What are you listening 2 now?

[Florestan]

You're right I've been confusing it with Lac Vassiviere. I've been to Laffrey too - much smaller lake, not such a remote location, classic statue of Napoleon, can't really imagine what Messiaen would see in it though.  Whereas I can imagine him responding to the moody shores of Lac Vassiviere.

There is another lake near Grenoble which is larger and more scenic than Laffrey --- Lac Paladru. Also,  a small lake up there in the mountains, very picturesque both in its own scenery and in the way upwards it --- Lac Achard.

Actually, the whole region around Grenoble is breathtakingly beautiful. I've lived in that city for two years and they were among the happiest of my life.

[Iota]

Schumann: Intermezzi Op.4

Eric Le Sage (piano)


Le Sage's playing is irresisitible, so nimble and lyrical, I love his Schumann playing generally. And the Intermezzi are restlessly inventive jewels from the pen of the young RS, that often seem to get overshadowed by some of their opus number near-neighbours .

[Florestan]

Schumann: Intermezzi Op.4

Eric Le Sage (piano)


Le Sage's playing is irresisitible, so nimble and lyrical, I love his Schumann playing generally. And the Intermezzi are restlessly inventive jewels from the pen of the young RS, that often seem to get overshadowed by some of their opus number near-neighbours .

Punds the table! The whole Le Sage Schumann series is excellent (complete solo piano works and chamber music with piano), possibly the best such sets ever recorded.

[Iota]

Punds the table! The whole Le Sage Schumann series is excellent (complete solo piano works and chamber music with piano), possibly the best such sets ever recorded.

Indeed, an absolute Aladdin's Cave! No table anywhere is safe! 

[DavidW]

[Florestan]

Indeed, an absolute Aladdin's Cave! No table anywhere is safe!

[Traverso]

Messiaen

Livre VI

Livre VII

[aligreto]

So, for the third time today, Mozart's Symphony No. 40.

Mozart: Symphony No. 40 [Hogwood]





Brisk, but not too fast, in tempo and light of touch but still sounding very full. It is strong and powerful but not overly assertive and is always elegant and full of charm, poise and refinement throughout.

[vandermolen]

P. Racine Fricker: 'The Vision of Judgement'
His masterpiece I think and should appeal to anyone who likes Walton's 'Belshazzar's Feast' for example. Hat-tip to cilgwyn, once of this forum, for recommending this great work:

[André]

High calorie stuff, from the height of Romanticism. The Schnittke is the odd man out of course, but merely a palate cleanser, a 6 minute piece sandwiched between these two big-hearted quartets. It certainly works, as no trace of Fauré's expansive, passionate idiom subsists after that. It ends softly with a direct quote from a youthful work by Mahler. But that's fine by me. The role of a musical program (concert or recorded) is to take the listener on a musical journey. These fine artists certainly succeed here. The pianist is Kim Barbier, the string players are all members of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Two French, a Swiss and and a German. They make beautiful music together. This is a remarkable disc.

[Florestan]

High calorie stuff, from the height of Romanticism. The Schnittke is the odd man out of course, but merely a palate cleanser, a 6 minute piece sandwiched between these two big-hearted quartets. It certainly works, as no trace of Fauré's expansive, passionate idiom subsists after that. It ends softly with a direct quote from a youthful work by Mahler. But that's fine by me. The role of a musical program (concert or recorded) is to take the listener on a musical journey. These fine artists certainly succeed here. The pianist is Kim Barbier, the string players are all members of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Two French, a Swiss and and a German. They make beautiful music together. This is a remarkable disc.

Which Faure? Which Brahms?

[Mandryka]

Messiaen

Livre VI

Livre VII

So far I'm preferring Erato to Vega, but it may not stay that way. It says something for her belief in the music that she recorded the cycle twice.

[vandermolen]

An inspiriting work before bedtime.
Walton: 'Jubilate Deo'

[Brian]

Dipped into this on streaming and tried the Islamey and Polovtsian Dances.



Both are as unnecessary as you'd expect, but in the Polovtsian Dances, Lan Shui makes two very interesting choices. The smaller one is that he elongates the final chord, so it doesn't just snap; more like it thumps. The bigger choice is that he has the chorus - this is the choral version - sing totally without vibrato the whole time, and he has them elongate their vowels in weird ways. The result is very angelic-sounding ladies, but overall, it sounds like an avant garde choral piece layered onto a romantic orchestra. The effect is very strange and slick and bizarre. Not good, but not boring!

[Papy Oli]

Varèse - Arcana (for orchestra)
Martinon / CSO

Might to revisit Varèse. I am enjoying this. 

[Traverso]

So far I'm preferring Erato to Vega, but it may not stay that way. It says something for her belief in the music that she recorded the cycle twice.

I also have a preference for the Erato recordings, it is as if the lens of the camera has been adjusted sharper, you feel that there is more feeling for the structure that is clarified and sounded with more authority.
Of course, it is far too early to definitively judge the Vega recordings as less. The older recordings of the younger Yvonne Loriod may contain pearls that may be less pronounced but certainly present.
I will often have to listen to it before I know the work through and through, which is not the case at the moment. Some parts immediately turn out to be recognizable after a first listen, other parts are a lot more unruly.
I'm also going to listen to the recordings of Peter Hill and Håkon Austbø.
I have yet to listen to Aimard for the first time.
Then probably more in short pieces, Le chocard des alpes, eight minutes and then listen in different performances.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

What am I listening...
Now that a great question?


Motets & instrumentals of following LP's

In great Honor and prestige to Aléjandro Planchart may you R.I.P, master director, listening to Face two of Nicolas Gombert on NON-SUCH thee finest quality in term of media hmm petrol 275-300 grams of it, dammit this vinyl sound good, was ain't up for a Masses but always up for Motets, this is what you get face one: Gombert Masse de Pacem and face two Motets, Of  mine favorite Adrian Willaert, Gombert, Clemens non Papa and Johannes Lheritier the best of the lot, and odd of mystery a huge shroud of a mystery around his works him, wright?, this is captivating.m see and believe.

I might has well listen to the other LP side 2  Music of the Chapel Charles V, Whit sir. Thomas Crécquillon & Arnold Schilick has organ work, the organ is very good and Crécquillon a (compositeur phare*=such and icon) in  history of Franco-Flemish Genius, did I said Had lots of Crécquillon yet Schlick I am unfamiliar whit.

P.s love you kind  folks of goodwill, thinking fellas 

[mabuse]

It says something for her belief in the music that she recorded the cycle twice.

She even went so far as to marry the composer ! 
...

In the Vega box set, I was very happy to discover her recording of Jean Barraqué's sonata... A more impressionistic interpretation than what we usually hear by others.

[Mirror Image]

That's great John.  Thanks very much for that detailed explanation.  It really helped clarify things for me.

My pleasure, Ray!

NP:

Strauss
Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64
Staatskapelle Dresden
Sinopoli

[Mandryka]

I also have a preference for the Erato recordings, it is as if the lens of the camera has been adjusted sharper, you feel that there is more feeling for the structure that is clarified and sounded with more authority.
Of course, it is far too early to definitively judge the Vega recordings as less. The older recordings of the younger Yvonne Loriod may contain pearls that may be less pronounced but certainly present.
I will often have to listen to it before I know the work through and through, which is not the case at the moment. Some parts immediately turn out to be recognizable after a first listen, other parts are a lot more unruly.
I'm also going to listen to the recordings of Peter Hill and Håkon Austbø.
I have yet to listen to Aimard for the first time.
Then probably more in short pieces, Le chocard des alpes, eight minutes and then listen in different performances.

If you can read French this book seems to me really outstanding on the catalogue

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Loeuvre-dOlivier-Messiaen-Harry-Halbreich/dp/2213636478/ref=nodl_