What are you listening 2 now?

[Mandryka]

A great pleasure to return to the first release in Gilbert Rowland's Froberger series - entirely dedicated to harpsichord music, it seems to be a French type instrument and I can hear no signs of any ravalement. It sounds great, colourful and sweet, with a more than adequate bass response. The performances are totally tasteful and modest, everything sounds natural and comme il faut, everything he does seems to flow organically from Froberger's ideas. All very satisfying.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Enescu
Symphonie de chambre, Op. 33
Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
Foster

[Symphonic Addict]

Earlier today, Tubin Symphony No.10, twice.



I decided I'd compare at least some of the Jarvi and Volmer versions directly. Volmer felt smoother and more polished... which I'm not sure was a good thing in this music. I think I preferred having a little bit of an edge.

No. 10 is one of his finest and a personal favorite. I also prefer Järvi over Volmer. I consider that this music needs more power and drive to be more effective. No wonder Volmer is pretty satisfying in the 4th Sinfonia Lirica, though.

[Mirror Image]

No. 10 is one of his finest and a personal favorite. I also prefer Järvi over Volmer. I consider that this music needs more power and drive to be more effective. No wonder Volmer is pretty satisfying in the 4th Sinfonia Lirica, though.

I agree, although even in the 4th I prefer Järvi. The bold exception here is the ballet Kratt where Volmer recorded the complete work whereas Järvi only recorded the suite, but imagine if Järvi had recorded the complete ballet? The Volmer would be non-competitive. I don't mean to come down so hard on Volmer, he did, after all, have the foresight and courage to do a Tubin cycle when no one else would follow-up Järvi. A tough act to follow for sure.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Glazunov
Symphony No. 2 in F♯ minor, Op. 16
USSR State SO
Svetlanov



A little review I wrote on this set -

it seems that Glazunov is sometimes unfairly treated like some kind of red-headed stepchild of the Russian Romantic Era. For me, I find him to be of equal to or even preferable in many ways to his teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov. He's clearly in the Late-Romantic tradition, but what I think makes Glazunov an attractive composer is his attention to the form and how he develops his ideas. There's a description of his style on Wikipedia where it was written that he had "Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral virtuosity, Tchaikovsky's lyricism and Taneyev's contrapuntal skill." I this description is certainly true, but a deeper look into the composer reveals a unique voice separate to those composers. Glazunov was a composer that took me awhile to understand, because I didn't quite know where he was coming from stylistically. I believe the work that hooked me into his music was his 7th symphony (subtitled "Pastorale"). The slow movement, "Andante", is where I suddenly realized what he was all about from an emotional standpoint. I heard a yearning quality in this particular movement that actually finds it's way into many of his works. It's almost as if he let his guard down long enough to see who behind all of this orchestral technique --- there was a beating heart behind the music after all. This is all it took and now he's a favorite of mine and I have since enjoyed so many of his works from orchestral suites to concerti to ballets to chamber music, etc.

This set of symphonies recorded by Evgeny Svetlanov and the USSR State Symphony Orchestra, or is it the Russian Federation Academic Symphony Orchestra or is it the....anyway, you get the idea --- this orchestra changes its name each time a board member sneezes, is, for this listener, the finest set available. Svetlanov brings a deeper sense of wonderment and passion to Glazunov that is severely lacking in say Serebrier or Järvi. Not that these two conductors are 'bad', they are far from it, but I don't think they got inside the music like Svetlanov seems to have done. The way he develops and embellishes the musical lines --- one after another are, without a doubt, in a class of their own. The USSR State SO perform admirably well as Svetlanov seemed to have always had "play as if your lives depended on it" mantra happening each time stepped up to the podium. The fidelity of these recordings are quite good and I'd imagine only the most nit-picky audiophile would have something negative to say about it.

If you're looking for a set of Glazunov symphonies, then look no further than this Svetlanov set. As a supplementary set, I'd recommend Rozhdestvensky, but it seems his cycle is difficult to obtain these days. But, as always, let your ears be the judge and try out Serebrier and Järvi. I might actually revisit both of their sets and give them a fresh listen. Minds can change if one is open enough. Anyway, check out this set! Highly recommended!

[Harry]

Marin Marais.

Pieces a une et Deux Violes Premier Livre. (1686)
CD IV

Suite in re mineur, re majeur, en fa diese mineur.

Francois Joubert Caillet, Bass Viol.
L'Acheron.

[SonicMan46]

Stanford, Charles Villiers (1852-1924) - String Quartets w/ the Dante Quartet - there has been a LOT of activity on the composer's thread lately - my collection has increased over the decade and now own the recordings charted below, all instrumental works (not a huge collector of choral/vocal works post-Baroque, just me and despite Stanford's high standing in his writing for voice, whether sacred or seccular).

Stanford wrote 8 String Quartets - I'm listening from a Spotify playlist which also includes the Dante Quartet doing his String Quintets, thus recordings from 4 CDs - my British Music cabinet is FULL, so don't plan to purchase these CDs separately - if boxed into a small container, then a consideration, but Spotify on my den speakers sounds fine; these have received a lot of 'review attention' - attached are both Fanfare and MusicWeb comments on all of the works for those interested.  Dave   P.S. click images to enlarge.

[VonStupp]

Sergei Prokofiev
Cinderella, op. 87

Alexander Glazunov
The Seasons, op. 67

The Cleveland Orchestra & RPO,
Vladimir Ashkenazy (rec. 1983 & 1990)

I love Cinderella, probably more than Prokofiev's famous Romeo and Juliet. 'The Clock' motive, in particular, is so effectively portentous.

Add to that Glazunov's The Seasons, and this recording hits right where it counts, for me.

[Traverso]

   

[Traverso]

Sergei Prokofiev
Cinderella, op. 87

Alexander Glazunov
The Seasons, op. 67

The Cleveland Orchestra & RPO,
Vladimir Ashkenazy (rec. 1983 & 1990)

I love Cinderella, probably more than Prokofiev's famous Romeo and Juliet. 'The Clock' motive, in particular, is so effectively portentous.

Add to that Glazunov's The Seasons, and this recording hits right where it counts, for me.

This is definitely a recommendation ,I will look for this recording 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Well a real collector would pay $5,000 for some rare vinyl pressing of an album you could get on CD for $5.

Perhaps if one could afford it (money being no option)... 

PD

p.s.  The rest of us just dream....

[Mirror Image]

This is definitely a recommendation ,I will look for this recording 

It is excellent, Jan. Like VonStupp, I prefer Cinderella to Romeo & Juliet, but this doesn't mean that Romeo & Juliet isn't without its moments of greatness.

[VonStupp]

It is excellent, Jan. Like VonStupp, I prefer Cinderella to Romeo & Juliet, but this doesn't mean that Romeo & Juliet isn't without its moments of greatness.

Lord no, I wouldn't want to be without R&J.  With that said, if there is time I will spin this next:

Sergei Prokofiev
Romeo and Juliet, op. 64 (rec. 1973)

The Cleveland Orchestra - Lorin Maazel

[Mandryka]

Lord no, I wouldn't want to be without R&J. 

I agree. Have you heard The Tale of the Stone Flower -- another very late one?

https://www.youtube.com/v/PM5x3cd7h3g&ab_channel=Rodders

[Karl Henning]

I agree. Have you heard The Tale of the Stone Flower -- another very late one?

https://www.youtube.com/v/PM5x3cd7h3g&ab_channel=Rodders

Big fan of the Op. 118

[Mandryka]

Big fan of the Op. 118

Yes, I'm playing that youtube now and I'm thinking -- I need to give this more attention soon. Late Prok is very attractive to me.

[Karl Henning]

Weinberg
Symphony № 2, Op. 30 (1946)
Kremerata Baltica

[VonStupp]

I agree. Have you heard The Tale of the Stone Flower -- another very late one?

https://www.youtube.com/v/PM5x3cd7h3g&ab_channel=Rodders

Aye, I have, although maybe only the Suite. Another one with lovely tunes and lush Romanticisms.

[Karl Henning]

Aye, I have, although maybe only the Suite. Another one with lovely tunes and lush Romanticisms.

I encourage you to hit the entire ballet.

[Tsaraslondon]

Looking at some of the reviews of these performances on the net, it would appear that they are much more admired on this side of the Atantic than in the US. Well, I tend to agree with those from over here. Aside from a slightly too deliberate tempo set by Walkter Süsskind in the last movement of the Sibelius, these are wonderful performances. One reviewer found the Brahms lacking in passion which I find somewhat unbelievable. This is a gorgeous performance, glowingly lyrical and full of restrained passion, one of the best I've heard. What a tragedy Neveu died so young.