What are you listening 2 now?

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

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Symphonic Addict

#49820
Quote from: VonStupp on September 19, 2021, 03:03:02 PM
Felix Mendelssohn
5 Overtures

Gewandhaus - Kurt Masur
(rec. 1974)

Masur's were always some of the finest sets of Mendelssohn's Overtures for me.



I hadn't realized there was a Masur set including the overtures. Abbado/LSO on DG is the only recording I know.
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

VonStupp

#49821
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on September 19, 2021, 03:13:32 PM
I haven't realized there was a Masur set including the overtures. Abbado/LSO on DG is the only recording I know.

Masur only has five overtures on the original Berlin Classics release, but paired with Walter Weller's Midsummer incidental music on Brilliant makes it much more worthwhile to find.

Abbado's is certainly well liked and he has the Overture on Wind Instruments. I never cared for the acoustic on that one, but the ears adjust and Abbado has more drive than Claus Peter Flor's set on RCA, although Flor includes the rarer Marriage Of Camacho and Athalia overtures, so I still hold on to that one too.

These overture sets are still hanging around, but no one seems to make them much anymore outside of symphony pairings. Masur has always done it for me in Mendelssohn though, I must admit.
"All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff."

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: VonStupp on September 19, 2021, 03:21:34 PM
Masur only has five overtures on the original Berlin Classics release, but paired with Walter Weller's Midsummer incidental music on Brilliant makes it much more worthwhile to find.

Abbado's is certainly well liked and he has the Overture on Wind Instruments. I never cared for the acoustic on that one, but the ears adjust and Abbado has more drive than Claus Peter Flor's set on RCA, although Flor includes the rarer Marriage Of Camacho and Athalia overtures, so I still hold on to that one too.

These overture sets are still hanging around, but no one seems to make them much anymore outside of symphony pairings. Masur has always done it for me in Mendelssohn though, I must admit.

Good to know. I'll keep an eye on the Masur.

The Marriage of Camacho and Athalia are unknown to me. Not sure how good they are.
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

André

Quote from: VonStupp on September 19, 2021, 01:10:14 PM
Interesting, and how is this music?

I heard he passed this past week, but I remember little from him and have no recordings. I know in the 70's and 80's I could expect R. Murray Schafer to appear on student band and orchestra festivals because he wrote approachable music, but also integrated aleatoric and other modern elements not typical of the main repertoire for young people.

The one choral piece I have sung by Schafer, I think it was called Gamelan, was really tough.

VS

The music is modern-sounding but very approchable. All three works clock in around 22-25 minutes.

The flute concerto is spiky and bristling, with an interesting use of unusual « contemporary techniques such as whistle tones, tongue rams, key clicks and multi-phonics » (so the notes say). Lest that sound forbidding, the result is very satisfying. Schafer never overdoes the modernisms.

The harp concerto is a very atmospheric piece whose movements evolve from 'Very relaxed' to 'Spirited' to 'Energetically'. There is no slow movement, but the first and last have slower sections. The piece becomes more dynamic as it progresses, the orchestra becoming more present right until the end. It's a fascinating piece and must be quite spectacular to watch, with plenty of wind and percussion interventions peppering the discourse.

The violin work is a 'double rhapsody', meaning soloist and orchestra do their thing independently instead of concurrently as in a classic concerto. It is very free in form: 8 contrasted sections played without a break, with the violin taking on a very free, songful role, moving in and around the orchestra's own material. It is the most modern of the three works.

Anyone familiar with the superb quartets will find Schafer in a less severe, concentrated mood here (more open and communicative).

JBS

Quote from: SonicMan46 on September 19, 2021, 09:07:12 AM
Well, I was on a Leonin/Perotin kick earlier this year (must have been reading a book?) - now, on 'T' in my early music collection w/ a lot of English composers coming up, such as Thomas Tallis, John Taverner, Thomas Tomkins (do have a Naxos CD w/ Red Byrd), and Christopher Tye (must be more but those are the ones I own?). At the moment:

Taverner, John (c.1490-1545) - Masses & Others w/ the performers on the discs below; from the link below, his output was not large, mainly about 8 masses and two dozen motets (plus a few other works).  Dave :)

P.S. not to be confused w/ John Tavener (1944-2013), a much later English composer of choral works.

 

Those recordings are part of this set I am going through for the first time now.


The Western Wynde Mass might well be what I listen to later tonight.

But right now a first listen to this.


I'm not sure how to describe it, but I am liking it.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Todd

The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

JBS

Between Clarke and Taverner, time enough to give this a second listen



As with the Clarke, I like what I hear even if I am not sure how to describe it to others.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Mirror Image

NP:

Vasks
Lonely angel
Daniel Rowland, violin
Stift Festival Orchestra
Thomas Carroll




I've heard Lonely angel before on an excellent Wergo recording, but this one is just as inspired. Such lovely, transcendental music.

Spotted Horses

Weinberg, Chamber Symphony No 1.



I was a little disappointed to discover that the chamber symphonies are more-or-less transcriptions of Weinberg String Quartets. Satisfying music and performance, but not entirely new to me since I know the original source already.
There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind. - Duke Ellington

Daverz


classicalgeek

#49830
My first foray into the Colin Davis Symphonies box, which arrived last week:

Symphonies: Colin Davis box
CD 21
Mozart
Symphonies nos. 39, 41
Staatskapelle Dresden
Sir Colin Davis




If I'm being completely honest, Symphony 39 didn't do much for me. The whole thing sounded a bit tepid... I missed the warmth in the slow movement, and the finale didn't "sparkle", for lack of a better word. It sounded like the SKD just played the notes, and that was it.

The "Jupiter" fared better, with brisk and bracing outer movements, and a flowing slow movement that was really an Andante (as opposed to an Adagio which it is in so many other performances.) Only the minuet didn't quite work for me - a little too slow and staid. But the rest was quite fine indeed.

I'm thinking of sampling the Stravinsky disc next. Something totally different!
So much great music, so little time...

Original compositions and orchestrations: https://www.youtube.com/@jmbrannigan

vandermolen

Quote from: André on September 19, 2021, 12:24:59 PM
I really like the symphonies and various concerti by Penderecki. There are more expensive versions on various polish labels, but I find the Naxos series provide excellent value.
Good to know André - I look forward to hearing the others and listening to the 3rd Symphony again.
"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).

vandermolen

Quote from: aligreto on September 19, 2021, 10:49:22 AM
Gorecki- Symphony No. 3 [Swoboda]





I have always liked this work. This is a big, powerful presentation of this work. The opening movement is near perfect. Those double basses are wonderful throughout. The playing throughout is superb and emotional. The direction is very taut without impinging on the integrity of the music; it is all very well held together. The dynamics in this movement are also very well controlled. The second movement is wonderfully powerful,  atmospheric and enchanting. The soprano, Kilanowicz, is quite haunting in places and she carries off her part exquisitely. The final movement is very well balanced in terms of the delivery of the emotions and the dynamics. Once again, Kilanowicz excels in her delivery. A supreme performance! The expansive recording is also really wonderful throughout.

I really should, after hearing this, do an A/B comparison session of Kilanowicz/Swoboda vs. Kilanowicz/Wit.
I like that version very much as well Fergus.
"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).

Bachtoven

Quote from: JBS on September 19, 2021, 06:01:55 PM
Between Clarke and Taverner, time enough to give this a second listen



As with the Clarke, I like what I hear even if I am not sure how to describe it to others.

Those guys are great. Have you heard this recording?



I heard them in concert a few years ago--they played Brouwer's "Sonata de los viajeros " from that recording--a 30-minute tour-de-force!

Symphonic Addict

Atterberg: Symphony No. 8

Nearly as good as the one on CPO. The slow movement never fails to take me to another place.

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

Traverso

Thomas Tomkins

It's a long time ago that I listened to this recording,I really love the Anthems.The Naxos recording with Red Byrd and the Rose Viols is even better.Thou art my King,O lord  is only one of the treasures on this disc wich I will listen to later this day.


Traverso


Harry

Richard Wagner.

Orchestral Works.

Overtures to "Das Liebesverbot", & "Die Feen".
Tristan and Isolde, and Orchestral Passion.
Arranged by Henk de Vlieger.

Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi.


Without the vocal contributions it is much better, at least for me.
Quote from Manuel, born in Spain, currently working at Fawlty Towers.

" I am from Barcelona, I know nothing.............."

Madiel

Not looking at this thread for nearly a week was dangerous. I had to skip about 30 pages worth...

Sibelius early chamber music.

I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Papy Oli

Good afternoon all,

Some Brahms dances to start the afternoon.

Olivier