What are you listening 2 now?

[vers la flamme]

Johann Sebastian Bach: Matthäuspassion, BWV 244. Gustav Leonhardt, La Petite Bande, Tölzer Knabenchor

Just a little bit before work. I've always struggled with the Matthew Passion, and I haven't listened to this music in ages. Enjoying it well enough so far.

[vandermolen]

Symphony No. 1

This is a far cry from Previn's lifeless, boring dud. Exciting and lively, seems like it's a completely different music.



PC 3.

This is an amazing set, both performance-wise and sonically. Desert island stuff.

Looks like a great CD! The 1st Symphony is my favourite. I also like Pletnev's DGG recording. That Earl Wild, Horenstein set was always highly regarded.

[The new erato]

Superb choral symphony:



Thanks to John (Mirror Image) for making me revisit a great composer!

[vandermolen]

Superb choral symphony:



Thanks to John (Mirror Image) for making me revisit a great composer!

+1 I've seen Rosenberg described as like 'An Old Testament Prophet' with his music. I hold him in the highest regards, especially for Symphony No.2 'Grave', 3 and 6 'Semplice' + the beautiful Christmas work 'The Holy Night'. Thought I'd give this enjoyable CD another spin before work:

[Irons]

New acquisition, second rerun.

Vitezslav Novak.
Orchestral Works, Volume I.

South Bohemian Suite.
Toman and the Wood Nymph.
Moravian PO, Marek Stilec.

Second hearing on my bigger system, and it confirmed something I heard on my near field monitors.
The orchestra balance recorded is at best mediocre. The first 3 movements sound as if depth was added in an artificial way, It sounds a bit hollow, as if the mics stood on the side of the orchestra, and none to cover the wind and brass section. This sounds funny. In the Fourth movement the engineer tried to correct the balance but only succeeds partly. Toman has again a different aural feel, and has more detail, but it never sounds easy, especially in the tutti's, Strings and brass. The orchestra sounds sluggish in the Bohemian suite, and it never gets off the ground, The works by Novak are not easy to play, and my feel is that orchestra and conductor are not a perfect match. I have a pocket size score of the Bohemian Suite, and could follow the music in detail, and I missed a lot. It was barely detectable, what was in the score.
I know that quite a few people liked this recording, especially Jeffrey, but this is my impression. I know of older Supraphon recordings, that the Bohemian suite can be done much better.

Interesting. I do not dispute your main point but do believe there are mitigating circumstances. Novak's scoring is quite lush and at times thick, South Bohemian Suite more so. I have the same piece on a Supraphon LP (1110 2486) and your comments could easily directed at that too. What I am trying to say is Novak in general and South Bohemian Suite in particular is a challenge for the best sound engineer being difficult to reproduce. To hear this work at its magnificent best and appreciate the true worth would be at a concert. 

[The new erato]

On which recording do you find the 2nd Symphony, Jeffrey?

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Finzi: Cello Concerto
I heard the last movement of this performance (taken faster than usual) on the radio recently and was most impressed. Reading the notes I was interested to read that Finzi completed his Cello Concerto on the day that I was born!

You and this piece of music were obviously meant for each other then! 

I have to thank whomever it was here who first mentioned Boulez's Répons here; I don't often *check out Boulez's music, but this one is sending shivers down my spine!  An excellent video here.  Wondering whether or not they ever released it?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQE5TYnD58k

*particularly this early in the day! lol

PD

[Harry]

Interesting. I do not dispute your main point but do believe there are mitigating circumstances. Novak's scoring is quite lush and at times thick, South Bohemian Suite more so. I have the same piece on a Supraphon LP (1110 2486) and your comments could easily directed at that too. What I am trying to say is Novak in general and South Bohemian Suite in particular is a challenge for the best sound engineer being difficult to reproduce. To hear this work at its magnificent best and appreciate the true worth would be at a concert.

You are quite right my friend.

[vandermolen]

On which recording do you find the 2nd Symphony, Jeffrey?

Swedish Society Discofil (LP and CD) and I recently discovered it on an interesting Turnabout LP. It has a most wonderfully inspiriting ending (like the 3rd Symphony) and I'm surprised that it's not better known - we need a new recording:

[ritter]

I have to thank whomever it was here who first mentioned Boulez's Répons here; I don't often *check out Boulez's music, but this one is sending shivers down my spine!  An excellent video here.  Wondering whether or not they ever released it?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQE5TYnD58k

*particularly this early in the day! lol

PD

PD, I was wathcing this video myself just a while ago, prompted by Traverso mentioning the piece yesterday. I'm one of the rabid Boulezians here on GMG, so I do check out his music quite often  .

So glad Répons is impressing you....It is an unbelievably rich and sensous piece, so multi-faceted. I was lucky enough to see it live (under the composer) here in Madrid almost 30 years ago now. The impact it makes live, with the spatial distribution of sound, is hard to describe.

The entrance of the solsoists and electronics (at 8m 42s in the video) is pure magic (but so are many other pasagges in Répons).

[vandermolen]

You and this piece of music were obviously meant for each other then! 

I have to thank whomever it was here who first mentioned Boulez's Répons here; I don't often *check out Boulez's music, but this one is sending shivers down my spine!  An excellent video here.  Wondering whether or not they ever released it?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQE5TYnD58k

*particularly this early in the day! lol

PD

Haha - yes, I did a double take when I saw the date. I listened to the last few minutes of the Boulez work which I enjoyed more than expected.

[Papy Oli]

Good afternoon all,

Magnard - Piano Trio Op.18

[Brahmsian]

Good afternoon all,

Magnard - Piano Trio Op.18

Very odd cover art choice!?

[The new erato]

Very odd cover art choice!?

Not if you knpw how Magnard died.

[Papy Oli]

Very odd cover art choice!?

Not if you knpw how Magnard died.

indeed, From wiki:

In 1914, at the beginning of World War I, Magnard sent his wife and two daughters to a safe hiding place while he stayed behind to guard the estate of "Manoir de Fontaines" at Baron, Oise. When German soldiers trespassed on the property, Magnard fired at them, killing one soldier, and they fired back before setting the house on fire. It is believed that Magnard died in the fire, although his body could not be identified in the ruins.

Still odd in comparison of the beautiful music in this set though (sampling it for the first time)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

PD, I was wathcing this video myself just a while ago, prompted by Traverso mentioning the piece yesterday. I'm one of the rabid Boulezians here on GMG, so I do check out his music quite often  .

So glad Répons is impressing you....It is an unbelievably rich and sensous piece, so multi-faceted. I was lucky enough to see it live (under the composer) here in Madrid almost 20 years ago now. The impact it makes live, with the spatial distribution of sound, is hard to describe.

The entrance of the solsoists and electronics (at 8m 42s in the video) is pure magic (but so are many other pasagges in Répons).

That must have been a cool experience! 

Haha - yes, I did a double take when I saw the date. I listened to the last few minutes of the Boulez work which I enjoyed more than expected.

Yes, I understand your comments!    Truthfully, I quite enjoyed the opening and for some time into the work; part of me wondered if perhaps that it might have made even a bigger impact on me if it had been 'tightened up' or shortened some way or another?  But then again, it was only my first time through it and my brain was also thinking a bit about other things that I need or want to get done today.    There certainly were parts though that I did enjoy and found unique and exciting!

PD

[Todd]

The first disc of LvB Variations from the Ousset box.  Vigorous, energetic playing.  Dig the lively bird accompaniment in WoO 68.  I have a couple other complete sets.  Maybe a few comps are in order.  (Excluding Op 120, which is of course in a category all its own.)

[Papy Oli]

Debussy - 6 Epigraphes Antiques, Elégie (Ciccolini)

[Traverso]

SVSO IN ITALY BELLA

CD 3

[not edward]

There's something about Danish choral music...

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