What are you listening 2 now?

[ritter]

First listen to Juan José Castro's Arrabal. This ca. 9 minutes long piece is actually the first movement of the Sinfonía argentina, but the composer seems to have sanctioned (and even himself conducted) performances as an independent symphonic poem.


Very atmospheric, and actually quite enjoyable music by arguably Argentina's most distinguished composer of the generation preceding that of Alberto Ginastera.



Followed by Florent Schmitt's Scherzo sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré (In memoriam, op. 72 No. 2). A striking piece of music (originally written for solo piano as a posthumous homage by Schmitt to his teacher Fauré, but much more effective in this orchestral version IMO). The lush and huge orchestration, and the "jagged" melodic line could not be more distant from the idiom of the Fauré Requiem (the Schmitt short work—along with some others—is a filler to Neville Marriner's recording of the Requiem).

[Daverz]

Hurwitz did a video on The Bells and his top choice was, yup

Simon Rattle





https://www.youtube.com/v/4slMUSyULHI

Listening now via Qobuz, and it is an exciting recording.  The choir is really impressive.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Schnittke
String Trio
Quatuor Molinari

[Brian]

btw it's not called the "Diebenbrock set," it's called "the Diepenbox"

-

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Aho
Clarinet Concerto
Martin Fröst, clarinet
Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Wednesday

Arnold
Philharmonic Concerto, Op. 120
BBC Concert Orchestra
Handley

[classicalgeek]

Changing it up from my George Lloyd symphony survey:

Telemann
Violin concertos, vol. 1
Elizabeth Wallfisch, violin
L'Orfeo Barock Orchester
Michi Gaigg
(on Spotify)



A sampling of perfectly pleasant Baroque violin concertos. One marvels at how insanely prolific Telemann was...

[Klavier]

He plays with stunning virtuosity and passion. Excellent sound as well.

[foxandpeng]

Fritz Brun
Complete Orchestral Works
Symphony #5
Bratislava SO
Brilliant Classics

Too hot to sleep.

[Mirror Image]

Fritz Brun
Complete Orchestral Works
Symphony #5
Bratislava SO
Brilliant Classics

Too hot to sleep.

Well, Brun's music should be cure for that! Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

[foxandpeng]

Well, Brun's music should be cure for that! Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Haha. Now on #8. I occasionally dip into Brun, and quite like him for a change.

[Mirror Image]

Haha. Now on #8. I occasionally dip into Brun, and quite like him for a change.

I'll take your word for it. I've only heard two works from Brun and both works weren't my thing.

Thread duty -

Bernstein
Symphony No. 2, "The Age of Anxiety"
Krystian Zimerman, piano
Berliners
Rattle



This particular recording is one of the best things Rattle has ever done (aside from his outstanding Szymanowski recordings earlier in his career) and Zimerman is on fire here.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Boulez
Pli selon pli
Christine Schäfer, soprano
Ensemble InterContemporain
Boulez

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Britten
War Requiem, Op. 66
Galina Vishnevskaya (soprano), Peter Pears (tenor), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone)
Simon Preston (organ)
London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Melos Ensemble
Highgate School Choir
The Bach Choir
Britten

[JBS]

Beginning another recently arrived set.
CD 1 is devoted to Fayrfax

[Madiel]

Mozart, sort of.



The K.107 works based on JC Bach didn't make it into the box set of Perahia's piano concerto performances. Whereas concertos 1-4, which are similarly arrangements, did. The quirks of a decision about the numbering system that left out the JC Bach arrangements.

[Madiel]

Giving Mendelssohn a (fairly large) spin.

[Biffo]

Bach: Cantata Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig, BWV 26 - Concentus Musicus Wien, Arnold Schoenberg Choir & soloists conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt

[foxandpeng]

Emil Tabakov
Complete Symphonies
Symphony #2 and #6
Plovdiv PO
Toccata

Continuing to inhabit austere and bleak soundscapes with these wonderful symphonies. I think one of the reviews I read a while ago of Tabakov's music suggested sardonic laughter in the face of painful realities and mortality. Something like that. Point is, it wouldn't surprise me if he had a bust of Nietzsche or icon of Edvard Munch/Epictetus looming over his composing desk.

Great music.

[Traverso]

Sweelinck

Cantiones Sacrae

CD 1