What are you listening 2 now?

[Irons]

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).

Yet to hear a note by Matthews which is something on my to do list.

Bruckner and Rimsky not hitting the spot last night. Tishchenko blew the cobwebs away!

[Mirror Image]

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

I bet he is, Jan.

[André]

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.

Thank you John ! 

[Mirror Image]

Thank you John ! 

You're most welcome, Andre.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I really enjoy his Wm Schuman & Hanson.

Like the others have said, he seems to be a successful advocate of American composers, and he had Seattle sounding good too. Hovhaness and Hanson stand out in my mind in particular, although there were many more underplayed American composers he surveyed. I didn't think he was as successful with the central symphonic repertoire, but I think his legacy stands well enough among modern Americana.
VS

Schwarz is one of those conductors I have very mixed feelings about.  Eternally grateful for the repertoire he has championed - much of which is wonderful - but rarely thrilled by the result!  I feel sometimes I like the music in spite of the conducting.  Whenever Schwarz has recorded standard repertoire when multiple alternative versions exist I would say rarely if ever is his version at the top or even near the top of the pile.  I know that his brief tenure as the Principal Conductor of the orchestra in Liverpool was greeted with very mixed response.  From friends invloved with the orchestra, I believe he was liked on a personal level but not found to be that inspiring for players or audiences.  Yet clearly the chemistry worked in Seattle.

Yes I like his Hanson recordings. I have his Prokofiev/Khachaturian piano concerti. . The performance is good, but not impressive. I will look for his Schuman and Hovhaness discs. Thank you.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Jack Gallagher: Orchestral Music. Fascinating music, average performance/presentation.

[Traverso]

I bet he is, Jan.

[SonicMan46]

Vanhal, Johann Baptist (1739-1813) - Cello & Bass Concertos + KB Quintets w/ Spanyi on a fortepiano; left in my collection are String Quartets and a bunch of Symphonies by Vanhal, who incidentally played in the Haydn-Mozart Quartet w/ Dittersdorf on violin and Vanhal on cello.  Dave

   

[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.

This morning the second CD of historical recordings, with the composer conducting

The Rite of Spring Paris 1929
Symphony of Psalms Paris 1931
Les Noces (sung in English!) London 1934

As before Columbia recordings remastered by Warner for this set, but the upgrade in sonics is not as obvious with this CD

ETA

The sound on Les Noces is much better than that on the other two works.

[Karl Henning]

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.

Sweet!

[Karl Henning]

Jack Gallagher: Orchestral Music. Fascinating music, average performance/representation.

I studied with Jack at Wooster. Wonderful man!

[Karl Henning]

Disc 76: Rhapsodies

Liszt
Hungarian Rhapsody № 1, S. 359 № 1
Hungarian Rhapsody № 4, S. 359 № 4

Enescu
Romanian Rhapsody № 1 in A, Op. 11 № 1

Brahms
Hungarian Dance № 5 in f# minor
Hungarian Dance № 6 in D^b

"Wolferl"
German Dance in C, K. 605 № 3 « The Sleighride »

Liszt
Les Préludes, S. 97

Dinicu
Hora Staccato

Wolf-Ferrari
Intermezzo II from I gioielli della Madonna

NY Phil
Lenny

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I studied with Jack at Wooster. Wonderful man!

Wow! 

[Karl Henning]

Disc 77: Overtures

"Wolferl"
Le nozze di Figaro

Nicolai
Die lustige Weiben von Windsor

Rezniček
Donna Diana

Joh. Strauss II
Die Fledermaus
Der Zigeunerbaron

Thomas
Mignon

von Weber
Der Freischütz
Euryanthe
Oberon


NY Phil
Lenny

[Mandryka]

This is very nice!

[SonicMan46]

Vanhal, Johann - String Quartets on the three recordings below; there are 15 works w/ 3 duplications so only a dozen of the apparently 100 or so string quartets written by him - not much more is available and his list of compositions, many unpublished, is quite incomplete.  Dave

   

[aligreto]

Couperin, F: Intégrale Des Livres De Pièces De Clavecin 1-4 • Ordres 1-27 [Baumont]





Troisième Livre de Pieces de Clavecin 

I really like this Livre. It feels different and I get a sense of the inventive and experimental with it. I also like the sound of the instrument used which is recorded in a pleasant, warm acoustic.

At over two hours of listening this is another big listening commitment. One has to take these things on an intermittent and periodic basis.   

[aligreto]

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.

This is the version that I have of that set and it was my introduction to Martinu's symphonies:



I have owned it for many years and never felt the need to go beyond it, because I felt that it was so good, until the opportunity to acquire the Thompson set came up recently.

[aligreto]

The Strauss Horn Concertos are, for me, two fine works, John.

[Symphonic Addict]

Credendum (An Article of Faith), for orchestra

A vibrant and solemn work with very cool rhythmic passages. I definitely find very compelling how Schuman wrote for the timpani, and that's noticeable here.