewarding composer.

Since I posted I found two more recordings, the Marcel Couraud you mentioned, and one by Gunter Wand which also includes several works by Anton Webern.  A very nice looking recording which I am sure to listen to soon.

[ritter]

Interesting indeed, that CD. Günter Wand is hardly represented in my collection, and I no almost nothing of Wolfgang Fortner's music.

I had forgotten about the organ pieces. I'm not much of an organ music man myself, but do remember finding La Nativité du Seigneur (played by the composer) delightful.

This brings to mind reminiscences about Pierre Boulez (whose relationship with his former teacher was a rather complex one) by Gerard McBurney in The Guardian:

"Ah, Messiaen, he is for me a big problem ... [dramatic pause] The religion ... [another pause, shrugged shoulders, and louder] The birds ... [louder still, hands raised and in tones of pantomimic horror] Aand ... my God ... the ORGAN!" There was no doubt which of these three shockers was the worst"