What are you listening 2 now?

[VonStupp]

Igor Stravinsky
Song of the Nightingale

Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Scheherazade

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Fritz Reiner

While I am revisiting a handful of Stravinsky right now, I couldn't pass over listening to Reiner's Scheherazade while I was here.

[Karl Henning]

Disc 75: American Masters

Piston
The Incredible Flutist Suite

Hill
Prelude for Orchestra

Schuman
In Praise of Shahn

Columbia Symphony Orchestra
NY Phil
Lenny

[aligreto]

When I was first getting into Martinů, the Thomson cycle was my go-to set as I found the performances quite exciting and hard-hitting. Nowadays, I can barely listen to any of these performances and this is mainly because I feel Thomson misses some of the more poetic moments in the music. Also, I've always felt the Scottish National Orchestra were, at the time, out of their element. But really it boiled down to these performances being what I personally perceive as being driven too hard by Thomson. I don't think these symphonies sound good when they're being played breathless --- they need more time to develop organically. This is why I believe Bělohlávek to have the full measure of Martinů's style, because not only has he practically lived with his music throughout his professional life, but he brought a level of understanding and sympathy to his performances that simply cannot be ignored. Just my two cents.

Your two cents has gone into my ponder pouch, John 

[aligreto]

Vivaldi, Antonio (1678-1741) - Cello Concertos w/ Roel Dieltiens and Ensemble Explorations - he performs a dozen 'solo' concertos and two w/ other instruments; Vivaldi wrote about 27 concertos for 'solo cello' and a number of others for joint instruments, including cello - the 'complete' set in my collection is w/ Francesco Galligioni doing all 27 works in a 4-disc Brilliant double jewel box; also own two CDs w/ Christophe Coin, as part of the large Naive boxes - all shown below; of course, there are many recordings of these cello works, so I'm sure many have their preferences.  Dave

     

Cheers Dave,

That is a fine collection and I have all but the Dieltiens set. Two other sets that I would add would be those played by Coin [Naive] and Harnoy [RCA]. Both are contrasting sets but that is the joy of this game. 

[SonicMan46]

Cheers Dave,

That is a fine collection and I have all but the Dieltiens set. Two other sets that I would add would be those played by Coin [Naive] and Harnoy [RCA]. Both are contrasting sets but that is the joy of this game. 

Hi Fergus - thanks for the comments - as shown in the set of images in my post, I have V.1/2 of Coin in those Naive Vivaldi boxes (own three); actually I had Harnoy and after adding Galligioni's 4-disc set, I culled her out of my collection (not that I did not like it but space, as usual for me); OTOH,  I really enjoyed re-listening to the Dieltiens set - attached are some reviews that I did not post before, if interested.  Dave

[aligreto]

Hi Fergus - thanks for the comments - as shown in the set of images in my post, I have V.1/2 of Coin in those Naive Vivaldi boxes (own three); actually I had Harnoy and after adding Galligioni's 4-disc set, I culled her out of my collection (not that I did not like it but space, as usual for me); OTOH,  I really enjoyed re-listening to the Dieltiens set - attached are some reviews that I did not post before, if interested.  Dave

Cheers Dave,
I had a "Senior Moment" there regarding Coin     
I will download and read the Dieltiens reviews - thank you for posting them.

[SonicMan46]

Cheers Dave,
I had a "Senior Moment" there regarding Coin     
I will download and read the Dieltiens reviews - thank you for posting them.

1+ -    Dave

[JBS]

In the form of CD 5 of Brilliant's Chopin: Complete Edition. If Amazon is correct, it's not available as an individual physical CD.

[André]

First listening. More exposure will be required to assess the Vespers. The symphony is very interesting. Built along the model of Sibelius' own 7th - and commissioned for a concert that was to include Mahler's 7th (!) it is in a single movement lasting 21 minutes in this recording (the commission specified a maximum length of 20'). Like its model it contains different sections that relate to and complete one another. Tonal but not assigned a specific key it ends on a very affirmative C major chord (another nod to the S7).

[André]

When I was first getting into Martinů, the Thomson cycle was my go-to set as I found the performances quite exciting and hard-hitting. Nowadays, I can barely listen to any of these performances and this is mainly because I feel Thomson misses some of the more poetic moments in the music. Also, I've always felt the Scottish National Orchestra were, at the time, out of their element. But really it boiled down to these performances being what I personally perceive as being driven too hard by Thomson. I don't think these symphonies sound good when they're being played breathless --- they need more time to develop organically. This is why I believe Bělohlávek to have the full measure of Martinů's style, because not only has he practically lived with his music throughout his professional life, but he brought a level of understanding and sympathy to his performances that simply cannot be ignored. Just my two cents.

Belohlavek has recorded the 6 symphonies twice with the Czech Phil, and then again with the BBC SO. As if that was not enough he recorded some of them singly on different occasions. Which one would you recommend, John ? I don't know any of his performances and have only the Naxos performances to compare...

[JBS]

Historical Recordings
Stravinsky conducting
Excerpts from The Firebird [recorded Paris November 1928]
Suite from Petrouchka [recorded London June 1928]
Suite from L'Histoire du Soldat [recorded Paris May 1932]
Originally released on Columbia (so those like Karl who have The Big Stravinsky Box should find them there) but remastered for this set--and remastered very well, since the sound is much closer to 1950 mono than 1930 mono.

[Mirror Image]

Your two cents has gone into my ponder pouch, John 

Just hope that pouch doesn't get too full.

[Mirror Image]

Belohlavek has recorded the 6 symphonies twice with the Czech Phil, and then again with the BBC SO. As if that was not enough he recorded some of them singly on different occasions. Which one would you recommend, John ? I don't know any of his performances and have only the Naxos performances to compare...

Actually, Bělohlávek has only one complete symphony cycle and it's with the BBC SO on the Onyx label. The Chandos and Supraphon recordings are incomplete --- on Chandos he recorded the 1st and the 4th through the 6th. On Supraphon, he's done the 1st and the 3rd through the 6th. I like all of his performances, but I'll have to give the edge to the BBC SO cycle just because I think they're great performances, but also for it's consistency. Another cycle I like a lot is Neeme Järvi's cycle on BIS with the Bamberg SO. These aren't as hard-hitting as Thomson's, but I think he is able to achieve more lyricism than Thomson, which is quite important. The Neumann cycle is just too leisurely for my tastes, but I do think he nailed the 2nd, 3rd and 5th symphonies, which aren't always easy to pull off. Anyway, Bělohlávek and Järvi would be the cycles I'd recommend over all of the others and there's quite a few out there nowadays.

[SimonNZ]

Ensemble Ioculatores - Songs And Dances Of The Middle Ages

[Mirror Image]

For the birthday boy:

Strauss
Hornkonzert Nr. 2 in Es
Barry Tuckwell, horn
Royal PO
Ashkenazy

[Mirror Image]

Now playing this new arrival:

Strauss
Don Quixote, Op. 35
Lorne Munroe, cello
William Lincer, viola
New York Phil.
Bernstein

[JBS]

CD 1
PCs 20 and 21


[CD 2 has the Fantasia in c minor, the Piano Quartet in g minor, the Masonic Funeral Music, and PC 22]

[SimonNZ]

[Que]

Morning listening:

[Traverso]

Richard Strauss

Eugen Jochum is a fine Straussian !


Don Juan,Op.20 (1952 recording)
Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche,OP.28 (1952 recording)
Der Rosenkavalier,OP.59-Suite of Waltzes
Don Juan,Op.20 (1960 recording)
Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche,OP.28 (1960 recording)

The Concertgebouw Orchestra