What are you listening 2 now?

[JBS]

Spending the afternoon with this

[Karl Henning]

Program:



Some well-known works from Schubert and Wolf mingle with lesser-known ones by Ives, Orff (excellent), Puccini (!) and Webern (beautiful). The major offering and a totally unknown quantity is Wolfgang Rihm's big one-movement 9th quartet. That one takes the listener on a ride in uncharted territory. The whole disc has a rewarding feeling of adventure to it. Recommended.

I did a double-take: that's quite expansive for Webern.

[Karl Henning]

Spending the afternoon with this

Coincidentally, this Ozawa/BSO album includes the ballet music from Faust.

[André]

I've always liked Dutilleux' works. He is at once intelligent and modest in his approach to composing. He aims to communicate, not confront or surprise. His music is modern in idiom but always accessible. Among french composers from the second half of the last century - a turbulent, often warring lot - he maintained his integrity and has not succumbed to fads or adhered to any 'isms'. This disc offers a nice conspectus and as such a good entry point of his art, to which I'd add the cello concerto Tout un monde lointain.

[André]

I did a double-take: that's quite expansive for Webern.

It's early, post-romantic Webern and, as such, uncharacteristic of the composer as he is usually known  .

[bhodges]

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 (Haitink / LPO, live in Moscow, 1975) - If you can overlook the subpar camerawork and sound, the performance itself is actually quite good. Definitely worth a look, especially for those of us missing Haitink the last few weeks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9I3G_-LVjg&t=1580s

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

It's early, post-romantic Webern and, as such, uncharacteristic of the composer as he is usually known  .

Thanks, my guess struck near, then

[Traverso]

Suppé

To end the day 

  Pique Dame - Overture  Wiener Philharmoniker 

[Brahmsian]

I've always liked Dutilleux' works. He is at once intelligent and modest in his approach to composing. He aims to communicate, not confront or surprise. His music is modern in idiom but always accessible. Among french composers from the second half of the last century - a turbulent, often warring lot - he maintained his integrity and has not succumbed to fads or adhered to any 'isms'. This disc offers a nice conspectus and as such a good entry point of his art, to which I'd add the cello concerto Tout un monde lointain.

There is the pepperoni pizza that looks like a pepperoni pizza but isn't a pepperoni pizza.

Even the rest of the cover makes it look like it is a box of frozen pizza.

[vandermolen]

I have never heard of Mr. Walker, but I am intrigued by his obsession with Geology!   

And why did he need to go to the New Russian Symphony Orchestra to be recorded?!  Why did no British orchestras "step up"*  to promote his works?

* A phrase found (too often) in American sports in the last decades.  "Yeah, Johnson got injured early, but Smith stepped up and helped us to win the game."

'Great Rock is Dead' is my recommendation - might be up your street Leo but all the works are good. Russian orchestra was probably cheaper than a British one.

[VonStupp]

Francis Poulenc
Un soir de neige
Figure Humaine

Tenebrae - Nigel Short

Poulenc's secular choral music is not as familiar to me, aside from his set of Chansons françaises for male chorus. A Snowy Evening is a delightful bonbon in contrast to the serious religious works previous.

The titular Figure Humaine is the tour-de-force here, a wartime work. From the striking jazz chords of the 1st movement (included below), to the surprising high E for sopranos at its conclusion (way above the staff!); its 20-minute, a cappella runtime must be really tough to perform (finale also included below).

This whole recording was a delight, although the singing is more aggressive than I expected, keeping Poulenc firmly modern. Tenebrae is very dynamic with all of Poulenc's music, taking his musical instructions at its word and not just delighting in its inherent choral beauty. A full collection of Poulenc's choral music, both sacred & secular. VS

https://www.youtube.com/v/bkAzT33r_20&ab_channel=Tenebrae-Topic  https://www.youtube.com/v/SbwuUuWuXO8&ab_channel=Tenebrae-Topic 

[Todd]

[Symphonic Addict]

Milford: The Darkling Thrush

Was it Jeffrey who mentioned this work somewhere?. I think it's nice enough, passable, but not necessarily essential or very substantial. I was having higher expectations from this. Anyway, a good listen.




Glazunov: The Seasons

This is much better stuff. I can notice Glazunov wanted to be melodious but without sounding with too much saccharine. A very apt cover art, rather natural.

[André]

Sonatas nos 8, 10, 13, Fantasia in d minor K.397 and Adagio in b minor K.540. This is seriously beautiful Mozart playing. Okada has some neat ideas about phrasing and is not afraid to put them across.

[JBS]

First listen.  Liking what I hear.

[JBS]

Ending the night with this


Still not hearing anything that might be labelled "Schubertian".

[Symphonic Addict]

Sinding: Violin Concerto No. 2 in A major

Yet another underrated nordic, Norwegian composer. What a life-affirming concerto full of nice ideas and romantic spirit from northern lands. The main tune from the 1st mov. is quite similar, if the same, of Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, III. Curious. Now I'm in the 2nd. mov.

[listener]

WAGNER: Siegfried Idyll     familiar
SCHÖNBERG: Verklärte Nacht,    sounds strange and unfamilair as if I've not heard it before.  I will do a second listen with the note about the poem at hand
English Chamber Orchestra,  Vladimir Ashkenazy, cond.

[Mirror Image]

TD


The remastering of this set, done last year, is quite good.

Pounds the table! I LOVE Barbirolli's Sibelius.

[Symphonic Addict]

You've inspired me to want to listen again to a CD which I had purchased years ago.  Love his Holberg Suite but have forgotten what the other works were like.  By the way, do you like his Lyric Pieces (for solo piano)?  They are great favorites of mine--along with his piano concerto.    This is the CD that I was referring to (on BIS):



PD

There are some Lyric Pieces that really hooked me, mostly from vols. 4, 5, 9 y 10. I think that was the recording I too heard. Worth revisiting.