What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Glazunov Symphony 5/The Seasons

There has been some criticism of the Serebrier cycle here but I thought that Symphony No.5 was excellent and 'The Seasons' as heart-warming as any other performance that I have heard.

This complete set is one of the best sets I know, together with the Neeme Jarvi's take on Orfeo.

[Papy Oli]

I have photographs of the Cydalise (in her costume as "La sultane de Indes") and Styrax of the world premiere performance in 1923.

Interesting thank you (would you mind adding them in the French thread too please?  )

TD: a short jump back to Varèse's Arcana, a performance recommended by Fergus at the time :

https://www.youtube.com/v/Bg3-Sdn4PPg

[aligreto]

Interesting thank you (would you mind adding them in the French thread too please?  )

TD: a short jump back to Varèse's Arcana, a performance recommended by Fergus at the time :

https://www.youtube.com/v/Bg3-Sdn4PPg

I will be interested to read how you got on with that one, Olivier.

[vandermolen]

This complete set is one of the best sets I know, together with the Neeme Jarvi's take on Orfeo.

Good to know. Now playing - Symphony No.3 which is one of my favourites along with 1,2,7,8 and the fragment of No.9

[Todd]

[Papy Oli]

I will be interested to read how you got on with that one, Olivier.

I am of the opinion that the applause at the beginning had the right balance of politeness and subtlety and that the applause at the end was the most welcome melodious coda, despite a couple of Bravo! rudely interrupting the flow of things  0:)

For the section in the middle, it still doesn't talk to me I'm afraid

[Papy Oli]

Following a mention from Roasted Swan 2-3 days back:

[vandermolen]

Elisabetta Brusa (b.1954)
'Merlin' - Symphonic Poem (2004)
A powerful, brooding, approachably tonal and memorable work - as appropriate for the great magician!:

[Harry]

Elisabetta Brusa (b.1954)
'Merlin' - Symphonic Poem (2004)
A powerful, brooding, approachably tonal and memorable work - as appropriate for the great magician!:

I am a great fan of Elisabetta Brussa, glad you like it too!

[Maestro267]

Sibelius: Symphony No. 7
Berlin SO/Sanderling

My latest attempt to get my head round this work. The trombone parts remind me a bit of the pivotal horn solo in the introduction to the finale of Brahms 1.

[vandermolen]

I am a great fan of Elisabetta Brussa, glad you like it too!

I had some nice email communication with her a few years ago over her composition 'Merlin'.
She seems very nice. Here is a response from her:

'Dear Jeffrey,

I had never seen Excalibur and have now watched a couple of scenes with
Merlin which are quite fascinating. I had an musically visual idea of
Merlin completely free from any visual representation, and have always
been fascinated by the personage. I also went to see Tintagel, but many
years after having finished the work. Like Florestan, it has been a
one-off musical fantasy of a literary character, but I doubt I will write
more works of this kind. I have just finished composing my Second Symphony
and am now revising it and jotting down an idea. As soon as the parts are
ready it should be recorded with Naxos again.

I love all Art: paintings, statues, and fine art like furniture,
porcelain, glass objects etc. Literature, particularly English and
Russian. I have a great many books on Art and love looking at the
pictures, but particularly the live ones in museums. I have travelled a
lot.

I wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year,

Elisabetta'

Now playing: Kokkonen Symphony No.4 - I find Berglund's performance the most searching and moving of the three recordings in my collection - I find the coda of Kokkonen's final symphony to be very moving - a great ending to his symphonic cycle - another example (IMO) of 'modern music' with a soul (like Kabelac's 'Mystery of Time').

[Harry]

I had some nice email communication with her a few years ago over her composition 'Merlin'.
She seems very nice. Here is a response from her:

'Dear Jeffrey,

I had never seen Excalibur and have now watched a couple of scenes with
Merlin which are quite fascinating. I had an musically visual idea of
Merlin completely free from any visual representation, and have always
been fascinated by the personage. I also went to see Tintagel, but many
years after having finished the work. Like Florestan, it has been a
one-off musical fantasy of a literary character, but I doubt I will write
more works of this kind. I have just finished composing my Second Symphony
and am now revising it and jotting down an idea. As soon as the parts are
ready it should be recorded with Naxos again.

I love all Art: paintings, statues, and fine art like furniture,
porcelain, glass objects etc. Literature, particularly English and
Russian. I have a great many books on Art and love looking at the
pictures, but particularly the live ones in museums. I have travelled a
lot.

I wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year,

Elisabetta'

Thank you for sharing. I knew she was a cultured and refined woman, from the bio I had about her, and once when I briefly met her,  in Prague, being with a friend of mine, called Patricia Goodson, she is a pianist of some fame and recorded extensively on a lot of labels, including Brilliant, and others.
I remembered being thoroughly impressed with Brussa, having a lively discussion about 20th century symphonic music. I still have a CD with some of her music, with a dedication written on it for me. I will dig it up and send you a pic of it.

[aligreto]

Enescu:





Orchestral Suite No. 3 Op. 27 [Cristescu] I like the rarefied air of this work; its musical language and its scoring. It is sometimes dark, sometimes wistful and sometimes haunting but it is always both engaging and appealing.
Concert Overture Op. 32 [Cristescu] I like the sparse musical language and scoring of this work.

[aligreto]

I am of the opinion that the applause at the beginning had the right balance of politeness and subtlety and that the applause at the end was the most welcome melodious coda, despite a couple of Bravo! rudely interrupting the flow of things  0:)

For the section in the middle, it still doesn't talk to me I'm afraid

If you have not already done so I feel that you should definitely post that comment in your French thread. 

[André]

Bax in ebullient mood, rather unusual compared to the often brooding, troubled mood of his other symphonies. A very detailed performance and clear, deep soundstage from Naxos. At first I felt it was slightly cavernous, but as the ear adjusted, I came to appreciate its fullness and the feeling of a concert hall perspective. The two contrasted fillers rightly precede the symphony. A well-balanced all-Bax concert.

[Papy Oli]

If you have not already done so I feel that you should definitely post that comment in your French thread. 

nope, I think we're good 

[Irons]

Bax: Nympholept
A work that I like very much.
This is a fine performance but the opening is taken rather faster than in Thomson's recording, which has a more dreamy atmosphere, and it remains my preferred version:

After Jeffrey's "nudge" listened to the Three Northern Ballads. All three excellent with perhaps the first shading it. Impressive percussion which I could not decide is down to Bax or the recording which is very good indeed, better then Thomson on the same label IMO. Volume 1 is on it's way.

Steinberg: 4thSymphony.

Big, bold and muscular.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I had some nice email communication with her a few years ago over her composition 'Merlin'.
She seems very nice. Here is a response from her:

'Dear Jeffrey,

I had never seen Excalibur and have now watched a couple of scenes with
Merlin which are quite fascinating. I had an musically visual idea of
Merlin completely free from any visual representation, and have always
been fascinated by the personage. I also went to see Tintagel, but many
years after having finished the work. Like Florestan, it has been a
one-off musical fantasy of a literary character, but I doubt I will write
more works of this kind. I have just finished composing my Second Symphony
and am now revising it and jotting down an idea. As soon as the parts are
ready it should be recorded with Naxos again.

I love all Art: paintings, statues, and fine art like furniture,
porcelain, glass objects etc. Literature, particularly English and
Russian. I have a great many books on Art and love looking at the
pictures, but particularly the live ones in museums. I have travelled a
lot.

I wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year,

Elisabetta'

Now playing: Kokkonen Symphony No.4 - I find Berglund's performance the most searching and moving of the three recordings in my collection - I find the coda of Kokkonen's final symphony to be very moving - a great ending to his symphonic cycle - another example (IMO) of 'modern music' with a soul (like Kabelac's 'Mystery of Time').

Neat!  I found some musical excerpts on her website.  http://www.elisabettabrusa.it/listen/

[vandermolen]

Thank you for sharing. I knew she was a cultured and refined woman, from the bio I had about her, and once when I briefly met her,  in Prague, being with a friend of mine, called Patricia Goodson, she is a pianist of some fame and recorded extensively on a lot of labels, including Brilliant, and others.
I remembered being thoroughly impressed with Brussa, having a lively discussion about 20th century symphonic music. I still have a CD with some of her music, with a dedication written on it for me. I will dig it up and send you a pic of it.

Yes, please do Harry. That's very impressive that you have met her.

Now playing: Cyril Scott 'Neptune' - Poem of the Sea for Large Orchestra:

[vandermolen]

Bax in ebullient mood, rather unusual compared to the often brooding, troubled mood of his other symphonies. A very detailed performance and clear, deep soundstage from Naxos. At first I felt it was slightly cavernous, but as the ear adjusted, I came to appreciate its fullness and the feeling of a concert hall perspective. The two contrasted fillers rightly precede the symphony. A well-balanced all-Bax concert.

I like the combination of Nympholept and the 4th Symphony. I could have done without the Picaresque Comedy Overture.