What are you listening 2 now?

[ritter]

First listen to Henri Sauguet's Symphony No. 1, "L'Éxpiatoire". CD 1 of this set that landed today:


Not at all my cup of tea, I'm afraid......

[vers la flamme]

Some additions (2 used CDs from Amazon which played fine) to my 'Early Music' collection - Dave

   

That Hilliard Dowland CD is a favorite of mine.

[classicalgeek]

Continuing on my Janacek binge:



Pure Janacek from first note to last. Especially enjoyed the 'Katya Kabanova' suite.

[Karl Henning]

CD 18

Le Baiser de la fée

The Cleveland Orchestra
Severance Hall, 11 Dec 1955

[ritter]

CD 17:

Dirge-Canons & Song in memoriam Dylan Thomas
Three Shakespeare Songs
Septet
Four Russian Songs
Two Balmont Songs
Three Japanese Lyrics
Three Little Songs, Recollections of My Childhood
Four Russian Peasant Songs, Saucers

CD 18

Le Baiser de la fée

The Cleveland Orchestra
Severance Hall, 11 Dec 1955

Nice! Very nice!  Good evening, Karl!

TD:
Another new arrival, another first listen. Florent Schmitt's Saxophone Quartet, op. 102, from this CD:


Fascinating! It's late, so the other works on the disc will have to wait for another occasion.

[Karl Henning]

Nice! Very nice!  Good evening, Karl!

TD:
Another new arrival, another first listen. Florent Schmitt's Saxophone Quartet, op. 102, from this CD:


Fascinating! It's late, so the other works on the disc will have to wait for another occasion.

Cheers, Rafael! Le Baiser de la fée, especially, is just what I needed today.

[Sergeant Rock]

Havergal Brian Symphony No. 8




Sarge

[Todd]

Zlata Chocieva is another member of the 1.000 club.  True, only four discs of her artistry exist in proper release form, but still.  The conceit here is to play only transcriptionists written by some of the very greatest pianists - namely, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Friedman.  The recording opens with a half dozen Bach pieces, starting with three Rach transcriptions of movements from BWV1006, which, under Chocieva's fingers, sounds every bit as compelling as the original setting.  Friedman's three transcriptions sound fantastic, as well.  Liszt's well-known settings of Schubert all come off without a hitch, with Auf dem Wasser zu singen especially zippy and nice.  Liszt's Mendelssohn is also predictably very fine, and Rachmaninoff's setting of the Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream is dashed off with such speed and energy that one is dazzled.  The Tempo di Menuetto from Mahler's Third, transcribed by Friedman, marks the second Mahler movement transcription added to my collection this year (the other is the Scherzo from the first transcribed and played by Mikhail Kazakevich), and it is a corker.  It works better than Kazakevich's transcription, and Chocieva dispatches it with ease.  The remaining pieces sound scarecely less compelling.  If there is a potential kvetch to be had here, it's that Chocieva tends toward the fast and showy almost throughout, seeming eager to display her unilimited ability.  But ultimately, as with Volodos' first couple discs, the playing is so awesome that any whispers of hints of intimations of complaints go poof.  I knew this would be something when I saw it pop as a future release, and it came to pass.  Ms Chocieva really does need to record some (a lot of) Liszt, Ravel, Scriabin, and, well, everything else. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

That Mackerras/Janacek set is part of a bigger box that also has Mackerras doing Martinu: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Czech-Music-Mackerras-2010-11-30/dp/B013H1N6S6/ As is his box (also on Supraphon) of his Dvorak and Smetana: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Czech-Music-Dvorak-Smetana/dp/B0046VRR4Q. Both are on my wishlist! I've only scratched the proverbial surface of Mackerras doing Czech music and I want to really dig into it.

It's on Spotify (and I'm sure it's on Qobuz and other streaming services), if you don't mind streaming: https://open.spotify.com/album/1KOEC34TKQ9caS7xSNrQYN?si=qWw5TYfaSiO4PiKFnJ51sw&dl_branch=1

Thanks for that bit of information! It's always fascinating when performers have a direct link to composers. And yes, Janacek's piano works are perfect for that frame of mind... a world apart from his orchestral works. (I need to better familiarize myself with his chamber music!)

Thread Duty:

Chopin
Piano concerto no. 2
Claudio Arrau, piano
London Philharmonic/Eliahu Inbal



From a CD box I forgot I had, recently unpacked from sitting in a sealed box for the last eight years. It's Arrau. It's Chopin. It's excellent.

I have those two sets.  And, yes they are special! 

You might want to read this (new article to me though I knew some of the story):  https://english.radio.cz/sir-charles-mackerras-his-love-czech-music-8074478  He was at one point in time head of the Czech and Slovak Music Society in the UK (and from there into the rest of the world me thinks).    You're on the right track (if I might say that).    And you can also google his involvement in terms of introducing Czech music to the UK too.

Enjoy, and savor, the journey!

Best wishes,

PD

[prémont]

London/Brighton group, very good.

Yes, a nice CD - and it includes one piece by Zacara da Teramo.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8533920--gardens-of-delight

[André]

Among the single entries (not part of an integral set) in the Scarlatti sweepstakes, this one's got the winning ticket for me. 

[Karl Henning]

Among the single entries (not part of an integral set) in the Scarlatti sweepstakes, this one's got the winning ticket for me. 

Piano? Harpsichord?

[classicalgeek]

Returning to my other binge at the moment (George Lloyd), finally listened to Symphony no. 5 on Spotify:



Absolutely delightful as expected. A really lyrical and beautiful first movement and a slow movement (the fourth movement in this case) that has some real anguished music, not a common occurrence in Lloyd. And of course a whirlwind finale with a snare drum gone rogue!

[Madiel]

Shostakovich op.87, take 14



It's off to a very promising start.

[Xenophanes]

Pretty enjoyable, actually.  I don't think I had ever listened to them before all at once.




4 Naxos CDs, all with Michael Halasz.  The other three are with the New Zealand SO.

[JBS]

As I mentioned somewhere I like Denon's old recordings, and I can see that this out-of-print recording is available on Amazon for $902. I'll pass. I recently listened to the Royal Quartet recordings of these works on Hyperion and found them fully enjoyable.

Is Amazon playing its old game again?
This listing has used copies for under $10.
[Asin]B0000034YO[/asin]

There's also a re-issue on Dal Segno to which Schoeck's Notturno was added, but it's priced around $50.

TD

Haydn
Symphonies 53, 73, and 79
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Followed by

John Taverner
Missa O Michael w/motets and Leroy Kyrie
The Sixteen/Harry Christophers

[T. D.]

Is Amazon playing its old game again?
This listing has used copies for under $10.
[Asin]B0000034YO[/asin]

Discogs also has cheap copies: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?sort=price%2Casc&limit=25&master_id=1569884&ev=mb

Yet another example of why Amazon is my least preferred vendor.

Listening:

[Mirror Image]

+1

I am still getting to know his music as and when the mood's upon me. But I have such a high regard for him and his approach to life/music. Was very touched a while ago reading the story of him when in his fifties coming downstairs with tears in his eyes and saying to his wife he couldn't compose anymore, 'It just doesn't sound right', he said. And I think that was pretty much it for his composing, though he did continue editing certain works. Typically direct and unblinkingly honest to the end.

Ives was one of those crucial composers for me early on. In fact, he was one of the first composers I got into. His music is amazing and I'm always thrilled when people are just getting into his music and enjoying it, because he as such an unmistakable voice. An inspiring musical figure and, for me, the quintessential American composer.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Penderecki
Violin Concerto No. 1
Christiane Edinger, violin
Bamberger Symphoniker
Penderecki

[Spotted Horses]

Is Amazon playing its old game again?
This listing has used copies for under $10.

Not looking to buy, so I didn't check for multiple listings of the same product. Makes you wonder if anyone is every gullible enough to spring for one of those astronomically priced items. Maybe for Elon Musk it is not worth 10 seconds to see if there is a cheaper copy available.