What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

I'm going to have me my own private Scheidt festival, Vol 2 yesterday inspired me  - this Vol 1 has some fabulous music, elaborate and substantial constructions based on hymns and suchlike, full of imaginative rhythmic variations, Scheidt was a real master at that sort of thing. The organ, a Treutmann at Harbke in Saxony, is very good and very satisfactorily recorded. Tasteful magisterial playing by Reinhard Knuth IMO.

Sounds enticing, will check it out. Thanks.

[vandermolen]

C. Armstrong Gibbs
Odysseus Symphony

[Irons]

C. Armstrong Gibbs
Odysseus Symphony

Any good, Jeffrey?

[Harry]

CPE Bach.

Sonates for Fortepiano, with the accompaniment of a Violin & Violoncello.

Trio 1790, on period instruments.
Fortepiano after Matthäus Heilmann, about 1780, built by Derek Adlam, 1978.

Very good performances. This ensemble was always a favourite with me to this day. A fine performance of these sonates made in 1993, in very good sound. The Derek Adlam Fortepiano sounds like a dream.

[Madiel]

Mozart, Symphonies 19-21



He sure got busy with symphonies in 1772.

[Florestan]

No. 2 in B-flat major D 125

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Complete Organ Works [Foccroulle] CD 6





Works from the Weimar Period played on the Dreifaltigskeits Orgel der Abtei Ottobeuren.

[vers la flamme]

Robert Schumann: Symphony No.1 in B-flat major, op.38, the "Spring". Wolfgang Sawallisch, Staatskapelle Dresden

Couple months early for spring, but I needed this in my life at the moment.

[Madiel]

Couple months early for spring, but I needed this in my life at the moment.

*gasp!* What's next? Listening to the Moonlight sonata before dark? Giving Haydn's Hen symphony a spin while eating beef? Hearing the Leningrad symphony in Florida? Where will the madness end?

[vers la flamme]

*gasp!* What's next? Listening to the Moonlight sonata before dark? Giving Haydn's Hen symphony a spin while eating beef? Hearing the Leningrad symphony in Florida? Where will the madness end?

(I like to listen to Le Sacre du printemps in March too.)

[vandermolen]

Any good, Jeffrey?

Nothing special Lol and IMO not very memorable (I much prefer Hovhaness's 'Odysseus Symphony). In fact I preferred the short Dyson work. Armstrong Gibbs's masterpiece is the deeply morning Symphony No.3 'Westmorland' in memory of his son killed in WW2. That is definitely worth hearing.

Far more enjoyable is this just arrived CD. Rebecca Clarke's Viola Sonata (played here on the cello) is a great discovery:

[Madiel]

(I like to listen to Le Sacre du printemps in March too.)

I just find it weird and fascinating the degree to which people let the calendar influence their listening, or feel unease if they don't follow it.  I mean, sure, it might be interesting to follow Bach cantatas around the church year, but beyond that I simply don't get why a lot of people seem to think that it's inappropriate to listen to Christmas music at some other time of year if that's what they want to listen to, or whatever.

Hell, I'm daring to enough to listen to all 4 of Vivaldi's seasons in a single day.

I honestly don't think it's ever occurred to me to even consider the time of year when listening to Schumann's 'Spring' symphony, or Stravinsky's Rite, or the Beethoven violin sonata I listened to about a week ago in the course of listening to a number of Beethoven violin sonatas. The adjective describes the music in some way. I don't see any need to make it describe my circumstances. For one thing, that would preclude the music transporting me somewhere different through what it evokes.

[vers la flamme]

I just find it weird and fascinating the degree to which people let the calendar influence their listening, or feel unease if they don't follow it.  I mean, sure, it might be interesting to follow Bach cantatas around the church year, but beyond that I simply don't get why a lot of people seem to think that it's inappropriate to listen to Christmas music at some other time of year if that's what they want to listen to, or whatever.

Hell, I'm daring to enough to listen to all 4 of Vivaldi's seasons in a single day.

Well, as you can see I don't let it influence my listening too much, or I wouldn't be listening to it now. For the record, I listen to Le Quattro Stagioni year round.



Franz Schubert: Symphony No.3 in D major, D 200. Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

This cycle is so brilliant, especially for the light it shines on the early symphonies.

[Madiel]

Well, as you can see I don't let it influence my listening too much, or I wouldn't be listening to it now.

No. But you felt you had to justify your listening decision. That's what struck me.

[vers la flamme]

No. But you felt you had to justify your listening decision. That's what struck me.

That's fine. It was just a comment. I assure you no elaborate mental gymnastics went into making my choice of what to listen to.

[Florestan]

Liederkreis op. 39

[Harry]

CPE Bach.

The Three Cello Sonatas.

Hidemi Suzuki, Cello. (Built by Bart Visser, Zutphen, 1995, after a copy by Hendrik Jacobs.
Bach Collegium Japan.

I think these performances one of the very best on the market. It is also State of the Art recorded.

[vandermolen]

This is great! Most enjoyable. There is an influence of Adams and Glass but it goes beyond that. In the powerful Symphony No.5 'A Journey Towards Peace' (commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War) there are also Copland-like passages and in the second movement 'Of the Apocalypse' there were passages reminiscent of Kamran Ince's 'Fall of Constantinople' (Symphony No.2). The final movement sets Walt Whitman effectively I think. David Bedford's fine 'Symphony' also came to mind. The string symphonies are most enjoyable, catchy and memorable as well. 'The Fanfare of the Heroes of the Korean War' was much more moving than I anticipated with a soulful ostinato dominating. It reminded me of Ben Haim's 'Fanfare for Israel' in this respect, although there was an element of 'Saving Private Ryan' soundtrack about it. Strongly recommended and I'm looking forward to receiving Krouse's 'Armenian Requiem':

[Florestan]

This is great! Most enjoyable. There is an influence of Adams and Glass but it goes beyond that. In the powerful Symphony No.5 'A Journey Towards Peace' (commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War) there are also Copland-like passages and in the second movement 'Of the Apocalypse' there were passages reminiscent of Kamran Ince's 'Fall of Constantinople' (Symphony No.2). The final movement sets Walt Whitman effectively I think. David Bedford's fine 'Symphony' also came to mind. The string symphonies are most enjoyable, catchy and memorable as well. 'The Fanfare of the Heroes of the Korean War' was much more moving than I anticipated with a soulful ostinato dominating. It reminded me of Ben Haim's 'Fanfare for Israel' in this respect, although there was an element of 'Saving Private Ryan' soundtrack about it. Strongly recommended and I'm looking forward to receiving Krouse's 'Armenian Requiem':

That was quite a fun read. So, Adams, Glass, Copland, Kamran Ince, David Bedford, Ben Haim, "Saving Private Ryan". Okay, where's Krouse in all that? 

[vandermolen]

That was quite a fun read. So, Adams, Glass, Copland, Kamran Ince, David Bedford, Ben Haim, "Saving Private Ryan". Okay, where's Krouse in all that? 

Haha 
Well, if you mix all the ingredients together and add some salt (and in my case Tomato Ketchup) you end up with Krouse!
Seriously though, it is more than just an eclectic hotch-potch of other composers I think and there is an originality of expression. I like the Whitman setting in the final movement, having listened to it several times. I'm no musician so can't analyse the music but I know that it held my attention and I immediately wanted to hear it again. I think it's online - so see what you think. 

Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EENWgn_-Cw0

PS the Japanese composer Yoshimatsu also came to mind in the string symphonies.