What are you listening 2 now?

[Daverz]

Malipiero: Violin Concerto (1932)



A fine concerto.

[classicalgeek]

We're in agreement about Persichetti. He's certainly not in the same echelon of mid-20th Century American composers like Copland, Barber, Schuman, Piston, Diamond et. al., but he wrote some good music nevertheless.

His music is certainly pleasant to listen to, with just the right amount of dissonance - but it lacks a certain memorability. But I'd definitely listen to more of him, though I'd take Barber, Copland, or Piston over him any day (not so sure about Schuman, and I need to listen to more Diamond, though what I've heard of his I've liked.)

TD: better acquainting myself with Aulis Sallinen.

*Songs of Life and Death
The Iron Age: Suite
*Jorma Hynninen, baritone
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Okko Kamu



Symphony no. 2 'Symphonic Dialogue'
Symphony no. 4
*Horn Concerto
*Esa Tapani, horn
Norrköping Symphony Orchestra
Ari Rasilainen
(both on Spotify)



The two choral works on the earlier disc are just gorgeous... exquisite choral writing and fine orchestration; the Songs of Life and Death are particularly moving. I quite enjoyed the Fourth Symphony and the Horn Concerto; these works are in a thornier, more dissonant voice than the choral works, but still quite approachable. I was less fond of the Second Symphony; it seemed thin on thematic material and long on percussive effects. Sallinen is definitely a composer I want to keep exploring, though.

[André]

Fantastic, spellbinding stuff. I was so impressed by the 2 extracts from Der König Kandaules that I bought the whole opera. The Symphonische Gesänge too are worth the price of admission. Baritone Grundheber (a great Wozzeck) is totally inside this post-romantic idiom. The 3 extraxcts from the ballet Triumph der Zeit (Triumph of the Time) are very good. The program is more than the sum of its parts. Excellent recorded sound. Warmly recommended.

[classicalgeek]

Fantastic, spellbinding stuff. I was so impressed by the 2 extracts from Der König Kandaules that I bought the whole opera. The Symphonische Gesänge too are worth the price of admission. Baritone Grundheber (a great Wozzeck) is totally inside this post-romantic idiom. The 3 extraxcts from the ballet Triumph der Zeit (Triumph of the Time) are very good. The program is more than the sum of its parts. Excellent recorded sound. Warmly recommended.

Grundheber is Wozzeck to me! His recording with Abbado and Behrens is probably my favorite opera recording ever. Just a stunning achievement all around. I'll have to check out his Zemlinsky, a composer who's always intrigued me.

[Symphonic Addict]

Fantastic, spellbinding stuff. I was so impressed by the 2 extracts from Der König Kandaules that I bought the whole opera. The Symphonische Gesänge too are worth the price of admission. Baritone Grundheber (a great Wozzeck) is totally inside this post-romantic idiom. The 3 extraxcts from the ballet Triumph der Zeit (Triumph of the Time) are very good. The program is more than the sum of its parts. Excellent recorded sound. Warmly recommended.

+1 Zemlinsky excelled in choral/vocal and orchestral writing.

[Symphonic Addict]

Johan Wagenaar: Sinfonietta, Op. 32

What a charming composition, it has a vitality that is infectious.




Paul Juon: Vaegtervise (Fantasy on Danish Folk Songs), Op. 31

Holy smokes, this has to be one of the most intense and exhilarating pieces of music I've heard recently. Its language shares some ideas with Tchaikovsky, but the melodic, rhythmic and orchestral voice are of his (Juon) own. That ending...!

[Mirror Image]

+1 Zemlinsky excelled in choral/vocal and orchestral writing.

His SQs are nothing to sneeze at. A fine cycle.

Now playing this entire disc:



Hugely enjoyable recording from start to finish. Abravanel was a natural in Copland's music.

[Symphonic Addict]

Glazunov: Symphony No. 8 [Serebrier]





I like the wonderfully engaging and expansive opening of the work and thankfully the first movement continues in that vein. I also find the music in this movement to be somewhat questioning but always positive and optimistic in tone. The tone, however, changes in the beginning of the second movement. It is a wonderful contrast to that of the first movement. It is dark, threatening and menacing in places and it has a disconcerting atmosphere generally. The music itself is still wonderful with very fine orchestral writing that can also be poignant as the movement progresses. A wonderful sense of tension and excitement pervades the third movement. I find the orchestral writing, once again, to be terrific. The opening tone of the final movement is slightly menacing but this changes as the movement progresses. It transfers to a light, lyrical and, once again, positive and optimistic atmosphere. The work concludes with a satisfactory and definitive resolution.

Good description! One of my favorites and it's greatly played there.

[Symphonic Addict]

His SQs are nothing to sneeze at. A fine cycle.

Now playing this entire disc:



Hugely enjoyable recording from start to finish. Abravanel was a natural in Copland's music.

Yes, the SQs contain quite fine music indeed. A superb cycle all around.

P.S. The Copland-bug has bitten quite intensely this time, hasn't it? 

[Mirror Image]

P.S. The Copland-bug has bitten quite intensely this time, hasn't it? 

Well, Copland's music has been close to my heart since I started listening to classical and the fact that he's an American also resonated with me strongly. Not because I'm also from this country, but this country has produced a composer of such originality and musical substance. Ives got the ball rolling with this for me, but Copland blew me away even further. To get a bit more personal, Copland has been a part of my own life even before I knew who he was as I used to hear Hoe-Down from Rodeo on a commercial all the time when I was a kid in the 80s. My parents used to say I always responded to music even as a baby and to this day, I couldn't even imagine what my life would be like without it.

[bhodges]

This fantastic recording of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's return to Carnegie Hall after 25 years, with conductor Vasily Petrenko, and cellist Kian Soltani. Outstanding.

Britten - Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
Elgar - Cello Concerto
Holst - The Planets

Encores:
Shostakovich - Introduction to The Gadfly (arr. for cello ensemble by Kian Soltani)
Tchaikovsky - "Dance of the Tumblers" from The Snow Maiden, Op. 12

https://www.wqxr.org/story/royal-philharmonic-orchestra/

--Bruce

[Symphonic Addict]

Well, Copland's music has been close to my heart since I started listening to classical and the fact that he's an American also resonated with me strongly. Not because I'm also from this country, but this country has produced a composer of such originality and musical substance. Ives got the ball rolling with this for me, but Copland blew me away even further. To get a bit more personal, Copland has been a part of my own life even before I knew who he was as I used to hear Hoe-Down from Rodeo on a commercial all the time when I was a kid in the 80s. My parents used to say I always responded to music even as a baby and to this day, I couldn't even imagine what my life would be like without it.

Nice to read, John. I perfectly understand your sentiments. There are composers that simply stand out for each of us in personal and different ways.

[Symphonic Addict]

This fantastic recording of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's return to Carnegie Hall after 25 years, with conductor Vasily Petrenko, and cellist Kian Soltani. Outstanding.

Britten - Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
Elgar - Cello Concerto
Holst - The Planets

Encores:
Shostakovich - Introduction to The Gadfly (arr. for cello ensemble by Kian Soltani)
Tchaikovsky - "Dance of the Tumblers" from The Snow Maiden, Op. 12

https://www.wqxr.org/story/royal-philharmonic-orchestra/

--Bruce

Except for the Elgar (which is rather overplayed in concert halls), a terrific program!

[Mirror Image]

Nice to read, John. I perfectly understand your sentiments. There are composers that simply stand out for each of us in personal and different ways.

Absolutely. There are composers that will forever be a part of our musical DNA and Copland was certainly one of those for me.

[Operafreak]

[Symphonic Addict]

John Antill: Corroboree

Today I've been in a very in-motion fashion. A wonderful Australian ballet.




Mario Pilati: Piano Quintet

Along with the Martucci and the rather short Respighi, one of the most alluring to come from Italian lands IMO.

[Symphonic Addict]

And this:



What a phenomenal CPO release

[Operafreak]

[Symphonic Addict]

Symphony No. 10

I used to rank this symphony highly, and I currently consider that I was exaggerating a little bit. Havergal Brian is a terribly frustrating and anti-climactic composer by judging on what I'm hearing. I think he tries too hard to appeal.

Just my two cents.

[Que]

Morning listening is the first of two recordings of Palestrina's (parody) masses on themes by Jacquet de Mantua (Jachet de Mantoue) aka Jacques Colebault: