What are you listening 2 now?

[vandermolen]

Moeran: String Quartet

[Harry]

Nikolai Tcherepnin.

La princesse Lointaine, Symphonic prelude.
Narcisse et Echo, Ballet.

Bamberger Symphoniker, Lukasz Borowicz.

An extremely beautiful release, well performed and recorded. Quite a discovery for me, for I was unaware of this music. Could have done without the vocal contributions, but they do not interrupt the flow, so for once that's okay with me.

[André]

More Soler by Harbach (harpsichord) and CPE Bach by Markovina (piano).

Also Orff's Carmina Burana by Mehta. Fine but flawed, with an inadequate tenor and indistinct chorus. The orchestral parts are much better recorded than the chorus.

[Papy Oli]

JS Bach - Violins Concertos No.1 & 2, Double Violin Concerto (BWV 1041, 1042, 1043)
Kuijken / Petite Bande

[Traverso]

Boyce

Symphonies

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Mahler
Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor (Live recording, 1988)
LPO
Tennstedt



Generally speaking, I prefer Tennstedt's live recordings to his studio cycle. Thankfully, EMI (Warner) has boxed up all of theirs and the London Philharmonic house label has also boxed up their Tennstedt recordings. The odd recordings out here is the one he did of the 3rd on ICA Classics and there's several on the Profil label with German orchestras that I actually haven't heard. Anyway, this is an outstanding 5th from him and the LPO.

[foxandpeng]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Complete Symphonies
Symphony #7 'Leningrad'
Alexander Sladkovsky
Tatarstan NSO

On recommendation from certain other members...

[Mirror Image]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Complete Symphonies
Symphony #7 'Leningrad'
Alexander Sladkovsky
Tatarstan NSO

On recommendation from certain other members...

Nice! Did you buy this box set or are you streaming it? I'm actually going to get around to Sladkovsky's Leningrad today since this particular symphony has been a rather hot topic on the composer's thread.

[Mirror Image]

Dvorak's first great song collection, Gypsy Melodies. The Czech version (Dvorak's first version was actually in German, but the original poems were in Czech!).

And first proper listen to this album since I made the decision to purchase the CD.



EDIT: I got to the mellower 3rd and 4th songs and went "oh my God, this is why I chose this recording". Just exquisite. Not that the faster songs are bad, but the slower ones are magic.

That song cycle from Dvořák is exquisite. These are the two recordings I own that feature this work:



Both are outstanding.

[foxandpeng]

Nice! Did you buy this box set or are you streaming it?

Streaming through the ol' headphones from Spotify, my default music provider. I dug out my downloads, rips and assorted other mp3s/FLACs etc., from my portable HDs last night, and pulled various items onto my phone SD card for some of the other music I want to hear at CD quality or is not currently available via this medium, but as usual Spotify via my home WiFi is winning the platform war - partly because of the ease and range of material.

I like this version. You can hear the ominous pianos at the start of the first movement martial section more clearly than on the Sanderling I have been listening to in the last few days. It also seems somewhat more satisfyingly frenetic as the movement builds. I did have it playing through the Sonos but my wife didn't like the fact that the Nazis had turned up with such enthusiasm.

[VonStupp]

Latin American Fiesta
NYPO - Leonard Bernstein

Aaron Copland
Danzón Cubano
El Salón México

Villa-Lobos
Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5
Netania Davrath - soprano

Silvestre Revueltas
Sensemayá

Carlos Chávez
Symphony 2 'Sinfonia India'

Oscar Lorenzo Fernández
Batuque

Mozart Camargo Guarnieri
Dansa Brasileira

The title 'Latin American Fiesta' implies to me something that this album doesn't provide. A lot of these works are serious, with their Latin influences far from the spotlight (not that I am complaining), and it was nice to find the spunky miniatures by Fernandez and Guarnieri. I don't think I have come across Chávez's Symphony 2 before either, but it seems to owe quite a bit to Copland.

[Mirror Image]

Streaming through the ol' headphones from Spotify, my default music provider. I dug out my downloads, rips and assorted other mp3s/FLACs etc., from my portable HDs last night, and pulled various items onto my phone SD card for some of the other music I want to hear at CD quality or is not currently available via this medium, but as usual Spotify via my home WiFi is winning the platform war - partly because of the ease and range of material.

I like this version. You can hear the ominous pianos at the start of the first movement martial section more clearly than on the Sanderling I have been listening to in the last few days. It also seems somewhat more satisfyingly frenetic as the movement builds. I did have it playing through the Sonos but my wife didn't like the fact that Nazis had turned up with such enthusiasm.

Hah! As for this set's availability, I'm completely unaware if it's OOP as I bought it with no problems via Amazon US. I see it's not available on Amazon UK, but will soon be back available on Amazon Germany. Presto Classical has it in-stock. Hmmm...the price is even more expensive on there. I realize you've been listening to Michael Sanderling's Shostakovich on Sony, but have you heard any of Kurt Sanderling's Berlin Classics recordings? If not, you should definitely check these out!

[Mirror Image]

Latin American Fiesta
NYPO - Leonard Bernstein

Aaron Copland
Danzón Cubano
El Salón México

Villa-Lobos
Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5
Netania Davrath - soprano

Silvestre Revueltas
Sensemayá

Carlos Chávez
Symphony 2 'Sinfonia India'

Oscar Lorenzo Fernández
Batuque

Mozart Camargo Guarnieri
Dansa Brasileira

The title 'Latin American Fiesta' implies to me something that this album doesn't provide. A lot of these works are serious with their Latin influences far from the spotlight (not that I am complaining), and it was nice to find the spunky miniatures by Fernandez and Guarnieri. I don't think I have come across Chávez's Symphony 2 before either, but it seems to owe quite a bit to Copland.

That's a fun disc!

[Papy Oli]

Brahms - String Sextet No.1 (Raphael Ensemble)

[Madiel]

That song cycle from Dvořák is exquisite. These are the two recordings I own that feature this work:



Both are outstanding.

As discussed in various ways at the time we were testing out albums, Fink is the only singer I felt was at the same level as Infante. Also Kožena who has different repertoire.

Obviously there's an element of personal taste, but those were the top rank to me.

[VonStupp]

That's a fun disc!

I like it quite a bit too. The Bernstein Century traded the previous Royal Edition's Grand Canyon Suite for the Chavez Symphony 2. Suffice to say, I hung on to the Bernstein Century instead.

[Mirror Image]

As discussed in various ways at the time we were testing out albums, Fink is the only singer I felt was at the same level as Infante. Also Kožena who has different repertoire.

Obviously there's an element of personal taste, but those were the top rank to me.

I should check out that Infante recording you posted about, but, honestly right now, I have so much music on my plate that I don't know when I'll get around to it.

[foxandpeng]

Hah! As for this set's availability, I'm completely unaware if it's OOP as I bought it with no problems via Amazon US. I see it's not available on Amazon UK, but will soon be back available on Amazon Germany. Presto Classical has it in-stock. Hmmm...the price is even more expensive on there. I realize you've been listening to Michael Sanderling's Shostakovich on Sony, but have you heard any of Kurt Sanderling's Berlin Classics recordings? If not, you should definitely check these out!

I shall definitely look those out. My 'to listen' list is growing apace.

I hate it when I see things that I can't get a hold of via Spotify, however. I have been in that boat with the Martinu symphony set from Thomson. Uber annoying. I have been able to find the historic RVW recordings that have so impressed Jeffrey (Vandermolen) though, which have at last arrived on the platform. They will be on the listening list, although I suspect the less than stellar recording sound may frustrate me. I really do prefer more modern recordings, but beggars and choosers and all that... I want to join the party because of the attendant enthusiasm, so Old Mother McGruder's tinny ear harmonium it is!

[Mirror Image]

I like it quite a bit too. The Bernstein Century traded the previous Royal Edition's Grand Canyon Suite for the Chavez Symphony 2. Suffice to say, I hung on to the Bernstein Century instead.

I own the Bernstein Century recording you posted, but I never bought the Royal Edition, although I own quite a few from this particular series.

[Mirror Image]

I shall definitely look those out. My 'to listen' list is growing apace.

I hate it when I see things that I can't get a hold of via Spotify, however. I have been in that boat with the Martinu symphony set from Thomson. Uber annoying. I have been able to find the historic RVW recordings that have so impressed Jeffrey (Vandermolen) though, which have at last arrived on the platform. They will be on the listening list, although I suspect the less than stellar recording sound may frustrate me. I really do prefer more modern recordings, but beggars and choosers and all that... I want to join the party because of the attendant enthusiasm, so Old Mother McGruder's tinny ear harmonium it is!

If I were to use a streaming service, I'd probably go with Qobuz as they seem like their database is growing larger and larger by the minute. I'm not sure if you've check them out, but they may be worth considering given how much classical music they have uploaded.