What are you listening 2 now?

[JBS]

Niels W. Gade.
The Symphonies.
Disc II
Symphony No 2 in E major & No. 7 in F major.
Stockholm Sinfonietta, Neeme Jarvi.

I think that's a great set; my only complaint about focuses on the singing in The Crusaders (very specifically, the tenor).
Haven't heard any of the Hogwood recordings.

TD
CD 1 of this

The Brahms (and the Franck Symphony on CD 3) was a studio recording: the rest was recorded at a 1951 Munich concert in (judging by the portion heard on CD 1) not particularly good sonics

[Symphonic Addict]

Thanks. I will move on.

TD

Alwyn: Violin Concerto.

What did you think about it? Is Alwyn more nationalistic or not? 

[Daverz]

Poholja's Daughter, The Oceanides and Symphony No. 7.  All 1970's RCA recordings from the Sony "Ormandy Conducts Sibelius" box.  I think all that's missing from this "Ormandy conducts Sibelius" box of the CBS and RCA recordings is the mono material (now in the big Ormandy mono box) and the Violin Concerto with Oistrakh (we get the recordings with Dylana Jenson and Isaac Stern).  I suppose the Oistrakh/Ormandy recording is easily available elsewhere.

The artwork, BTW, is from musicbrainz:

https://musicbrainz.org/release/e94f6437-9d7e-42c7-8b93-2570201738a9/cover-art

...finished up the disc with the 4th.  A very beautiful recording by the Philadelphians.

[Symphonic Addict]

Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra (Frankfurt Radio Symphony / Krzysztof Urbański, conductor) - The Frankfurt ensemble and their technical staff are doing a fantastic job with these live concerts. However one feels about the performances (most are excellent), the audio and video quality are superb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lwCIK7uENM

--Bruce

It's good to know that this work has received committed and splendid recordings and performances. This masterpiece doesn't deserve less. A work for a deser island for me!

[Symphonic Addict]

A needed antidote to the Ives pandemic: 

Schuman: Symphony No. 5 for string orchestra

Jaw-droppingly extraordinary stuff, and in its most significant recording.

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Tuesday

Hahn
Études Latines
Stephen Varcoe (baritone), Graham Johnson (piano), Ian Bostridge (tenor), Chris Gould (piano)
The London Schubert Chorale
Stephen Layton



Utterly gorgeous. People have been telling me for years to check out Hahn's mélodies, but, for whatever reason, I was preoccupied with other composers. I should've listened to these people years ago!

[Symphonic Addict]

I really need to give Schmitt's orchestral music another listen!

Respighi
Fountains of Rome
Philadelphia Orchestra
Riccardo Muti



Of course, I was on a Respighi kick before I started my Ives kick...   A wonderful performance on the whole with amazing playing by the Philadelphians, perhaps a bit fast in spots, and lacking the last bit of overwhelming grandeur at the climax of "The Fountain of Trevi at Midday". But otherwise a marvelous recording.

Schmitt has several facets as a composer: as late-Romantic (opulent and sumptuous), Neoclassical, Impressionist, putting his toes into Twelve-tones (I imagine), I mean. You'll probably love this composer's music. Raphael could also agree with me about Schmitt's greatness and genius.


... John is staring at you because of the Respighi, CG! 

[Mirror Image]

Schmitt has several facets as a composer: as late-Romantic (opulent and sumptuous), Neoclassical, Impressionist, putting his toes into Twelve-tones (I imagine), I mean. You'll probably love this composer's music. Raphael could also agree with me about Schmitt's greatness and genius.


... John is staring at you because of the Respighi, CG! 

Damn right! How dare anyone criticize my favorite recording of the Roman Trilogy! J/k. As for Schmitt, I do need to give his music another go, but the last time I did, I certainly wasn't as enthusiastic as you or Rafael. I did like La Tragédie de Salomé a lot, though, so maybe there's hope for me yet. I'd like to check out his chamber and solo piano works --- I've read good things about them.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Honegger
Monopartita in F-sharp minor
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Marius Constant



One of Honegger's last works. I've always enjoyed it, but it's not amongst one of his most talked about pieces. Great performance, too.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Martin
Petite Symphonie Concertante
Ursula Ruttimann (piano), Eva Guibentif (harp), Christiane Jaccottet (harpsichord)
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Armin Jordan



A masterpiece!

[Daverz]

NP:

Martin
Petite Symphonie Concertante
Ursula Ruttimann (piano), Eva Guibentif (harp), Christiane Jaccottet (harpsichord)
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Armin Jordan



A masterpiece!

That's a great disc. 

Now listening:



I culled Sandor's Vox recordings of the piano sonatas after comparing them to Raekallio, but perhaps I done him wrong.  I did keep this set of the other piano music, though, and am enjoying it now.  His playing is perhaps on the dry side.

Prevoiusly, Ben-Haim: Symphony No. 2



This is what makes all the neurotic fussing with my sound system all worthwhile, a beautiful recording of wonderful, entrancing music.

[Symphonic Addict]

Damn right! How dare anyone criticize my favorite recording of the Roman Trilogy! J/k. As for Schmitt, I do need to give his music another go, but the last time I did, I certainly wasn't as enthusiastic as you or Rafael. I did like La Tragédie de Salomé a lot, though, so maybe there's hope for me yet. I'd like to check out his chamber and solo piano works --- I've read good things about them.

Yes, a different approach and entry point to this composer through his solo piano music would be an interesting experiment, instead of his orchestral and more voluptuous pieces.

[Symphonic Addict]

Schoeck's Sommernacht is a remarkably beautiful and atmospheric work; a real highlight of the string orchestra repertoire. It has the same magical, twilit atmosphere of some of Atterberg's slow movements but with a slightly more "modern" harmonic language. The Cello Concerto is pretty good, too, if a bit uneven in the quality of its material. Schoeck was nothing if not a difficult composer to pigeonhole stylistically!

I'm not a fan of his concerti either, I, instead, prefer those voluptuous, expressive and intimate notes in other combinations, including voice and string quartet.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Honegger
Prélude pour 'La Tempête' de William Shakespeare
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Plasson



Scintillating! Interesting to know that I share a birthday with Honegger.

[Mirror Image]

That's a great disc.

It sure is! I'm looking forward to hearing that new recording of the Martin Violin Concerto you suggested on the Claves label. I bought it yesterday.

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Wednesday

Hahn
Violin Sonata in C major
Charles Sewart, Stephen Coombs

[Symphonic Addict]

Vasily Kalafati's Légende, Op. 20
    Nikos Maliaras, Athens Philharmonia Orchestra, Choir of the Music Department of the University of Athens

I suppose I expected Zorba-esque dances (the surname, the orchestra, the cover art, etc!). Instead, I got a very interesting post-Rimsky-Korsakov Russian/Ukrainian (it's a bit of a touchy subject right now as to which is which!)
Good, strong, orchestral colour and a very nice recording.

That is the best work in that disc. The other two works don't hold succesfully well.

[Symphonic Addict]

NP:

Honegger
Prélude pour 'La Tempête' de William Shakespeare
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse
Plasson



Scintillating! Interesting to know that I share a birthday with Honegger.

I'm joining you, but with Horace Victorieux! Honegger at his most Bergian. It's not an easy work by any means, and what it has of astringent, it has of haunting.

There is something unique about Swiss composers that just fascinate me. Their voices are quite particular (e.g. Andreae, Bloch, Honegger, Juon, Martin, Schoeck, etc.)

An attractive nation for music!

[Mirror Image]

I'm joining you, but with Horace Victorieux! Honegger at his most Bergian. It's not an easy work by any means, and what it has of astringent, it has of haunting.

There is something unique about Swiss composers that just fascinate me. Their voices are quite particular (e.g. Andreae, Bloch, Honegger, Juon, Martin, Schoeck, etc.)

An attractive nation for music!

Yep, that's a great work, too. I like this Plasson recording, but this one with Fischer on Hyperion is also top-notch:



I'm especially attracted to Martin, Honegger and Schoeck but not the others you mentioned.

[bhodges]

Martinů: Double Concerto – Andrés Orozco-Estrada / Frankfurt Radio Symphony (live recording, June 3 2020) - With musicians spaced apart, a reminder of that pandemic time in 2020, when some ensembles were just getting back into making music together. I wonder if this spacious physical layout produces better sound, rather than the traditional two players, sharing a stand next to each other. Worth asking, anyway, since at least on this outing, the sound is excellent.

Never mind: Whatever the case, this performance is fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m8WYEANIj0

--Bruce