What are you listening 2 now?

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Mirror Image

Quote from: Roasted Swan on November 28, 2021, 01:00:55 PM
First listen today to;



I'm struggling with this.  I understand, appreciate and applaud the struggle against adversity and oppression that this music encapsulates but strip away that context and of itself its really not that good.   The symphony has some interesting moments but in the main its overscored and not a match for the vast majority of comparable music written at the time.  Even Joplin's Treemonisha (which predates it significantly) seems more 'significant' to me in its treatment of its musical roots.  But at the moment everyone seems to be queuing up to play Florence Price!  From the Proms to the Philadelpia Orchestra.  Do they hear something I'm missing or is it just a convenient "look how inclusive CM can be" thing.......

I think this is yet another example of how woke everything pertaining to the arts has become. I'm all for composers of any race as long as they're saying something musically interesting to me. Unfortunately, Price is a composer whose music I feel hasn't warranted a revival of any kind.

Just my two measly cents.

aligreto

Dvorak: Symphony No. 6 [Rowicki]





The first movement is laden with lyrical lines. These are not tentative ditties but are well created, driven and assured. The fine scoring enhances the lyricism. I like the way the Rowiciki lends an edge to these presentations with the full on requisite drive or expansiveness where appropriate. He handles everything very well. The very engaging and attractive slow movement displays the multi-faceted nature of Dvorak's orchestrational abilities very well. I particularly like the animated dance rhythms of the Scherzo coupled with the wonderfully contrasting Trio section played on the woodwinds. Rowicki drives the music just enough in the final movement to maintain levels of tension, drama and excitement, but not overly so.

Harry

Quote from: Roasted Swan on November 28, 2021, 01:00:55 PM
First listen today to;



I'm struggling with this.  I understand, appreciate and applaud the struggle against adversity and oppression that this music encapsulates but strip away that context and of itself its really not that good.   The symphony has some interesting moments but in the main its overscored and not a match for the vast majority of comparable music written at the time.  Even Joplin's Treemonisha (which predates it significantly) seems more 'significant' to me in its treatment of its musical roots.  But at the moment everyone seems to be queuing up to play Florence Price!  From the Proms to the Philadelpia Orchestra.  Do they hear something I'm missing or is it just a convenient "look how inclusive CM can be" thing.......

I agree with your assessment, it gave me the same impression.
Quote from Manuel, born in Spain, currently working at Fawlty Towers.

" I am from Barcelona, I know nothing.............."

Sergeant Rock

Havergal Brian Symphony No. 20




Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Roasted Swan

Quote from: classicalgeek on November 27, 2021, 11:37:46 PM
As recommended by Kyle above:

Arthur Bliss
Meditations on a Theme by John Blow
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis

(on Spotify)



Totally agree with Kyle that this is a masterpiece! Again, a really unique and innovative compositional process is paired with masterful orchestration and the result is astounding, and some of the music is just **gorgeous** (The Lambs and In Green Pastures.) Again I've discovered a composer whose music I've listened to, but not taken the time to fully appreciate previously; just in the last few months it's happened with Lloyd, Koechlin, Barber, Poulenc, Arnold, Stenhammar, Alfven - and now Bliss. And that's thanks in large part to fellow GMG-ers - so keep the recommendations coming!  ;D

Bliss struggles to get the wider recognition I think he deserves (although he's well-served by admirers here on GMG!).  If you still have not heard it for me Morning Heroes is a genuinely great (and deeply personal) work.  I remember seeing Checkmate staged by the Royal Ballet back in the early '80's and I was blown away by the sheer theatrical impact of the music and the staging (they still use the original choroegraphy and designs - which are stunning)



Roasted Swan

Quote from: aligreto on November 28, 2021, 01:21:51 PM
Dvorak: Symphony No. 6 [Rowicki]





The first movement is laden with lyrical lines. These are not tentative ditties but are well created, driven and assured. The fine scoring enhances the lyricism. I like the way the Rowiciki lends an edge to these presentations with the full on requisite drive or expansiveness where appropriate. He handles everything very well. The very engaging and attractive slow movement displays the multi-faceted nature of Dvorak's orchestrational abilities very well. I particularly like the animated dance rhythms of the Scherzo coupled with the wonderfully contrasting Trio section played on the woodwinds. Rowicki drives the music just enough in the final movement to maintain levels of tension, drama and excitement, but not overly so.

A glorious piece of music!


Roasted Swan

Quote from: Spotted Horses on November 28, 2021, 01:09:18 PM
I've not heard the Meditations on a theme of John Blow, despite being an admirer of Bliss. I find I have the piece on a Lyrita recording with Hugo Rignold. A good recording to discover the piece, anybody?

Yes indeed - although to be fair its a "lucky" piece on disc - I can't think of a single version that isn't good;

Ringold/CBSO/Lyrita
Handley/CBSO/EMI
Lloyd-Jones/Bournemouth SO/Naxos
Wordsworth/RPO/Argo
Groves/RLPO/BBC Legends

as well as the newest/Chandos version you mention......

Karl Henning

First Listens, of course—

CD 14:

Virgil Thomson
String Quartet № 2 (1932)

Wm Schuman
Voyage, a cycle of five pieces for piano
Beveridge Webster
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

premont

Quote from: Mandryka on November 28, 2021, 12:50:14 PM
Because nothing could be further from the truth about his Chopin nocturnes! It's the most heavily tearful maudlin Chopin ever. I can't listen to it.

It sounds like something to steer clear of.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Karl Henning

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 28, 2021, 02:04:41 PM
First Listens, of course—

CD 14:

Virgil Thomson
String Quartet № 2 (1932)

Wm Schuman
Voyage, a cycle of five pieces for piano
Beveridge Webster


The Thomson is very good, if arguably outshone by other American quartets in this set. I cannot imagine that Schuman had this in mind, but in tone Voyage is a good (albeit non-oriental) peer of Koechlin's Heures persanes.

Now—

CD 4:


Debussy
String Quartet in g minor

Milhaud
String Quartet № 12, Op. 252  (1945)

My first experience of a Milhaud Quartet
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 28, 2021, 03:11:07 PM
Milhaud
String Quartet № 12, Op. 252  (1945)

[/b]My first experience of a Milhaud Quartet

Love Milhaud's quartets. Some of his finest compositions.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

Symphonic Addict

Quote from: Roasted Swan on November 28, 2021, 01:00:55 PM
First listen today to;



I'm struggling with this.  I understand, appreciate and applaud the struggle against adversity and oppression that this music encapsulates but strip away that context and of itself its really not that good.   The symphony has some interesting moments but in the main its overscored and not a match for the vast majority of comparable music written at the time.  Even Joplin's Treemonisha (which predates it significantly) seems more 'significant' to me in its treatment of its musical roots.  But at the moment everyone seems to be queuing up to play Florence Price!  From the Proms to the Philadelpia Orchestra.  Do they hear something I'm missing or is it just a convenient "look how inclusive CM can be" thing.......

I've only heard this recording:



It's passable, entertaining, nice music overall, but nothing else beyond that.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky


Todd




The Rite.  Rightly played with 95 dB+ peaks.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Symphonic Addict

Rota: Suite from 'Il Casanova di Federico Fellini'

This is just stupendous!! I've never watched this film, and on hearing this tremendous, poignant, witty music I can figure out how fascinating it must be. Rota was an extraordinary talented composer of a huge spark. He had quite a fertile imagination, and this quite good suite left me astounded. And a top-notch sound quality and performance. This CD promises to be full of very welcome surprises and discoveries.




Wagner: Lohengrin - Prelude

Ridiculously heavenly, majestic, spiritual performance. Wagner wrote music of a spirituality that is astonishing.




Rosenberg: String Quartet No. 4

For me this is one of his most compelling quartets. There are darkness, inexorable bitterness, and the writing for the instruments is superb.

Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

André

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on November 28, 2021, 03:56:09 PM
Rota: Suite from 'Il Casanova di Federico Fellini'

This is just stupendous!! I've never watched this film, and on hearing this tremendous, poignant, witty music I can figure out how fascinating it must be. Rota was an extraordinary talented composer of a huge spark. He had quite a fertile imagination, and this quite good suite left me astounded. And a top-notch sound quality and performance. This CD promises to be full of very welcome surprises and discoveries.




Wagner: Lohengrin - Prelude

Ridiculously heavenly, majestic, spiritual performance. Wagner wrote music of a spirituality that is astonishing.




Rosenberg: String Quartet No. 4

For me this is one of his most compelling quartets. There are darkness, inexorable bitterness, and the writing for the instruments is superb.



That set of the Rosenberg quartets is a treasure chest !

Karl Henning

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on November 28, 2021, 03:24:27 PM
Love Milhaud's quartets. Some of his finest compositions.

It's good. For me, honestly, toe-to-toe with the Thomson, I think still better of the latter.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

classicalgeek

Quote from: Irons on November 28, 2021, 12:54:11 AM
+1

Quote from: vandermolen on November 28, 2021, 12:59:09 AM
+2 (re: Bliss Meditations on a Theme by John Blow)

Andrew Davis's is the best performance since Hugo Rignold's CBSO recording on Lyrita.
The Melee Fantasque and Hymn to Apollo are other works which I like very much.

More pieces for the listening backlog! I see Bliss was quite prolific across all types of music.

Quote from: kyjo on November 28, 2021, 07:20:38 AM
No surprise that you enjoyed it so much, considering how similar our tastes are! Those sections you mention are indeed mesmerizingly gorgeous, and for effective contrast there's also darker sections of the work such as the startlingly creepy Interlude: Through the valley of the shadow of death with its "bone-rattling" percussion effects. When the "sun bursts through the clouds" in the final section it's all the more moving considering the journey that's come before. Oh, I could talk about this work all day! :)

You haven't steered me wrong yet! ;D  I think the Meditations is the kind of work that rewards repeated listening - so I look forward to hearing it again. So much great music to listen to, so little time...

Quote from: vandermolen on November 28, 2021, 09:32:31 AM
Totally agree. For decades it was described as 'amiable but rambling' in the Penguin Stereo Record Guide. They have a lot to answer for.

Really? It's **so** much more than that - I'm really surprised they dismissed it so readily.

Quote from: Spotted Horses on November 28, 2021, 01:09:18 PM
I've not heard the Meditations on a theme of John Blow, despite being an admirer of Bliss. I find I have the piece on a Lyrita recording with Hugo Rignold. A good recording to discover the piece, anybody?

I certainly enjoyed the Andrew Davis/BBC recording quite a bit.

Quote from: Roasted Swan on November 28, 2021, 01:42:27 PM
Yes indeed - although to be fair its a "lucky" piece on disc - I can't think of a single version that isn't good;

Ringold/CBSO/Lyrita
Handley/CBSO/EMI
Lloyd-Jones/Bournemouth SO/Naxos
Wordsworth/RPO/Argo
Groves/RLPO/BBC Legends

as well as the newest/Chandos version you mention......

That's good to know, that if I come across any of those recordings, I can't go wrong!

Quote from: Roasted Swan on November 28, 2021, 01:25:14 PM
Bliss struggles to get the wider recognition I think he deserves (although he's well-served by admirers here on GMG!).  If you still have not heard it for me Morning Heroes is a genuinely great (and deeply personal) work.  I remember seeing Checkmate staged by the Royal Ballet back in the early '80's and I was blown away by the sheer theatrical impact of the music and the staging (they still use the original choroegraphy and designs - which are stunning)



The stage directions were included in the full score (which is on Nkoda; I followed along while listening), so I could almost picture the story happening in my mind. That must have been quite the experience to see it produced live!
So much great music, so little time...

Original compositions and orchestrations: https://www.youtube.com/@jmbrannigan

Todd

The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya