What are you listening 2 now?

[JBS]

From this set

At the moment, the third Quartet. May or not listen to the Fifth and Sixth tonight.
The music sounds much more Haydnesque than its date, and Bazzini's musical links [first performance of Mendelssohn's VC, admired by Schumann, teacher of composition to Mascagni and Puccini], might suggest. But solidly crafted music.

Wikipedia article on Bazzini here
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Bazzini

[Mirror Image]

More Shostakovich!

String Quartet No. 5

Superb. There is a melody running in the first movement that appears in another work, but I can't know what it is.

I own this Pacifica Quartet cycle and I keep telling myself I don't need another Shostakovich SQ cycle ripped to my computer as I already have the Fitzwilliam and Borodin cycles on it, but this set seems to garner so many outstanding reviews that it's made me a bit curious I must say. As for that melody you're talking about, I'll have to revisit this SQ and see if I can pinpoint it.

[Madiel]

More Shostakovich!

String Quartet No. 5

Superb. There is a melody running in the first movement that appears in another work, but I can't know what it is.

If you happen to have somehow heard Galina Ustvolskaya's Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano, there's your answer.

[Mirror Image]

Alright...one more work for the night:

Enescu
Piano Suite No. 3, Op. 18 "Pièces impromptues"
Raluca Stirbat



Stunning work. I'd put Enescu's solo piano music on par with any other major 20th Century composers. These are some fine performances, too, but I'm not sure whether I prefer Stirbat or Borac in these works --- they're both just so good in this repertoire.

[Madiel]

The pace of op.87 listening will slow down tomorrow when I go back to work, but for now...

[Symphonic Addict]

I own this Pacifica Quartet cycle and I keep telling myself I don't need another Shostakovich SQ cycle ripped to my computer as I already have the Fitzwilliam and Borodin cycles on it, but this set seems to garner so many outstanding reviews that it's made me a bit curious I must say. As for that melody you're talking about, I'll have to revisit this SQ and see if I can pinpoint it.

I've also heard many praises about this terrific set, hence I decided to take a listen to the SQ No. 5 to find out how impressive the playing and recording are. Top-notch to say the least.

[Symphonic Addict]

If you happen to have somehow heard Galina Ustvolskaya's Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano, there's your answer.

Oh, I'm gonna check it out. Thanks.

I recall hearing it in a different work, but your suggestion made me curious.

[Mirror Image]

I've also heard many praises about this terrific set, hence I decided to take a listen to the SQ No. 5 to find out how impressive the playing and recording are. Top-notch to say the least.

Cool, but now that I've really thought about it, I don't think I'll rip it since I have two SQ sets on already and both of them very good with the slight edge going to the Borodins.

[Mirror Image]

Well, I can't sleep so...NP:

Eshpai
Piano Concerto No. 2
Vladimir Krainev, piano
Moscow Philharmonic
Kitayenko



A neat concerto with a gorgeous middle section that brings to mind Kabalevsky or the slow movements from Shostakovich's PCs.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Glazunov
Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major, Op. 48
USSR State SO
Svetlanov



The more I listen to Glazunov, the more he becomes a favorite. It's quite simple: the man wrote exquisite music and there's certain sense of yearning in his music that I think conductors like Serebrier and Otaka miss or simply gloss over.

[Madiel]

NP:

Glazunov
Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major, Op. 48
USSR State SO
Svetlanov



The more I listen to Glazunov, the more he becomes a favorite. It's quite simple: the man wrote exquisite music and there's certain sense of yearning in his music that I think conductors like Serebrier and Otaka miss or simply gloss over.

Better add him to the excessively long listening queue...

[Mirror Image]

Better add him to the excessively long listening queue...

Very good. I'll freely admit that it took years for me to appreciate Glazunov, but when the music finally clicked for me, it opened up a wonderful sound-world.

[vandermolen]

Well, I can't sleep so...NP:

Eshpai
Piano Concerto No. 2
Vladimir Krainev, piano
Moscow Philharmonic
Kitayenko



A neat concerto with a gorgeous middle section that brings to mind Kabalevsky or the slow movements from Shostakovich's PCs.

Eshpai was a fine composer - I especially like the CD (Russian Disc) featuring symphonies 4 and 5. Big thumbs up for Glazunov as well John and I think v highly of that Svetlanov set. I like some of the shorter works like the Finnish Fantasy and The Kremlin as well.

[vandermolen]

NP:

Kaprálová
Vojenská symfonieta (Military Sinfonietta), Op. 11
University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra
Kenneth Kiesler



What a fantastic work! This particular performance is much better performed than the Prague SO performance I listened to last night. It has more life in it, but I'm still crossing my fingers that a conductor with the Czech Philharmonic records this work.

Never heard of this sadly short-lived composer. What is the music like John?

[vandermolen]

Hendrik Andriessen: Symphony No.1 (1930)


Now: Ballet Suite (1947)

[Mirror Image]

Eshpai was a fine composer - I especially like the CD (Russian Disc) featuring symphonies 4 and 5. Big thumbs up for Glazunov as well John and I think v highly of that Svetlanov set. I like some of the shorter works like the Finnish Fantasy and The Kremlin as well.

Yeah, Eshpai is interesting --- I need to spend more time with his music, but I've enjoyed everything that I've heard from him so far. Glazunov is so fantastic are those two works you mentioned. Svetlanov has recorded A LOT of Glazunov's music and I think I own most of it now. What I couldn't get on CD, I bought as downloads due to availability issues.

[Mirror Image]

Never heard of this sadly short-lived composer. What is the music like John?

She's pretty cool. I'd say based on this work, Military Sinfonietta, she's like a cross between Janáček, Martinů and Schulhoff. Stravinsky also came to mind a little bit as well.

[Harry]

Veggio-Rodio-Bertoldo.
Complete Organ Music.
2 CD'S.

Luca Scandali at the Lorenzo da Prato organ (1471-1475)
Basilica of San Petronio, Bologna, Italy.

I can without a shimmer of a doubt, recommend this double CD to all that are interested in the sound of a original organ from the Renaissance, and the music form the composers on both discs. The sound quality is excellent, and frankly Scandali is a fine organist who earned his spurs many times over. Small investment, great gains.

[Que]

This is much less beautiful than Blue Heron; the tuning may more scrunchy, Pythagorean, that's a comment from memory of the sound of Blue Heron, I haven't checked. Their vocality is not at all like what we hear in Bach or Schubert - they have tried to find a non-modern sound.  To me they often sound loud, as if their way of singing would suit outdoors performance - and indeed I remember there are old theories about medieval song which links the sound with Eastern European outside singing traditions (market sellers, fishermen, harvest songs, that sort of thing.) Cut Circle are impressive in the more vigorous, jaunty songs. I'm enjoying this more that in the past, and more than I did Blue Heron just now - but it goes without saying that nothing follows.

What is clear is this: the Ockeghem songs are really impressive, whatever the performance!

Agreed with your impressions, and I also preferred Blue Heron.

Though it's still not an Egidius or Capilla Flamenca.

[Que]

Morning listening on Spotify:



Now the complete album is available, I couldn't resist...