What are you listening 2 now?

[Mandryka]

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.

I shall listen to that very soon.

[Mirror Image]

Varèse - Arcana (for orchestra)
Martinon / CSO

Might to revisit Varèse. I am enjoying this. 

I'm just waiting until you start listening to Boulez and actually enjoy it. Now, that will be something. Of course, Boulez is one of my favorite post-war composers. The man's ear for sonority and texture are otherworldly.

[Que]

Morning listening - just arrived:

[Harry]

J.S. Bach.
Complete Organ Works.
Volume XIII

Concerto No. 1 in G major (after Duke J. Ernst), BWV 592
Concerto No. 2 in A minor (after A. Vivaldi), BWV 593
Concerto No. 3 in C major (after A. Vivaldi), BWV 594
Concerto No. 4 in C major (after Duke J. Ernst), BWV 595
Concerto No. 5 in D minor (after A. Vivaldi), BWV 596
Trio in C minor, BWV 585
Trio in G major, BWV 586
Aria in F major, BWV 587

Ewald Kooiman plays on a   Johann Nepomuk Holzhey organ 1795. Neresheim.


I think that the Holzhey is not the right instrument for these concertos. In my view it needs an Organ of an earlier date to make them work. Now they sound to big and somewhat lost in the volume of the organ. The performances are not bad, but there are obviously better renditions. Sound has quite some reverb, but is good if not great. I missed some inspiration on the side of Kooiman, who does not seem to have a close connections with the concertos.

Could not find a downloadable pic of the CD.

[ritter]

Pierre Boulez conducts his Figures, Doubles, Prismes (BBC Symphony Orchestra).


This is the composer's first work for large orchestra, and remains one of his lesser-known compositions. The indication for the seating of the performers--the woodwinds are supposed to "mix" with the strings, seeking a "blending" of timbres--is apparently not that easy to implement in practice. Still, what comes through in recordings is an attractive work, with some wonderful sonorities and the composer's trademark mixture of aggressiveness, lyricism and sensuousness.

[Roasted Swan]

This hybrid SACD box set, which is a Tower Records exclusive in conjunction with Warner Classics, has been completely remastered. If I'm not mistaken, the remastering was done by a well-known Japanese mastering engineer. Like the older green set, it's 9 discs, so there aren't any new performances added as you have the same content in the EMI set. But the difference here is the fidelity, which, to these ears, blows away all iterations of this box set. Also, the cardboard outer box and each 'set' within the box are made of a cardboard material that is hard as a rock. I'm not joking...I don't know what the material is they used, but I love it.

Here's the set on Tower Records Japan website:

https://tower.jp/item/5135342/R-シュトラウス：-管弦楽作品全集(シリアルナンバー無再発盤)＜タワーレコード限定＞

I owned the green set (gifted it to my dad), but I still own this set, which sounds fantastic as well:



My reasoning for purchasing this Tower Records/Warner set is because I had previously bought the Sibelius symphony set with Berglund conducting Bournemouth and I was so floored by the fidelity and presentation of the set that I had to get my hands on the Strauss set. It was rather expensive (both sets), but it was worth every penny, IMHO.

The Berglund/Bournemouth Tower Records set:



Edit:

You may want to consider getting the newly reissued Kempe set from Warner that uses the original LP artwork (w/ some alterations I'm sure to the actual content of each disc). I hear that the remastering in this set is top-drawer.

I'd love to hear both those SA-CD Japanese sets - both enduring favourites in whatever format.  But ouch those prices are eye-watering!  I'll have to stick with the latest 'standard' remasterings - you are right they are both very good if not as good

[Biffo]

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

I bought the Warner CD set which is Remastered in 2013 from newly discovered original tapes. Sounds fine to me though I haven't listened to all of it yet.

[Biffo]

Mozart: Piano Concerto No 17 in G major, K 453 - Daniel Barenboim conductor & soloist with the English Chamber Orchestra

[ritter]

Carl Schuricht conduct Bruckner's Third Symphony (Vienna Philharmonic):

[vandermolen]

Carl Schuricht conduct Bruckner's Third Symphony (Vienna Philharmonic):

Looks like a great set, featuring my three favourite Bruckner symphonies (along with No.5)
I have this recording:

[Mandryka]

I've got a French language question which is really bugging me, but people here will be able to answer it I think. Messiaen wrote something called Catalogue d'oiseaux.  He chose not to call it Catalogue des oiseaux. Is there a difference between  d'oiseaux and des oiseaux?

[aukhawk]

Pierre Boulez conducts his Figures, Doubles, Prismes (BBC Symphony Orchestra).


This is the composer's first work for large orchestra, and remains one of his lesser-known compositions. The indication for the seating of the performers--the woodwinds are supposed to "mix" with the strings, seeking a "blending" of timbres--is apparently not that easy to implement in practice. Still, what comes through in recordings is an attractive work, with some wonderful sonorities and the composer's trademark mixture of aggressiveness, lyricism and sensuousness.

I suppose if you sit next to a violinist, and are not yourself also a violinist - you're apt to get a poke in the eye ...

[Florestan]

I've got a French language question which is really bugging me, but people here will be able to answer it I think. Messiaen wrote something called Catalogue d'oiseaux.  He chose not to call it Catalogue des oiseaux. Is there a difference between  d'oiseaux and des oiseaux?

I'm not a native French speaker but I think Catalogue des oiseaux would translate as Catalogue of the birds, implying possession, ie the catalogue belongs to the birds --- an absurdity. Catalogue d'oiseaux otoh would translate as Catalogue of birds, implying birds are listed in the catalogue --- Messiaen's intention, obviously. And I also think d'oiseaux is a contraction of de oiseaux. Notice the difference between des and de.

I'm sure the native French speakers will clarify the issue.

[Harry]

Bohuslav Martinu.

Early Orchestral Works Volume III.

Vanishing Midnight.
Ballade, (after Böcklin's picture Villa by the Sea)
Dream of the Past.

Sinfonia Varsovia, Ian Hobson.

For me this is the most successful CD in this series, I simply adore "Vanishing Midnight" and the "Dream of the Past", such magical Works. Fine performance and good sound.


The first disc I ordered would not play on my Nu-Vista, but it would on my Quad. So I contacted Toccata, and they kindly sent me from Naxos Germany a replacement. Which was kind of them, but Lo and Behold, the same problem with the new disc. It must be said that it has a very bright see through appearance, maybe that's the problem.

Nope the Quad gives up too!

[ritter]

I'm not a native French speaker but I think Catalogue des oiseaux would translate as Catalogue of the birds, implying possession, ie the catalogue belongs to the birds --- an absurdity. Catalogue d'oiseaux otoh would translate as Catalogue of birds, implying birds are listed in the catalogue --- Messiaen's intention, obviously. And I also think d'oiseaux is a contraction of de oiseaux. Notice the difference between des and de.

I'm sure the native French speakers will clarify the issue.

I'm not a native French speaker either, but concur with what Andrei says. Another example is Milhaud's Catalogue de fleurs (not "des fleurs")

André et Olivier, où êtes-vous? 

[ritter]

Looks like a great set, featuring my three favourite Bruckner symphonies (along with No.5)

Indeed it is a great set. I believe the Bruckner 8 & 9 recordings are the same, but it's good to have the Third as well. The Beethoven is also quite wonderful (with the particularly French sound of the orchestra).

BTW, I didn't remember how wonderful the adagio from Bruckner's Third is. Wow!

[aligreto]

Varèse - Arcana (for orchestra)
Martinon / CSO

Might to revisit Varèse. I am enjoying this. 

Powerful and exciting music, Olivier. BTW see the Purchasing thread 

[Biffo]

Sibelius: Symphony No 3 in C major - Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste - fine performance

[Harry]

Nikolai Miaskovsky.

CD IV.

Symphony No. 7 & 8.

State SO of the Russian Federation, Evgeny Svetlanov.

[Traverso]

Stravinsky

Disc 22