What are you listening 2 now?

[kyjo]

Very positive comments from Amazon Customers, but I won't join the chorus of praise. Gurrelieder is a problematic work, and everything needs to be tops if it's going to work - for me at least. The recording is rather blasty, which makes it hard to get a satisfactory listening level. Tenor Thomas Moser and soprano Deborah Voigt who share the brunt of the solo work are overparted IMO (Moser especially). No match for McCracken and Brouwenstijn on the incandescent Stokowski recording. This is the only disappointment of the Teldec set which is otherwise warmly recommended.

Chailly's Gurrelieder is superb:



I listened to it a couple months ago and it blew me away. I can't recommend it highly enough!

[kyjo]

Panufnik: Symphony no. 3 Sinfonia sacra



Panufnik is one of those composers I tend to overlook for whatever reason, and it was good to acquaint myself with what is probably his best-known work. By turns grippingly dramatic and soulfully lyrical, this work makes a powerful impression. I was perhaps reminded of Holmboe but with an Eastern European rather than Nordic accent.


Auric: Phèdre



This is certainly not what I was expecting at all! I was expecting something light, tuneful, witty, elegant; you know, the kind of stuff members of Les Six typically write? Well, this ballet is far from it! Raucous, noisy, dissonant, and eventually cataclysmic, at times it makes Le sacre sound like Poulenc by comparison! I can't say I loved it, but it certainly was an exciting listening experience!


Mozart: Symphony no. 29



The outer movements of this symphony are sheer joy and delightful invention. However, at over 10 minutes long I thought the slow movement was quite a bit too long for its material.


Zemlinsky: Psalms 13 and 23



The late Psalm 23 is a deeply impressive work - opening darkly and inexorably building to a thrilling, radiant conclusion. Psalm 13 is a calmer work, less impressive than 23 but not without some wonderful moments.


Mahler: Piano Quartet in A minor



I had forgotten just how good this all-too-brief early work is. Beginning rather unassumingly, it rises to climaxes of surging passion. As others have remarked, it's a real shame that Mahler didn't write more chamber music.

[Symphonic Addict]

One of the few instances where we disagree, then! What are your favorite works by Françaix? The guy wrote so much music, it's hard to know where to start!

Actually yes, very few!

By Françaix I enjoy his Harpsichord Concerto, Concerto for guitar and strings, Huit danses exotiques for 11 instruments, Octet, Variations for cello and strings, and Trio for oboe, bassoon and piano. I agree he wasn't an especially "deep" composer, but what I've heard is just irresistibly fun.

[kyjo]

Saint-Saëns: Rhapsodie d'Auvergne



I simply can't overstate how delightful this work is. Based on three contrasting folk-like themes, it packs a lot of incident in its mere 9.5-minute span.


Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Concerto



I recall Andrei waxed lyrical about this work a while ago, though I'm afraid I can't share his enthusiasm. It's all very pleasant, occasionally threatening to become compelling (in the 3rd and 4th mvts.) though it never quite "gets there". It's interesting to note that there have been quite a few recordings of this work.


Bax: Violin Concerto



Another flawed VC...well, actually the first movement was quite good, to my surprise! In a tripartite structure (Overture - Ballad - Scherzo), it's almost like a mini-concerto in itself, and boasts some attractive thematic material. I wish I could say the same for the remaining two movements, but...nope. The slow movement, in particular, is pure tediousness IMO.


Villa-Lobos: Uirapuru



Villa-Lobos at his colorful, exotic, and individualistic best.


Castellanos: Santa Cruz de Pacairigua



Another hugely enjoyable Latin American orchestral extravaganza! I'll be sure to check out the Naxos CD devoted to the orchestral works of this Venezuelan composer (1915-84). And it pretty much goes without saying that this entire Dudamel album is sheer, unalloyed fun from start to finish. As John (MI) would always say, it's a shame that he hasn't gone on to record more Latin American repertoire.

[kyjo]

Actually yes, very few!

By Françaix I enjoy his Harpsichord Concerto, Concerto for guitar and strings, Huit danses exotiques for 11 instruments, Octet, Variations for cello and strings, and Trio for oboe, bassoon and piano. I agree he wasn't an especially "deep" composer, but what I've heard is just irresistibly fun.

Well, I don't believe I've heard any of these works, so maybe they'll turn me into a Françaix convert! Thanks, Cesar.

[vandermolen]

Indeed, I wish composers had written more symphonies in this key. Hanson's 2nd and Rangstrom's 3rd are the only other examples I know (they're excellent, of course). And regarding Schumann, good to know!

Interesting to know. Must listen to some more Rangstrom.

[Que]

Morning listening:

I'm not very keen on those English madrigals!

Music or performances?
I suspect the former. The material here contains some lighter fare, but I enjoy it! 

Q

[Mandryka]

Morning listening:



Music or performances?
I suspect the former. The material here contains some lighter fare, but I enjoy it! 

Q

Yes the music.

[vers la flamme]

^I have the reissue of that Hilliard madrigals disc (coupled with the Italian madrigals) and I must admit I enjoy the Italian side of things a good bit more. But I haven't spent all that much time with the music yet.

Td;



Max Reger: Chorale Fantasia on Wie schön leucht uns der Morgenstern, op.40 no.1; Organ Pieces from op.59. Josef Still

Amazing stuff.

[Papy Oli]

Good morning all,

Koechlin - Paysages et marines, Op. 63 (Piano version - Michael Korstick)

[Que]

Q

[Madiel]

I spent some time today listening to this on streaming



And very good it was too. It's a been a while since I've listened to the Janacek piano music that I actually own, so it might be that I already have a perfectly good recording of some of the same works (definitely not all). But Ades was certainly worth hearing in this repertoire.

[Papy Oli]

More Koechlin Piano works.
Nouvelles sonatines No. 3, Op. 87
Second album de Lilian, Op. 149
Au loin, Op. 2, No. 2
Nouvelles sonatines No. 1, Op. 87
Premier album de Lilian, Op. 139


Nice and pleasant but very same-y. It all merged into one since Paysages & Marines to be honest.

[Daverz]

Schoenberg: Variations for Orchestra - Rosbaud with the Südwestfunk-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden

https://www.youtube.com/v/cEoBvHSxoWM

Alerted to this performance by this brief appreciation of Rosbaud:

https://www.youtube.com/v/-P0MBH1h4MA

[Maestro267]

Hartmann: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3
Bamberg SO/Metzmacher

[Papy Oli]

I spent some time today listening to this on streaming



And very good it was too. It's a been a while since I've listened to the Janacek piano music that I actually own, so it might be that I already have a perfectly good recording of some of the same works (definitely not all). But Ades was certainly worth hearing in this repertoire.

And how does that music work as a soundtrack to Port Adelaide-Richmond ? 
Koechlin makes AFL looks like poetry in motion  

[Madiel]

And how does that music work as a soundtrack to Port Adelaide-Richmond ? 
Koechlin makes AFL looks like poetry in motion  

Ha. I've been busy watching the NRL first (Canberra was playing)... but AFL is poetry in motion. Perhaps not this year so much.

Anyway, "I spent some time today" means hours ago, at work.

[Traverso]

Bach

Weihnachtoratorium

[Florestan]

Isn't it astonishing that after the premiere, there were negative reviews saying the opera would fail because it had no melodies? One critic called the music "dull and obscure"...although at least Tchaikovsky saw it and recognized it as a masterpiece.

Well, Piotr Ilych certainly knew a thing or two about melody.

[Florestan]

Wolf-Ferrari: Violin Concerto



I recall Andrei waxed lyrical about this work a while ago, though I'm afraid I can't share his enthusiasm. It's all very pleasant, occasionally threatening to become compelling (in the 3rd and 4th mvts.) though it never quite "gets there". It's interesting to note that there have been quite a few recordings of this work.

Well, in my book "very pleasant" equals "very good" and I have yet to hear an unpleasant Wolf-Ferrari work. We can still be friends, though.