What are you listening 2 now?

[Mandryka]

Valedictory.

If you clear your inbox you'll get a surprise.

[Linz]

Haydn Surprise & Clock Symphonies with Hermann Scherchen And The Vienna State Opera Orchestra

[André]

This week: Rheingold and Die Walküre . Comments in the opera thread. The short of it: wow !

[Todd]

[Iota]

Dallapiccola: Canti di prigionia

New London Chamber Choir, Ensemble InterContemporain
Hans Zender (Conductor)


I've heard this a few times before, but my appreciation for it stepped up a level today. Idiomatic harmony and timbres that create a very distinctive atmosphere, and a worrying away at the Dies Irae theme like a moth to flame, add up to something rather singular and striking.

Of no interest to anybody but me, is that there's a rather severe crescendo in the first movement that needs a sprightly hand on the volume knob, which had previously ruffled my listening experience a bit, but it was negotiated this time without fallout.

[ritter]

Some Casella this evening:


Only the shorter works on this CD (Italia —a favourite of mine— and Introduzione, corale e marcia —of which I had little recollection— ). The Sinfonia will have to wait for another occasion.

[Linz]

Beethoven Piano Concerto no.1 with Karl Bohm Weiner Philharmoniker with Friedrich Gulda on the piano also Carl Maria von Weber Op.79 and Strauss Burleske with Anthony Collins and the LSO

[ritter]

Dallapiccola: Canti di prigionia

New London Chamber Choir, Ensemble InterContemporain
Hans Zender (Conductor)


....

That's a great disc! You've inspired me to listen to some Dallapiccola myself:


The great Bruno Canino plays the delightful Piccolo concerto per Muriel Couvreux.

Good evening, Iota!

[Iota]

That's a great disc! You've inspired me to listen to some Dallapiccola myself:


The great Bruno Canino plays the delightful Piccolo concerto per Muriel Couvreux.

Good evening, Iota!

Hi ritter,

It may well have been you that first put me onto Canti di prigionia, if so, thanks very much, it finally came good! I may see if I can track down that Bruno Canino disc on streaming, I found the piano in Canti di prigionia strikingly effective.

[Karl Henning]

Good afternoon all,

Carl Nielsen
String Quartet #1 in G minor
String Quartet #2 in F
String Quintet in G

Love that box!

[Karl Henning]

Continuing with this release. The Sinfonia del zodiaco is in 12 sections divided into four parts (spring, summer, autumn, winter). I listened to the first part, spring.



Interesting that Malipiero begins with what sounds like a standard classical/romantic pastorale, although Malipiero's musical voice gradually comes through and the second two sections are more characteristic of Malipiero's quirky style. Nicely done, overall.

Got a new recording of the Goldberg variations some time ago, Pavel Kolesnikov, and realized I had not found time to listen. Started today with the aria and the first three variations. (I find I can't listen to the piece all at once without fatigue setting in, and my attention trailing off for the later variations.) Enjoyable. In the notes it is described how the performance was inspired by a choreographed ballet that the performer was involved in, and that the musical performance sought to bring out dance rhythms. I didn't find it more "dancy" than usual, but was satisfied overall. I think Hewitt (I) will remain my favorite version on piano, and I do like the Leopold Trio's recording using a transcription for string trio.

High time I revisited la Sinfonia dello Zodiaco!

[André]

Massive, expansive, pensive but carefully detailed and delineated performance by this great conductor and orchestra. The Leipzigers play with burnished tone, even darker than the Dresdeners. Amazing how different the former East German orchestras sound compared to the orchestras from West Germany with their much lighter, transparent sound. Very good 1963 stereo.

[Linz]

I have that one to and it is very good

[classicalgeek]

More Novak!

Vitezslav Novak
In the Tatra Mountains
Lady Godiva
Of Eternal Longing
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
JoAnn Falletta
(on Qobuz)



Some Novak's works for a larger orchestra (yesterday I listened to some of his pieces for chamber orchestra.) I heard echoes of Richard Strauss in In the Tatra Mountains (which also brought Sibelius to mind) and Lady Godiva, and Delius in Of Eternal Longing, but Novak is not in any sense derivative! His style is hard to pin down, but no less enjoyable for that. I have mixed feelings on the performance; Falletta and the Buffalo Phil certainly give it their all, but the performances are missing something I can't quite put my finger on. I remember feeling the same way about their performances of Florent Schmitt.

[Linz]

Now Cd 2 with Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 and Ballades 1-4

[foxandpeng]

Robert Simpson
Complete Symphonies
Symphonies 3 and 5
Vernon Handley
RLPO
Hyperion

Very little music in the last few days. Good to be able to do so this evening.

[vandermolen]

Vaughan Williams: 'Job'/Symphony No.9 (Bergen PO Andrew Davis)
This was one of the two symphonies left unrecorded in the Chandos cycle, following Richard Hickox's untimely death (I heard Hickox deliver a fine live performance of the 9th Symphony in London not long before he died):

[DavidW]

Vaughan Williams: 'Job'/Symphony No.9 (Bergen PO Andrew Davis)
This was one of the two symphonies left unrecorded in the Chandos cycle, following Richard Hickox's untimely death (I heard Hickox deliver a fine live performance of the 9th Symphony in London not long before he died):

I listened to that recording just a few weeks ago.  I only listened to Job though and not the 9th.

[foxandpeng]

Vaughan Williams: 'Job'/Symphony No.9 (Bergen PO Andrew Davis)
This was one of the two symphonies left unrecorded in the Chandos cycle, following Richard Hickox's untimely death (I heard Hickox deliver a fine live performance of the 9th Symphony in London not long before he died):

Family circumstances have meant that I've had to miss RVW #9 this evening in Manchester  performed by the Halle Orchestra. I am a sad fox.

Playing this now as a compensation.

[Linz]

Bruckner 4 with Enoch zu Gottenbrug & the KlangVerwaltung Orchestra