What are you listening 2 now?

[ritter]

My own private little homage to Sylvano Bussotti continues tonight with this CD:


These are live recordings made in Japan during a visit the composer made to that country in 2008. Fragments from several works, ranging from solo instrumental pieces and duos to works for chamber chorus and the ballet Autotono for chamber ensemble. At the end, Bussotti himself sings his arrangement of Puccini's canzonetta E l'uccelino.

[Brahmsian]

NP:

Prokofiev
String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92
Pavel Haas Quartet

Prokofiev's 2nd quartet is so unique. One of my favourites.

[VonStupp]

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).

André, thank you for the detailed rundown, it is greatly appreciated. What I have heard live of Schafer has piqued my interest, but it never crossed my mind to seek him out on record. Perhaps it is time to investigate what is available from him.

VS

[vandermolen]

Alexander Brincken.

Orchestral Music Volume I.

Symphony No. 4 & Capriccio for Piano and Chamber Orchestra.

Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Rainer Held.
Alexander Brincken, Piano.

Fascinating, both works! Your right Jeffrey the music draws you in, and makes it hard work to get out.

Glad you think so Harry.

[VonStupp]

Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony 4 in A Major 'Italian', op. 90

Boston SO - Charles Munch (rec. 1958)

Rounding off the Mendelssohn symphonies.

[Bachtoven]

[Karl Henning]

Salvatore Di Vittorio (b. 1967). Volume II of his orchestral works on Naxos (8.579033).

I'm a lot into this Italian composer who "follows the footsteps of Respighi." I like the first volume a lot and this second volume sounds great too. The opening work "Ode Corelliana" was impressive. This music is very easy to listen to, but it isn't dumb. Under the surface it is interesting, at least to my ears... 

These are quite fresh compositions. The oldest composition on this disc is from 2011 and the newest, Sinfonia No. 4 was completed in 2019.

Interesting, Poju.

TD:

https://www.youtube.com/v/Q4CQ5qYCegE

[Mirror Image]

Prokofiev's 2nd quartet is so unique. One of my favourites.

Yeah, a killer piece. Love it.

[Mirror Image]

Today Symphony No.7 and the Violin Concerto. Both are excellent. Heifetz has always been my gold standard, but Ferras does a fine job—perhaps a little less white hot at times than Heifetz.

A fantastic box set. Karajan's Sibelius on DG have long been favorites.

[Karl Henning]

An indirect suggestion from Poju:

https://www.youtube.com/v/5ThcAQtUX1k

[Mirror Image]

It might turn into an American night...

NP:

Copland
Rodeo
Detroit SO
Doráti

[71 dB]

An indirect suggestion from Poju:

https://www.youtube.com/v/5ThcAQtUX1k

Cool. 

[classicalgeek]

Last night, my second listen to the Colin Davis symphonies box:

Symphonies: Colin Davis box
CD 27
Stravinsky
Symphony in C
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis



This touched off a Stravinsky in C listening binge on Spotify:









No one performance stood out above the rest, but Stravinsky's own recording is really insightful, of course. It's Stravinsky at his neoclassical peak - it's remarkable how rarely he uses the full orchestra, even though the piece is scored for the same forces as Brahms' Second Symphony (plus a piccolo).

[Carlo Gesualdo]

Hello what about one of my favorite CD of Gesualdo hey, what about it, because it's rare in a way, sacrae Cantiones Liber Secundus Vocalcnsort Berlin whit James Wood, we don't see much Liber Secundus from Gesualdo, wich is the second book of sacred music.

Great direction here, and material, love the sleeve , bought it when it came out!

Nice program!
you get Opening Cantide, Prayer for Salvation, Despair and Weeping, Peace and Hope, Praise and Thanks, Closing Canticle.

You will spin this CD again and again and again, I swear to God all mighty, what a gem of a CD.

[JBS]

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!

Thank you. On the wishlist it goes.
TD
CD 21 of the Orpheus box (like Karl, I'm going in order, but other CDs keep interposing)

Z. Kodaly Hungarian Rondo/Summer Evening[Magyar Rondo/Nyari Este]
J. Suk Serenade for Strings in E Flat Opus 6

ETA
The cover image is by Magritte: La Voix du Sang.

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Monday

Vasks
Flute Concerto
Dita Krenberga, flute
Liepāja Symphony Orchestra
Atvars Lakstīgala

[DavidW]

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Debussy
Préludes, Books I & II
Jacobs



Desert island music for me and Jacobs performance is still the one to best.

[vandermolen]

Nino Rota: Symphony No.1 (3 movement version):

[vandermolen]

First-Listen Monday

Vasks
Flute Concerto
Dita Krenberga, flute
Liepāja Symphony Orchestra
Atvars Lakstīgala

This just arrived here as well John - I'm looking forward to hearing it.