What are you listening 2 now?

[Florestan]

I will toss the coin. 

Okay: head Leipziger, tail Diogenes.

Tossing...

Head!

Leipziger it is, then!

[ritter]

Songs from Alfredo Casella's Parisian years (i.e., 1902 through 1915)


These songs are well crafted, but also so what derivative; the composer would not reach his artistic maturity and very personal style until later on (mid-1920s or so?). Most are set to French texts (by poets —such as Albert Samain— who are more or less forgotten), but there's a short cycle, L'adieu à la vie, on poems  by Rabindranath Tagore translated into French by none other than André Gide.

Unfortunately, the performances are not very nuanced, and the soprano's voice is at moments a bit unsteady and forced. Still, an interesting if by no means essential CD.

EDIT: The Tagore cycle is by far the best in this disc, and displays —particularly in the piano part— a modernity which is not derivative in the least, and offers a welcome respite from the late romantic vehemences that precede it.

[Traverso]

Okay: head Leipziger, tail Diogenes.

Tossing...

Head!

Leipziger it is, then!

Let us know what you think 

[Karl Henning]

A lovely piece for flute and fixed media. Disclosure: I studied with Judith at UVa

https://www.youtube.com/v/L2oapCARU7A

[classicalgeek]

I mean much better in Schmidt than his dad. Neeme excels in many composers, especially Prokofiev and Shostakovich and Paavo does not. So Neeme wins!

Like you, I treasure Neeme's recordings of Prokofiev and Shostakovich, as well as his devotion to lesser-known composers like Atterberg and Tubin.

I've stayed clear of those giant conductor-centered box sets and I have say I'm all the better for it. I prefer the composer to the the conductor. This isn't to undermine what a conductor does, but for me, the music is of utmost importance.

I see what you mean - but for me, rebuilding my collection on disc, the conductor/artist boxes are a great way to get a lot of the basic repertoire for not a lot of money per disc. I'm not sure I'd feel the same way if I'd held on to my initial collection and there would be the risk of duplication. But why get, for instance, just the Kubelik Dvorak and Mahler cycles when, for a little more, I can get the box - which has both of those cycles plus a great Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, plus a well-regarded Beethoven cycle, plus some excellent Janacek, plus several operas, etc., etc.? 

I like Jochum but I prefer the DG recordings.I like Böhm and Haitink too, to name just a few.

I need to revisit both Böhm and Haitink in Bruckner! The Jochum/DG set is excellent too, of course.

Thread duty:

Remembering Nelson Freire by listening to these scintillating performances. Especially the First - they just tear into it. What an opening tutti!

Brahms
Piano concerto no. 1
Piano concerto no. 2
Nelson Freire, piano
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Riccardo Chailly
(on Spotify)

[VonStupp]

William Wallace (1860-1940)
Sister Helen
  'Villainess, murdering by sorcery, insane with jealous and frustrated love'

BBC Scottish SO - Martyn Brabbins

Perhaps the most surly and moody of Wallace's symphonic poems.

Scotsman William Wallace won't dethrone R. Strauss, but these have all been enjoyable and the entire recording has very well-balanced programming, despite 70+ minutes of orchestral character portraits. Great if you like Romantic program music! VS

[ritter]

Sticking to Casella: his solo piano music, but jumping to CD2 of this set (i.e., works from 1920 to 1944, where the composer's very individual "sunny and Mediterranean" neoclassical style has come to full bloom). Lya de Barberiis is the superb pianist.

[vers la flamme]

Anton Webern: Im Sommerwind; Passacaglia, op.1; 6 Pieces for Orchestra, op.6. Giuseppe Sinopoli, Staatskapelle Dresden

Excellent music, all, from one of my favorite composers. Sinopoli doesn't mess around here; it's dripping in Vienna fin-de-siècle decadence, and the 6 Pieces are appropriately probing and psychological.

[vers la flamme]

Anton Bruckner: Symphony No.4 in E-flat major, WAB 104, the "Romantic". Georg Tintner, Royal Scottish National Orchestra

I know Tintner's Bruckner has its naysayers, but I find it excellent, especially this one and the 9th. This is a bit of a slower and more expansive reading, allowing the music to unfold piece by piece, and really "letting the music speak for itself", as it were.

[Karl Henning]

Anton Webern: Im Sommerwind; Passacaglia, op.1; 6 Pieces for Orchestra, op.6. Giuseppe Sinopoli, Staatskapelle Dresden

Excellent music, all, from one of my favorite composers. Sinopoli doesn't mess around here; it's dripping in Vienna fin-de-siècle decadence, and the 6 Pieces are appropriately probing and psychological.

Lovely!

[TheGSMoeller]

First listen to the music of Julius Röntgen, which I'm enjoying!

[The new erato]

Played this yesterday from the complete box:



Superb sound, dramatic music!

[The new erato]

And some Ockeghem:



And a couple of masses from this (including the Prolationum):

[foxandpeng]

Tchaikovsky
Symphony #6
Rostropovich
London PO

[Karl Henning]

Disclosure: I studied with Judith at UVa

And:

https://www.youtube.com/v/5mhlORF1PXs&t=6s

[Mirror Image]

Tchaikovsky
Symphony #6
Rostropovich
London PO

Nice!

[Mirror Image]

Now playing from this new arrival:

Tansman
Bric à brac
Polish RSO
Wojciech Michniewski



This is like Gershwin on acid! Great fun!

[classicalgeek]

Bruckner
Symphony no. 3
Vienna Philharmonic
Karl Bohm
(on Spotify)

[André]

A very fine disc. Works are presented in chronological order: 1932 (Poulenc), 1936 (McPhee) and 1982 (Adams).

Poulenc's concerto is one of his best confections, a tongue-in-cheek, bittersweet work of classical proportions. The Larghetto contains a magical tune that is not even the movement's main theme.

McPhee's 'Toccata for orchestra and two pianos' has not aged particularly well IMO. I can see why it has acquired a reputation as something novel and interesting. I find it at times irritating, although I must say it is structured to avoid aural fatigue with relief of sorts in the form of the central Nocturne.

Adams' Grand Pianola Music now sounds a bit old-fashioned, but I love the way the brass (trombones and tuba in particular) add oomph to some of the chords. Very euphonic stuff - a guilty pleasure.

All the performances are excellent. I have never heard of conductor Brad Lubman, but the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin is one of Europe's finest ensembles. The piano duettists are blended just fine: nice presence but no unnatural amplification. Top notch sound round off an intelligently planned program. Recommended.

[Karl Henning]

A very fine disc. Works are presented in chronological order: 1932 (Poulenc), 1936 (McPhee) and 1982 (Adams).

Poulenc's concerto is one of his best confections, a tongue-in-cheek, bittersweet work of classical proportions. The Larghetto contains a magical tune that is not even the movement's main theme.

McPhee's 'Toccata for orchestra and two pianos' has not aged particularly well IMO. I can see why it has acquired a reputation as something novel and interesting. I find it at times irritating, although I must say it is structured to avoid aural fatigue with relief of sorts in the form of the central Nocturne.

Adams' Grand Pianola Music now sounds a bit old-fashioned, but I love the way the brass (trombones and tuba in particular) add oomph to some of the chords. Very euphonic stuff - a guilty pleasure.

All the performances are excellent. I have never heard of conductor Brad Lubman, but the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin is one of Europe's finest ensembles. The piano duettists are blended just fine: nice presence but no unnatural amplification. Top notch sound round off an intelligently planned program. Recommended.

Most interesting, thanks.