What are you listening 2 now?

Started by Gurn Blanston, September 23, 2019, 05:45:22 AM

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vandermolen

Quote from: Mirror Image on November 30, 2021, 07:47:39 AM
NP:

Rachmaninov
The Isle of the Dead, Op. 29
Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

LPO
Jurowski




Scorching performances! Love Jurowski's conducting.
And he's a lovely man. I had the great pleasure of being introduced to him before his rehearsal of Miaskovsky's 6th Symphony in London. He couldn't have been nicer, discussing his grandfather being with Khachaturian in Miaskovsky's composition class. He even called my friend and myself up to the rostrum during a break in the rehearsal to continue our chat. My friend and I had to unwind in the pub for several hours afterwards!
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

classicalgeek

Quote from: vandermolen on November 29, 2021, 11:41:00 PM
My pleasure James!
You are right about Morning Heroes. There's a new recording on Chandos with Andrew Davis. It's very good apart from the climax of the last movement (the return of the 'canon fire' from the Somme) which is really puny compared to the Charles Groves performance. On the Chandos version you get the moving 'Hymn to Apollo' thrown in as well, which the booklet note links (convincingly I think) to Bliss's trauma over the loss of his much-loved brother in the First World War.

PS I remember that Shostakovich Piano Quintet CD being a No.1 choice in a survey some years ago.

I think only Davis is available on Spotify (along with a performance conducted by one Michael Kibblewhite on the Cala label), so I think I'll start there.

The performance of the Beaux Arts and friends of both works was second-to-none. It's been a while since I've listened to either work.

Quote from: Irons on November 29, 2021, 11:56:25 PM
Although composed much later his brother's death was the inspiration for the moving Bliss Cello Concerto. Not a common held view but I rate this work higher then the more famous concertos for piano and violin.

Thanks for the recommendation! I've been curious about his concertos - and I'll start with his Cello Concerto!

Thread duty:

Nielsen
Symphony no. 5
New York Philharmonic
Alan Gilbert



Another great performance, with the New York Phil sounding amazing. Gilbert really lets the snare drum loose at the climax to the first section!
So much great music, so little time...

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

vandermolen

Quote from: classicalgeek on November 30, 2021, 08:08:40 AM
I think only Davis is available on Spotify (along with a performance conducted by one Michael Kibblewhite on the Cala label), so I think I'll start there.

The performance of the Beaux Arts and friends of both works was second-to-none. It's been a while since I've listened to either work.

Thanks for the recommendation! I've been curious about his concertos - and I'll start with his Cello Concerto!

Thread duty:

Nielsen
Symphony no. 5
New York Philharmonic
Alan Gilbert



Another great performance, with the New York Phil sounding amazing. Gilbert really lets the snare drum loose at the climax to the first section!
The Kibblewhite is fine James, despite Brian Blessed going predictably OTT with the narration, and the 'canon fire' is much more impressive than in the Davis version at the end.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Pohjolas Daughter

Ralph Vaughan Williams' Piano Concerto in C, arr. for two pianos with Vitya Vronsky and Victor Babin (on CD 8 from The Collector's Edition).  Very enjoyable listen!  Wondering whether or not I'm hearing things but I felt like there were strong 'hints' of themes from one or two other works of his in the Romanza movement....trying to put my finger on them.  Perhaps from his London Symphony?   :-\

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Karl Henning

Quote from: vandermolen on November 30, 2021, 08:08:31 AM
And he's a lovely man. I had the great pleasure of being introduced to him before his rehearsal of Miaskovsky's 6th Symphony in London. He couldn't have been nicer, discussing his grandfather being with Khachaturian in Miaskovsky's composition class. He even called my friend and myself up to the rostrum during a break in the rehearsal to continue our chat. My friend and I had to unwind in the pub for several hours afterwards!

Very nice! So you were at an open rehearsal of the Myaskovsky Sixth? Groovy!
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

Linz

Why not Mahler 4 with Dohnányi and Cleveland

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on November 30, 2021, 08:08:31 AM
And he's a lovely man. I had the great pleasure of being introduced to him before his rehearsal of Miaskovsky's 6th Symphony in London. He couldn't have been nicer, discussing his grandfather being with Khachaturian in Miaskovsky's composition class. He even called my friend and myself up to the rostrum during a break in the rehearsal to continue our chat. My friend and I had to unwind in the pub for several hours afterwards!

Ah yes, I remember this story, Jeffrey. Such a rare opportunity, indeed. He does seem to be like a genuinely nice bloke.

VonStupp

Quote from: classicalgeek on November 30, 2021, 08:08:40 AM
I think only Davis is available on Spotify (along with a performance conducted by one Michael Kibblewhite on the Cala label), so I think I'll start there.

I bought the Kibblewhite a month or two ago, and the good news is the performances are really excellent. Some dislike Brian Blessed's Old Vic theatricality, but my problem is the distant-sounding narration at the ope and close.

VS
"All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff."

Mirror Image

NP:

Shostakovich
Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57
Martin Helmchen, Pieter Schoeman, Vesselin Gellev, Alexander Zemtsov, Kristina Blaumane



Karl Henning

Something in the air, John?

Shostakovich Op. 57
Volodya Ashkenazy
Fitzwilliams
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

vandermolen

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 30, 2021, 08:19:48 AM
Very nice! So you were at an open rehearsal of the Myaskovsky Sixth? Groovy!
No Karl. I was specially invited by a member of the LPO Choir who had read something that I had written about NYM. My friend and I were the only people there apart from the orchestra/choir. I was taken into the conductor's room to meet Jurowski before the rehearsal. It was a unique and rather surreal experience.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

classicalgeek

Quote from: vandermolen on November 30, 2021, 08:12:43 AM
The Kibblewhite is fine James, despite Brian Blessed going predictably OTT with the narration, and the 'canon fire' is much more impressive than in the Davis version at the end.
'
Thanks, Jeffrey - I'll start with the Andrew Davis recording, but it's good to know that Kibblewhite's recording is fine as well. I'll see if I can find Groves on CD - it appears it's in his 'British Music' box, which is full of rarely-heard repertoire in (one presumes) authoritative performances. Like most of these boxes issued in the past ten years, it's OOP and hard to find, unfortunately.
So much great music, so little time...

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

Mirror Image

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 30, 2021, 08:54:29 AM
Something in the air, John?

Shostakovich Op. 57
Volodya Ashkenazy
Fitzwilliams


Shostakovich is always in the air, Karl. 8)

Roasted Swan

Quote from: classicalgeek on November 30, 2021, 08:08:40 AM
I think only Davis is available on Spotify (along with a performance conducted by one Michael Kibblewhite on the Cala label), so I think I'll start there.

The performance of the Beaux Arts and friends of both works was second-to-none. It's been a while since I've listened to either work.

Thanks for the recommendation! I've been curious about his concertos - and I'll start with his Cello Concerto!


The Bliss is available as a coupling here (for all the negative press Rattle gets - this is a fine Britten War Requiem thrown in......)  Currently on Amazon delivered (in the UK) for around £4.00

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Britten-Requiem-Morning-Charles-2007-11-13/dp/B013GWITLK/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=britten+war+requiem+rattle&qid=1638297610&sr=8-2




I saw Kibblewhite perform Morning Heroes live around the time of his recording.  The narrator in concert was Robert Hardy who was MUCH better than "Gordon.....Alive!!!!!"'s histrionics.  But Westbrook for Groves is best.......


MusicTurner

Sibelius - Piano music, including 'Finlandia' /Lauriala /Naxos

Well played.

https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.553661

Mirror Image

Quote from: vandermolen on November 30, 2021, 09:00:18 AM
No Karl. I was specially invited by a member of the LPO Choir who had read something that I had written about NYM. My friend and I were the only people there apart from the orchestra/choir. I was taken into the conductor's room to meet Jurowski before the rehearsal. It was a unique and rather surreal experience.

It does sound like a surreal experience, indeed. It's too bad that Jurowski seems to have moved from the LPO and is the conductor of the Berlin Radio SO now. I'm assuming that Jurowski will continue to conduct the LPO, though.

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: MusicTurner on November 30, 2021, 09:51:10 AM
Sibelius - Piano music, including 'Finlandia' /Lauriala /Naxos

Well played.

https://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.553661
I didn't know that he had written an arrangement for solo piano before now.

How did you like the CD overall MT?

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

MusicTurner

#55117
Still playing it ... it's a mixture of rather folksy and pastoral pieces, mostly quite lively. The pianist is good. Finlandia ends the programme.

EDIT: Finlandia works better for orchestra; here, you could perhaps compare it to an early Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody, but the performance is rather fast.

Que


Karl Henning

Quote from: vandermolen on November 30, 2021, 09:00:18 AM
No Karl. I was specially invited by a member of the LPO Choir who had read something that I had written about NYM. My friend and I were the only people there apart from the orchestra/choir. I was taken into the conductor's room to meet Jurowski before the rehearsal. It was a unique and rather surreal experience.

Groovier still!
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