What are you listening 2 now?

[Bachtoven]

Hi again Bachtoven - I was able to hear both Lippel and Grgic on Spotify this morning - excellent - not sure that I can really hear the 'changeable frets' but probably the point - as to Kurt Rodarmer, does not seem to be available for streaming there but read the attached review on Fanfare (excellent for those interested - take a look!) and saw nearly all 5* Amazon ratings - a used copy w/ S&H is just $6, so I may take a chance and order (coming from a Goodwill in Minnesota, so iffy?).  Thanks for bringing these to my attention.  Dave

I've ordered several CDs and books from Goodwill stores with no problems. Do they have mostly positive feedback? If so, go for it!

[vers la flamme]

Robert Schumann: String Quartet No.3 in A major, op.41 no.3. Fine Arts Quartet

This is the slowest recording of this quartet that I have, so I don't often listen to it, but it is good. Schumann's string quartets are great; it's a shame he only ever wrote three, all collected in a single opus.

[Karl Henning]

Delighted to see the pseudo-oriental (Asian) lettering still surviving in the Western hemisphere. Happy 2020s!

Takes me back ...

TD

"Wolferl" (Age: 11)
Pf Cto № 2 in B^b, K.39
Géza Anda
Camerata Academica des Salzburger Mozarteums

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Malipiero
String Quartets Nos. 1-4
Quartetto di Venezia



It must be Italian night.

[Symphonic Addict]

Her earlier works that I've heard are rather derivative and unremarkable, but I heard part of her much more mature and individual vocal symphony The Prison on the radio and was very impressed. I need to hear the whole work:

Smyth is a fine composer and that CD proves it!

[Karl Henning]

NP:

Malipiero
String Quartets Nos. 1-4
Quartetto di Venezia



It must be Italian night.

Nice!

TD:

CD 14

von Weber
Der Freischütz, Op. 77—Overture

"Wolferl"
Divertimento № 11 in D, K. 251—Menuet

"Papa"
Symphony № 96 in D « Miracle » Hob I:96

Brahms
Symphony № 3 in F, Op. 90

[Symphonic Addict]

More temptation!

It's a good one for sure!

Just listened to the second disc of Shakespeare overtures! As rewarding as the first one - I particularly liked The Merchant of Venice. Sort of Korngold-meets-Bloch (the Schelomo, Three Jewish Poems, and Evocations Bloch.) I have the Violin Concertos disc queued up for a later listen on Spotify.

I've long been intrigued by this Japanese composers series on Naxos. "Close to Prokofiev" is enough to pique my curiosity - do you have a favorite (or favorites)?

TD: some Spanish orchestral fireworks, followed by the above-mentioned second disc of Castelnuovo-Tedesco overtures:

Turina
Danzas Fantasicas
Poema en forma de canciones*
Saeta en forma de Salve a la Virgen de la Esperanza*
Ritmos
Sinfonia sevillana
*Clara Mouriz, mezzo soprano
BBC Philharmoinc
Juanjo Mena
(on Spotify)



A mixed bag, really; I wasn't too enamored of the vocal music, honestly. I don't know if it's the singer's voice, or the style of the vocal writing, but it just didn't do much for me. But the purely orchestral numbers were quite well done; I especially enjoyed Ritmos and Sinfonia sevillana. Of course, like I keep saying, I have a soft spot for dazzling orchestration, and Turina certainly delivers on that front!

Castelnuovo-Tedesco
Shakespeare Overtures, vol. 2
As You Like It
The Merchant of Venice
Much Ado About Nothing
King John
The Winter's Take
West Australian Symphony Orchestra
Andrew Penny
(also on Spotify)



As noted above, absolutely charming and winsome. And the orchestration is simply stunning!

From the splendid Naxos Japanese series, the ones dedicated to Matsumura, Moroi, Hayasaka, Bekku, Ifukube, Hashimoto, Yoshimatsu (it is to be found on Chandos, though), Yamada, etc. contain fine music. There is no waste with these composers IMO.

[Symphonic Addict]

NP:

Respighi
Belfagor Overture, P. 140
Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège
John Neschling



Next up:

Casella
Sinfonia (Symphony No. 3), Op. 63
BBC Philharmonic
Gianandrea Noseda

Pounds the table!

[classicalgeek]

Apropos of Turina, the recordings by Batiz and de Almeida are probably better. The Naxos disc is good as well.

I've been checking out available recordings of the repertoire, and it seems Almeida's and Bragado Darman (on Naxos) are both well-regarded. I'll look for one of those once I get this music on CD, which really hope to do. I looked up Batiz's recording as I was unaware of it - I see the Danzas Fantasticas reissued on CD with works by Falla and Rodrigo, and sharing an LP with Sinfonia Sevillana, which I'm guessing never made it to CD.

That said, I still listened to the other Chandos recording, which was fine:

Turina
La Procesion del Rocio
Rapsodia sinfonica*
Danzas Gitanas
Canto a Sevilla**
*Martin Roscoe, piano
**Maria Espada, soprano
BBC Philharmonic
Juanjo Mena
(on Spotify)



The only piece that didn't impress me that much was Rapsodia sinfonica - just nothing memorable about it at first listen. But the other works were quite enjoyable, and I found the singer on this recording to be much more to my liking.

[nakulanb]

Debussy:  Piano Works
Pascal Roge

[Mirror Image]

Pounds the table!

I love both works. The Casella, in particular, is a long-standing favorite of mine when I discovered around the time I got into classical music seriously (around 2008). I cut my teeth on the Francis CPO recording, but this Noseda impressed the hell out of me, too.

[Mirror Image]

Nice!

Indeed. I'm quite taken with these Malipiero SQs.

[Bachtoven]

[JBS]

Tonight's listen has been from the Barbirolli box: a CD of Italian opera overtures and orchestral highlights (Rossini, Verdi, Ponchielli, Mascagni), a CD with Dvorak's Serenade Op 44, Franck's Petite Symphonie, and music from Handel operas arranged for modern orchestra (tenor Richard Lewis sings two arias from Serse) and now another CD with von Suppe overtures, but with Stars and Stripes Forever and Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary stuffed in to fill it out.

[Karl Henning]

Tonight's listen has been from the Barbirolli box: a CD of Italian opera overtures and orchestral highlights (Rossini, Verdi, Ponchielli, Mascagni), a CD with Dvorak's Serenade Op 44, Franck's Petite Symphonie, and music from Handel operas arranged for modern orchestra (tenor Richard Lewis sings two arias from Serse) and now another CD with von Suppe overtures, but with Stars and Stripes Forever and Clarke's Trumpet Voluntary stuffed in to fill it out.

Ponchielli again?! I was just greatly enjoying the Brahms F Major symphony in there!

[JBS]

Ponchielli again?! I was just greatly enjoying the Brahms F Major symphony in there!

In stereo this time. And the dancing hippos appear only these two times in the box.
This was from his days with Pye, so along with the Mahler and Sibelius comes the CRB playlist. But the next CD (which I will probably wait until tomorrow to hear) is from the meat column of the menu: Symphonie Fantastique.

[Karl Henning]

In stereo this time. And the dancing hippos appear only these two times in the box.
This was from his days with Pye, so along with the Mahler and Sibelius comes the CRB playlist. But the next CD (which I will probably wait until tomorrow to hear) is from the meat column of the menu: Symphonie Fantastique.

Warts and all, I surely am enjoying the box!

[Symphonic Addict]

Debussy:  Piano Works
Pascal Roge

Welcome to the forum! I hope you enjoy your stay here.

[Symphonic Addict]

I love both works. The Casella, in particular, is a long-standing favorite of mine when I discovered around the time I got into classical music seriously (around 2008). I cut my teeth on the Francis CPO recording, but this Noseda impressed the hell out of me, too.

Even the Naxos recording (No. 3) with La Vecchia is a good one. Glad there are no weak performances of this terrific work.

[Symphonic Addict]

Prokofiev: Russian Overture



In this astounding and compact piece is condensed some of the best Prokofiev besides from his symphonies and other orchestral pieces. It's a damn fine piece.



Arnold: Symphony No. 5



It's incredible how Arnold managed to combine so many moods in a piece and make it sound cohesive and arresting.

My only quibble is the bass drum stroke. It's more overwhelming in the Naxos recording.



Nielsen: Symphony No. 6



The more I listen to this piece, the more I'm convinced that Nielsen did right to follow this compositional path. An ironic, irreverent composition, that showed a more disturbed and mad condition, also as a product of his health condition for that time.


Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances



Are we in agreement that this work is an absolute masterpiece?

The fragment from 10:27 to 11:14 in the 1st mov. is one of Rachmaninov's most magical and beautiful moments. It's a passage to die for, and there is a "Coplandesque" rhythmic gesture at 2:50 min. in the III. mov., like a sort of hommage to America?