What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Morning listening on Spotify:



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

I would be interested in your thoughts. I have been eyeing this release for a few days.

[Harry]

Alexander Zemlinsky.

Die Seejungfrau.
Sinfonietta.

Helsinki PO, John Storgårds.

Whatever negative things are said about this recording "I" regard this performance as one of the best on the market, for what that is worth of course.

[vandermolen]

Wordsworth: Symphony No.8
Fairly sombre and darkly ominous material but held my attention. Reminded me a bit of Daniel Jones:

[Harry]

Wordsworth: Symphony No.8
Fairly sombre and darkly ominous material but held my attention. Reminded me a bit of Daniel Jones:

Well at least you like it, that's a great plus, Pas vrai?

[vers la flamme]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.1 in D major. Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic

Happy birthday to a great composer. Going to be revisiting some (or possibly all?) of his symphonies and songs over the next week and a half or so.

[Harry]

Joonas Kokkonen.

Symphony No. 1 & 2.
Opus Sororum.

Finnish SO, Sakari Oramo.

Superb disc.

[aligreto]

Rameau: Complete Works for Harpsichord [Belder]





Pièces de clavecin, Suite No. 3
La Dauphine
Les Petits Marteaux

[Biffo]

Handel: Organ Concerto in B-flat major, Op 7 No 1 - Eric Chadwick organ and Halle Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli - not really HIP but very enjoyable

Brahms: Double Concerto in A minor, Op 102 - Alfredo Campoli violin & André Navarra cello with the Halle Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli - excellent performance but rather ropey sound, from 1959 and in stereo but sounds a lot older

[Madiel]

Provided my wi-fi behaves properly, it was being a mess this afternoon...

[vers la flamme]

Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No.12 in D-flat major, op.133. Pacifica Quartet

Somewhat of a more challenging work, on account of its massive second movement. There are moments I enjoy, but then I have trouble following the "argument" of the work closely.

[foxandpeng]

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.

In the best tradition of what I have read of how appreciation is shared on these pages... *POUNDS TABLE*

[foxandpeng]

Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No.12 in D-flat major, op.133. Pacifica Quartet

Somewhat of a more challenging work, on account of its massive second movement. There are moments I enjoy, but then I have trouble following the "argument" of the work closely.

I feel your pain, and share your journey. The size of the second movement makes it rather difficult to pursue my usual method of putting it on repeat play until I can at least catch the prominent features, remember the key passages, hear the developing argument, and appreciate snippets that hold my attention.

As noted in the Dacha, I am grabbing the hem of its garment, holding tight, and anticipating an epiphany. Much to like here (obviously, even if I can't find it all yet) and much to get to grips with. I think my capacity is more limited than those more experienced, but I am enjoying trying.

[Papy Oli]

Good afternoon all,

Bach - Cello Suite No.5 (Fournier)

[Iota]

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.

Had a listen to that and enjoyed it, she seems to have had a natural flair for orchestration. Was rather taken aback to read she died when she was 25!

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!

Also had a listen to about 30 mins of this (which will continue later). The Ockeghem songs are indeed excellent, haven't heard Cut Circle before, but I liked what they did here. One of the livelier songs, L'autre d'antan, had at moments almost the qualities of a squabble rather than the more common ethereal togetherness one hears, which I thought was an interesting quality. Haven't heard Blue Heron in these, but have very much liked what I've heard of them in other things.

Seemed a little strange, though not unwelcome, that the cd begins with one Josquin song and then is non-stop Ockeghem to the finishing line.

[Papy Oli]

And No.6.

[Sergeant Rock]

Saygun Symphony No. 4 and the Violin Concerto, Rasilainen conducting the Rheinland-Pfalz




Sarge

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Isa Krejci, Serenade for Orchestra. Ancerl/Czech PO.

[bhodges]

Happy Birthday, Gustav Mahler!

Gave the new Vänskä/Minnesota No. 7 (from 2020) a spin, and it's excellent. Though I've not heard all in this series to date, BIS is doing an outstanding job with the sonics.



--Bruce

[VonStupp]

Hubert Parry
I Was Glad (1911 version)
Coronation Te Deum in D
Blest Pair of Sirens
Jerusalem (orch. Elgar)
The King's Consort & Choir - Robert King (rec. 2012)

Grandiose Coronation choral music.

[Papy Oli]

Dag Wiren - Symphony No.2