What are you listening 2 now?

[classicalgeek]

Indeed! How's the audio quality of that Berg Grumiaux recording? If it gives the Mutter/Levin a run for its money, it's got to be good.

I confess I listened on Spotify, so hardly CD-caliber, but it seemed it be fine!

[Mirror Image]

I confess I listened on Spotify, so hardly CD-caliber, but it seemed it be fine!

Cool. I'll check have to check it out. Thanks for the feedback.

A confession: I have to say that I'm quite disappointed in the audio quality of the Wigglesworth set on BIS. A wide dynamic range may be fine for an audiophile setup, but for headphone listening, it doesn't do the music any favors. Ugghh....it also didn't help that I received this set damaged from Amazon, so I think I'll just return it for a full refund.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Shostakovich
Symphony No. 8 in C minor, Op. 65
WDR Sinfonieorchester
Barshai



Now this is more like it!

[Symphonic Addict]

Judging by this symphony, I can notice that Kubelik was an interesting composer. A forbidding, somewhat intense piece that didn't leave me indifferent.

It's a pity that his Orphikon Symphony is not easily available. I'd really like to hear it.

https://www.youtube.com/v/-q-iUBWC93E

[classicalgeek]

Cool. I'll check have to check it out. Thanks for the feedback.

A confession: I have to say that I'm quite disappointed in the audio quality of the Wigglesworth set on BIS. A wide dynamic range may be fine for an audiophile setup, but for headphone listening, it doesn't do the music any favors. Ugghh....it also didn't help that I received this set damaged from Amazon, so I think I'll just return it for a full refund.

Well, that's too bad! Good to know about the audio.

[Mirror Image]

Well, that's too bad! Good to know about the audio.

Yeah, I guess I now know why I didn't buy the whole series.

[classicalgeek]

Judging by this symphony, I can notice that Kubelik was an interesting composer. A forbidding, somewhat intense piece that didn't leave me indifferent.

It's a pity that his Orphikon Symphony is not easily available. I'd really like to hear it.

https://www.youtube.com/v/-q-iUBWC93E

Very interesting indeed! I don't know how much music he wrote, but I'd be interested to hear more. Yet another in the long line of conductors who were also composers of considerable talent!

[JBS]

Nearing the end of the Orpheus set.

Fred Lerdahl: Waves
Jacob Druckman: Nor Spell nor Charm
William Bolcom: Orphee-Serenade
Michael Gandolfi: Points of Departure

The first two pieces were nice listenable stuff. Currently on the Bolcom, which keeps bursting into episodes that make me wonder what exactly Mr.Bolcom thought he was doing. (There's a certain pastiche element to the work. Was he trying to do a Henze or a Schnittke?)

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Diamond
Rounds
Seattle Symphony
Schwarz



Such a great piece.

[Symphonic Addict]

String Trio in C minor

Impressive, just impressive. This is Villa-Lobos at his most irregularly rhythmic, harmony-daring, rigurous and countrapuntist, and not leaving out intimate personal sentiments, from his native Brazil. This is the String Trio, actually. Jaw-dropping and intense.




Charles Loeffler: Divertissement in A minor for violin and orchestra

This composer continues astounding me more and more. This work mixes Baroque influences, Romantic, French-inclined. The Dies irae theme appears like the opening motif of the 3rd movement Carnaval des morts from this piece, and it's quite well done and presented. Wizardry-like music.

[Mirror Image]

String Trio in C minor

Impressive, just impressive. This is Villa-Lobos at his most irregularly rhythmic, harmony-daring, rigorous and contrapuntist, and not leaving out intimate personal sentiments, from his native Brazil. This is the String Trio, actually. Jaw-dropping and intense.

A fine work, indeed.

NP:

Shostakovich
Symphony No. 15 in A major, Op. 141
Moscow Radio & TV SO
Maxim Shostakovich

[vers la flamme]

Francis Poulenc: Organ Concerto; Litanies à la Vierge noire; Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor. Georges Prêtre, Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, w/ organ soloist Maurice Duruflé (!) and piano soloist Gabriel Tacchino; Jacques Jouineau conducting the Maîtrise d'enfants de la Radiodiffusion Française for the Litanies.

A first listen for all of these pieces. I picked this up at a used CD shop by the Braves ballpark a few weeks back. Wow. This music is really speaking to my soul right now. Great stuff.

[JBS]

Nearing the end of the Orpheus set.

Fred Lerdahl: Waves
Jacob Druckman: Nor Spell nor Charm
William Bolcom: Orphee-Serenade
Michael Gandolfi: Points of Departure

The first two pieces were nice listenable stuff. Currently on the Bolcom, which keeps bursting into episodes that make me wonder what exactly Mr.Bolcom thought he was doing. (There's a certain pastiche element to the work. Was he trying to do a Henze or a Schnittke?)

The Gandolfi wasn't much better than the Bolcom.
So I skipped to the very last CD of the set.

I lasted four tracks. Counter-tenors singing British folk songs is simply not my thing. Sorry, Mr. Scholl, it's me not you.
So it's the job of this CD to finish my first run through of the set.


It's unfortunate that 2 of the least interesting CDs come at the very end, but there's only a couple I have no interest in hearing again, and that's mostly on account of the music being performed, not the performance itself.  Even the bon-bons/hoary chestnut compilations are pleasurable listens.

[Symphonic Addict]

Visiting 3 phenomenal warhorses from good to splendid performances:

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto (Suk, Ancerl, Cz. PO)
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade (Reiner, Chicago SO)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (Bernstein, New York PO

[Symphonic Addict]

... I do enjoy the music and am pleased to have these discs in my collection......

+1

[Karl Henning]

The Gandolfi wasn't much better than the Bolcom.
So I skipped to the very last CD of the set.

I lasted four tracks. Counter-tenors singing British folk songs is simply not my thing. Sorry, Mr. Scholl, it's me not you.
So it's the job of this CD to finish my first run through of the set.


It's unfortunate that 2 of the least interesting CDs come at the very end, but there's only a couple I have no interest in hearing again, and that's mostly on account of the music being performed, not the performance itself.  Even the bon-bons/hoary chestnut compilations are pleasurable listens.

Sometimes Gandolfi strikes me as long on idea, light on music. I've not yet heard a piece of his which I wish to hear again.

[Karl Henning]

Sometimes Gandolfi strikes me as long on idea, light on music. I've not yet heard a piece of his which I wish to hear again.

FWIW, I feel the same about Bolcom.

[Symphonic Addict]

Very interesting indeed! I don't know how much music he wrote, but I'd be interested to hear more. Yet another in the long line of conductors who were also composers of considerable talent!

Yes, and some are these who stand out for me. I know there are others I'm missing or forgetting.

Bernstein
Svetlanov
Doráti
Perhaps Markevitch

[kyjo]

Visiting 3 phenomenal warhorses from good to splendid performances:

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto (Suk, Ancerl, Cz. PO)
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade (Reiner, Chicago SO)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (Bernstein, New York PO

Great works, but it's so difficult to avoid over-exposure to them being an orchestral musician myself...

[JBS]

Yes, and some are these who stand out for me. I know there are others I'm missing or forgetting.

Bernstein
Svetlanov
Doráti
Perhaps Markevitch

Salonen, for currently active musicians.
Eotvos and Ades both conduct, but I think of them as composers who do other things as well.

ETA: Mon dieu! I almost forgot:

Boulez