What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

Ha, we seem to be in similar territory, VS! (#65486) 




Strauss: Don Juan
LSO, Abbado


History is littered with sons rebelling against fathers, and nothing more creative than a bit of a blow-up sometimes I guess, but I doubt many quite produce the supernovae-like outcomes of Don Juan. What a prodigious achievement for a twenty-four-year-old! As well as a rather glaring snub for his influential father's reactionary musical tastes.

I also listened to the Kempe/Staatskapelle Dresden recording which is very good, rich and detailed, though I still prefer Abbado who captures the raw and lust-crazed rapture of the opening's main theme onwards rather better I think. With Strauss having an affair with a married woman at the time, and Don Juan unequivocally rejecting his father's request to reform his lustful ways in Lenau's play on which the tone poem is based ..
("That magic circle, immeasurably wide, of beautiful femininity with their multiple attractions, I want to traverse in a storm of pleasure, and die of a kiss upon the lips of the last woman.)"
..  Abbado's approach does seem to tap more naturally into the unbound spirit of the young man's piece.

This is a great disc and anyone who says that Abbado wasn't a natural in Strauss obviously weren't listening. It's too bad he didn't compose much of the composer's music.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Schuman
Violin Concerto
Paul Zukofsky, violin
BSO
MTT

[Operafreak]

[Todd]

The first two discs to start the morning.

[listener]

Miklos ROZSA:Symphony in 3 Movements op.6a
The Vintner's Daughter op.23a
New Zealand S.O.       James Sedares
and something tbs.   I'm finding organizing my life lately is like herding cats,

[aligreto]

Bax conducted by Thompson:





November Woods
The Happy Forest

[VonStupp]

This is a great disc and anyone who says that Abbado wasn't a natural in Strauss obviously weren't listening. It's too bad he didn't compose much of the composer's music.

I don't think I suggested this in my reply, although I said I don't know Abbado in Strauss.

VS

[VonStupp]

Richard Strauss
Ein Heldenleben, op. 40

Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Fritz Reiner

Awesome battle sequence from Chicago, and Reiner times the final movement's climax masterfully.

VS

[Mirror Image]

I don't think I suggested this in my reply, although I said I don't know Abbado in Strauss.

VS

I didn't say you made any such implication, but merely pointing out that people who are anti-Abbado need to take a hike (and I know quite a few of them).

[Karl Henning]

NP:

Schuman
Violin Concerto
Paul Zukofsky, violin
BSO
MTT

A classic!

[LKB]

Richard Strauss
Ein Heldenleben, op. 40

Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Fritz Reiner

Awesome battle sequence from Chicago, and Reiner times the final movement's climax masterfully.

VS

I have that one, along with ten or so of the other RCA SACDs. Good stuff!

[Mirror Image]

A classic!

It sure is, Karl.

[VonStupp]

I didn't say you made any such implication, but merely pointing out that people who are anti-Abbado need to take a hike (and I know quite a few of them).

Ah. I can be that way too, as I avoided some of what he did in Berlin (I did the same with Rattle), but I do like his London and Chicago years in a wide variety of literature.

VS

[VonStupp]

I have that one, along with ten or so of the other RCA SACDs. Good stuff!

I find they are one gem after another. Unfortunately, when they go out of print, the prices skyrocket ridiculously.

VS

[DavidW]

I listened to that one recently as well.  I liked it.

[DavidW]

Bach Chorale preludes-- Koopman.  Just to show how dependent on mood my impressions are, while I complained about Koopman last time, I find his playing wonderful this time.

Brahms third symphony-- Dausgaard.  Well not really autumnal enough for me.  The swiftness and leanness just doesn't work for me.  But I could see it opening the doors for people that didn't like Brahms symphonies before because it gives a different perspective.  I'll stick with Abbado and Bernstein.  I mean come to think of it I'm not consistent on my love for this conductor.  Bruckner's third-- yes! sixth-- no.  Schumann-- yes! Schubert-- no.  Beethoven-- yes! Well you get the idea.

And finally one of my favorite Mahler 9ths.



And after listening to the Pettersson 8th and 10th for the Nth time I decided to pull the trigger and order a physical copy. 

[Karl Henning]

No great surprise, I reckon:

Ančerl Gold Edition 34
Martinů
Symphonies N^os. 5 & 6
Památník Lidicím

and:

CD 41

"Wolferl"
Die Zauberflöte, K. 620—Overture

LvB
Leonore Overture № 3, Op. 72b
Symphony № 1 in C, Op. 21
Symphony № 8 in F, Op. 83

[aligreto]

Glazunov: Symphony No. 9 [Serebrier]





Glazunov died before he completed this symphony. Apparently, a Mr. Gavril Yudin orchestrated the first movement from a piano sketch.
I have never been a fan of others completing unfinished works by composers who left unfinished works. This is another case in point. With respect to Mr. Yudin, this effort does not even come close to the level of orchestration one would expect from Glazunov himself. Having listened to the previous eight symphonies, this orchestration sounds empty, shallow, hollow and even amateurish when compared with what has preceded it.
Yes, harsh, I know, but true.

[Karl Henning]

Alfred Schnittke's Symphony No. 8 
    Lu Jia, Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra

Time I revisit that, probably.

[kyjo]

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.

Tbh, I'd say he tries too hard to NOT appeal!