What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

Sweet!

+ 1

[Mirror Image]

Something a bit light and playful to start my day:

Tchaikovsky
Album for the Young, Op. 39
Postnikova

[VonStupp]

I can't get enough of Schmitt's Psaume.

It is quite the spectacle, that is for sure!

[Mirror Image]

Finishing up this recording from many days ago:

Tchaikovsky
The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66
State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia "Evgeny Svetlanov"
Jurowski

[Traverso]

Shostakovich

Piano Concerto No.2

Ogdon

Piano Concerto No.1
Piano Sonata
Theme and Variations

[Mirror Image]

Shostakovich

Piano Concerto No.2

Ogdon

Piano Concerto No.1
Piano Sonata
Theme and Variations

Who's the conductor/orchestra in the Shostakovich 2nd PC, Jan?

[Brian]

Test driving some old Naxos back catalog stuff because Naxos hi-res digital is on sale at Presto and physical CDs on sale at Europa.



Tansman's violin music is...really good! The early Violin Sonata No. 2 sounds a lot like Franck or Fauré, and the later music is in a similar Parisian-cosmopolitan vein, kind of like Martinu, and including a foxtrot. The Albanian-born violinist is concertmaster of the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra so the performances are excellent.

Of some interest, the cover painting is not real 30s modern artwork, but a parody of period Modernism by a 21st century person who licenses out on a popular image licensing website under a pseudonym.

[Papy Oli]

An assortment from this :

[Traverso]

Who's the conductor/orchestra in the Shostakovich 2nd PC, Jan?

Good afternoon John,

It is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Lawrence Forster  (1970)  Abbey Road

[Mirror Image]

Good afternoon John,

It is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Lawrence Forster  (1970)  Abbey Road

Thanks, Jan.

[Brian]

An assortment from this :

My family had that two CD set when I was a teenager, so I'm so imprinted on it that my mind even mentally queues up the next track when I hear one of those overtures. Like after the Glinka overture pops into my head, the Verdi pops up next.

[SonicMan46]

Farrenc, Louise (1804-1875) - Symphonies w/ Goritzki & NDR Radiophilharmonie which are in my Farrenc collection of about 8 discs.  Louise seems to be receiving much more overdued attention, i.e. there are now two other sets of her symphonies (single discs shown below) - listened to one of each on Spotify this morning; all sounded fine to me although the Goritzki recordings are 20+ years old - reviews are attached that don't convince me at the moment of replacing what I own; Equilbey's CD is the newest recording and the reviews are not from the usual sources, plus I assume more is to be recorded?  I'll sit tight until released.  Dave

 

 

[VonStupp]

Joachim Raff
Symphony 3 in F Major "Im Walde", op. 153
Abends-Rhapsodie, op. 163b
Romeo and Juliet Overture, WoO 51 - ed. MacDowell

Philharmonia - Francesco D'Avalos

Quite lovely actually, not having listened to much Raff at all. Its forested programme comes across vividly, very Mendelssohn-ian, and Raff constructs the symphony well. The wind writing is particularly impressive; rather bucolic in nature.

I am quite pleased here, especially since I have had a run of so-so recordings from ASV lately. It must not have been much of a success since I don't think ASV returned to the Raff well.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Berlioz
Les nuits d'été, Op. 7
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, mezzo-soprano
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Nicholas McGegan

[SonicMan46]

Farrenc, Louise (1804-75) - Chamber Works w/ the performers on the cover art - I decided to spend much of the day w/ my modest array of this female French composer; the only other woman in my collection w/ a similar number of discs (7) is Amy Beach - works include Piano Trios/Quintets, Sextet, Nonet, and Violin Sonatas; still have a couple of solo piano discs to play - reviews attached for those interested.  Dave

     

[Brian]

Paulus - Grand Organ Concerto



Very nice background music; it's pretty without ever being memorable, or really ever having a melody. Paulus seems to believe in a return to romantic tonality, but without a return to romantic melody, relying instead on momentary pleasures. The result is something a concerto that has a lot of nice parts which don't add up or appear to have a structure. Veil of Tears is a short string lament which is built on a similar principle of tiny, affecting gestures that don't add up to a real arc of any kind.

Not bad, but heavily limited in its usefulness.



Lauro - Venezuelan Waltzes for Guitar

Again very nice background music, but this time all melody, like a Venezuelan guitar version of the Lyric Pieces, only with less variety.



Hindemith's cello sonatas and "A frog he went a-courting" variations
Much more interesting, and varied between wittier and dryer pieces, which means that probably I don't like them all anything like equally.

Up next: Ohguri:

[VonStupp]

Paulus - Grand Organ Concerto



Very nice background music; it's pretty without ever being memorable, or really ever having a melody. Paulus seems to believe in a return to romantic tonality, but without a return to romantic melody, relying instead on momentary pleasures. The result is something a concerto that has a lot of nice parts which don't add up or appear to have a structure. Veil of Tears is a short string lament which is built on a similar principle of tiny, affecting gestures that don't add up to a real arc of any kind.

Not bad, but heavily limited in its usefulness.

I know Paulus mainly as a choral composer and arranger, so I suppose his musical style works best in 3-5 minute choral pieces, yet never have I heard an entire program dedicated to his choral music. I had seen some larger works of his on Naxos and am appreciative for your report.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

NP:

Berlioz
Les nuits d'été, Op. 7
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, mezzo-soprano
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Nicholas McGegan

How did you like it John?  I'll have to revisit her Berlioz; I do love her Handel!

PD

[Karl Henning]

Paulus - Grand Organ Concerto



Very nice background music; it's pretty without ever being memorable, or really ever having a melody. Paulus seems to believe in a return to romantic tonality, but without a return to romantic melody, relying instead on momentary pleasures. The result is something a concerto that has a lot of nice parts which don't add up or appear to have a structure. Veil of Tears is a short string lament which is built on a similar principle of tiny, affecting gestures that don't add up to a real arc of any kind.

Not bad, but heavily limited in its usefulness.

This is in line with my own Paulus experience: Pleasant, capably written, so what?

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

+ 1

Have a great week, John. I want your opinion on the Manuel de Falla recording by Bernstein.