What are you listening 2 now?

[Traverso]

François Couperin

Continue with the third book

Troisième ordre
Quatozième ordre
Quinzième ordre

[foxandpeng]

One of my favorite discs devoted to Holmboe's music! One thing that struck me is that the same captivating, energetic spark that infuses the early Concerto for Orchestra (1929) is also present in the very late Viola Concerto (1991-92).

I love the energy and dynamism of the works here - not music for snoozing, by any means! As my wife commented yesterday, 'Someone got a drum kit for Christmas, then?'

I am fascinated by the way that Holmboe's music burrows under the skin until I start to appreciate it, but this trio is immediately approachable curated in this format. Powerful start to the working day with a bit of volume

[Traverso]

Shakespeare'e Musick

Songs & Dances  CD 1

[Harry]

Vincent d'Indy.
Orchestral Works, Volume IV.
Iceland SO, Rumon Gamba.

What a lot of gorgeous detail d'Indy wrote in his Poeme de Rivages, it keeps going on and on. This eb and flow in his music makes me to get down in magical spheres. Coupled with a good performance and sound, and that goes for all six volumes, one may consider this cycle as the best on the market. As a side note, the writer of the booklet Andrew Thomson is very negative in regards to the Symphonie Italienne, I strongly disagree with him and find his words misplaced. Even the fact that d'Indy dismissed the work, it is clearly good enough to rank with the best of his works. But that's just my two cents of course.

[Traverso]

Concert at Hunter College with Victoria de los Angeles

[foxandpeng]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Complete String Quartets[
SQ 12
Borodin Quartet
Decca/b]

First run at #12 as a start on the later quartets (apart from #15, which I have some awareness of now). Yesterday with #3 was excellent. Building on the first movement, where 'the sun most certainly did NOT have his hat on', the emotion here is deep.

I'll stop clogging up this feed with DSCH SQ updates now, until I'm much further in. Hardly a fascinating read for most folk who know these comprehensively already 

If in doubt, I am listening to these until further notice, unless otherwise stated.

[Harry]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Complete String Quartets[
SQ 12
Borodin Quartet
Decca/b]

First run at #12 as a start on the later quartets (apart from #15, which I have some awareness of now). Yesterday with #3 was excellent. Building on the first movement, where 'the sun most certainly did NOT have his hat on', the emotion here is deep.

I'll stop clogging up this feed with DSCH SQ updates now, until I'm much further in. Hardly a fascinating read for most folk who know these comprehensively already 

If in doubt, I am listening to these until further notice, unless otherwise stated.

Your thoughts are always welcome my friend. No matter if is is a fascinating read or not, your opinion counts.

[Harry]

Sparre Olsen.
Complete Piano Music.
Oyvind Aase, Piano.

It is a fascinating journey. The music by Olsen sounds easy on the ears, and does not demand much of your attention, until you find out that he is grabbing your attention, whether you like it our not. From a simple idea he creates a whole world of magic. Oyvind Aase, finds the right mood for them, his performance is pristine. The Steinway D is right in the middle of the room, that good is the recording.

[Madiel]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Complete String Quartets[
SQ 12
Borodin Quartet
Decca/b]

First run at #12 as a start on the later quartets (apart from #15, which I have some awareness of now). Yesterday with #3 was excellent. Building on the first movement, where 'the sun most certainly did NOT have his hat on', the emotion here is deep.

I'll stop clogging up this feed with DSCH SQ updates now, until I'm much further in. Hardly a fascinating read for most folk who know these comprehensively already 

If in doubt, I am listening to these until further notice, unless otherwise stated.

Don't stop. I mean, half the time on here lately I'm posting about Beethoven.

[vers la flamme]

Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No.9 in E-flat major, op.117. Pacifica Quartet

This work is kind of like another side of the same coin to the more famous 8th quartet, in the relative minor key of C minor. Both are made up of five movements played attacca. Aside from this the two works are quite radically different in feel, with this one seemingly more eclectic, and with less of the 8th's often violent and oppressive nature. Still trying to make sense of this work but I do enjoy parts of it.

[Papy Oli]

Good afternoon all,

A first listen to Bach's Chorale Preludes BWV 669-689 (Clavier-Übung III).

Streaming the Foccroulle set.

[vers la flamme]

Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No.9 in E-flat major, op.117. Pacifica Quartet

This work is kind of like another side of the same coin to the more famous 8th quartet, in the relative minor key of C minor. Both are made up of five movements played attacca. Aside from this the two works are quite radically different in feel, with this one seemingly more eclectic, and with less of the 8th's often violent and oppressive nature. Still trying to make sense of this work but I do enjoy parts of it.

Now No.10 in A-flat major, op.118, composed very shortly after the 9th.

[Madiel]

Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No.9 in E-flat major, op.117. Pacifica Quartet

This work is kind of like another side of the same coin to the more famous 8th quartet, in the relative minor key of C minor. Both are made up of five movements played attacca. Aside from this the two works are quite radically different in feel, with this one seemingly more eclectic, and with less of the 8th's often violent and oppressive nature. Still trying to make sense of this work but I do enjoy parts of it.

I seem to remember the 9th is quite strongly weighted towards its finale. That's the part I really enjoy.

[vers la flamme]

I seem to remember the 9th is quite strongly weighted towards its finale. That's the part I really enjoy.

Yes, and the same with the 10th. Two very good finales. In the case of the 10th I also very much enjoyed the slow penultimate movement.

Now;



Gustav Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. Hermann Prey, Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Been taking an extended break from Mahler's music (I kind of burned myself out on a lot of it in 2019 and 2020 with extremely excessive listening), but I'm going to be listening to some of his symphonies and songs this week in honor of his birthday, tomorrow. I think this is the best recording of the Wayfarer songs in my collection.

[VonStupp]

Ludwig van Beethoven
SQ 13 in B-flat Major, op. 130
Große Fuge, op. 133
SQ 14 in c-sharp minor, op. 131
Alban Berg Quartett (rec. 1982 & 83)

I always found LvB's Große Fuge to be a bit ugly, despite its forward-looking invention.

[foxandpeng]

Your thoughts are always welcome my friend. No matter if is is a fascinating read or not, your opinion counts.

Don't stop. I mean, half the time on here lately I'm posting about Beethoven.

Thank you. The DSCH Quartets seemed a bit impenetrable to me for the longest time, and I don't want to spoil the level of discussion with trite or silly comments. I know the later numbers will provide more of a challenge, but I've been surprised by the way in which repeated listening has granted me a foot in the door,  so far. I've found the quartets around the middle of the set particularly interesting with the recurrent 'all fall down' motif. I know that we can never truly get into the mind of a composer,  but some of the pain/tragedy of DSCH's thinking brings an elegiac beauty that only repeated plays brings out for me. I hope I am beginning to touch the edges of that, in these works. They do take some effort, though.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Camargo Guarnieri, SY1 et al. Excellent compositions and fair performance by the orchestra.

[vandermolen]

Camargo Guarnieri, SY1 et al. Excellent compositions and fair performance by the orchestra.

I like those works but the CD featuring symphonies 2 and 3 is my favourite.

[Brahmsian]

Thank you. The DSCH Quartets seemed a bit impenetrable to me for the longest time, and I don't want to spoil the level of discussion with trite or silly comments. I know the later numbers will provide more of a challenge, but I've been surprised by the way in which repeated listening has granted me a foot in the door,  so far. I've found the quartets around the middle of the set particularly interesting with the recurrent 'all fall down' motif. I know that we can never truly get into the mind of a composer,  but some of the pain/tragedy of DSCH's thinking brings an elegiac beauty that only repeated plays brings out for me. I hope I am beginning to touch the edges of that, in these works. They do take some effort, though.

None of your comments have been trite and silly. I read every one of Shostakovich quartet comments with joy and interest because these are works I love and am interested how others perceive them. I am not a musician, so I can understand your thoughts and descriptions, rather musical theory musicology technical descriptions which go right over my head.

Please keep on posting your thoughts! 

[Mirror Image]

It features one of the most moving of NYM's slow movements IMO, inspired by a plane tragedy.

I enjoyed it very much, Jeffrey. Fantastic symphony.