What are you listening 2 now?

[Irons]

https://www.youtube.com/v/q9nn3ofeTQ4

I did not realize Diamond wrote so many symphonies - I have No.1 on order. I will listen to the link posted tomorrow. Thanks. 

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Martinů
Bergerettes, H. 275
Kinsky Trio Prague



There's a review on Amazon of this recording where the person gives this a 1-star review based on the instrumental balance and poor performance. I have to say this reviewer must've been listening to a completely different recording than I was because I hear no such faults. It's actually impeccably recorded and the performances sound as fine as you'd expect from this fantastic label. The reviewer also complained about how the works were presented in the wrong order. So what. Record labels do this all the time and it just reads like nitpicking. Anyway, a special note: the pianist on this recording, Slávka Pěchočová, also has a fantastic recording of Janáček's solo piano music (also on Praga Digitals) that's worth checking out if you haven't already.

[André]

Not quite the same storyline as Shakespeare's play or other operas - or the Prokofiev ballet, for that matter. That's because  Felice Romani based his libretto not on Shakespeare, but on Mathieu Bandello's story published in 1554. It was also one of the sources that Shakespeare used for his own R&J. Some characters are different but the plot basics are the same. Feuding families, forbidden love, false death potion, real poison, etc.

Muti conducts with a welcome urgency, Baltsa sings very well but vocally it's Gruberova who takes the honors. Live from Covent Garden, 1984.

[Symphonic Addict]

Would wish that the sonics were better, what I heard so far was disappointing.

I don't hear anything wrong about the sound quality in any of those discs devoted to Andreae, actually. Moreover, when the music is so well-crafted and greatly performed, minimal sound flaws in the recording go unnoticed for me.

[Mirror Image]

Teacher/Student 1st PCs:

Rautavaara
Piano Concerto No. 1
Ralf Gothoni, piano
MDR Sinfonieorchester
Max Pommer



Aho
Piano Concerto No. 1
Sonja Fräki, piano
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Eva Ollikainen

[vers la flamme]

Teacher/Student 1st PCs:

Rautavaara
Piano Concerto No. 1
Ralf Gothoni, piano
MDR Sinfonieorchester
Max Pommer

I listened to a different recording of the Rautavaara Piano Concerto No.1 yesterday. I really like the piece, there's this very undulating feeling to it all which I find intriguing.

[vers la flamme]

Arvo Pärt: Da pacem Domine. The Hilliard Ensemble

First listen: a phenomenal performance from one of my favorite vocal ensembles. What a piece! Short and sweet, but enough to put me in a trance. (Not going to listen to the much longer Lamentate right now.) ECM has done a phenomenal job of recording the music of Arvo Pärt...

[vers la flamme]

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No.6 in B-flat major, op.18 no.6. Belcea Quartet

[Mirror Image]

I listened to a different recording of the Rautavaara Piano Concerto No.1 yesterday. I really like the piece, there's this very undulating feeling to it all which I find intriguing.

Yeah, I enjoyed it and I'm thinking this was a first-listen or I just haven't heard it in a long-time, because it didn't sound familiar. Looking forward to digging into more of Rautavaara's oeuvre.

[JBS]

Time to move this from the "to be listened to" pile into the CD player.

CD 1 at the moment. I'll likely listen to CD 2 later.

[vers la flamme]

Yeah, I enjoyed it and I'm thinking this was a first-listen or I just haven't heard it in a long-time, because it didn't sound familiar. Looking forward to digging into more of Rautavaara's oeuvre.

It doesn't all really do it for me; for instance, I have yet to take much away from the 7th Symphony. But he was a very prolific and quite unique composer, and much of what he wrote is worth listening to, it seems. I'd love to dig more into his work too, but it's not a super high priority at the moment.

[Mirror Image]

It doesn't all really do it for me; for instance, I have yet to take much away from the 7th Symphony. But he was a very prolific and quite unique composer, and much of what he wrote is worth listening to, it seems. I'd love to dig more into his work too, but it's not a super high priority at the moment.

His student Aho is by far my favorite Finn after Sibelius. I should revisit some Lindberg and Salonen, though. I went through a Lindberg phase many years ago and ended up with more than a dozen of recordings of his music. What do you think about Aho, Lindberg and Salonen?

[vers la flamme]

His student Aho is by far my favorite Finn after Sibelius. I should revisit some Lindberg and Salonen, though. I went through a Lindberg phase many years ago and ended up with more than a dozen of recordings of his music. What do you think about Aho, Lindberg and Salonen?

Never heard any Lindberg or Salonen; I admire the latter's conducting, though. I have a disc of Aho's music, the Chinese Songs and Symphony No.4 under Osmo Vänskä on BIS. Can't say it's left much impression on me though I must have listened to it 3 or 4 times by now—likely just not in a receptive mood at the time. Aho is another very prolific composer, I'll give his music a proper chance eventually, but my interests seem to lie elsewhere for the moment.

[vers la flamme]

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No.6 in B-flat major, op.18 no.6. Belcea Quartet

Now String Quartet No.12 in E-flat major, op.128. Beautiful recording of this late masterpiece. I love the clean, incisive tone of this quartet which is somehow simultaneously very warm and effervescent. Very talented musicians all, in very good recorded sound.

[Mirror Image]

Never heard any Lindberg or Salonen; I admire the latter's conducting, though. I have a disc of Aho's music, the Chinese Songs and Symphony No.4 under Osmo Vänskä on BIS. Can't say it's left much impression on me though I must have listened to it 3 or 4 times by now—likely just not in a receptive mood at the time. Aho is another very prolific composer, I'll give his music a proper chance eventually, but my interests seem to lie elsewhere for the moment.

I can say that contemporary classical music in general hasn't left much of an impression on me. I'm squarely a Romantic and 20th Century listener (and mainly the earlier part of the 20th Century). Right now, Berlioz has occupied my listening and I'm finding my revisitation of his music to be glorious. What a composer!

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Hello, goodnight folk's before  going to bed, I pay a tribute to one of the most, important and significant, avant-garde Classical Composer, so credential, he link two school  of music , The burgundy kingdom of 16Th century and Italians later school of 17Th century.

Tapis Rouge , pour ce grand compositeur , émérite, grand aux sent large...

Giaches DE Wert- I have to my knowledge few CD's, including Madrigali on la Venexiana, on Glossa label(madrigals) very very good,& the quintessential release on sSignum Classics, Vox in Rama (motets) done  in state of the art awesome, an LP on Vanguard and lots downloads, thus said DE We rt Style Antico. Needless to say I love , worship DE Wert works  incredibly


What so special about DE Wert well his Motets rival Nicolas Gombert in genius, his Madrigal remind us of Gesualdo (earlier) CROSS WHIT Monteverdi, just THIS , PERHAPS MORE , EXCELLENT COMPOSER !

[Mirror Image]

Teacher/Student 1st PCs:

Rautavaara
Piano Concerto No. 1
Ralf Gothoni, piano
MDR Sinfonieorchester
Max Pommer



Aho
Piano Concerto No. 1
Sonja Fräki, piano
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Eva Ollikainen

Cesar spoke highly of Aho's 1st PC, but I'm in stark disagreement with him about it. I don't think it's that great. It seems like there's no musical argument whatsoever and it just, quite frankly, goes nowhere. I didn't even listen to the last movement as I became frustrated with it. Yeah, I definitely won't be listening to this work anytime soon. I have found that the later the Aho, the better I like it. His works from 2000 up to now is the 'later' Aho I'm referring to.

[Symphonic Addict]

I'm very grateful with Naxos for issuing music like this. Two significantly accomplished piano quintets, but it is the Pilati the real thing here. The sense of passion permeating the whole work leaves a great impression, not to say the memorability of the themes. Tremendous piece I must say. The Longo is a solid piece too, but less tuneful. I'll be listening to this CD more often.

[Symphonic Addict]

Schmitt's Psalm 47 and L. Boulanger's Psalm 130 are, without a doubt, two of my absolute favorite works for chorus and orchestra. Two hair-raising, thrilling masterworks. Two other 20th century choral/orchestral psalm settings I think very highly of are Zemlinsky's Psalm 13 and Roussel's Psalm 80.

+1

I love Boulanger's works. Don't miss her other psalms. Really stupendous music.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Strauss
Hornkonzert Nr. 2 in Es, TrV 283
Barry Tuckwell, horn
Royal PO
Ashkenazy



Quite simply, one of the most magnificent concertos I've ever heard. Everything is proportioned to great effect and there are moments of poignancy as this particular concerto was dedicated in loving memory to his father. I don't know why exactly, but this work hits a bit close to home for me as I value all of the time I have been able to spend with my own father. Not everyone is as fortunate as I am as not only is he my father, but he's my best friend as well.