What are you listening 2 now?

[Sergeant Rock]

Haydn Symphony No. 39 in G minor, Brüggen conducting the OAE




Sarge

[vandermolen]

Holst:  Orchestral Works with Richard Hickox on Chandos

Particularly enjoy "Dance of Spirits of Water" from the Ballet from 'The Perfect Fool'..enchanting...dreamlike.



PD

The Perfect Fool Ballet music is magical, especially the central movement.

NP
New arrival - first playthrough. I'm really enjoying the poetic 'Ukrainian Quintet' by Lyatoshynsky:

[vandermolen]

NP:

Sibelius
Nightride & Sunrise, Op. 55
Scottish National Orchestra
Gibson

That's a great set John. Gibson's Sibelius is first-rate.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Oh...nice! Is this a new release? I've never seen it before. I love this work from Ginastera (along with his other ballet Estancia).

It is an old release. For a legal or marketing reason, this recording is blocked in the USA. It is available on streaming outside the USA. Sharp performance, I think.

[SonicMan46]

Kiel, Friedrich (1821-1885) - Piano Concerto & Piano Chamber Works w/ the performers on the cover art below - yet another forgotten composer - this time a German Romantic at times sounding much like Brahms and Schumann - own just the 4 discs shown, all but one piano chamber works considered his best genre of composition - these recordings are enjoyable as the attached reviews suggest - recommended if you want to add some more 19th century Brahmsian-flavored piano chamber pieces to your collection from a now obscure composer.    Dave

     

Kiel, Friedrich (1821-1885) - Cello & Piano Works w/ the performers on the cover art below - the other day, I was enjoying my 'tiny' collection of Kiel recordings quoted above (not much more is available except some of his choral/vocal output) - in his time, his chamber compositions would be mentioned in the same breath with Brahms, but shortly after his death, he was completely forgotten; the 2-disc set below arrived yesterday from Amazon - the attached reviews are quite complimentary for those interested.  Dave

 

[classicalgeek]

Uchida's Beethoven is probably my favorite part of her output.

TD


From the Mozart concerto cycle
Piano Concertos 16 in D, 18 in B Flat, 19 in F KV numbers 451/456/459

I'm greatly enjoying it! I've sampled her Beethoven Piano Concerto cycle with Kurt Sanderling, but not her Beethoven Sonatas, at least until yesterday. So far, so good (I'm listening to op. 109 and op. 110 as I'm writing). She's been my go-to pianist for the Mozart Sonatas and Schubert Sonatas, and her Mozart Piano Concerto cycle with Jeffrey Tate is outstanding. It's been a while since I heard her Debussy, but from what I remember, it's excellent as well.

Speaking of Mozart Piano Concertos, what do you think of the Geza Anda set? I confess I'm not as familiar with it Anda's cycle I'd like to be. There are so many excellent recordings of these works (in addition to Uchida/Tate, there's Andras Schiff/Sandor Vegh, Ashkenazy with the Philharmonia, Perahia with the English Chamber Orchestra, and Alicia de Larrocha recorded a few concertos with Colin Davis that I adore!) And that's just my personal top picks...

Bliss: Introduction and Allegro.
This is one of those CDs that I can play right through with much pleasure:

A great disc! I've fallen for the charms of 'Meditations on a Theme of John Blow', in no small part thanks to you and other GMGers - so thank you!

I'm the same way! I love Dvořák's symphonic poems, but I seem to remain ambivalent towards The Golden Spinning Wheel.

I don't know what it is about The Golden Spinning Wheel - it definitely has its moments. The opening theme is especially memorable. Maybe it's the length? I'm not sure...

NP:

Sibelius
Nightride & Sunrise, Op. 55
Scottish National Orchestra
Gibson

Excellent!

Thread duty:

Berwald
Symphony no. 4
Malmö Symphony Orchestra
Sixten Ehrling



I've found all the Berwald symphonies charming, and this is no exception. Charming and tuneful outer movements, and a noble and beautiful slow movement, all outstandingly done by Ehrling and the Malmö Symphony.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Britten's Cello Symphony
Rostropovich
Live recording [world premiere] in Moscow with the Philharmonic Orchestra
1964

PD

[Mirror Image]

That's a great set John. Gibson's Sibelius is first-rate.

I think so, too, Jeffrey. I wish Chandos would remaster all of Gibson's Sibelius. But I don't see that happening.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Enescu
Orchestral Suite No. 1, Op. 9
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Lawrence Foster

[classicalgeek]

Listening to op. 109 and op. 110, because I found op. 111 so compelling:

Beethoven
Piano sonata in E major, op. 109
Piano sonata in A-flat major, op. 110
Mitsuko Uchida
(on Spotify)



Both great performances - I like how Uchida keeps the variation movement in op. 109 moving, but never at the cost of expressivity. In op. 110, she plays the fugue with amazing clarity, with a thrilling final peroration. Excellent in every respect.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Enescu
Orchestral Suite No. 1, Op. 9
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Lawrence Foster

Enescu is such an incredible composer --- his works for chamber, solo piano and orchestra are all outstanding. Also, his sole opera Oedipe is breathtakingly gorgeous.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Britten's Cello Symphony
Rostropovich
Live recording [world premiere] in Moscow with the Philharmonic Orchestra
1964

PD

Boy, I must admit that at least today, this work did not grab me.  Is it the recording or just me and my frame of mind today?  Will have to revisit it soon.  How did you get on with it Music Turner?  And whose recording of it did you listen to?

PD

[Mandryka]

https://www.youtube.com/v/tZvMaawWXzM&ab_channel=NetherlandsBachSociety

Bach - Violin Sonata in F minor BWV 1018 - Sato and Ares | Netherlands Bach Society. Strange. According to Mattheson The key of F minor appears mild and relaxed, although it also introduces depth and gravity... and a fatal anxiety... In an attractive way it expresses a dark and helpless melancholy which will from time to time provide in the listener both dread and a sense of horror.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Tchaikovsky
The Nutcracker, Op. 71
Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre
Valéry Gergiev

[classicalgeek]

Aho
Double concerto for English horn, harp, and orchestra
Triple concerto for piano trio and chamber orchestra*
Dimitri Mestdag, English horn
Anneleen Lenaerts, harp
Strioni Trio*
Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
Olari Elts
(on Spotify)

[MusicTurner]

Boy, I must admit that at least today, this work did not grab me.  Is it the recording or just me and my frame of mind today?  Will have to revisit it soon.  How did you get on with it Music Turner?  And whose recording of it did you listen to?

PD

Mine is the Isserlis in an EMI box ... the work seems to be a mixture of some curiously introvertet modern traits, as well as some extrovert and more conservative moments. It's not very immediately catchy, and perhaps less conformist than the violin and piano concertos ... my favourite concertos by Britten are the early Double Concerto, and the Diversions on a Theme, for left-hand piano & orchestra. The Cello Symphony .... maybe it's like when you are more familiar with the Cello Suites, they become quite attractive ...

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Mine is the Isserlis in an EMI box ... the work seems to be a mixture of some curiously introvertet modern traits, as well as some extrovert and more conservative moments. It's not very immediately catchy, and perhaps less conformist than the violin and piano concertos ... my favourite concertos by Britten are the early Double Concerto, and the Diversions on a Theme, for left-hand piano & orchestra. The Cello Symphony .... maybe it's like when you are more familiar with the Cello Suites, they become quite attractive ...

I remember enjoying his Cello Suite No. 2 on that EMI disc.  I should haul that one out soon.  And also see what other cello recordings I have of Britten's works too.

PD

[Mirror Image]

Aho
Double concerto for English horn, harp, and orchestra
Triple concerto for piano trio and chamber orchestra*
Dimitri Mestdag, English horn
Anneleen Lenaerts, harp
Strioni Trio*
Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
Olari Elts
(on Spotify)

Forget Aho, I think you need some Enescu in your life, classicalgeek. His small oeuvre has given me an endless amount of joy.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Enescu
Quintet in A minor, Op. 29
Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

[ritter]

NP:

Enescu
Quintet in A minor, Op. 29
Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

A glorious work, in a wonderful performance (but you knew I'd say that  ).

Good evening, John.