What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

I have that CD John and it's great!

It sure is, Jeffrey. Beautiful performances.

[VonStupp]

Benjamin Britten
A Ceremony of Carols, op. 28

Susan Drake, harp
Finzi Singers - Paul Spicer

Finishing off Volume 2 today:

I don't think I need another Ceremony of Carols, but at least they make it interesting, and the balance of harp to voices is quite ideal on this recording.

Spicer chooses the treble version, but of course with adult women and a mix of male altos. They also opt for 'authentic' pronunciations, which to my ears sounds a bit Nordic, complete with mixed vowels.

On to Volume 3...

[kyjo]

A profoundly moving and personal work. I waited way too long to discover it! Tippett's inclusion of spirituals in the musical framework is deeply effective and touching.

[Karl Henning]

NP:

Rachmaninov
Isle of the Dead, Op. 29
Russian State SO
Polyansky



This is the most haunting and atmospheric performance I've ever heard of Isle of the Dead. Remarkable.

Nice.

[North Star]

G'day, Karl!

Thread duty - it's a bit early for Christmas music but I'll allow this one.

David Shenton
Variations on "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (After F. Chopin's Etudes)
Joanne Polk, piano

https://www.youtube.com/v/KmaA1gFaU0s

[Karl Henning]

G'day, Karl!

Thread duty - it's a bit early for Christmas music but I'll allow this one.

David Shenton
Variations on "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (After F. Chopin's Etudes)
Joanne Polk, piano

https://www.youtube.com/v/KmaA1gFaU0s

Fun!

[Artem]

[Todd]

Disc two.

[VonStupp]

Manuel de Falla
Homenajes
Cincinnati SO - Jesús López-Cobos (rec. 1987)

A little break from Britten.

VS

[Madiel]

NP:

Rachmaninov
Isle of the Dead, Op. 29
Russian State SO
Polyansky



This is the most haunting and atmospheric performance I've ever heard of Isle of the Dead. Remarkable.

Ooh. And with all the short works I don't own a recording of.

[André]

I LOVE this piece.  That's a fine version but my heart was first stolen by this one;



to my ear Moffo is just perfect.  You listen to this work and realise why Puccini had a framed picture of Lehar in his study

Thanks, RS. I posted comments in the opera thread. 

[André]

Suor Angelica.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Sorabji - Etudes 84-100 /Ullen  /Bis, 2CD

Sorabji - Various Pieces /Habermann /naxos 3CD

The last CD of the Transcendental Etudes set arrived today. The problem with Sorabji is, IMHO, too-many-notes-plus-too-many-ongoings-played-simultaneously, and the pianistic difficulties making the structure and melodic content even more difficult to decipher. In a sense, at times comparable to Nancarrow's even mechanical Studies for Player Piano, perhaps.

The Habermann live recordings are sonically probably not the best to represent the composer, they're a bit muddy and uniform, but at least there's a varied selection of music. I think the Nocturnes CD (of the three in the box) are those that might appeal most, but still, they're difficult to get into.

The good thing about Ullen is that you have a clear sound picture, and the 100 pieces are very diverse, of very varying length too. There's no doubt the cycle is a masterpiece, but it's also a tough nut to crack, the tendency to rather relentlessly moving, percussive piano writing not making things easier. One has to give this music time, if being interested.

I like the Habermann set!

[Todd]

Might as well do disc three.

[vers la flamme]

Henri Dutilleux: Trois Strophes sur le nom de Sacher. Truls Mørk

Great short piece for solo cello.

[André]

Disc 25. One more to go. This is one of the most invaluable sets I've come across, with some 34 hours of fascinating, endlessly inventive music. CPE's imagination was seemingly boundless.

[Todd]

Saskia Giorgini playing Liszt.  The first thing one notices is the sound quality, which only the Robert Plano set surpasses.  The second thing one notices is that Ms Giorgini focuses quite a bit on beauty.  Scale and heft don't match up with some, and one misses the depths of Michel Block in Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude - though that's the case with every other pianist, too.  But man, she ends strong, with gorgeous and captivating renditions of La lampe du temple and Cantique d'amour.  I'll probably have to hear her Enescu.

[Symphonic Addict]

Tcherepnin N. 'Narcisse et Echo'
Now, do I need the CPO recording of this attractive work as well?
That is the question.

Yes, you do, Jeffrey.

That is the answer.

[Symphonic Addict]

NP:

Rachmaninov
Isle of the Dead, Op. 29
Russian State SO
Polyansky



This is the most haunting and atmospheric performance I've ever heard of Isle of the Dead. Remarkable.

Thanks for mentioning it, John. Svetlanov on Melodiya is another quite fantastic one.

[Symphonic Addict]

Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 from this set. Rather "symphonic" in approach, but I think it worked well.