What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Adams
City Noir
Berliner Philharmoniker
Dudamel



I didn't like this work when I first heard it years ago, but now I've come around to it. It's basically a melting pot of Ellington, Gershwin and Jerry Goldsmith's Chinatown soundtrack stirred by Adams' own unmistakable compositional spoon.

[Madiel]

Samuel Barber
The Lovers, op. 43 (with chamber orch.)
Easter Chorale, op. 40 (with chamber orch.)

Conspirare: Company of Voices & Orchestra - Craig Hella Johnson

I haven't come across such a sexually-charged choral cantata since Carl Orff's Catulli Carmina. When the men sing out 'Strip off your clothes', my wife guffawed.

If you want a feel of the heat from these texts, this chamber orchestra arrangement is right in your face, recording wise. I remember the old Andrew Schenck live recording leading the Chicago SO & Chorus, but this one takes out a bit of Barber's symphonic scope to pave towards intimacy and directness. The Lovers (30 minutes-ish) is one I will need to listen to a few more times for further appreciation, but it is in the same sound world as Prayers of Kierkegaard.

I added a 5-minute YouTube video where Craig Hella Johnson speaks to his motivations in this work. A good way to hear some of this recording, at its least.

https://www.youtube.com/v/4JyaC7EI8AY&ab_channel=ConspirareChoir

If I recall correctly, the whole reason I didn't go for that album you've listening to is because I didn't want a chamber arrangement of The Lovers. I wanted it the way Barber conceived it.

[classicalgeek]

More Haydn from Colin Davis:

Joseph Haydn
Symphonies nos. 91 and 92
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis



Thoroughly enjoyable. I especially like the way he does the minuets, as rustic "country" dances. I might wish for more forward woodwinds once in a while, or more prominent horns (especially is the symphonies in G major!), but Davis's Haydn makes me smile. And really, Haydn should make one smile!

[vandermolen]

Indeed, this is one of the finest Naxos discs ever made. Very few knew of Englund before this was released.

Glad you think highly of it as well André.

[vandermolen]

I'll definitely give it another listen! I haven't listened to a lot of Tippett's music, but I can tell there's a lot of 'meat on the bones', so to speak. I've been trying without luck to find scores of his orchestral music for download online; he's not listed on Boosey & Hawkes' 'perusal' program or on Nkoda - I like to listen with a score whenever I can!

Thread duty:

Howard Hanson
Symphony no. 2 'Romantic'
Seattle Symphony Orchestra
Gerard Schwarz



I'm still warming up to Hanson, I think. I enjoyed the 'Romantic' more than the 'Nordic', but it seems rather short on substance, for lack of a better word. It's very pretty, very tuneful, very heart-on-sleeve Romantic - and I can appreciate it for those qualities.

No.3 is my favourite and No.4 (In Memory of his Father) is both moving and memorable.

[vandermolen]

Brought on by the 'works for organ and orchestra' discussion:

Malcolm Williamson
Organ Concerto
Malcolm Williamson, organ
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Adrian Boult



Really interesting work - I'm not sure what I thought! Definitely eclectic and a bit wild... but wonderfully orchestrated. Not sure it's a new favorite work for organ and orchestra, but I'm glad I heard it!

Good to know. Do you know the other Lyrita Williamson disc which is even finer IMO?

[Que]

[vandermolen]

Before setting off for work - Martinu 'The Parables'.
This is one of the great Martinu CDs in my view:

[Harry]

Georg Philipp Telemann.

Wind Concertos Volume VII.

La Stagione Frankfurt, Michael Schneider.

I love both concertos for the Chalumeaux in F major & D minor. What a lovely sound they produce and how well they are played. I also like to mention the fine concerto for Oboe in C minor. It lets you actually hear how good performance and music is. There is really nothing that goes wrong in this Telemann series.

[Mandryka]

This was recommended enthusiastically years ago by Don Satz when he was going through a muscle man phase - in Uriol's hands Cabezon is about as charming as The Grand Inquisitor. Nevertheless there's a certain grizzly pleasure in dusting it off and playing it once in a while - as there is a pleasure in visiting the torture chamber in the Tower of London.

Well recorded, wonderful organs and imaginative and attractive registrations.

[71 dB]

Einar Englund: Orchestral works - a great introduction to this fine Finnish composer. I've always loved the Second Symphony 'Blackbird' but, this evening, have greatly enjoyed the PC No.1 and the Shostakovich-like 4th Symphony 'Nostalgic' for strings.:

If I'm not mistaken, Sorella, the daughter of Einar Englund, went the same school as my mother. Both were born in 1945.

Agreed, the Naxos Englund CD is a good introduction to the composer.

Indeed, this is one of the finest Naxos discs ever made. Very few knew of Englund before this was released.

Some would say the recorded sound has thin bass, but otherwise it is imho a solid release.

[Harry]

Catharinus Elling.

SQ in D Major & A minor.
Piano Quartet in G minor.

The Engegard Quartet.
Nils Anders Mortensen, Piano.

This unknown composer is actually a very good composer. Very worthwhile in every respect. As a bonus you get a good performance and excellent sound.

[Harry]

"First Ladies".

Three Romantic Violin Sonatas.

Elfrida Andree, Sonata in B flat major.
Mel Bonis,  in F sharp minor.
Ethel Smyth, in A minor.

Annette Barbara Vogel Violin
Durval Cesetti, Piano.

A wonderful journey.  Perfect sound and excellent performances.

[Traverso]

Muffat

[Maestro267]

Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13 (with Grosse Fuge as finale)
Quartetto Italiano

Trying this method of listening for the first time. I was quite impressed with the Fuge when I heard it separately.

[Harry]

Igor Stravinsky.
Divertimento

Dmitri Shostakovich.
Sonata for Violin and Piano, opus 134.

Judith Ingolfsson, Violin.
Vladimir Stoupel, Piano.


A winner as to performance and sound. Very tight in execution, and a wonderful sense of urgency and suppressed passion bursting into flower.

[Traverso]

 Handel

Wassermusik

[Biffo]

Villa-Lobos: Symphony No 12 - Sao Paolo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Isaac Karabtchevsky

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Alwyn Conducts Alwyn: Four Elizabethan Dances.
Somehow I prefer the David Lloyd-Jones recording to this one.

[Harry]

Clara Schumann.
Piano Trio in G minor, opus 17.

Robert Schumann.
Fantasiestucke, opus 88.
Piano Trio No. 3 in G minor, opus 110.

Schweizer Klaviertrio.

I find Angela Golubeva, a more than capable violinist in this trio, she is a ray of light in these works. As an ensemble they work very well together.
I am deeply impressed with the work by Clara Schumann, which is in all ways a match for her husbands compositions.
Fine sound, and a joy to listen to.