What are you listening 2 now?

[JBS]

Third time listening to this CD. It's less gnarly and dissonant  than I thought the first time I listened to it.

Or perhaps  my ears are more acclimated to it now.

[asin]B0875ZTFVC[/asin]

In general I would recommend  this CD.

[Mirror Image]

Many thanks John. Good to know.

You're quite welcome.

[Karl Henning]

Third time listening to this CD. It's less gnarly and dissonant  than I thought the first time I listened to it.

Or perhaps  my ears are more acclimated to it now.



In general I would recommend  this CD.

Note taken.

[Karl Henning]

Hi Karl - love that memorial also which we saw on our recent trip to Boston - last April we made one of our many trips to Kiawah Island (south of Charleston, SC) - one day trip to Folly Beach - a short walk at the northern tip allows a great view of the 'underwater' Morris Island Lighthouse - Shaw and his Afro-American soldiers attacked Ft. Wagner on that island and he lost his life - if interested, follow THIS LINK and go to post #40 of a travelogue I put together of the trip; one of my pics below of the lighthouse.  Dave
.
 

Lovely, thanks, Dave!

[Mirror Image]

Poems of the Sea

[Todd]

7.

[Mirror Image]

Now playing Act I from this set:

[André]

Henri Tomasi - Symphonie du Tiers monde

Stupendous!

Very interesting ! I only know these works of Tomasi's :



The Fanfares are particularly striking.

[Mirror Image]

String Quartet No. 3 in D, Op. 34



Fantastic!

[André]

Arnold's work for string quartet consists of the two numbered SQ (1949 and 1975) and the Phantasy Vita abundans from 1941. They are all on this disc, as well as on a Naxos release by the Magginis. The Guild disc however offers more Arnold: the Quintet for flute, violin, viola, horn and bassoon (1944, revised 1960).

Arnold adopts a very different language from that of his symphonic output when composing for small ensembles. Themes and motives are terse, textures often deliberately raw. The slow movements of the two quartets are arresting. That of the 1975 second quartet is as haunting as those of the late quartets of Beethoven or Shostakovich.

The Quintet is a surprising work. Sunny, amiable discourse in I is followed by disquiet and sarcasm in II and waltzy circus tunes in III. Sometimes Arnold seems to be serious, only to thumb his nose at the listener the moment after. The Phantasy was written for a music contest. It got him the second prize. Ruth Gipps got the first prize, but she declared Arnold should have won. It consists of 6 brief connected sections of contrasted moods and textures. The overall picture is playful but ultimately enigmatic.

The two quartets are the main offerings here and are undoubtedly major works by any standard.

[Mirror Image]

NP:



This will be my third round of playing this recording all the way through. It gets better and better with each successive listen.

[vandermolen]

NP:



This will be my third round of playing this recording all the way through. It gets better and better with each successive listen.

It does indeed. I remember my ears pricking up when, by chance, I heard 'Evocation' on the car radio. That lead me to that fine CD. I also like the Bloch CD (Poems of the Sea etc) that you posted earlier.

Now Playing:
Sibelius: Symphony No.2 (Barbirolli NYPO, 1940)
In their feature on Barbirolli (who died 50 years ago - I remember seeing the news when I picked up the Evening Standard to read on my underground train journey on my way home from school), Gramophone recommended this recording as 'white hot'. I bought the CD recently for the Violin Concerto. It is, indeed, a very fine performance of the symphony as well:

[Irons]

Vaughan Williams: 4th Symphony.



The "Cinderella" of the nine and overshadowed somewhat by the great 6th, but Previn along with LSO make a very strong case for this symphony. After listening to Concerto Accademico the opening chords of the 4th announces its arrival in no uncertain terms. The finale in Previn's performance is inspired and takes flight in a big way, I was swept along by it.

The full set is excellent in all respects but for me Previn is outstanding and my first choice in the 4th, 5th & 8th.

An added bonus that my copy is DMM of which I will comment on the vinyl thread.

 

[Daverz]

I actually listened to these symphonies back to back the other night:

[asin]B005Z4D2EW[/asin]

[asin]B000027E48[/asin]

Both surprisingly compelling for such long early works.  Even after being primed by Brian's massive opus, the Bloch work is really loud.

[vandermolen]

I actually listened to these symphonies back to back the other night:

[asin]B005Z4D2EW[/asin]

[asin]B000027E48[/asin]

Both surprisingly compelling for such long early works.  Even after being primed by Brian's massive opus, the Bloch work is really loud.

Two of my favourite symphonies in terrific performances. I was in attendance, as were some others here, at the HB recorded concert at the Proms - a great evening.

[vandermolen]

Vaughan Williams: 4th Symphony.



The "Cinderella" of the nine and overshadowed somewhat by the great 6th, but Previn along with LSO make a very strong case for this symphony. After listening to Concerto Accademico the opening chords of the 4th announces its arrival in no uncertain terms. The finale in Previn's performance is inspired and takes flight in a big way, I was swept along by it.

The full set is excellent in all respects but for me Previn is outstanding and my first choice in the 4th, 5th & 8th.

An added bonus that my copy is DMM of which I will comment on the vinyl thread.

I think that many consider 4-6 to be the greatest of the VW cycle. Previn would also be my top choice for No.3 and also, probably, for the 1936 version of No.2.

Now playing (again), Symphony No.3 'Sinfonia rustica':

[Maestro267]

Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 12 in G minor
RFASO/Svetlanov

[Crudblud]

Brahms - Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 (Fricsay / Berlin Phil. / Anda)

[Papy Oli]

Nicholas Kenyon : "I hear a bleakness and desolation in the superb lento of the first quartet that recalls Shostakovich".

Perhaps, perhaps, just guessing & I might be completely wrong: a reference to Holst's Beni Mora Suite? 

Lol, Johan,
Thank you both for checking. I do not have enough familiarity or knowledge on Shostakovich as a whole so wouldn't know on that angle. I'll check Beni Mora. I am just surprised as to how familiar that snippet sounded to me. I do not own Rubbra SQ's in my collection, I may have sampled some briefly on YT last year but not to the extent that it would have created such a familiar impact yesterday. 

[Madiel]

Brahms, Piano Quartet No.2



I got the opening tune in my head, and initially thought it was Schubert... it wasn't until I tried to start playing each of the Schubert piano trios that I worked out that no, I was actually hankering for Brahms in Schubertian mode.