What are you listening 2 now?

[Daverz]

Have long been a big Skrowaczewski fan, including his SWR Bruckner symphony set, but this is my first listen to this Minnesota Bruckner 9.  It's a more close-up sound, which I like.  Skrow's finale is interpreted more as an elegy than the expressionist tragedy that some conductors find here.  By the way, Reference gives us 17 track points rather than the usual 4.

[André]

The 1939 performances (Pfitzner + 3 well-known Strauss pieces) are in old but not ancient sound, clear enough to reveal the beauty of the orchestra's execution. The winds in particular shine in Till as in very few modern performances. The sonic knockout here though is the 1944 recording of the infamous Festive Prelude for organ and large orchestra. Recorded in the vast expanses of Dresden's Frauenkirche, it reveals countless details absent from other performances, as well as easily containing the huge sonic spectacle of the big Silbermann organ fighting against the augmented Dresden orchestra. The performance, led by the Staatskapelle's 'second' conductor (actually the opera house's conductor for 5 decades) is revelatory, transforming a reputedly tasteless sonic orgy into a grand, urgent, noble piece not unlike Wagner's Meistersinger Act I prelude. It displays here a capacity to exhilarate as well as astonish. The other works on the disc were recorded in the Semperoper, a duller, smaller venue.

Böhm, the orchestra MD at the time shows why he was such a renowned Strauss interpreter. His interpretation of the Pfitzner symphony is bolder and more assured than the rival Bamberg version on CPO. In the 1930s Böhm and the Dresdeners performed a new work by Pfitzner every season. Their confidence and  familiarity with the composer's style is a telling asset.

[André]

Nowadays Robert Fuchs is better known as having taught Mahler, Wolf, Zemlinsky, Sibelius, Schreker and Schmidt than for his compositional legacy.

I listened to this twice, just to make sure my first impression was correct. The second listening improved my opinion of the works. What first struck me as dutiful and uneventful then appeared to be finely crafted and quite enjoyable in an unflashy, refined language. The first time my attention wandered, but the second time around I actually paid attention to what was going on and really enjoyed it. I'm happy to have heard this disc.

The Mährische Philharmonie is a Czech band, locally known as the Moravian Philharmonic, Olomouc (second largest city of Moravia, itself a province of the Czech Republic). A quick read at the relevant wiki entry taught me that Olomouc is a very ancient city, with its inner city the second-largest historical monuments preserve in the country. Must be a good place to visit!

[SimonNZ]

[JBS]

CD 1
Ravel Tzigane
Paganini Concerto no 1
Saint-Saens Havanaise
Bruch Scottish Fantasy

[Alek Hidell]

Yes, still this ...



Finished Shostakovich 8, a fine performance, and next we're staying with the Russkies, moving into Prokofiev's 1st symphony and then Romeo and Juliet.

As I was listening to these, it occurred to me that I believe this was only my second-ever hearing of the "Classical" symphony (the other was Ozawa's take, years ago) and I do believe this is my maiden hearing of R&J. There are still some big gaps in my listening!

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Le Royaume Oublié = The Forgotten Kingdom an album/book containing three CD's wow, of ancient lore France, an epic journey of surreal beauty, simply said incredible and mesmerizing for me his best*, whit Istanbul, what do you think, hey?

Jordi Savall everything add been said about the greatness of this offering. What about it, well he know his stuff a true master whit an stunning good Ensemble and performers, whit peerless  execution and clever rendition, 100/100 some people on Amazon did not like it put this two star, I don't get it, but anyone entitled to there opinion.

[Mirror Image]

Boulez - Livre Pour Cordes.

Awesome!

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Respighi
Vetrate Di Chiesa (Church Windows), P. 150
Philharmonia
Simon



Still the Church Windows performance to beat.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Henze
Neue Volkslieder und Hirtengesange
Franz Halász (guitar), Sophia Reuter (viola), Karsten Nagel (bassoon), Gottfried Schneider (violin), Sebastian Hess (cello)

From this recording:

[Harry]

Jan Dismas Zelenka.

Immisit Dominus pestilentiam ZWV 58; Attendite et videte ZWV 59; Deus dux fortissime ZWV 60.

Hana Blazikova, David Erler, Tobias Hunger, Tomas Kral, ao.
Collegium Marianum, Jana Semeradova.


Music from 18th century Prague - World premiere recording
Jan Dismas Zelenka wrote his three Easter cantatas for the Jesuit College in Prague. In 1709 he himself conducted one of these works in the Salvator Church. 300 years later, the cantatas have been performed at a historical location and are now released as a world premiere recording on CD.

[Que]

Morning listening:

[Tsaraslondon]

Zinman's wonderfully fresh account of Beethoven's first two symphonies.

[Harry]

Bohuslav Martinu.

Early Orchestral Works, Volume III.

Vanishing Midnight.
Ballade (after Bocklin's picture, "Villa by the Sea".
Dream of the past.

Sinfonia Varsovia, Ian Hobson.

[The new erato]

Le Royaume Oublié = The Forgotten Kingdom an album/book containing three CD's wow, of ancient lore France, an epic journey of surreal beauty, simply said incredible and mesmerizing for me his best*, whit Istanbul, what do you think, hey?

Jordi Savall everything add been said about the greatness of this offering. What about it, well he know his stuff a true master whit an stunning good Ensemble and performers, whit peerless  execution and clever rendition, 100/100 some people on Amazon did not like it put this two star, I don't get it, but anyone entitled to there opinion.

I'm endlessly fascinated by the Cathars and their destiny (the Albigensian crusade) and the region they lived in. Have visited Vezelay (where the crusade was launcehd), Beziers and numerous other locations, including travelling in the Pyrenees. Long to go back. Lots of good books about their history.

[Madiel]

Earlier today, Symphony No.1

[aligreto]

Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 6 [Gewandhaus Quartet]





There is great forward momentum in the opening two movements and the music is well driven here. The music moves relentlessly along with great gusto and excitement and works its way to a wonderful conclusion in both movements although the second movement conclusion is somewhat inconclusive. The slow movement is a very marked contrast in terms of tempo and tone and contains wonderfully engaging music. The Final movement resumes the original approach but not always at the same frantic tempo even if the sentiment of the music is the same. The string writing is terrific throughout.

[Roasted Swan]

I'm endlessly fascinated by the Cathars and their destiny (the Albigensian crusade) and the region they lived in. Have visited Vezelay (where the crusade was launcehd), Beziers and numerous other locations, including travelling in the Pyrenees. Long to go back. Lots of good books about their history.

I am NO expert on this period but enjoyed this piece of fiction;



the proverbial rollicking-good-read based on this Crusade....

[Biffo]

Fauré: Piano Quartet No 2 in G minor, Op 45 - Pascal Rogé piano with the Ysaÿe Quartet

[Brahmsian]

Earlier today, Symphony No.1

I have been listening frequently to Dvořák's 1st symphony, and the more I listen to it, the more I am falling in love with this much maligned misfit. The third movement is turning out to be one of my favourite movements of all of his symphonies, and particularly love the middle trio portion.