What are you listening 2 now?

[Symphonic Addict]

Absolutely! I listened to the Argerich, Kremer and Maisky performance on DG last week and enjoyed that performance as well.

Excellent, John! Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio is the work of a real master in my view.

[Symphonic Addict]

I haven't heard his 1st Symphony yet, but his 2nd is a simply superb, epic work. The much later, more compact 3rd is excellent too (with a rather Atterberg-like slow movement). Merikanto is a very interesting and often compelling composer IMO.

Symphonies 2 and 3 are superior works indeed, but No. 1 has some good moments.

[Symphonic Addict]

I do enjoy Solti here.

Me too. The other day I listened to the 2nd and the experience was also gratifying.

[Karl Henning]

Peter Mennin
Symphony #7
Chicago Symphony Orchestra

I'm not sure I have fully assimilated anywhere near the whole of Mennin's 7th, but its five movements keep my attention and I always want to return to hear more. I've also enjoyed #3 recently.

Probably not the best choice before sleep, but there you have it.

Great piece!

[Symphonic Addict]

The whole disc:



Having greatly enjoyed Hashimoto's 1st Symphony on another Naxos disc, I was not disappointed with the 2nd. Like the 1st, it is an almost entirely sunny work and is full of colorful and individual touches. Unless you require your symphonies to be full of angst and drama, this is very enjoyable stuff. However, the gem of the disc is the Three Wasan for baritone and orchestra. These are some of the most beautiful orchestral songs I've heard; they have a noticeable "Japanese" touch and superb melodic inspiration. The Scherzo con sentimento is less memorable but still worth a listen. The Tokyo Geidai Philharmonia sound like a first-class orchestra in this recording; I'd like to hear more of them, but this appears to be their only recording, sadly.


The whole disc:



This unique disc showcases a more intimate side to this often chaotically eclectic composer. The Paysages et Marines (for piano, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello; 1916) that opens the disc is an utterly magical work that is quite moving in its simplicity. Usually I'm not a great fan of works with numerous brief movements, but this is an exception. Koechlin creates vivid images like that on the cover of this disc, and manages to sound completely unlike his contemporaries Debussy and Ravel. The other works on the disc, which date from late in Koechlin's life, are more elusive but still very interesting. There's the Deux Sonatines for oboe d'amore and an unusual ensemble featuring a prominent harpsichord part! The harpsichord returns in the Sonate a sept which closes the disc.


Dvorak: Violin Concerto



Wow! This is one hell of a fiery, dramatic performance of this concerto; if you're searching for a charming, folksy interpretation, look elsewhere! Mutter is nothing if not an interpretive risk-taker - I generally find this to be a positive attribute even if I don't always agree with her musical decisions. And she is accompanied by none other than the great Honeck directing a guns-blazing Berlin Philharmonic. While I wouldn't rank the slow movement as one of Dvorak's most inspired creations, the rollicking finale is probably my favorite finale of any violin concerto - a real parade of great tunes and thrilling fireworks. It never fails to make me grin from ear to ear!

Superb selection of works, Kyle. You piqued my curiosity with Hashimoto's Three Wasan. I recall enjoying the Koechlin too. I have to listen to that recording of the Dvorak. I could like it.

[Symphonic Addict]

Alfred Schnittke: Agony Suite. Frank Strobel, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin

The Tango third movement is amazing.

Schnittke's film music is absolutely first-rate. The Capriccio recordings are essential to own IMO.

[Symphonic Addict]

I listened to this a day or two ago, and it is strong; a far cry from Barbirolli's interpretation. If you don't like the meandering post-Romanticisms of Elgar's symphonic voice, Solti's reading certainly aids in appreciation.

If I remember, Solti went back to Elgar's recordings to guide his interpretations of these symphonies. I believe, the argument was whether or not Elgar's urgency in his symphonies was due to artistic vision or limitations of timings on the physical media in that era.

I never got the feeling Solti was well-liked during his run with the LPO, although often times his recordings there are preferred over duplicates he made at Chicago, such as his Mahler.

I've had some difficulties to appreciate Elgar's 1st, but this rendition certainly worked to me. I felt it focused and concentrated, the musical argument sounded clearer. My only quibble is in the 4th movement which was a little fast in some passages I don't like as rushed.

[vers la flamme]

Arvo Pärt: The Beatitudes; Magnificat. Noel Edison, Elora Festival Singers

Bit of sacred music for a Sunday evening.

[vers la flamme]

Arvo Pärt: Pari intervallo; Hymn to a Great City. Jeroen & Sandra van Veen

Two simple but beautiful works for piano duet. I don't have the liner notes in front of me; I would like to know what "great city" to which this work refers.

[Symphonic Addict]

Symphonies 6 & 7

Once again Shostakovich's 15th is brought to my mind on listening to both works. There is something eerie along the notes. The percussion seems prominent in several moments of the 6th. The 7th has more impact overall, though. I'm pretty satisfied with this cycle. My order of preference would be 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 6 and 4.

[Symphonic Addict]

Three Mantras from 'Avatara'

Yet another work I apparently had listened to before but I didn't recall anything about it. Simply stupendous. The outer Mantras feature intense and rhythmic music (the 3rd movement reminded me of Mars from Holst's The Planets), but it is the 2nd one Of Bliss and Vision of Celestial Avataras that is truly special. Its ethereal and timeless atmosphere is just mesmerizing, and the wordless chorus helps a lot. Awesome. I'm glad to having revisited this fantastic creation.




Tommie Haglund - Violin Concerto Hymns to the Night

A new composer to me. On hearing this work I realize it seems hard to grasp at first, but with repeated listens the music can open much better. This is a thorny, severe work, and I relate it to Penderecki's Violin Concerto No. 1 in mood and atmosphere. Not an easy work, but somehow I liked it.

[T. D.]

Arvo Pärt: Pari intervallo; Hymn to a Great City. Jeroen & Sandra van Veen

Two simple but beautiful works for piano duet. I don't have the liner notes in front of me; I would like to know what "great city" to which this work refers.

It premiered in NYC, which led some to assume that was the unspecified "great city",

https://www.arvopart.ee/en/arvo-part/work/528/

but apparently the situation is unclear:

https://www.universaledition.com/arvo-part-534/works/hymn-to-a-great-city-2782

[I'm not familiar with the piece, but your post made me curious.]

[André]

Purcell's vocal music was hugely influential on Britten. Therefore he devoted extreme care in his realizations of Purcell songs - not mere transcriptions of the lute/keyboard parts. To be successfully brought to musical life they require a strong, plangent tenor voice, with a penetrating tone and minimal use of vibrato. Tenor David Munderloh fills these requirements handsomely.

The famous Canticle Abraham and Isaac is done here with the second voice (Isaac's) allotted to a countertenor - Britten's own prescribed choice, although he premiered it with Kathleen Ferrier instead. Here the role is taken by a very hooty countertenor, the kind that was probably what Britten would have known in 1952 ! It would be nice to have this great work performed with a more alluring Isaac. Nevertheless, the whole disc is superbly done.

[Brian]

Esp. enjoy his Mélodies, Christoyannis's baritone leans toward tenor and though he's not a native French speaker acquits himself ably in the language - clearly, he spent some time studying these songs.  I have long appreciated Jeff Cohen's pianism.

The orchestral album Christoyannis did of SS orchestral songs is really fabulous too. And has a good cover.

[Mirror Image]

Excellent, John! Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio is the work of a real master in my view.

I can only nod my head along with your own, Cesar.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Hello currently listen to Strange enough but some of Iannis Xenakis work , sound's like mine band Masochistic Christ project on bandcamp (think Xenakis Persepolis work), but  Iannis Xenakis is much more orchestrated, and  other classical corelation well' how Glenn Branca some of his work, or the art-skronk music of Controlled Bleeding (Knees & bones, Phlegm bag spattered, Body Sample, or simply harshest Merzbow ever done like Pulse demon all done whit  a guitar and amps abusing in the red  the volume what intolerable loud. Ultrasonic and feedback overdrive. Please enjoy, I am waiting for a shirt of Masochistic Christ, wow it's deep violet, and the design is awesome , I f you want this shirt Auction ON EBAY
start at 1000 Canadian has if one exist and I won't have it so far I most wait,, check this out the shirt is cooler than the sleeve featuring some  punk frog, that I kind like , bought it for my histrionic mother, anyway. The subject for tonight should be brutal SKRONK for tonight of America, starting whit first American composer , the story of it all, and Homage to Luigi Russolo, noise manifesto he very important, a tribute to Merzbow for prolific career, K.K.Null has and artist or in side project, :A.N.P, (EARLY ZENI GEVA, Hanatarsh, gerogerigegege (what is there most rock album, pr Hijokaidan, Masonna, non classical question out of the blue), but this is  a post on Skronk meet classical , absurdly noisy  astonishingly heavy, confrontational, not for fainted Heart I Really like in the past  two majors Italian composers: Fausto Romitelli, Giancinto Scelsi: Custom.

Have splendid  wonderful , sunny day, , let the sun shine in....

HTTP://erebus3.bandcamp.com/album/ma

Check it out folks this is for anyone into harsh noise /skronk/ or subversive  ugly on perpose Noisy classical music inspiration, please enjoy or detest loll 

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Schnittke
Concerto Grosso No. 4 "Symphony No. 5"
Gothenburgers
Neeme Järvi

[Mirror Image]

One more work for the night:

Prokofiev
Piano Sonata No. 6 in A major, Op. 82
Matti Raekallio

[Symphonic Addict]

Yun: Clarinet Concerto

This work is full of provocative textures and striking sonorities. It does leave an impression. There is a sense of theatricality in this work and in others I've heard by this composer, as influences of Korean music, of course. I know that André is a fan of this composer, and with good reason.

[Harry]

Good morning all. At least we have no heat wave here.

Marin Marais.
CD I. Second rerun.
Suite re mineur & sol majeur.

Pieces a une et deux Violes, Premier Livre. (1686)
Francois Joubert Caillet, Bass viol.
L'Acheron.

Starting again with the Premier Livre, and what a pleasure it is. Nothing better in the early morning, it calms the world around you.