What are you listening 2 now?

Started by Gurn Blanston, September 23, 2019, 05:45:22 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

vandermolen, Harry and 25 Guests are viewing this topic.

JBS

Brian's home orchestra doing Mahler


Good performance marred by airless not-close-enough sonics.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: kyjo on September 14, 2021, 06:40:05 AM
Is Bach becoming one of your favorite composers now? ;)

Not yet.  ;)

I have to confess I have a soft spot for his organ music (except for most of the choral preludes which are boring to my ears). Bach makes the organ sound noble and majestic.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Symphonic Addict

Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on September 14, 2021, 07:44:31 AM
Shostakovich Symphony No. 8, Slava conducting




Sarge

That Hurwitz's video was very insightful. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 14, 2021, 08:21:14 AM
An intergalactic program of my own creation:

Holst: The Planets

-Intermission-

Ligeti: Atmosphères
Penderecki: Kosmogonia
Langgaard: Sfærernes Musik ("Music of the Spheres")


From these recordings:



Superb concert, John. We can only enjoy it at home and imagine it in our minds because I don't think we'll ever hear and see something like that live.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Mirror Image

Quote from: classicalgeek on September 14, 2021, 05:24:13 PM
On a Berg Violin Concerto listening binge (all on Spotify):









For me, the clear winner is Mutter... she plays with a passion and intensity that the others don't quite match, fine though they are. And it goes without saying that the Chicago Symphony plays extremely well. I was impressed with Steinbacher, though she could be a bit cool in places; the WDR Symphony is every bit the equal of Chicago. Stern is excellent, of course, though the orchestra didn't stand out as much. Only Kremer left me wanting more, although his interpretation had its high points (a shattering climax in the second movement, with great timpani.) For me, I listen for the orchestra as much as the violinist - Berg is an absolute genius in this regard!

FWIW, I find Mutter/Levine to be at the top of the heap in terms of performance and as you said, the general passion that both Mutter and Levine bring to the work. My other favorite is Faust/Abbado on Harmonia Mundi, which is a performance that I didn't like so much at first due to the smaller orchestra used (the Orchestra Mozart in this recording), but I've become a lot more open to the other interpretations of this concerto and this one isn't too far behind Mutter/Levine.

Mirror Image

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on September 14, 2021, 05:54:27 PM
Superb concert, John. We can only enjoy it at home and imagine it in our minds because I don't think we'll ever hear and see something like that live.

Indeed. A program like this simply wouldn't happen and it won't happen as long as you have the penny-pinchers who sit on these orchestra boards.

Mirror Image

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on September 14, 2021, 05:52:53 PM
That Hurwitz's video was very insightful. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I thought you didn't like Hurwitz? ???

Mirror Image

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on September 14, 2021, 05:45:05 PM
Honegger

String Quartet No. 2
Symphony No. 4 Deliciae Basiliensis




The 2nd SQ is an authentic masterpiece. The 2nd movement is a real stunner unto itself. What a work.

This performance of the Symphony No. 4 opened my ears to this bucolic and pleasant work. Even though the work has a quite notable merry mood, one does feel a sense of nostalgic and longing along the notes.

I still don't quite get the 4th symphony, but, man, that 2nd SQ is an outstanding achievement.

Mirror Image

NP:

Stravinsky
Orpheus
Philharmonia
Salonen



SonicMan46

Quote from: classicalgeek on September 14, 2021, 05:24:13 PM

 

For me, the clear winner is Mutter.................

Oh, Arabella - one of my favorite pics inserted above -  8)  Dave

JBS

Repeat listen.

Quote from: JBS on September 13, 2021, 06:21:59 PM
Catholic church music from 17th century Brabant, when Catholicism was de jure (but not de facto) suppressed.
Benedictus a Sancto Josepho was a Carmelite friar and somewhat well known composer.
One short modern work is included.



ETA
The modern work sticks out like a sore thumb due to harmonic/melodic progressions.
The main part of the program is comparable in style to Schutz or Monteverdi.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Mirror Image

#49452
NP:

Shostakovich
Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
USSR State SO
Svetlanov



Symphonic Addict

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 14, 2021, 06:02:12 PM
I thought you didn't like Hurwitz? ???

I'm ambivalent. I enjoy when he talks about non-mainstream repertoire, but when he makes a video to talk about, say, the latest Beethoven release or any silly topic... mehh.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: Mirror Image on September 14, 2021, 06:03:27 PM
I still don't quite get the 4th symphony, but, man, that 2nd SQ is an outstanding achievement.

Maybe it's due to you're more used to his "rhythmic" side? And yes, that SQ blows me away whenever I listen to it.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Mirror Image

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on September 14, 2021, 08:55:59 PM
Maybe it's due to you're more used to his "rhythmic" side? And yes, that SQ blows me away whenever I listen to it.

Well, I just don't find the music to be too interesting, tbh. The 2nd and 3rd remain my favorites of his five symphonies.

Mirror Image

Last for the night:

Penderecki
The Dream of Jacob
Royal Stockholm PO
Penderecki

vandermolen

#49457
Sauguet: Mélodie concertante for Cello and Orchestra, written for Rostropovich - a very nice discovery, reminding me of  cello works by Bloch, Kabalevsky and Honegger at times.
Added later - this is a most impressive work, lyrical and moving in places. It lasts for 22 minutes and Sauguet worked on it for a year. This is a live recording from Moscow in 1964 with Sauguet conducting the USSR Symphony Orchestra. The Britten, with Britten himself conducting the Moscow PO is recorded in the same year. I would imagine that cello enthusiasts like Kyle (Kyjo) would find this to be of interest. At times Sauguet's excellent 'Expiatoire' Symphony came to mind as well. I've had to repeat the Sauguet work as I enjoyed it very much.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Que


vandermolen

Stenhammar: Symphony No.2
A marvellous recording, which has restored my faith in this work.

Review:

'Like father, like son? Not a bit of it. Enthusiasts will recall that Paavo Järvi's indefatigable dad, Neeme, has already given us two distinguished versions of the magnificent Second Symphony and endearing Excelsior! overture (on BIS and DG, both with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra) as well as the world premier recording of the haunting (and inexplicably discarded) "Reverenza" from the utterly enchanting Serenade (BIS). Fortunately, his son's intelligent new interpretations possess such a refreshing individuality that they complement rather than displace those earlier versions. If Neeme takes the more consistently warm-hearted view of this music (some of the most glorious Sweden has ever produced), Paavo's distinctive, frequently provocative direction brings with it ample portions of food for thought, as well as textures of fascinating, X-ray clarity. A generous and diligent survey, this, very well engineered and nimbly played by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic. And to have a singer of the calibre of Anne Sofie von Otter in the two lovely Op. 4 songs is luxury indeed. --Andrew Achenbach'


"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).