What are you listening 2 now?

[vandermolen]

Holst: Egdon Heath

LSO, Hickox


Some of the most bewitching places are ones that don't exist ..

A lovely performance.

Great disc! I was in Cheltenham last week but sadly didn't have time to visit the Holst Birthplace Museum (although I've been there before).

[Que]

Morning listening - just in:



Three discs of polyphony by the Huelgas Ensemble, what a treat. 

[Roasted Swan]

What an intriguing concept 

The Garden of Fand for one! (literally bewitching.....)

[Madiel]

The exhilaratingly glorious Symphony No. 3 in this knock-out of a performance and recording.

A very welcome rediscovery. The artistic qualities of this Czech genius appeared very early in his life. He was born to write gorgeous, majestic and optimistic music.

He was 31 years old. Symphony no.3 was written 8 years after the first 2.

It's often striking how, when composer's works are divided up into "early", "middle" and "late" periods, this might work perfectly well in terms of musical style but people tend to give little thought to how this relates to the biological chronology of a living breathing human being.

[Que]

Just in:



As a Marais fan, a full cycle to these technical and artistic standards is more than I could have ever wished for! 

[Harry]

Just in:



As a Marais fan, a full cycle to these technical and artistic standards is more than I could have ever wished for! 

You will enjoy this so much, I know I did!

[Que]

On Spotify:

[Iota]

What an intriguing concept 

I refer of course to Egdon Heath ... but how many countless others there must be. 

Great disc! I was in Cheltenham last week but sadly didn't have time to visit the Holst Birthplace Museum (although I've been there before).

It is! I find Hickox a sympathetic and always welcome guide in this kind of repertoire.

[Papy Oli]

Good afternoon all,

A fine recommendation from Jan/Traverso :

Playford - English Country Dances

[Iota]

Dutilleux: Trois Strophes sur le nom de Sacher pour violoncelle solo

Emmanuelle Bertrand (cello)


Dutilleux seems in fairly quizzical/unbuttoned mood in these interesting short pieces for solo cello, rather freer than I was rightly or wrongly expecting from him. Lovely, attuned playing from Bertrand.

[Traverso]

Morning listening - just in:



Three discs of polyphony by the Huelgas Ensemble, what a treat. 

I just purchased this one 

[VonStupp]

Benjamin Britten
Rejoice in the Lamb, op. 30

Andrew Lumsden, organ
Finzi Singers - Paul Spicer

The poetry by Christopher Smart (1722-1771) is so quirky, but his love of flora and fauna comes through strongly in Rejoice. The entire middle of the cantata are odes to his cat Geoffrey, the valiant mouse being chased, the flowers outside the window of his asylum cell, and his vision of God through them. But also, major biblical characters and their animal counterparts, as well as a rhythmic sequence that uniquely revels in rhymes with instrument names.

The pipe organ is as quirky a character, but Britten is at his most charming and gentle, although the bigger moments are rocked with striking rhythms. Not my favorite cantata from Britten, but it holds a soft spot in my psyche.

Paul Spicer employs a male alto for the mouse sequence, James Gilchrist singing of the flowers, and Spicer of course knows his Britten. VS

[Traverso]

Hildegard von Bingen


Canticles of Ecstasy

The Ave Maria , O Auctrix Vite is for me the highlight of this recording. As always superbly performed by Barbara Thornton and her Sequentia.

[vers la flamme]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.8 in E-flat major. Antoni Wit, Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir & Orchestra, etc.

First listen to this recording, I think. It sounds excellent! Crystal clear, you can hear everything that's happening.

[Traverso]

Good afternoon all,

A fine recommendation from Jan/Traverso :

Playford - English Country Dances

Good to hear that you like it .

[VonStupp]

Benjamin Britten
Gloriana, op. 53: Choral Dances 1-6
A.M.D.G

Finzi Singers - Paul Spicer

Finishing off volume 1 today:

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam was missing from Harry Christophers' 3-volume set, so it is nice that Spicer has included it.

I find Britten tends to write his vocal music prose-like, rarely dwelling on specific words or phrases with repetition, but he does that in AMDG a bit, and it is interesting to hear (2nd mvt. video below).

Moving on to Volume 2...

https://www.youtube.com/v/S0D3F9mXW8k&ab_channel=BenjaminBritten-Topic   

[Sergeant Rock]

Dvorak: Symphony No. 4 [Rowicki]





The first movement is a very expansive and lyrical presentation. There is, however, much drama and tension in this music and there are wonderful swells to the music and its delivery here. The orchestration is always very engaging. The slow movement has wonderful sonorities and textures to it and it is wonderfully effusive and atmospheric in its presentation and delivery and it is always  thoughtful, lyrical and expansive. The writing is wonderfully lyrical throughout the movement. The Scherzo is an exciting, thrilling and compelling affair with a very joyous and optimistic tone. This is an emotionally cracking delivery of this movement; it is superb music and music making. The forward momentum of the final movement is both very positive and exciting and sometimes thrilling. It appears to take on a life of its own. The brass section is very prominent in the final movement which adds to the dramatic effect. This is a particularly fine version of this work.

I think so too. It's long been my favorite version of this marvelous symphony.

Sarge

[Traverso]

Bach

Schübler & Leipzig Chorales

The Amsterdam Baroque Choir
Christian Müller Organ Leeuwarden  (the Netherlands)

[Mirror Image]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.8 in E-flat major. Antoni Wit, Warsaw National Philharmonic Choir & Orchestra, etc.

First listen to this recording, I think. It sounds excellent! Crystal clear, you can hear everything that's happening.

Wit is usually an excellent conductor. Yesterday, I bought the Mahler Naxos box set and proud to know that all of his Mahler symphony performances are in this set.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Bruckner's 3rd from this set

I like Wakasugi!