What are you listening 2 now?

[aligreto]

Are you now humming Hummel after your happy wallow in his music? 

PD

Good one PD 

[Sergeant Rock]

Arnold Concerto for 2 Pianos (3 hands) with a simply gorgeous slow movement



Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Arnold Symphony No. 6, Handley conducting




Sarge

[classicalgeek]

Arnold Concerto for 2 Pianos (3 hands) with a simply gorgeous slow movement



Sarge

That's a great piece! Agreed that the slow movement is beautiful, and the finale is just a riot!

[André]

Rimsky's work is a big favourite of mine. Although it's very good I find Kondrashin's account of it slightly too controlled. It lacks the unbridled joy of Ormandy's version, not to mention the heft and glow of the Philadelphia strings. I've read that the recording is percussion shy - the conductor's balances or the engineer's reticence may be to blame here. That may account for the relative soberness. Kondrashin's control of dynamics though is an object lesson in the art of conducting.

The Franck symphony is another work I never tire of. It is ingeniously constructed and intricately laid out, with a wealth of beautiful themes. I tend to prefer fast performances, like those of Munch, Toscanini or van Otterloo to slow ones - Bernstein, Karajan, Furwängler, Giulini. In between are the classic accounts of Monteux, Ansermet, Maazel, Stokowski or Beecham and the more recent Bartholomée and Langrée versions.

Kondrashin's is a dynamic but not rushed account of great power. It is much more controlled and classical in feeling than the other 'soviet' version I have, Svetlanov's, who showers the listener with hail and brimstone in some sections. This is a very fine account of the work.

[André]

[SonicMan46]

Are you now humming Hummel after your happy wallow in his music? 

PD

Hey PD - a lot of Hummel the last several days but I like his music and the recordings owned are quite good - just ordered some more 'Piano Concertos' w/ Howard Shelley, used from Amazon but don't expect an issue - on the Chandos label - they should have boxed these half dozen or so CDs at a bargain price, but not my bailiwick, as they say -    Dave

[classicalgeek]

This great disc, on Spotify:

Martinu
Violin concerto no. 1
Violin concerto no. 2
Bartok
Sonata for solo violin
Frank Peter Zimmermann, violin
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
Jakub Hrusa



Both Martinu concertos are full of energy and drive, and Zimmermann plays them to perfection. And it's hard to imagine the Bartok done better.

[André]

[classicalgeek]

I believe it's my first time hearing this work:

Paul Dukas
Symphony in C
RTE National Symphony Orchestra
Jean-Luc Tingaud
(on Spotify)



There's a lot to like, particularly in the first two movements, but it struck me as a little longer than it needed to be. The finale in particular has some 'dead spots'. Still, I want to listen again, because I think there's more here than I could grasp in a single hearing. It's brilliantly orchestrated, of course.

[JBS]

First some superlatively done Mozart, then a generous dose of Gade

[Mirror Image]

I believe it's my first time hearing this work:

Paul Dukas
Symphony in C
RTE National Symphony Orchestra
Jean-Luc Tingaud
(on Spotify)



There's a lot to like, particularly in the first two movements, but it struck me as a little longer than it needed to be. The finale in particular has some 'dead spots'. Still, I want to listen again, because I think there's more here than I could grasp in a single hearing. It's brilliantly orchestrated, of course.

I haven't heard this symphony in ages, but I do remember it being pretty good. And, yes, Dukas was a remarkable orchestrator. It's just too bad his own severe self-criticism kept him from allowing us to hear more music from him.

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Wednesday

Schmidt
Chaconne in D minor
Malmö SO
Sinaisky



Wow!!! This is an incredibly fine work. I might just repeat it, which is something I don't do too often.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Brahms
Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53
Ann Hallenberg, mezzo-soprano
Collegium Vocale Gent & Orchestre des Champs-Elysées
Philippe Herreweghe

[vandermolen]

Arnold Symphony No. 6, Handley conducting




Sarge

Arguably my favourite recording of the excellent 6th Symphony and a great Arnold CD. 'Tam O'Shanter' is great fun.

[Que]

Continuing my Dufay songs traversal:



I really like the approach, which is not a suprise. This ensemble has done some beautiful recordings.
Sometimes quite slow though....
Totally unexpected however, is the occasional unpleasant edge in the upper register of Jill Feldmann voice...  (depending on the vocal requirements of the song). Which kind of ruins it for me.

New release? What do you think of it?

[Re: Dufay motets/songs Blue Heron]

Not new (I think), but nice. Beautifully sung.
Not sure if the mixed sacred/secular is optimal since you'll inevitably end of with a similar approach to both.

[Irons]

Copland: Appalachian Spring.

A fabulous performance from Bernstein and NPO.

[Harry]

Continuing my Dufay songs traversal:



I really like the approach, which is not a surprise. This ensemble has done some beautiful recordings.
Sometimes quite slow though....
Totally unexpected however, is the occasional unpleasant edge in the upper register of Jill Feldmann voice...  (depending on the vocal requirements of the song). Which kind of ruins it for me.

Yes that is the problem with Jill Feldman's voice, even in her very early recordings I noticed it, but when she has the right songs her voice can be mesmerizing.  The better option is Maria Zadori, she was several notches up in quality of voice and very consistent in presentation. I never heard a bad performance by her. She 10 times lovelier as Feldman. I hanker after the days of her glory, and the likes of Erika Koth, etc.

[Mandryka]

Continuing my Dufay songs traversal:



I really like the approach, which is not a suprise. This ensemble has done some beautiful recordings.
Sometimes quite slow though....
Totally unexpected however, is the occasional unpleasant edge in the upper register of Jill Feldmann voice...  (depending on the vocal requirements of the song). Which kind of ruins it for me.

[Re: Dufay motets/songs Blue Heron]

Not new (I think), but nice. Beautifully sung.
Not sure if the mixed sacred/secular is optimal since you'll inevitably end of with a similar approach to both.

Well I think you're nitpicking about the voice, and in this context you're cutting off your nose to spite your face, the interpretations are so sensual and original I think this is a major recording.

[Roasted Swan]

I was tempted by eClassical's offer of a hi-res download of this new release from BIS;



The Klami & Madetoja have appeared on other discs in other versions but this is a unique coupling and stunningly played/recorded.  If you enjoy your music having an almost cinematic energy and colour you should hear this.  The previously unrecorded 2nd version of one of the Sibelius Lemminkainen Legends is also intriguing if slightly for Sibelius obsessives only (of which I am one......!)