What are you listening 2 now?

[VonStupp]

PI Tchaikovsky
Kradosti Cantata (Ode to Joy)
Romeo & Juliet (1869 Original Version)

London PO & Chorus - Derek Gleeson

This is the second recording I have heard of Tchaik's Ode to Joy cantata (the first with Yuri Simonov), and I am still not convinced. The opening instrumental prelude is wonderful and the crazy harmonic progressions of the finale are fun, but the soloists really drag the work down in its middle movements.

I did, however, appreciate the original version of the Romeo & Juliet Fantasy-Overture, even though its opening and closing have completely different material than what I am used to. It worked just fine for me, I think.

VS

[Mirror Image]

Have to mostly agree - I have FPZ #1 and Suk #2.

John - I was on vacation a few days, was that your first dip into the Albeniz box? How's that going so far?

I've been dipping in and out of this Albéniz BIS set for a few days, but, so far, I've enjoyed the music immensely. Looking forward to hearing more!

[Mirror Image]

I haven't heard Zimmermann's recordings before, but Suk was certainly a top notch violinist!  Will see whether or not I can find a way to sample that BIS recording.

PD

p.s.  I had tried to provide images to both the LP and to the CD, but gave up after eBay wouldn't let them appear. 

I found the Zimmermann/Hruša performances in a playlist on YouTube for you, so you can, at least, listen to them:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k6EL59FZ4Zg5P71lsHIhHqKn_9i2TgPtc

Oh and I agree with you about Suk, he was a fine violinist, but I never have found Neumann to be too convincing in Martinů. He's an excellent conductor no question, but I just didn't feel he was quite as into this composer as he was say Mahler, Dvořák, Smetana or Janáček for example.

A follow-up to this post:

I do like this recording A LOT and feel it's the best thing that Neumann has done in Martinů:

[Mirror Image]

Pierné Complete Chamber Music Vol. 2

Pounds the table! I've enjoyed all of the Pierné I've heard recently in particular: the Trio in C minor, Op. 45 and Piano Quintet, Op. 41.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Honegger
Concerto da camera
Heinz Holliger (oboe), Aurèle Nicolet (flute)
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Marriner



It's so nice to hear another performance of this work. The other performance I own is on Timpani with Tamayo conducting and it is very good, but so is this one!

[Karl Henning]

[ snip ] Suk was certainly a top notch violinist!

Indeed. He was frequently a featured soloist under Ančerl's baton.

TD

Lalo
Symphonie espagnole in d minor, Op. 21
Yan Pascal Tortelier, vn

[Karl Henning]

Actually it is not the premier recording. The Premier on May 2, 1956 was recorded live by the BBC and released on record. The recording on the set was made on June 19, 1956 for the Pye label. It is the first studio recording.

Thanks for the clarification.

+ 1

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I found the Zimmermann/Hruša performances in a playlist on YouTube for you, so you can, at least, listen to them:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k6EL59FZ4Zg5P71lsHIhHqKn_9i2TgPtc

Oh and I agree with you about Suk, he was a fine violinist, but I never have found Neumann to be too convincing in Martinů. He's an excellent conductor no question, but I just didn't feel he was quite as into this composer as he was say Mahler, Dvořák, Smetana or Janáček for example.

A follow-up to this post:

I do like this recording A LOT and feel it's the best thing that Neumann has done in Martinů:

Thank you for that link and your rec.  Trying to remember off the top of my head what other recordings I have with Neumann?  I know that I do have a mixed boxed set of Josef Suks's music (the composer).

In any event, I'll try and check out the links soon; I'm having fun at the moment exploring and revisiting my LPs.   

PD

[Karl Henning]

Lalo did like d minor

Lalo
Cello Concerto in d minor
Paul Tortelier, vc

[aligreto]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 [Chailly]





This is a magnificent symphony and Chailly does good justice to it by nurturing it from its embryonic opening bars to its final conclusion. The first movement includes wonderfully powerful brass fanfares perhaps illustrating the need to acknowledge the power and the glory of the ultimate dedicatee "the beloved God" along with more contemplative passages, perhaps acknowledging the same dedicatee but in a different way. Chailly's presentation is expansive but it is never ponderous.
The overall tone of the scherzo is reminiscent of that of the first movement. Chailly is, once again, quite assertive here and he drives it well throughout delivering the power of the tutti where appropriate but without being bombastic.
The slow movement is a glorious piece of music. I find it to be a very searching piece. I also find subtle differences in Bruckner's musical language here compared to what I have heard heretofore in his previous symphonies. I find this music to be particularly engaging. Once again, Chailly' expansive approach pays dividends here with a contemplative and delving approach which yields up the riches in the score. I do like the somewhat fatalistic tone in the concluding passages of this movement; they are so wonderfully expressive.

[Karl Henning]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 [Chailly]





This is a magnificent symphony and Chailly does good justice to it by nurturing it from its embryonic opening bars to its final conclusion. The first movement includes wonderfully powerful brass fanfares perhaps illustrating the need to acknowledge the power and the glory of the ultimate dedicatee "the beloved God" along with more contemplative passages, perhaps acknowledging the same dedicatee but in a different way. Chailly's presentation is expansive but it is never ponderous.
The overall tone of the scherzo is reminiscent of that of the first movement. Chailly is, once again, quite assertive here and he drives it well throughout delivering the power of the tutti where appropriate but without being bombastic.
The slow movement is a glorious piece of music. I find it to be a very searching piece. I also find subtle differences in Bruckner's musical language here compared to what I have heard heretofore in his previous symphonies. I find this music to be particularly engaging. Once again, Chailly' expansive approach pays dividends here with a contemplative and delving approach which yields up the riches in the score. I do like the somewhat fatalistic tone in the concluding passages of this movement; they are so wonderfully expressive.

Nice, Fergus!

[aligreto]

Nice, Fergus!

Cheers, Karl. I have enjoyed my journey through the Bruckner landscape with Chailly.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Malipiero
String Quartet No. 2, "Stornelli e ballate"
Orpheus String Quartet

[Karl Henning]

Tansman
Symphony № 6 « In memoriam »

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Martinů
The Voice of the Forest, H. 243, Radio-opera in one act
Jaroslav Březina, Pavel Drešer, Zdeněk Harvánek
Prague Philharmonia
Jiří Bělohlávek

[Mirror Image]

Thank you for that link and your rec.  Trying to remember off the top of my head what other recordings I have with Neumann?  I know that I do have a mixed boxed set of Josef Suks's music (the composer).

In any event, I'll try and check out the links soon; I'm having fun at the moment exploring and revisiting my LPs.   

PD

You're welcome. Enjoy!

[SonicMan46]

Bach, JS - Solo Harpsichord Transcriptions w/ Elizabeth Farr playing Bach's transcriptions of mainly Italian composer's concertos (first six by Vivaldi) - she performs on a magnificent instrument, 16' harpsichord by Keith Hill (who has a short writeup in the booklet; main notes by Farr). Dave

 

[aligreto]

Kodaly: Symphony in C [Dorati]





Kodaly is in his storytelling mode in the first movement. I like his picture painting and how he uses the orchestra to achieve this. There is great drama and atmosphere. There is a great atmosphere in the slow movement also albeit of a different kind. The scoring produces wonderful sonorities in this movement; some of them being quite enchanting. Kodaly is in a buoyant mood in the final movement. I like the way that there are, in places, multi-voiced conversations going on. Once again, his scoring wonderfully facilitates this.

This set has been an excellent listening experience and it comes well recommended from me.

[Klavier1]

Very nice.

[André]

Very fine works, wildly different from one another. The 4th is pensive and elegiac, à la Silverstrov , the 5th is turbulent with much jazz elements in it.


More music from a Lithuanian composer. The Dyptich Symphony is Bajoras' 4th symphony, although he chose not to assign it a number. This is spikier and more modern although there are folk influences. Very enjoyable.