What are you listening 2 now?

[aligreto]

Bach, Johann Christian (1735-1782) - Symphonies Concertantes - 6-CD box w/ Anthony Halstead & the Hanover Band (own similar boxes of the Symphonies and KB Concertos) - JS Bach's youngest son by his second wife - he lived w/ his older brother (CPE) after his father's death, then onto Italy, and finally to London, dying prematurely at 46 years (more HERE).  He was extremely prolific - a list of his compositions HERE, which were catalogued by Ernest Warburton (from 1984-99) - see bottom pic from link, each work starts w/ a 'W' followed by another letter from A to L (C = Orchestral Works) (click on image for enlargement).  Dave

 

I have the Halstead JC Bach Symphonies Concertantes in the individual releases, Dave. I find both the music and the music making to be excellent and totally engaging.

[SonicMan46]

The overtures are well worth purchasing Dave. Do not hold back, you will like them.

I have the Halstead JC Bach Symphonies Concertantes in the individual releases, Dave. I find both the music and the music making to be excellent and totally engaging.

Hi Harry & Fergus - thanks for the comments - I found a couple of good-excellent reviews of the Overtures (attached for those interested) - Amazon USA had the box for $27 USD, not a sale!  But found JPC selling it for €12.6 - added a few other items and ordered, so on the way shortly!  Dave

[SonicMan46]

Bach, Johann Christian (1735-1782) - Chamber Works on the discs below - downshift from orchestra for the afternoon - Dave

[VonStupp]

Jacob Avshalomov (1919-2013)
Tom O'Bedlam (1950)

Oboe & Percussion
Dale Warland Singers

You can really feel the jangling stupor of this titular beggar released from Bedlam. Rather quixotic in its 10-minute runtime, but there is a sense of sadness for his lot in life from the composer too.

So far this album has been mid-20th Century choral music featuring 16th & 17th Century texts. Interesting...

While I own the physical media, I thought I would post the YouTube videos in case anyone is curious about this music.

https://www.youtube.com/v/GgCtI0OfdEk&ab_channel=DaleWarlandSingers-Topic

[SimonNZ]

[aligreto]

Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto [McGill/Gilbert]





The Nielsen Clarinet Concerto is definitely a work that has a unique voice of its own. It is an intriguing, exciting and absorbing work and there is a wonderful inherent tension flowing throughout it. It is both lyrical and conversational in nature with a very engaging musical language.

[Todd]

Disc 1.

[aligreto]

Finishing off this album with: Lobo: Versa est in luctum [McCreesh]





This music sounds quite ethereal and its presentation here sounds quite sublime. This work sounds like quite a little gem. The harmonies and counterpoint are both sublime.

[VonStupp]

Ross Lee Finney (1906-1997)
Spherical Madrigals (1947)

Dale Warland Singers

Not as impressionable as Irving Fine's The Hour-Glass, Finney takes the subject of spheres cast from 17th-century poets such as John Donne.

The final movement is a bit more cinematic compared to the rest of the 12-minute, a cappella, six-movement work, and I have included it below.

There is a wonderful interview with RL Finney in which he discusses this very work among others, his philosophies of composing, his students George Crumb & William Albright, and his teacher Nadia Boulanger:

https://www.bruceduffie.com/finney.html



https://www.youtube.com/v/YWvJ1IabJFE&ab_channel=DaleWarlandSingers-Topic

[Traverso]

Finishing off this album with: Lobo: Versa est in luctum [McCreesh]





This music sounds quite ethereal and its presentation here sounds quite sublime. This work sounds like quite a little gem. The harmonies and counterpoint are both sublime.

The Versa est in Luctum is the best part of the recording in my opinion.listen to this version of the Tallis Scholars.

https://www.youtube.com/v/1eae8GPzMM8

[vers la flamme]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.7 in E minor. Michael Tilson Thomas, London Symphony Orchestra

First listen to this recording, indeed to any of MTT's Mahler. It sounds great. Very dark take on the music, one of Mahler's most modernistic symphonies, and somewhat of a challenging one for me to appreciate, at times. Definitely sounds better at night.

[Daverz]

Last night's listening:

Mathis der Maler Symphony



Still a great sounding recording and the SFS plays beautifully.

Mahler: Symphony No. 9

[JBS]

One of several operas I found at a used CD/book store in Fort Lauderdale.

The libretto is adapted from a tragedy by Racine (Andromaque). Composed for Naples in 1819, it was a failure and never revived until the modern era. The only other recordings are one from Opera Rara and a live recording from a 1987 performance with Montserrat Caballe and Marilyn Horne. This Scimone recording was made in 1988. Total timing is almost exactly 2 hours.
Music is typical Rossini skillfullness, singers seem good. Recommended if you find it at a suitable price.

[Todd]

4.

[Que]

[Harry]

Mornin Que!
No image to see, at least for me

[Mandryka]

Gombert's Missa Quam Pulchra Es. Incredibly beautiful countertenor. In fact the Kyrie and Gloria are a bit like a concerto for countertenor and muddy voices. The singing is full of energy, life.

Back to this mass on the big system. If anything the thing sounds worse because the lower voices are more prominent, but no less muddy. It is very fast and not very incisively articulated. Muddy counterpoint,  fast pulse, inarticulate singing = chaos.  I do not think this is a successful recording.

[Tsaraslondon]

Karajan's classic recording of Haydn's Die Schöpfung has no doubt now been superseded by more historically informed performances, but it still has its attractions, not least the star roster of soloists, featuring the wonderful Fritz Wunderlich in his last commercial recording. Indeed he didn't actually finish the recording before his untimely death and some of the recitatives are sung by Werner Krenn.

[Papy Oli]

Good morning all,

Shostakovich - Symphony No.1 (Haitink)

[Harry]

Back to this mass on the big system. If anything the thing sounds worse because the lower voices are more prominent, but no less muddy. It is very fast and not very incisively articulated. Muddy counterpoint,  fast pulse, inarticulate singing = chaos.  I do not think this is a successful recording.

Starts with this emaciated body of a guy, so out of synch, bad taste versus bad sound, that's in my book a disaster.