What are you listening 2 now?

[Symphonic Addict]

I think these recordings are pretty spectacular, too:

I have the first two. Regarding the quartets, I have the Naxos recording, and I'm definitely interested in hearing the piano works.

[vandermolen]

Walton: Symphony No.1, Philharmonia Orchestra Cond. Walton:

An excellent performance from 1951.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Dvořák
Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88, B. 163
Bamberger Symphoniker
Hrůša



A warm-spirited and finely nuanced performance of one of Dvořák's orchestral masterpieces.

[VonStupp]

Holst: Two Psalms (1912)
This is a fabulous disc, which I play from beginning to end with much pleasure. It includes:
Finzi: Requiem da Camera (1923-25). First recording of a beautiful, heartfelt and entirely characteristic work.
Britten: Cantanta Misericordium (1963) and the Holst works:

I had the original 90's release of this recording, and I was always surprised these works didn't get any more love on record. Britten always made good recordings of his own works, and I think I remember Wetton in Finzi and Holst, but they deserved more than what we have. That said, Hickox's recording was always perfectly fine.

[Mirror Image]

I have the first two. Regarding the quartets, I have the Naxos recording, and I'm definitely interested in hearing the piano works.

[kyjo]

Alfred Schnittke: String Quartet No.3. Pacifica Quartet

I haven't heard this in ages, but man, what a brilliant work. This is the piece that got me hooked on Schnittke.

+1 one of my favorite works of his.

[André]

This disc from the Olympia Nosyrev series is the most immediately attractive of the lot. The plot is based on a novel by Turgueniev. The music is absolutely gorgeous, with a carnal quality to the melodies and the orchestration, and a cinematic sweep that carries all before it. Excellent digital recording (1999). The other discs (symphonies and concertos) are also excellent, but anyone curious about this little known soviet composer should start with the ballet.

[VonStupp]

Morning!

Love this whole series of early Kirov operas and ballets with Gergiev on Philips before he got big britches following the fall of the Berlin Wall!

[SonicMan46]

Well, my storage drawer w/ 'B' composers was pulled for Buxtehude, but some interesting 'little knowns' were nearby, such as:

Burgmüller, Norbert (1810-1836) - String Quartets, V.1/II w/ the Mannheimer Streichquartett - German composer who studied with Joseph Kreutzer in Düsseldorf, and Louis Spohr; befriended by Felix Mendelssohn - list of compositions HERE - died tragically from drowning at a spa during an epileptic seizure - his music was well respected (see quote below), so unknown how much more could have been composed?  Reviews of the SQs attached - the only other discs I own are shown below.  Dave

Burgmüller's untimely death was lamented by no less than Robert Schumann, who wrote, "After Franz Schubert's early death, no other could cause more grief than that of Burgmüller. Instead of taking its toll on the mediocre sort in supply by droves, Fate takes the best commanding talents themselves away from us." Indeed, Burgmüller's contemporary reputation was so strong that he was referred to as "The Schubert of the Rhine"; upon Burgmüller's death, Mendelssohn penned a funeral march for his colleague's memorial service. (Source)

     

[aligreto]

Alwyn: Conducted by the composer





Festival March

[aligreto]

Krommer

Three Quartets  CD 1

Did you enjoy the music, Jan?

[kyjo]

The Alexander Gauk orchestration of the Seasons is pure delight from start to finish.  Had a first listen to Jarvi's Detroit version



which absolutely plays to his strengths and sounds great.  Pin-sharp playing from the Detroit band too.

This looks very enticing!

[kyjo]

Morton Gould
American Salute
American Ballads
Foster Gallery (complete)
NSO of Ukraine - Ted Kuchar

My memory was that I did not care for this recording of Gould's music; I must have been a tough nut back in the day because what another fun performance this is! Rehearsal dates are from 2-14 June 1999, and once again the Ukrainian orchestra is thrilling.

I am surprised I don't see this music on more orchestral pops concerts, particularly for its strong American vibes. Gould is channeling Ives with his snatches of Americana, and while Stephen Foster is not a favorite of mine, these are full of invention and American Ballads is quite lovely.



At the time, I don't think I was too familiar with Morton Gould as a composer, aside from his rousing American Salute and some odds and ends of his self-led recordings on RCA and Mercury. Since Naxos' American Classics series and Albany released another handful of Morton Gould, I see an investment from me in the future.

I enjoyed the American Ballads and American Salute from that recording very much (the Foster Gallery, not as much). Great fun and in surprisingly idiomatic performances!

[VonStupp]

I enjoyed the American Ballads and American Salute from that recording very much (the Foster Gallery, not as much). Great fun and in surprisingly idiomatic performances!

I haven't visited these recordings since I bought them, and it is a shame. I have been having a blast revisiting them, and their quality has been surprising. I certainly eat my original words about these early American Classics entries.

[PaulR]

Double Bass Concerto

[ritter]

Some late music (all from the 1950s, the last decade of the composer's life) by Florent Schmitt:


Sextet, op. 128 for clarinets (yes, that means six clarinets!). The work is played on this CD by the ensemble for which it was composed, the Sextour de Clarinettes de la Garde Republicaine et de Paris.


Quatuor pour presque tous les temps, op. 134, for flute, violin, cello and piano. Phillip Nones, in his superb blog dedicated to the composer, argues that the title of this piece is not a tongue-in-cheek reference to Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps, but rather highlights the different time measures used in the score. Be that as it may, this short score is really wonderful, and a summation of the composer's considerable achievements in the domain of chamber music. It's beautifully performed by the Ensemble Martinů from the Czech Republic.


Moving on to orchestral music, with Schmitt's very last composition, the Symphony No. 2, op. 137 (presumably, the first symphony would be the stunning Symphonie concertante, op. 82, for orchestra and piano [sic]). Again an example of the composer's elusive but strangely coherent handling of the thematic material (Mr. Nones aptly uses the term "kaleidoscopic"), with masterly orchestration. IIRC, I wasn't that impressed when I first heard this piece years ago, but now I'm bowled over. A breathtaking work IMHO. Jean Martinon conducts the French National Radio Orchestra in a live broadcast (in excellent sound) from 1960 —just two years after the works premiere under Charles Munch.

Man, I really like Florent Schmitt's music! 

[North Star]

Hans Abrahamsen
Let Me Tell You
Barbara Hannigan
BRSO
Andris Nelsons

[Symphonic Addict]

Pampeana No. 1 for violin and piano



Sensational music!! The first part is so incredibly eloquent, even touching, whereas the second part is more lively and with more energy. A mini-masterpiece IMO. Ginastera doesn't cease to amaze me.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74, "Pathétique"
USSR State Academic SO
Svetlanov

From this set -



This set is so much better than his later 'Live in Tokyo' set, which has some audio quality issues --- it just sounds constricted. I own the old Warner France set of the Tokyo live cycle, but is the Exton release better fidelity? Anyone who knows, I'd appreciate some feedback here.

[T. D.]

I think these recordings are pretty spectacular, too:

Appealing bunch of recordings.
I have an old Elan CD of the SQ by the Cuarteto Latinoamericano; I assume the Brilliant release is a reissue (?).
The Korstick piano recording is really tempting; long ago I purchased the highly praised (at the time) Santiago Rodriguez recording on Elan; it's good but I wouldn't consider it the last word.