What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Gabriel Pierne.

Orchestral Music Volume II.

Jean Efflam Bavouzet, Piano.
BBC Philharmonic, Juanjo Mena.

I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of the works on this disc. Pierne is an excellent orchestrator, and a fine composer in his own right. Performance and sound are top notch. I hope Chandos will continue with this series.

[Tsaraslondon]

This is a live performance from 1964 in mono. The miking is a bit close and the overall sound picture a bit dry. There is also a certain amount of audience noise (though they have quietened down a bit by the final Abschied). So maybe not really competitive with the best stereo versions but unignorable because of three great names.

This should effectively silence those who say that Wunderlich's lyric tenor would not have had the heft to cut through the orchestral texture in the concert hall. He has absolutely no problem being heard and the beautiy of his voice remains unimpaired. If anything, he is even finer here than in the Klemperer studio recording and he remains my preferred tenor in this piece.

I'll admit a preference for a female voice in the lower songs, which puts Fischer-Dieskau at a disadvantage straight away. His diction and word pointing is of course superb, but there are times in the first two songs where the Fischer-Dieskau bark is too much in evidence. However in the last song he delivers a gravely beautiful, heartfelt Abschied, every phrase, every word deeply felt. He doesn't erase memories of Janet Baker in the same piece (and the close miking both of him and the woodwind hardly helps) but it's hard not to capitulate to such a committed performance.

I bought this for the chance to hear Wunderlich live in this work and he does not disappoint. It doesn't supplant any of my favourites, but it is good to have an alternative view with a male voice in the lower songs.

[Harry]

Richard Wagner.

Tristan and Isolde, an Orchestral passion.
Overtures, Die Feen & Das Liebesverbot.

Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi.
SACD.

Superb.

[Tsaraslondon]

Like the Krips version I was listening to earlier today, this recording is live, but here absolutely no allowances need to be made for the sound and the audience is, for the most part, admirably quiet, listening in rapt attention, and who can blame them?

For anyone who loves this work, I'd say this performance was absolutely essential, the final Abschied absolutely shattering in its quiet intensity. Baker, who was always at her greatest in Mahler, quite outdoes even herself on her other recorded versions (Haitink studio and Leppard and Kempe live). She sings with inwardness, radiance and the deepest understanding of the emotional core of the songs, not quite matched by any other singer I have come across.

Kubelik was always a great Mahlerian and here he captures brilliantly the work's emotional range. Waldemar Kmentt doesn't quite have Wunderlich's heady beauty of tone (who does?), but he is a fine interpreter of the tenor songs.

How fortunate we are that this great performance was captured for posterity. My desert island choice.

[Mandryka]

https://www.youtube.com/v/rJaYyTu-Kpk&ab_channel=TianTianLan

He's a pianists' pianist.

[Florestan]

https://www.youtube.com/v/rJaYyTu-Kpk&ab_channel=TianTianLan

He's a pianists' pianist.

Who is? I can't see anything.

[Mandryka]

T
Who is? I can't see anything.

It is Krystian Zimerman playing Chopin Waltzes -- I have a really good transfer of it if you want let me know, from LP. Pianists' pianist was unfair, I think it's very good, and I'm not really a pianist! Todd, who liked his Mozart solo piano sonatas, should definitely seek it out.

[Florestan]

It is Krystian Zimerman playing Chopin Waltzes

Thanks.

[Papy Oli]

Good afternoon all,

Various piano works by Nielsen. CD6 from this "Masterworks Vol.2" set:

[Harry]

Hieronymus Praetorius.

Organ works, Volume I.

Leon Berben, Organ
Harmen Kroger organ 1659.
Eine halbton uber A= 440 Hz.
Rein mitteltonig.

Most excellent.

[Brahmsian]

César Franck: Symphony in D minor. Lorin Maazel, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin

Really like this recording. The work itself is great too, I need to hear more performances of it. Kind of reminds one of Tchaikovsky's symphonies, no?

If you are looking for another performance to enjoy, I can highly recommend Monteux and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I also enjoy the lush, Romantic take from Karajan and Berlin Phil on EMI, but it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Since discovering this symphony a few years ago, it has now become a top five favourite symphony of mine and I listen to it frequently.

Interesting that you make a comparison to Tchaikovsky....... I would not have made a link to PIT myself, although both symphonies of these composers ooze ultra Romanticism.

[Traverso]

Josquin Desprez

[Mirror Image]

Like the Krips version I was listening to earlier today, this recording is live, but here absolutely no allowances need to be made for the sound and the audience is, for the most part, admirably quiet, listening in rapt attention, and who can blame them?

For anyone who loves this work, I'd say this performance was absolutely essential, the final Abschied absolutely shattering in its quiet intensity. Baker, who was always at her greatest in Mahler, quite outdoes even herself on her other recorded versions (Haitink studio and Leppard and Kempe live). She sings with inwardness, radiance and the deepest understanding of the emotional core of the songs, not quite matched by any other singer I have come across.

Kubelik was always a great Mahlerian and here he captures brilliantly the work's emotional range. Waldemar Kmentt doesn't quite have Wunderlich's heady beauty of tone (who does?), but he is a fine interpreter of the tenor songs.

How fortunate we are that this great performance was captured for posterity. My desert island choice.

Not my desert island choice, but a remarkable performance all the same. I have to say I was deeply impressed with the Minton/Kollo/Solti recording I listened to a few nights ago. Of course, my desert island choice is the Baker/King/Haitink. There's nothing like it.

[vers la flamme]

It is Krystian Zimerman playing Chopin Waltzes -- I have a really good transfer of it if you want let me know, from LP. Pianists' pianist was unfair, I think it's very good, and I'm not really a pianist! Todd, who liked his Mozart solo piano sonatas, should definitely seek it out.

Wonder why this never made it to CD.

[vers la flamme]

Of course, my desert island choice is the Baker/King/Haitink. There's nothing like it.

Mine, too. Like so much great music, I have our Jan/Traverso to thank for putting me onto this recording, when I told him I'd never heard Das Lied von der Erde a few years back 

[Mirror Image]

Mine, too. Like so much great music, I have our Jan/Traverso to thank for putting me onto this recording, when I told him I'd never heard Das Lied von der Erde a few years back 

I would've given you same recommendation as Jan. But, also, to continue to explore this work's discography as there are many wonderful performances.

[Papy Oli]

Shostakovich - Cello Concerto No.1

[Todd]

Some Liszt, plus some Tchaikovsky.  The Liszt PC1 here is preferable to the version recorded with the pianist's son conducting, and at first listen rates with the best.  Same with the less common Hingarian Fantasy.  The Tchaikovsky PC1 is tacked on as well, and it's top shelf.  The strongest disc of heretofore unheard recordings from this set yet.

[vers la flamme]

I would've given you same recommendation as Jan. But, also, to continue to explore this work's discography as there are many wonderful performances.

I've got more recordings than I know what to do with now. 6 or 7 I think by my last count, which is a ton considering I don't listen to the work frequently. I do want that Kubelík Audite one with Baker and Kmentt though...

[Mandryka]

Wonder why this never made it to CD.

It came out at precisely the time when the market was moving from LPs to CDs. There were quite a few recordings which missed the boat for that reason. When Philips were putting together their Great Pianists of the Twentieth Century series I believe that they asked Zimerman if they could include it, but he refused. I know someone who said he spent hours on the phone to him trying to twist his arm, but no way.

I've been listening to it all day. It is a very classical conception of the music. What I mean is that it is poised, balanced and elegant vision of Chopin.  Quite a contrast from Cziffra in the same music, which I was listening to a yesterday.