What are you listening 2 now?

[Maestro267]

Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 17
RFASO/Svetlanov

[MusicTurner]

Leoš Janáček's Taras Bulba 
    Karel Ančerl, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Truly a classic ...

[MusicTurner]

Jón Leifs' Saga Symphony, Op. 26 
    Osmo Vänskä, Iceland Symphony Orchestra

That one is quite an experience ... 

[listener]

Pierre WISSMER    Piano Concerto 2      Claudine Perretti, piano,  Wissmer, cond.
Violin Concerto 2      Claudine Devries, violin      Edmond Appia, cond.    Suisse Romande Orch.
echoes of Poulenc and then Stravinsky
Antonio SOLER:   vol. 2 of the Harpsichord Sonatas series on Naxos
played by Gilbert Rowland

[Linz]

CD1 of Liszt Complete Symphonic Poems with Bernard Haitink Conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra

[André]

I fully expected Ehnes to make these fiendishly difficult works sound easy, but not that easy - and beautiful-sounding to boot. Ehnes has the beauty and purity of tone of Grumiaux, the dead-center intonation of Heifetz and the technical wizardry of a computer. Lest that sound like I think of him as a soulless or unemotional interpreter, that is absolutely not the case. I don't expect to hear the stunning final chord of 4 of these sonatas heard with more security and dramatic intensity as here, coming as they do after a display of death-defying violin pyrotechnics that had me holding my breath. It's like watching a gymnastics routine ending with a pass of triple twists and quadruple somersaults and decisively nailing that impossible perfect landing. Every booklet notes of discs of these sonatas point to the fact that despite their technical challenges it's the musical aspect of these sonatas that stays in the mind and keeps one returning to them. Very true. Each is different from the other and portrays a complete musical picture, having more substance than entire concertos. I put this disc on the same level as Rachel Kolly D'alba's very different offering. Zehetmaier and Tianwa Yang are almost as good, but on a somewhat less exalted plane.

[André]

Shostakovich: symphony no 7, played by the SWR orchestra, Stuttgart. Conducted by Teodor Currentzis.


https://www.swr.de/swrclassic/symphonieorchester/aexavarticle-swr-83346.html

[Florestan]

I fully expected Ehnes to make these fiendishly difficult works sound easy, but not that easy - and beautiful-sounding to boot. Ehnes has the beauty and purity of tone of Grumiaux, the dead-center intonation of Heifetz and the technical wizardry of a computer. Lest that sound like I think of him as a soulless or unemotional interpreter, that is absolutely not the case. I don't expect to hear the stunning final chord of 4 of these sonatas heard with more security and dramatic intensity as here, coming as they do after a display of death-defying violin pyrotechnics that had me holding my breath. It's like watching a gymnastics routine ending with a pass of triple twists and quadruple somersaults and decisively nailing that impossible perfect landing. Every booklet notes of discs of these sonatas point to the fact that despite their technical challenges it's the musical aspect of these sonatas that stays in the mind and keeps one returning to them. Very true. Each is different from the other and portrays a complete musical picture, having more substance than entire concertos. I put this disc on the same level as Rachel Kolly D'alba's very different offering. Zehetmaier and Tianwa Yang are almost as good, but on a somewhat less exalted plane.

I've just got it based on your enthusiastical review. Thanks.

[JBS]

I fully expected Ehnes to make these fiendishly difficult works sound easy, but not that easy - and beautiful-sounding to boot. Ehnes has the beauty and purity of tone of Grumiaux, the dead-center intonation of Heifetz and the technical wizardry of a computer. Lest that sound like I think of him as a soulless or unemotional interpreter, that is absolutely not the case. I don't expect to hear the stunning final chord of 4 of these sonatas heard with more security and dramatic intensity as here, coming as they do after a display of death-defying violin pyrotechnics that had me holding my breath. It's like watching a gymnastics routine ending with a pass of triple twists and quadruple somersaults and decisively nailing that impossible perfect landing. Every booklet notes of discs of these sonatas point to the fact that despite their technical challenges it's the musical aspect of these sonatas that stays in the mind and keeps one returning to them. Very true. Each is different from the other and portrays a complete musical picture, having more substance than entire concertos. I put this disc on the same level as Rachel Kolly D'alba's very different offering. Zehetmaier and Tianwa Yang are almost as good, but on a somewhat less exalted plane.

Better than Zehetmair? That's pretty high up. I guess another for the shopping cart.

TD
From the Warner Barbirolli box

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto 4
Saint Saens Havanaise
Sarasate Ziguenerweisen

Jascha Heifetz violin

London Philharmonic in the concertos, London Symphony in the concertante works.

[vandermolen]

That one is quite an experience ... 

+1

[vandermolen]

Vaughan Williams: Sancta Civitas - London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus conducted by Richard Hickox. I found it impossible to balance this recording - the opening was inaudible and the soloist almost inaudible at his first entry. When I adjusting the volume s that the soloist sounded natural the chorus jumped out the sound picture - very loud and also shrill and metallic. I must have noticed this before but don't recall it being quite so bad. I listened to some of Hill/Bournemouth SO etc (Naxos) and didn't find it anywhere near as bad. I will have to dig the Willcocks LP from out of the vaults for another comparison.

I like Rozhdestvensky's recording as well as the classic Willcocks version. Years ago I saw it live in the church in Brighton where Vaughan Williams and Adeline were married.

[Mirror Image]

I like Rozhdestvensky's recording as well as the classic Willcocks version.

The 5th on that Rozhdestvensky recording is also rather lovely, Jeffrey.

[vandermolen]

Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 17
RFASO/Svetlanov

Arguably NYM's masterpiece - a wonderful score. Svetlanov is great but Gauk's remains my favourite version.

[vandermolen]

The 5th on that Rozhdestvensky recording is also rather lovely, Jeffrey.

Totally agree John. For me that was one of the highlights of the short-lived BBC Radio Classics series.

[Todd]

[Mirror Image]

Totally agree John. For me that was one of the highlights of the short-lived BBC Radio Classics series.

Yes, indeed. As much as I liked Rozhdestvensky's Melodiya cycle, a part of me wishes it was with the BBC Symphony Orchestra instead.

[vandermolen]

Yes, indeed. As much as I liked Rozhdestvensky's Melodiya cycle, a part of me wishes it was with the BBC Symphony Orchestra instead.

Can totally see that John although the appearance of a Vaughan Williams symphony cycle on Melodiya was something of a miracle (I can't imagine Mr Putin sanctioning such an enterprise these days). The organ solo going haywire in Sinfonia Antartica was something of a highlight for me although the performances were remarkably good.

[Karl Henning]

Ives Symphony No. 3 "The Camp Meeting", 1910.



This is more to my liking than 1 and 2.

Nice!

[Linz]

Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony playing Debussy La Mer and The Pines of Rome and the Fountains of Rome

[Mirror Image]

Can totally see that John although the appearance of a Vaughan Williams symphony cycle on Melodiya was something of a miracle (I can't imagine Mr Putin sanctioning such an enterprise these days). The organ solo going haywire in Sinfonia Antartica was something of a highlight for me although the performances were remarkably good.

Yeah, they were good performances, but just not particular favorites. Now, Rozhdestvensky's 5th with the BBC SO, on the other hand, was outstanding. The biggest hurdle in the RVW cycle are the symphonies that have vocals. In A Sea Symphony, for example, the Russians butcher the texts and their sung parts are unintelligible to my ears. He did rather well, however, in the 4th and 6th symphonies in this cycle. I should revisit those at some juncture.