What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

Quite a few; I've been listening to a good bit of his music these past few months. The BIS series is excellent; I have the 1st, 4th & 5th symphonies. There is still much of his music that I have yet to explore, including the rest of the symphonies, the concerti grossi, the string quartets (only heard the 3rd of these, which I love), etc. I'm becoming a big fan of his work.

Not to contradict you, but the BIS series is only 'alright' or, at least, it is for me. The only performances that stood out in that symphony set from them, for example, were the 3rd, 4th and 5th. The other performances exist in better performances elsewhere. Look into the Chandos series for example, especially those with Polyansky. The SQs are most definitely worth your time --- I have two complete sets (or maybe three), but the set I listen the most is the Molinari Quartet on Atma. You should also check out the Cello Concertos and Viola Concerto. If you haven't heard the Piano Quintet, then you should ASAP. It's another one of those key Schnittke works that helped cement his place in the late 20th Century pantheon of greats. Three other works that I highly recommend are the ballets Sketches, Labyrinths and, best of all, Peer Gynt. The Violin Sonatas and Cello Sonatas are also worth looking into as is his film music, which is what Schnittke had to do for awhile like many Soviet composers to make any money, but, make no mistake, he had a knack for writing for film.

[vers la flamme]

Not to contradict you, but the BIS series is only 'alright' or, at least, it is for me. The only performances that stood out in that symphony set from them, for example, were the 3rd, 4th and 5th. The other performances exist in better performances elsewhere. Look into the Chandos series for example, especially those with Polyansky. The SQs are most definitely worth your time --- I have two complete sets (or maybe three), but the set I listen the most is the Molinari Quartet on Atma. You should also check out the Cello Concertos and Viola Concerto. If you haven't heard the Piano Quintet, then you should ASAP. It's another one of those key Schnittke works that helped cement his place in the late 20th Century pantheon of greats. Three other works that I highly recommend are the ballets Sketches, Labyrinths and, best of all, Peer Gynt. The Violin Sonatas and Cello Sonatas are also worth looking into as is his film music, which is what Schnittke had to do for awhile like many Soviet composers to make any money, but, make no mistake, he had a knack for writing for film.

To offer your own opinion is in no way a contradiction of mine. I'm quite fond of the cello and viola concertos, and the piano quintet. I've just recently started listening to his film music, which is quite a bit better than most film music I know of. I have the CPO disc.

[Mirror Image]

To offer your own opinion is in no way a contradiction of mine. I'm quite fond of the cello and viola concertos, and the piano quintet. I've just recently started listening to his film music, which is quite a bit better than most film music I know of. I have the CPO disc.

Yes, the CPO disc is excellent, but do check out that film series on Capriccio, which is offered as a box set now with a stupid cover:

[T. D.]

Yes, the CPO disc is excellent, but do check out that film series on Capriccio, which is offered as a box set now with a stupid cover:

Thanks, I should look into that.
I think Schnittke is an exceptional composer, but much of his work that I've heard is rather depressing, so I haven't listened much in COVID times.
The film music should be more "fun", and I've had good experience with Capriccio compilations.

[foxandpeng]

Alla Pavlova
Symphony 1 'Farewell Russia'
Symphony 3
Russian Philharmonia Orchestra
Naxos

I've come to very much appreciate Pavlova's symphonies during 2021. Kudos to Naxos for recording this ongoing, Ukrainian-American composer's work.

[Carlo Gesualdo]

What about revisiting, The entire fitzwilliam virginal book for tonight on Brilliant Classics, what a great box-set , it's fabuleous, anyone cherrish this just as mutch as me, have a good night folks, sweet dreams 

Love ya folks of GmG , would like to apologize to SimonNZ and Harry they are great GmG menbers, please accept my sincere apology 

[Mirror Image]

Thanks, I should look into that.
I think Schnittke is an exceptional composer, but much of his work that I've heard is rather depressing, so I haven't listened much in COVID times.
The film music should be more "fun", and I've had good experience with Capriccio compilations.

Yeah, I think you'll enjoy his film music very much. It's interesting you mentioned his music as depressing as I don't really hear it this way. The thing that separates Schnittke from say Penderecki or Pettersson, is I do believe this composer had much optimism despite his own circumstances. The Soviet period was certainly one that kept many artists down, but I look at composers, poets, writers, artists, etc. during time as a light shed on those dark times.

[vers la flamme]

@MI, you're right; that is a stupid cover. Same conductor and orchestra as that CPO disc—Strobel must really believe in this Schnittke film music. It looks promising, but I'm not sure I need four discs of Schnittke's film music at this juncture.

Personally, I would not describe Schnittke's music as depressing, but it sure is dark as hell. That's one of the reasons why I love it. He certainly had an overwhelming drive to compose great music—unceasingly, even after suffering multiple major strokes late in his relatively short life—which I find deeply inspiring. I think this is part of what MI is getting at.

Now playing:



Joseph Haydn: Symphony No.100 in G major, the "Military". Colin Davis, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

What a brilliant work! One of my favorite Haydn symphonies.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Personally, I would not describe Schnittke's music as depressing, but it sure is dark as hell.

I am not surprised. His name only has two vowels in contrast to seven consonants.

I'm not a fan of works for a solo instrument except piano and guitar.

When you have time, please check out Nightshade Rounds by Sharon Isbin, the head of the guitar dept. at Juilliard.

Well, I have to say that Roussel is a worthwhile composer that I think you'd enjoy. Give the 3rd and 4th symphonies a listen. An interesting factoid about Roussel, he taught Martinů.

I listened to the Plasson recording via YT. Very likable music. I will check other works by him. Also I remember that I liked the Roussel's works in the Paul Paray's album of Chabrier.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Alfredo Casella, La Giara Suite.

[Mirror Image]

When you have time, please check out Nightshade Rounds by Sharon Isbin, the head of the guitar dept. at Juilliard.

I listened to the Plasson recording via YT. Very likable music. I will check other works by him. Also I remember that I liked the Roussel's works in the Paul Paray's album of Chabrier.

I probably have that Isbin recording somewhere. I had bought many of her recordings years ago. She's great. Very good about Roussel. He's definitely a composer that has a unique style.

[Mirror Image]

@MI, you're right; that is a stupid cover. Same conductor and orchestra as that CPO disc—Strobel must really believe in this Schnittke film music. It looks promising, but I'm not sure I need four discs of Schnittke's film music at this juncture.

Personally, I would not describe Schnittke's music as depressing, but it sure is dark as hell. That's one of the reasons why I love it. He certainly had an overwhelming drive to compose great music—unceasingly, even after suffering multiple major strokes late in his relatively short life—which I find deeply inspiring. I think this is part of what MI is getting at.

I thought I didn't need four volumes of Schnittke's film music either until I did a broad sampling of it years ago. The Ascent was all it took for me to realize that, yes, I needed this series. I own the individual volumes, which are hybrid SACDs. It's surprising that Capriccio just didn't reissue this series in a box set that houses the individual releases. Probably would've been easier. But anyway, yes, Schnittke's strokes definitely kept him down a lot of the time, but they surely didn't stifle his creativity.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Kodály
Variations on a Hungarian folk song, "The Peacock"
BSO
Leinsdorf



WOW...!!!! The more I listen to this work, the more I'm blown away about it. The Dorati performance on Hungaroton I listened to earlier was great and this Leinsdorf performance turns it into a showpiece, which is a completely valid view of the work. It does contain many phenomenal musical passages that are colorful and just kind of bloom from all of the sections of the orchestra. I think both approaches work well and I'm now anxious to hear others in my collection.

[T. D.]

@MI, you're right; that is a stupid cover. Same conductor and orchestra as that CPO disc—Strobel must really believe in this Schnittke film music. It looks promising, but I'm not sure I need four discs of Schnittke's film music at this juncture.

Personally, I would not describe Schnittke's music as depressing, but it sure is dark as hell. That's one of the reasons why I love it. He certainly had an overwhelming drive to compose great music—unceasingly, even after suffering multiple major strokes late in his relatively short life—which I find deeply inspiring. I think this is part of what MI is getting at.

...

OK, maybe dark rather than depressing...I listen to a lot of chamber music, and found the SQ, Piano Quintet, Kanon i. m. Igor S., Piano Quartet, Piano Trio and various sonatas all very good but bleaker stuff than I generally reach for. The film music, in which Schnittke works with a bigger palette, seems like a good route to explore further. I'm also fond of musical "black humor", and will look for recordings in that vein.

Now revisiting

[foxandpeng]

Alla Pavlova
Sulamith (Ballet Suite)
Monolog
Old New York Nostalgia (Suite)
Moscow PO
Naxos


Late night listening. Beautifully melodic

[Mirror Image]

Now playing from this new acquisition:

Kodály
Variations on a Hungarian folk song, "The Peacock"
Hungarian RSO
Ádám Fischer



Another splendid performance with up-to-date sonics and an orchestra that's well-captured.

[T. D.]

 

Reveling in my bad taste in Bach piano interpretations (which may already be a redundancy). The Tipo is actually from a 5-disc French EMI box.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Mahler
Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
Royal Concertgebouw
Chailly

[Mirror Image]

I have to say the more I revisit Chailly's Mahler cycle, the more I love it. Of course, not one conductor is going to do the job in such vast symphonies, but Chailly does come across well here I think. One of the things I love about this cycle is its relative straight-forwardness. He just goes in there, lets the Concertgebouw or Berlin RSO (only in the 10th I believe) rip and the results are damn good. This is becoming one of my favorite Mahler cycles.

[Que]

Morning listening:

   

Jean-Charles Ablitzer plays the historical Schnitger organ (built 1686-1692) of the Sankt Ludgeri Church, Norden, Niedersachsen, Germany