What are you listening 2 now?

[André]

Yes I saw your post and thought it looked interesting, checked out the samples at Presto, thought it worth a punt.

For me the first (and longest) piece is also the weakest - though it certainly has its moments, I don't feel it really coheres as a whole.  But after that the disk just gets better and better.  I played it twice through, and the second time impressions reinforced the first.  A very rewarding listen.  Please accept this belated hat-tip. 0:)

The only downer is that I don't seem able to find anything else by these composers, and since this disk is already 10 years old, maybe that's all there's ever going to be.

Indeed, my reaction as well. That's why I wrote a bit of background info back then, as there's nothing else to be found about any of these composers - or about Liechtenstein's musical scene, for that matter 

[Mirror Image]

NP: Szymanowski Harnasie, Op. 55 (Antoni Wit et. al.)

[Irons]

Janacek: Sinfonietta [Ancerl]





This is such a wonderful work.

And arguably the best recording.

[SonicMan46]

That's a great set!  And was quite reasonably priced when I purchased it...around $14 I think.  Not certain where you can get it these days?  Brilliant Classics put it out (10 CDs).  They were licensed from Decca Music Group.  No. 94054.  Full barcode = 5028421940540 [Info for I believe that it was Dave who asked?].  You might try going to www.brilliantclassics.com.
Love that CD!  That work blew me away the first time that I heard it too.  Would love to see that performed live. 

PD

Thanks PD for the comments above - the set was released in 2010 so must have gone 'under my radar'?  I visited Brilliant Classics and Hans Holliger is not even listed as one of their artists; doing some googling brought up the $90 USD offer shown below, an obvious OOP 'rip-off' - most other places visited, including eBay were 'sold out' - no big deal - I own a lot of Holliger already, and have several other versions of Albinoni's Oboe Concertos (3 of 10 discs in the Holliger box).  Dave

[aligreto]

I have now listened to this recent purchase multiple times.





Prior to this set I have only had some of this music played on modern instruments. I have never really been happy with that particular CD. This 2 CD set has, however, brought the music to life for me. Even after the first listen [now reinforced by multiple subsequent listens] I liked the presentation of the music for its lyricism, sonorities and its energy, drive and excitement. The music flows effortlessly, at all tempi, as Bach's music should. It is also recorded in a warm acoustic with the balance between the flauto traverso and the harpsichord being very good. All musical lines are perfectly audible and discernable.

[aligreto]

Great to see the love for Janacek's Sinfonietta.

[Traverso]

Debussy

[SonicMan46]

I have now listened to this recent purchase multiple times.

 

Prior to this set I have only had some of this music played on modern instruments. I have never really been happy with that particular CD. This 2 CD set has, however, brought the music to life for me. Even after the first listen [now reinforced by multiple subsequent listens] I liked the presentation of the music for its lyricism, sonorities and its energy, drive and excitement. The music flows effortlessly, at all tempi, as Bach's music should. It is also recorded in a warm acoustic with the balance between the flauto traverso and the harpsichord being very good. All musical lines are perfectly audible and discernable.

Hi Aligreto - I own a lot of recordings by Jed Wentz, especially w/ his group Musica Ad Rhenum, so the above pique my interest - posted the other day about my recordings of these works and probably one of my favorites is w/ Lisa Beznosiuk (inserted above) - she plays a one keyed ebony flute by Alain Weemaels after a Rottenburgh, ca. early 18th century.  Listening now and enjoying - the Wentz recording is on Spotify, so will audition later - for those interested, several reviews attached of the 2-CD Hyperion package.  Dave

[Traverso]

Thanks PD for the comments above - the set was released in 2010 so must have gone 'under my radar'?  I visited Brilliant Classics and Hans Holliger is not even listed as one of their artists; doing some googling brought up the $90 USD offer shown below, an obvious OOP 'rip-off' - most other places visited, including eBay were 'sold out' - no big deal - I own a lot of Holliger already, and have several other versions of Albinoni's Oboe Concertos (3 of 10 discs in the Holliger box).  Dave

It must be found for around 35 euro on ebay or elsewhere.

https://www.ebay.nl/itm/Heinz-Holliger-Edition-von-Heinz-Holliger-CD-Zustand-sehr-gut/383796535467?hash=item595c0e60ab:g:8fkAAOSwiItfo80M

[Traverso]

Curious - where purchased and cost?  Cannot find on Amazon USA at the moment. Thanks - Dave 😀

I paid 15 euro for this box,you have to be patient till you find one for a reasonable price.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/114697883

[steve ridgway]

Scelsi - Hurqualia.

[Brian]

Love that CD!  That work blew me away the first time that I heard it too.  Would love to see that performed live. 

PD

Regarding Janacek's Sinfonietta:

Indeed, would love to hear it live. You need a lot of brass! 

I've seen Janacek's Sinfonietta live twice, and was supposed to see it a third time but then the pandemic happened. It is my all-time #1 favorite piece to see live in concert. The effect is just tremendous. Last time, I took my parents, who had never heard any Janacek before, and it blew them away. They said it was worth the 500 mile round trip drive just to hear it.

[steve ridgway]

Stockhausen - Kontakte (electronic only version). What's that artwork? A mob around the guillotine getting rid of the old order?

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

I am enjoying this Symphony, Franck-like to be sure, extraordinarily colored and textured, if without much of the master's drama (that does, however, come to the fore in Lazzari's Tableaux Maritimes).  Conductor Adriano a bit too casual, perhaps, and the MSO not quite up to the challenge.  Still, cyclic and ruminative, worth a listen.  Somewhere, I heard Lazzari's atmospheric Effet de Nuit, and was happy to remake its acquaintance on Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my2sC74MQvo  191 Likes (can't be wrong) and 0 Dislikes!  (Please refrain from breaking what must be some kind of record...)

[André]

Early works by Cyril Scott. Scott was a member of the 'Frankfurt gang', a group of young British composers who studied at the Frankfurt conservatoire (Balfour Gardiner, Percy Grainger, Roger Quilter were there as well).

The overture to Pelleas and Melisanda is actually a substantial tone poem. The influence of Delius is striking in the harmonies and melodic turns - less so in the piano concerto, but it can still be heard clearly in places. I'm not complaining, au contraire  . The concerto was destroyed by Scott, but the piano part and most of the orchestration survived. Conductor Yates put it all together for this recording. It's Scott's Pc no 0 then, predating his official PC no 1. Peter Donohoe has great fun playing this big, splashy work.

The same kind of editing effort was needed to put the cello concerto together. It was virtually complete, but some pages had unfinished scoring. Cellist Raphael Wallfisch edited the solo part as well. This then, is Scott's cello concerto no 0, as there is a later one from 1937. As it has never been numbered, one could easily mistake one for another.

All three works are highly enjoyable - particularly the Overture. A very valuable release then, in superb sound.

[71 dB]

I am maybe struggling to enjoy classical music these days, but Valentin Silvestrov works for me.

[asin]B00008MNCG[/asin]

[asin]B074BYNSTD[/asin]

[asin]B07HSK3HL5[/asin]

[SimonNZ]

[Todd]

✔ High-end orchestral playing
✔ High-end conductor who knows his business
✔ High-end sound
✔ Soloists displaying modern conservatory super-chops and interpretive insight

Verdict: A winner.

Looks like I will have to investigate more of Ms Yang's work.  The Rihm discs, including one with the estimable Nicholas Rimmer on piano, look promising.

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

More Szymanowski of an evening, Wiki waxes most informatively on this work: "First commissioned in 1924, Princess Edmond de Polignac requested "a piece for soloists, choir, orchestra (perhaps with Polish text) – a kind of Polish requiem." Teresa Chylińska indicates Szymanowski's intentions for the piece: "a type of peasant requiem – something peasant and ecclesiastical, naively devotional, a sort of prayer for souls – a mixture of simple-minded religion, paganism and a certain austere peasant realism." Szymanowski and the Princess lost touch, thus the commission lost momentum. However, later that year thoughts on such a composition were revived when Warsaw industrialist Bronisław Krystall commissioned Szymanowski for a work in memory of his late wife. In addition, circumstances in the composer's personal life also served as an inspiration for the work. Upon the death of his niece, Alusia Bartoszewiczówna, in January 1925, the composer spent time consoling his sister in her loss, subsequently choosing to set the Stabat Mater text, with its profound reflection on the "grieving mother."

Stabat Materialism:  Amazon can get you a new copy of this for $969 but there's another used copy for $902.  Also a couple of other new ones for $5...

[vers la flamme]

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty Suite, op.66a. Mstislav Rostropovich, Berlin Philharmonic

This is an excellent performance. The music is really just now clicking with me. Sometimes, I get to feeling like our Florestan, where all I want to hear is Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, and the like.  Tchaikovsky is nobody's idea of difficult music, but still, I didn't always enjoy his music, and I'm happy that it's all beginning to make sense. By the way, the ballets are completely different from the symphonies (of which I only know the last three: I still need to track down a good recording of the first three).