What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

Tansman
Symphony № 5 in D (1942)
Melbourne Symphony
Caetani

[Iota]

I love your description of your first listening. I had a very similar start to Arnold's symphonies, but I decided to walk away from moving too far into his symphony cycle until years later. Hopefully your ambiguous feelings urge you forward.

VS

Thanks. Very interesting to hear about your experience. Although the symphonic outlook seemed somewhat absent from his First Symphony, I nonetheless enjoyed it greatly. In fact it might even have been a plus, it felt so fresh, like a child with a paint box just exploring colour and moods, though doing so with a highly sophisticated craft. I've already heard and very much taken to the Second Symphony also, and looking forward to listening to it again.


NP:



Have been listening again to this with much pleasure. I love the way the material of the voice, rebec and viola d'arco feel like three quite separate worlds, yet combine beautifully to create these songs.

[Karl Henning]

Tansman
Symphony № 6 « In memoriam » (1944)
Melbourne Symphony
Caetani

The first movement is winds, piano & percussion, the second, strings, and the third full orchestra plus chorus. The whole is superb, but the ending is exquisite.

[Mirror Image]

Ok. I will check it on streaming first. I tend to like other recordings by Kitaenko.

Kitajenko is an excellent conductor, but for some reason to me his Shostakovich is a misfire. I will say these are opinions I've had from years ago and they might be different now. Some members here think that I believe that my opinion is the only valid one, which actually says more about them than it does me, because this couldn't be any further from the truth. I know what I like just like anyone else here and I share my opinions with others. Whether they agree or disagree is up to them. We all have our own ears and tastes. I do like Kitajenko's Prokofiev quite a bit I must say.

[classicalgeek]

Just to let you know, all of Previn's Shostakovich on EMI (now Warner of course) can be bought as Japanese reissues. This is the way I acquired them. I initially cancelled an order with Amazon Japan, but the window to cancel closed before I could get back to it in time, so now I'll own all of Previn's Shostakovich on Warner. He did the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th and 13th.

That's good to know! I don't think I ever had Previn's Shostakovich on disc, even before I sold my collection the first time - I've just heard it on Spotify. What I've heard has been outstanding. Too bad he didn't record the 11th or 15th! The Previn Warner Box still holds some appeal - there's great Prokofiev, Walton, Elgar, and a fantastic Mahler 4, among other things. I'm still on the fence about it...

Thread duty:
More of the Naxos Barber box.

Samuel Barber
Cello concerto
Suite from 'Medea'
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Marin Alsop



I've enjoyed everything I've heard so far, both the works themselves and the performances.

[Traverso]

Thanks. Very interesting to hear about your experience. Although the symphonic outlook seemed somewhat absent from his First Symphony, I nonetheless enjoyed it greatly. In fact it might even have been a plus, it felt so fresh, like a child with a paint box just exploring colour and moods, though doing so with a highly sophisticated craft. I've already heard and very much taken to the Second Symphony also, and looking forward to listening to it again.


NP:



Have been listening again to this with much pleasure. I love the way the material of the voice, rebec and viola d'arco feel like three quite separate worlds, yet combine beautifully to create these songs.

Praise indeed...for this fine recording. 

[Mirror Image]

That's good to know! I don't think I ever had Previn's Shostakovich on disc, even before I sold my collection the first time - I've just heard it on Spotify. What I've heard has been outstanding. Too bad he didn't record the 11th or 15th! The Previn Warner Box still holds some appeal - there's great Prokofiev, Walton, Elgar, and a fantastic Mahler 4, among other things. I'm still on the fence about it...

The Shostakovich Previn recordings arrived today (rather early, too) and I'm currently ripping them. It'll be nice to hear some of these performances I haven't heard before like the 8th for example which I heard is a barn-burner. His 4th is top-of-the-heap for me. Still a performance that strongly resonates with me.

[vandermolen]

Previn's Shostakovich is first rate IMO, especially the EMI/LSO recording of Symphony No.8 (my top choice), No.10 with its slower-than-usual second movement and No.13 'Babi Yar'. The Chicago No.4 is excellent as well.

[Traverso]

Ockeghem



Salve Regina
Missa Mi Mi
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Missa Prolationum

[Mirror Image]

Previn's Shostakovich is first rate IMO, especially the EMI/LSO recording of Symphony No.8 (my top choice), No.10 with its slower-than-usual second movement and No.13 'Babi Yar'. The Chicago No.4 is excellent as well.

Very nice, Jeffrey.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Thanks Karl for your added support for the Kitajenko symphony set - that one and Barshai have been my favorites - don't believe that I've heard the Kondrashin recordings but a used box is going for $694 on Amazon USA, so not an option for me - but for those reading these comments and who may be thinking about purchasing the Kitajenko recordings, take a look at the attachment - overwhelming positive reviews on these performances and Barshai is mentioned a number of times; the MusicWeb review is LONG but detailed for each work.  Dave

Thank you, Dave!  Also I appreciate the alternative view from John as well.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

That's good to know! I don't think I ever had Previn's Shostakovich on disc, even before I sold my collection the first time - I've just heard it on Spotify. What I've heard has been outstanding. Too bad he didn't record the 11th or 15th! The Previn Warner Box still holds some appeal - there's great Prokofiev, Walton, Elgar, and a fantastic Mahler 4, among other things. I'm still on the fence about it...

Thread duty:
More of the Naxos Barber box.

Samuel Barber
Cello concerto
Suite from 'Medea'
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Marin Alsop

I've enjoyed everything I've heard so far, both the works themselves and the performances.

Do you (or any member) think that Previn's experience of Jazz player/arranger directly or indirectly enlarged his capacity as a conductor?

[SonicMan46]

Thank you, Dave!  Also I appreciate the alternative view from John as well.

Hi DBrettK - no problem at all - always plenty of alternate opinions on the forum (or in reviews) - and seems that Shosty's String Quartets and Symphonies generate a lot of personal preferences -    Good luck in your selection(s) - Dave 

[Klavier]

[Karl Henning]

Do you (or any member) think that Previn's experience of Jazz player/arranger directly or indirectly enlarged his capacity as a conductor?

I think it must have. I don't think immediately think of a recording to demonstrate so, but I hardly think it can have been otherwise.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I initially cancelled an order with Amazon Japan, but the window to cancel closed before I could get back to it in time, so now I'll own all of Previn's Shostakovich on Warner. He did the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th and 13th.

You sound happy rather than annoyed! 

[SonicMan46]

Klavier learn to resize your images (see what I did by quoting the message) - just a friendly suggestion.  Dave

[Klavier]

Klavier learn to resize your images (see what I did by quoting the message) - just a friendly suggestion.  Dave

I just did...

[SonicMan46]

I just did...

+1 - great!  Dave

[Mirror Image]

You sound happy rather than annoyed! 

Yeah, I am rather happy, indeed. Sometimes we second guess ourselves and say "Man, I didn't really need to buy these recordings" only to come to the realization that 'yes, yes you did need those recordings' after all.

Now playing all the way through for the second-time, this new acquisition:



An absolute feast for the ears!