What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Pjotr  ll'yich Tchaikovsky.

Swan Lake (Complete)

Bergen PO, Neeme Jarvi.
SACD recording.

A marvelous interpretation.

[Traverso]

Bach

CD 1

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Bartok Piano Concerto No. 3. P. Serkin, Ozawa/Chicago.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Bach

CD 1

Nice disc!

[Traverso]

Nice disc!

You are familiar with Bram Beekman ? 

[Sergeant Rock]

Zemlinsky Symphony in B flat, Chailly conducting the RSO Berlin




Sarge

[Spotted Horses]

Barbirolli grew up in the London evoked by this symphony. Both his recordings are excellent; I marginally prefer the earlier one but decided to listen to the later one in remastered stereo.

Barbirolli's 1967 recording of Vaughan Williams' A London Symphony is one for the ages. The performance of the second movement, Lento, is a miracle. The intensity, yet poignancy of the climactic section of the movement a tour-de-force of sensitivity and control of sonority. It must have been an intense feeling to be in the room when such a performance was recorded. I have not heard the earlier recording, although I presumably have it in the box Barbirolli box.

[Mirror Image]

I like the performances (Wigglesworth tends to broad tempi) but find the recordings hard to listen to, due to excessive dynamic range.

From my understanding, it seems that BIS has remastered the set and now the regular CD layer (it's a hybrid SACD set) sounds louder. I listen through headphones, so I'm not expecting any issues.

[vandermolen]

Barbirolli's 1967 recording of Vaughan Williams' A London Symphony is one for the ages. The performance of the second movement, Lento, is a miracle. The intensity, yet poignancy of the climactic section of the movement a tour-de-force of sensitivity and control of sonority. It must have been an intense feeling to be in the room when such a performance was recorded. I have not heard the earlier recording, although I presumably have it in the box Barbirolli box.

It's one of my very favourite versions as well - I think that it has a unique warmth and understanding about it.

[Mirror Image]

I like that whole CD John - one of my favourites of VW's chamber music. Great photo of VW in the booklet if I remember correctly.

A great disc, indeed. All the performances are excellent.

[Mirror Image]

I like the Sinfonia India and have multiple recordings of it.

Very nice, Jeffrey. I have a few performances of it as well: both Mata recordings, Batiz (ASV) and Bernstein.

[foxandpeng]

Rothko Chapel
Why Patterns?
Morton Feldman

I'm not certain I like this on first listen. Rothko Chapel 5 has merit enough, but 1-4 less so. I suspect it would benefit more from a late night hearing rather a daytime exploration. Why Patterns? was more enjoyable. Might just need repeat plays 

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Britten
Diversions for piano left-hand and orchestra, Op. 21
Steven Osborne, piano
BBC Scottish SO
Volkov

[Mirror Image]

Rothko Chapel
Why Patterns?
Morton Feldman



I'm not certain I like this on first listen. Rothko Chapel 5 has merit enough, but 1-4 less so. I suspect it would benefit more from a late night hearing rather a daytime exploration. Why Patterns? was more enjoyable. Might just need repeat plays 

Feldman is a fascinating composer, but he's not someone I'd listen to on a regular basis. His music is more of the ambient variety than anything wholly engaging like say Mahler or Shostakovich. That's just my own perspective.

[Mandryka]

Tremendous recording, I'd forgotten how much I liked this in the past.  Scheidt, Noordt, Cornet and, of course, Sweelinck. Tons of brio, lovely old organ sounds. 

[SonicMan46]

Foote, Arthur (1853-1937) - Piano Music performed by Kirsten Johnson (website) on 3 full discs - most of these pieces are short and often part of a series by various names - Foote was a virtuoso pianist and organist (the latter his preferred instrument) - influences are largely 19th century European piano composers from Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann to Grieg, Dvorak, and Brahms - despite a long life (84 year!), his style changed little into the 20th century.  These compositions may not be first tier, especially among some of the other composers listed, but are worth a listen - 2 excellent reviews are attached, and 1 from Fanfare raking the pianist over the coals and near completely dismissing Foote's piano output as trite and trivial - if interested, your ears will have to be the judge (available on Spotify).  Dave

 

[Mandryka]

And now this for the first time, details here. Maybe not such a good first impression, probably shows that I've had enough organ music for today.

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/magnificat/hnum/10411331

[foxandpeng]

Feldman is a fascinating composer, but he's not someone I'd listen to on a regular basis. His music is more of the ambient variety than anything wholly engaging like say Mahler or Shostakovich. That's just my own perspective.

I like ambient music - aside from classical listening, I like a fair bit of shoegaze and atmospheric black metal/funeral doom that can have this sort of quality. I enjoy Philip Glass a great deal, too. Repetitive minimalism has some real attractions. As I say, maybe I just need to listen more. I think my confusion or disappointment was more that I expected something different. I'm nothing if not tenacious, but there are probably other priorities for me before Feldman. Who knows?

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Shostakovich
Symphony No. 14 in G minor, Op. 135
Alla Simoni (soprano), Vladimir Vaneev (bass)
WDR Sinfonieorchester
Barshai

[André]

Beethoven on a 1801 Broadwood fortepiano. I like the sound of this instrument: clear and resonant, with a fine body. The op 26 third movement, a 'funeral march on the death of a hero' is strikingly dramatic with its dark colours and stark dynamics contrasts.