What are you listening 2 now?

Started by Gurn Blanston, September 23, 2019, 05:45:22 AM

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vandermolen

Sibelius Symphony 6 and 7. Two fine performances from the first complete recorded cycle of the Sibelius symphonies. This is one of my favourite Sibelius symphonies set:
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

Quote from: Papy Oli on June 11, 2021, 12:08:47 AM
Good morning all,

Holst - A Choral Symphony.

A first listen methinks.


One of my very favourite works by Holst - especially that performance.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

Quote from: "Harry" on June 11, 2021, 03:07:02 AM
I am blessed this year with divers maladies, but this last one will prevent me from listening at least a week. I had some loss of hearing in the upper frequencies, especially the left ear, wich also gave me pain. Checking this morning with my doc, turns out that both ears have a smear prop, quite large, she could only see a half moon of my membrane, and there was a slight infection in my left ear because of it. I got the proverbial drops, to make the infection less insistent, and the other ear I will use some olive oil to get the stuff soft, for Monday afternoon she will flush both ears, and my hearing should be back to normal. Which would be fine, for I decided to buy an Esoteric player, and fase the Nu-Vista out. But I also have to rebuild the electrics in both office and listening room, also, so that will keep me occupied for at least a week.
Just to know for all that might be interested.
Cheers.

PS. That will not keep me from ordering some new exciting things this weekend at JPC :laugh:
Sorry to hear this Harry and hoping that your hearing improves soon.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Undersea

Now Playing:




Mozart: Symphony #41 in C, K 551, "Jupiter"


Rene Jacobs leading this performance - very nice... :)
I'd like to be
Under the sea
In an octopus' garden
In the shade

- Ringo Starr

Karl Henning

Quote from: aligreto on June 12, 2021, 11:25:01 AM
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.  ;) :)


Beauty, Fergus!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Karl Henning

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on June 12, 2021, 09:06:58 AM
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

After listening to this, and noting the duration of some of the Overtures, I have listened afresh to my Overture to White Nights. In the past I sometimes suffered doubt that perhaps my Overture might be too long. After a good while, I decided that, no, the duration is just fine. Today I note that my Overture runs about the same as that for Der Freischütz, and only excepting the fact that a MIDI realization is inherently unsatisfying (and for that reason tiresome), I think my piece makes good company for von Weber's.

And now:

Disc 78: [More] Overtures [Plus]

Mendelssohn
Ruy Blas, Op. 95
Die Hebriden, Op. 26

Schubert
Des Teufels Lustschlos, D.84 (Seems like a first listen for me!)

Schumann
Manfred, Op.115
Genoveva, Op.81

von Weber
Invitation to the Dance, Op.65 (arr. Berlioz)

Humperdinck
Children's Prayer from Hänsel und Gretel

Wolf-Ferrari
Il segreto di Susanna

NY Phil
Lenny
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

vers la flamme



Richard Wagner: Preludes from Der fliegende Holländer, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, etc. Daniel Barenboim, Chicago Symphony Orchestra


Carlo Gesualdo

Quote from: Mandryka on June 12, 2021, 09:19:19 AM
This is very nice!
Yes  it is I order an
d received it and is listening to it, yep hello Mandryka.  8)

JBS

#41988
The Ballades and Impromptus: CD 6 of Brilliant's Complete Chopin Edition
[His recording of the Preludes is in the boxset, but on a different CD.]


I have yet to find a performance by this pianist I have not liked.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Symphonic Addict

Bax: Piano Quintet in G minor

One of Bax's most inspired, tuneful and eloquent works. A work for a desert island.

Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Symphonic Addict

A Scotch Bestiary - Organ Concerto

Not particularly deep, but quite fun it is.

Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Mirror Image

Quote from: aligreto on June 12, 2021, 11:33:43 AM
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.

Very nice, indeed. I didn't know you already owned that one.

Mirror Image

Quote from: aligreto on June 12, 2021, 11:37:02 AM
The Strauss Horn Concertos are, for me, two fine works, John.

Yes, indeed, although I have more attachment to the 2nd.

Mirror Image

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on June 12, 2021, 01:06:29 PM
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.



A great work and the performance is quite good, too, although I wish the string section was larger in the Albany SO. They always had a thin sound and the Schuman certainly requires more beefy and muscular strings than what the Albany strings provide.

Mirror Image

NP:

Dvořák
Symphony No. 1 In C Minor, "The Bells Of Zlonice", Op. (B 9)
CzPO
Neumann


From this marvelous set -


kyjo

Borodin: Symphony no. 1 in E-flat major



Like I said in the "fine first symphonies" poll, I don't understand why no one, not even on this forum, ever talks about this rhythmic, tuneful symphony - it's just marvelous! It's equally as good as the more famous Second. And it gets one hell of a fiery performance here! Tjeknavorian drives the music along while still giving it weight and impact. Terrific stuff!


Kabalevsky: Symphony no. 2 in C minor



Between two high-spirited, exuberant movements lies a substantial slow movement of considerable depth which rises to two powerful climaxes. I just love Kabalevsky's music!


Weber: Clarinet Quintet in B-flat major



Weber really knew how to write delightful, virtuosic, and soulful music for the clarinet, and he doesn't relegate the strings to an accompanying role either. Feel-good music!


Walton: Piano Quartet



My goodness, I had forgotten how astounding this early work is! One can hear an impressionistic Ravelian influence in some passages (especially in the gorgeous slow movement), but overall this is a stunningly mature work. Walton really comes into his own in the exciting, syncopated finale. I simply can't imagine this performance being bettered, either. It's undoubtedly one of my favorite Walton works as well as one of the great piano quartets.


Smetana: Má vlast



It had been a while since I had listened to this iconic work, and I can't say my affection for it increased drastically. The Moldau is definitely my favorite movement; most of the others strike me as too bombastic (I think it's all the cymbal crashing and triangle dinging that does it for me). To me, Smetana's chamber works represent a more personal and emotional side of his musical personality.
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Symphonic Addict

Two sonatas for cello and piano

Very dull works. This is not the Bantock I enjoy.

Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: Mirror Image on June 12, 2021, 07:21:56 PM
A great work and the performance is quite good, too, although I wish the string section was larger in the Albany SO. They always had a thin sound and the Schuman certainly requires more beefy and muscular strings than what the Albany strings provide.

I did notice that, but fortunately the other instruments didn't disappoint.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

kyjo

#41998
Walton: Viola Concerto



Another wonderful Walton re-acquaintance. Great as his other three concerti are (including the Sinfonia Concertante), I think this one is overall the most balanced and engaging. I mean, how could that central scherzo not make you smile? And who knew James Ehnes was as great a violist as he is a violinist!


Shebalin: Symphony no. 3



This exceeded my expectations! A dramatic, cogent, and colorful symphony which stands midway in between the styles of his teacher Myaskovsky, his student Shostakovich, and Kabalevsky. Btw, it's none other than Gergiev conducting here (in a rare appearance outside the standard rep)!


Glazunov: Symphony no. 8 (Jarvi)



Oddly enough, I can't say this is one of my favorite Glazunov symphonies (those would be nos. 2, 5 and 6). Glazunov seems to be aiming at something a bit darker and more profound in this symphony but IMO never quite attains it. For example, the dramatic opening of the slow movement seems to prepare the way for a grand tragic statement, however the majority of the rest of the movement is much more relaxed in character. I also missed the typical sparkling, tuneful Glazunovian scherzo here - this one is instead a noodling chromatic affair. I know Jeffrey (vandermolen) will disagree strongly with me! ;) (The two "filler works" on this disc are largely forgettable IMO.)


This entire disc:



I can't believe I had overlooked this magical, colorful album before. These five works feature unusual instrumental combinations (often featuring harp and various woodwinds) which Bax exploits to the highest degree. They overall represent Bax's sunnier side but are not free of darker moments. The Threnody and Scherzo features a particularly prominent bassoon part which, at one point, quotes the opening of his Third Symphony! The performances by the ASMF Chamber Ensemble are fully attuned to Bax's idiom. Any admirer of the composer can't miss this disc!


Boccherini: various symphonies from these discs



Boccherini deserves to be recognized as one of the great Classical Era composers. These inventive, colorful symphonies are especially remarkable for their extended instrumental solos, especially for string instruments (witness the extended cello duets (!) in the first movement of op. 12/2). I particularly enjoyed the Symphony in C major, op. 37/1 on the Chandos album.
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninoff

Mirror Image

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on June 12, 2021, 08:09:29 PM
I did notice that, but fortunately the other instruments didn't disappoint.

It's too bad Schwarz didn't record it when he was doing his cycle with the Seattle Symphony.