What are you listening 2 now?

[Symphonic Addict]

Mozart: String Quintet in G minor, K. 516
Busoni: Violin Sonata No. 2 in E minor



The Mozart is high-quality music, but I consider the recording venue failed to provide good acoustics. It's a very dry recording for a great work and interpretation.

I had forgot how brilliant Busoni's sonata is. A perfect blend between lyricism and passion.

[Symphonic Addict]

Trio in A minor, Op. 24



An important feature of Weinberg's music, especially in his chamber music, is to listen to the silences between the notes. So many times, to my ears, they're like some kind of secret code that only the composer himself knows the combination to and we, the listener, have to figure it all out. Weinberg writes some of the most eerily slow movements I've heard. I think it is these quiet moments that give the listener a good bit of information and they seem to reflect more of the era he lived in and could be seen (or heard rather) as autobiographical. Each work is like some kind of journal entry.

Interesting analysis, John. I often am captivated by his intriguing slow movements. There definitely lies much of his mysticism as a composer.

[vandermolen]

I want to get familiar with MacMillan's music. How is this symphony, Jeffrey? By looking at the cover art I would think the music is good.

Well Cesar, do you know the purely orchestral Symphony No.4? If not I'd suggest listening to that one first (there are two recordings to choose from and they are both excellent). Symphony No.5 has a strong vocal/choral element. Some critics found it 'a step backwards' from Symphony No.4 but others found it just as impressive and that is my view as well. I think that the concert I attended is the one recorded on the new disc. His music has a strong religious motivation, it could only have been written in the 21st Century but communicates directly with ordinary music-lovers and not just intellectuals/academics. All I can say is that I was very moved by the end of Symphony No.5 yesterday (on CD) - it lasts 50 minutes. There are quotes or influences from Thomas Tallis's music. It's very powerful and communicates directly but is not necessarily 'easy' to get hold of, at least at first hearing. After I attended the concert I immediately wanted to hear it again. The other work on the CD did not impress me so much. It was a bit like Britten's 'War Requiem' without the tunes! Symphonies 4 and 5, though, have been great new discoveries for me.
I largely agree with this review:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2020/Jun/MacMillan_sy5_COR16179.htm
PS You can always sample it on You Tube.

[Que]

This morning I decided the explore The Sixteen:

[asin]B00HFEBYPO[/asin]
Q

[Harry]

This morning I decided the explore The Sixteen:

[asin]B00HFEBYPO[/asin]
Q

Well good luck with that, after hearing a live recording a couple of years ago I decided never again
It is clearly not my thing at all.

[vers la flamme]

Gustav Mahler: 5 Rückert-Lieder. Janet Baker, John Barbirolli, New Philharmonia Orchestra

Beautiful performances of all these songs. I had started the Barbirolli/Berlin 9th but decided it wasn't a good day to start the work week. I'll get back to it later on in the week.

[vers la flamme]

Richard Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra. Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic

I've heard this recording a handful of times before, but it's never sounded so great to my ears as now. Now I think I ought to hear his Vienna recording on Decca. (The one from 2001, right?)

[Madiel]

Mozart, Violin sonatas 11-16 (his op.4)



I find it interesting that there's so many of these super early violin sonatas (or, keyboard sonatas with a bonus violin part), and that these were the things Leopold got published, but then after this it virtually stops. There's a couple of unnumbered sonatas (not always done as violin and piano), then nothing for a decade.

Anyway, these are pretty good. At his 10th birthday they're scarily good.

[Traverso]

Beethoven

pianosonatas No.4-8 & 10

one of the never-ending joys in life are listening to these sonatas

[vandermolen]

Henry Kimball HADLEY  (1871-1937)
The Ocean  op. 96   The Culprit Fay op. 62
Symphony no. 4 in d  op. 64  (North - South - East - West)
National S.O. of Ukraine    John McLaughlin Williams, cond.
Nice turn-of-the-century music, surprising when I liked it more on hearing it a second time. 
"The Ocean" starts as if it wants to be the César Franck d-minor Symphony but the resemblance does not last.

I recall enjoying this symphony.

[Roasted Swan]

Richard Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra. Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic

I've heard this recording a handful of times before, but it's never sounded so great to my ears as now. Now I think I ought to hear his Vienna recording on Decca. (The one from 2001, right?)

The famous Karajan/VPO/Decca recording is early 1960's surely......?

[Madiel]

Beethoven, op.105 - national airs with variations for flute and piano

[Madiel]

The famous Karajan/VPO/Decca recording is early 1960's surely......?

The film 2001. Not the year.

[Roasted Swan]

I remember listening to this set of 3 LP's endlessly when it first came out.  None of the repertoire was familiar and it was great to hear major works by these composers;



I listened today to the Parry and Havergal Brian (Tigers excerpts) today and these performances still stand up well.  Not the most refined or polished but played with enthusiasm and energy.  As ever, I think Parry gets "blamed" too much for not sounding English enough.  This symphony is lovely - OK for sure it follows the Germanic 4 movement model pretty slavishly but the construction, melodic content and orchestration is the equal of many similar 19th Century works.  So enjoy it for what it is, not what it is not!

[Roasted Swan]

The famous Karajan/VPO/Decca recording is early 1960's surely......?

Duh!! - of course.  Disengaging literal brain now.........

[Madiel]

Duh!! - of course.  Disengaging literal brain now.........

It's okay, your confusion is understandable. It took me a minute. No italics or quotes were used to distinguish 2001: A Space Odyssey from 2001.

I've learned something as a result, which is that the Karajan recording in the film was not in the soundtrack album for several decades. Decca didn't want it credited. So buyers of the album got an entirely different performance.

[Todd]

[Traverso]

Beethoven


pianosonatas No.4-5-6

[Mirror Image]

Interesting analysis, John. I often am captivated by his intriguing slow movements. There definitely lies much of his mysticism as a composer.

Yes, indeed.

[Todd]

Book 5.