What are you listening 2 now?

[kyjo]

Imagine if Arvo Pärt was raised in Japan instead of Estonia. This is really all I can tell you as this would only be my second time hearing this recording. I rather enjoyed it, though. Beautiful sonorities.

Cool, John. Sounds intriguing!

[kyjo]

British members of this forum do have Bax in high esteem + Kyle and me as far as I can see. I do like many of his works very much.

I think he's quite an uneven composer but that he truly achieved greatness in his very best works. Some of his works tend to focus too much on atmosphere and lack memorable melodic material IMO.

[kyjo]

André Mathieu - Concertino No. 2 for piano and orchestra, Piano Concerto No. 3



Mathieu was a Canadian composer, a prodigy child who began composing at the age of 4!!! Just astonishing.

I guess the Concertino would come being the Piano Concerto No. 2 and it's rather good with a quite sentimental slow movement. No. 3 has Rachmaninovian exuberance, of unabashed late-Romanticism. Very enjoyable pieces altogether.

Those are good pieces, but best of all is his PC no. 4. Do you know it already? I also like his Piano Trio and Quintet very much, as I know André does as well.

[kyjo]

William Mathias - Harp Concerto
Carl Nielsen - Flute Concerto

Two stunning concerti! The witty and lyrical Flute Concerto is my favorite of the three Nielsen concerti.

[André]

Those are good pieces, but best of all is his PC no. 4. Do you know it already? I also like his Piano Trio and Quintet very much, as I know André does as well.

Indeed !

[Mirror Image]

Dipping into this box set that I just unwrapped (I know, I know...embarrassing), playing the two symphonies:



In terms of the symphony, the French haven't been too attracted to the symphonic form. I mean sure you have Saint-Saëns, Roussel, Tournemire, Magnard, etc., but Dutilleux has been one of the only Frenchmen to say something in the form again in the late 20th Century. I know Landowski composed several, but I haven't heard any of his yet.

[Symphonic Addict]

Those are good pieces, but best of all is his PC no. 4. Do you know it already? I also like his Piano Trio and Quintet very much, as I know André does as well.

I played the 4th this week having heard it the last year. Thoroughly fantastic work. It's criminal it is relatively unknown in the repertoire.

[Mirror Image]

I played the 4th this week having heard it the last year. Thoroughly fantastic work. It's criminal it is relatively unknown in the repertoire.

We could say this about many works.

[Symphonic Addict]

Symphony No. 4

It's always a pleasure to revisit this sparkling piece.

[Symphonic Addict]

We could say this about many works.

Absolutely. I could name many works that suffer the same.

[Symphonic Addict]

Interesting. I bought this cycle when it first came out, but I haven't spent hardly enough time with this set. Let me ask you, what do you think about Litton's Prokofiev recordings on BIS?

I don't have those recordings, John. In fact, I just found out. 

[Mirror Image]

I don't have those recordings, John. In fact, I just found out. 

Ah, well there's several of them:



Now, listen to them all tonight in one setting and tell me what you think about them. The only one I'm missing is the Romeo & Juliet Suites recording.

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Saturdays!

Ben-Haim: String Quartet, Op. 21



A strongly melodic work that hooked me right from the start. I may just have to listen to this SQ again after it's finished. So far, I haven't been disappointed by any Ben-Haim work I've heard and that's even difficult to fathom, because we know how particular of a listener I am. I usually can find something wrong with a piece of music, but this just hasn't been the case so far with this composer.

[Symphonic Addict]

Ah, well there's several of them:



Now, listen to them all tonight in one setting and tell me what you think about them. The only one I'm missing is the Romeo & Juliet Suites recording.

Maybe some other day when I am in the mood for Prokoviev. 

[Symphonic Addict]

First-Listen Saturdays!

Ben-Haim: String Quartet, Op. 21



A strongly melodic work that hooked me right from the start. I may just have to listen to this SQ again after it's finished. So far, I haven't been disappointed by any Ben-Haim work I've heard and that's even difficult to fathom, because we know how particular of a listener I am. I usually can find something wrong with a piece of music, but this just hasn't been the case so far with this composer.

+1, a fabulous quartet. The String Quintet is not bad at all either.

[Symphonic Addict]

I think he's quite an uneven composer but that he truly achieved greatness in his very best works. Some of his works tend to focus too much on atmosphere and lack memorable melodic material IMO.

I too share this perception. When he was inspired, he really succeeded.

[Mirror Image]

+1, a fabulous quartet. The String Quintet is not bad at all either.

Yep, Paul Frankenburger hasn't disappointed me yet. But, truth be told, I'm more interested in his post-Germany works when he emigrated to Israel and started incorporating elements of both Germanic and Israeli music into an individualistic synthesis. It was during this time where I believe he found his own sound.

[Mirror Image]

Maybe some other day when I am in the mood for Prokoviev. 

[Mirror Image]

Symphony No. 2

[SimonNZ]

Beethoven 7