What are you listening 2 now?

[vers la flamme]

Nice album. I used to admire Dutoit before the scandal.

Right; I can only detest the guy for his alleged behavior, but seems he really had a way with French music of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Now playing:



Georges Bizet: Carmen. Claudio Abbado, London Symphony Orchestra, Ambrosian Singers

Part of an effort to listen to more opera. So far so good.

[vers la flamme]

Stopped after Act 1; seemed a good place for a break. Now something totally different:



Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988. Wolfgang Rübsam

OK, fine; I confess: Rübsam's Goldberg is growing on me. Mandryka once gave me the advice that it helps to only listen to a few variations at a time, or at least not to try and listen to the whole thing at once; I forget what exactly he said. Must admit it works better this way. Currently listening to the variations starting from no.22. Still not convinced of the historicity of Rübsam's approach, but I enjoy the music making more and more.

[Mirror Image]

Dvorak: Piano Quintet.

Unable to find image online but worth posting as a striking portrait of the composer.

A fine portrait, indeed:

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Schulhoff
String Quartet No. 1
Petersen Quartett



A superb SQ (the 2nd SQ is just as fine). I need to get back into Schulhoff, there's still several works of his in my collection that I haven't heard.

[bhodges]

Marking the death of Frederic Rzewski with The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (1975) and the composer at the keyboard. This live version was uploaded exactly one year ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiWwYsWWVSk

--Bruce

[André]

Last work for the night:

Weinberg
Piano Trio In A Minor, Op. 24
Gidon Kremer (violin), Giedre Dirvanauskaite (cello), Yulianna Avdeeva (piano)

A wonderful disc !

[Mirror Image]

A wonderful disc !

I remain ambivalent about this Piano Trio --- it's almost impenetrable. I think I'll need a few more listens. The other two works are quite good.

[Karl Henning]

Arthur Lourie piano works. Giogio Koukl.

How do you find it? (Disclosure: Giorgio is a friend)

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Schnittke
String Trio
Mark Lubotsky (violin), Alexander Ivashkin (cello), Theodore Kuchar (viola)

[Sergeant Rock]

Lambert Horoscope and Walton Facade (orchestral suite)




Sarge

[Karl Henning]

The Opus 16 is a first listen

Taneyev
Cello Quintet in G, Op. 14 (1901)
The Taneyev Quartet and Beynus Morovov

Viola Quintet in C, Op. 16 (1904)
The Taneyev Quartet and Yuri Kramarov

[Irons]

A fine portrait, indeed:

I meant the LP cover, but yes a fine portrait.

[vandermolen]

Cyril Rootham: Symphony No.1 (1931-2) - one of my favourite lesser-known British symphonies (his No.2 written at the end of his life and completed by Patrick Hadley is very moving). Rootham was the teacher of Arthur Bliss and I can't help thinking that the bracing 'open-air' quality of CBR's 1st Symphony rubbed off on his better-known pupil:

[steve ridgway]

Ligeti - Requiem. Super intense.

[Harry]

Edouard Franck.
Sonata in F major, opus 42.

Richard Franck.
Serenade in C major, opus 24.
Sonata in D major, opus 22.

Premiere recordings.

Thomas Blees, Cello.
Roswitha Gediga, Piano.

Due to the fact that my KEF Sub is in the repair shop, it defeats my attempts to play orchestral works in my office, so I stick to chamber music for the time being.  Since I bought almost the entire recorded works of both composers, if gives me ample room to enjoy these Cello sonates. Melodious, inventive and full of pure joy, like the Scherzo, Allegro vivace in the opus 42, second movement that is. Such a rapport between both musicians. Good sound.

[Mirror Image]

I meant the LP cover, but yes a fine portrait.

Ah...

[SonicMan46]

I think we agree the music is of excellent quality and surprisingly innovative! 

I'm a fan of Andrea Coen, and still eagerly waiting for a reissue of his recordings of the Cimarosa piano sonatas (3 discs on Italian Symphonia).

+1 -    Just checking Spotify and there are three volumes of Cimarosa's Keyboard Sonatas with Andrea Coen there - setup a playlist and will listen later. Also Amazon is offering the 2-CD Brilliant set below w/ David Boldrini on fortepiano (also on Spotify) - appears that Boldrini goes to the recording max to get all 88 works on two discs; could find only a single review which is attached for those interested.  Dave

 

[kyjo]

Kyjo - thanks for that list of diverse discs and the comments which I find really interesting to read (I always think this thread should be called "WHY am I listening to what are you listening to now"!

Thanks for the reminder about Alfano - I have that symphonies disc but no memories at all about it - so one to add to the rediscover list. 

Georg Schumann not sure I've ever even heard of so I'm intrigued

Kalliwoda's symphonies I don't know at all.  Back in the 80's when I worked briefly for an Artist's Agency in London, we represented Oscar Shumsky and when he came to do a recital/recording for the BBC with his viola-playing son Eric, he programmed one (possibly 2?) of the Kalliwoda violin/viola duets.  That was a complete discovery for me then - such such fun pieces - a kind of Rossini-esque pyrotechnics for 2 players

Thankyou for saying what you do about the Florence Price Symphonies.  Certainly as represented on that Naxos disc they are second rate musically.  People seem to be getting so OTT about the context of the music that they miss the point of it not being that good.  But I'm glad to hear that this Quintet comes up trumps.

The Clara Schumann concerto again I know but without any abiding memory so one to reacquaint......

Thanks for the reply, RS. I'm glad I'm not the only one who was disappointed by Price's symphonies. I have a feeling that her best compositions are the ones which involve her own instrument, the piano.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Mysakovsky
Lyric Concertino in G, Op. 32/3
Russian Federation Academic SO
Svetlanov



Sounds great so far and all of the instruments and their registers are present in the writing.

[Florestan]

I don't know if you saw the other day that I listened to no.2, I think for the first time ever. I was very taken with it.

Great minds etc --- but you already knew that regarding us both.