What are you listening 2 now?

[Madiel]

Act Two.



It's probably several weeks since I listened to Act One, but never mind that. I already know the plot from listening to Dvorak's first (entirely different) setting of the plot.

[Harry]

Tilman Sillescu.
World Premiere Recording.

Symphony No. 1. "Nachtlichter"

Staatskapelle Weimar, Christian Frank.

Took some time to arrive, but today it was delivered, much anticipated. I discovered this composer by accident, browsing through some new releases. At first I ignored it, for such modern music is not my cup of tea, but curiosity got the better of me, so I sampled, and was won over right there on the spot. The music as Jeffrey will agree, pure magic, with fine rhythms, and still moments of great beauty, melodies that linger, expressed in great detail by this fine orchestra. Sound is very good too. Now lets hope that Sillescu follows his first up with a second symphony, without vocals preferably.

[Harry]

Joseph Joachim Raff - Cello Concertos

Daniel Muller-Schott (cello), Robert Kulek (piano)-Bamberg Symphonic Orchestra, Hans Stadlmair

That's a fine performance!

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Rezső Kókai: Violin Concerto. Lehel/Budapest SO.

 

[Harry]

A new arrival today, following already two volumes I have from this composer, and so far I did not see anyone follow me in this respect. Well maybe typical a composer of who I only see worth in acquiring, as so often.
Anyway I am quite happy with this new release.

Joseph Lauber.

Symphony No. 4 in C minor, & No. 5 in D major.

Sinfonie Orchester Biel Solothurn, Kaspar Zehnder.

Wonderful music, defies all other composers out of his Umwelt in terms of musical development, and applying rhythms to the melodies quite out of the ordinary, but refreshingly creative. You never know what to expect next. Fine performances and sound. 

[Operafreak]

Ravel: Shéhérazade and Duparc- Elly Ameling (soprano)

San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Edo De Waart

   

[Mirror Image]

Great CD John!

Absolutely, Jeffrey.

Now playing this entire Bloch recording on Capriccio:

[Mirror Image]

A fine piece John 

Indeed, Jan. This is a wonderful set so far.

[foxandpeng]

Einojuhani Rautavaara
Angel of Dusk
Jean Jacques Kantorow
Tapiola Sinfonietta
BIS

This concerto for double bass and orchestra is worth hearing. Rautavaara showcases the whole range of the instrument and clocking in at about 26.5 minutes, it's got lots to hold the attention. Again, Rautavaara's view of the angelic leans more toward gravitas and solemnity, here, than frivolity or flippancy. There is a meditative quality about the work that lends itself to contemplation.

[ritter]

First, superficial listen to Franco Margola's music for solo piano. CD 1 of this set:



Interesting and enjoyable. The sonatas form the 1950s onwards sound more like middle-period Krenek and Hindemith than anything particularly Italian (even if there is an Italian "warmth" to be felt), and the neoclassical aspects are more "Bachian" than "Mediterranean". Alessandro Deljawan's playing sounds very persuasive to me. I'll listen to this in more detail with great interest.

[Mandryka]

Quartet 11. This sounds much much better after half a bottle of beaujolais than before.

[DavidW]

Last night Schnittke's 1st (talk about a strange, goofball symphony!), and then Rautavaara



And this morning Haydn symphonies in the 20s including the Lamentation symphony.

[Irons]

Bought recently out of curiosity and because it was very cheap. Turns out it's first quality early Beethoven.

Op 4 is a work based on the octet for winds in E Flat op 103 (composed in 1792 - opus numbers can be very misleading). Beethoven reworked it in 1795, using the same thematic material, but in many places considerably developed it, turning the 22 min work into one 50% longer. It's a complex, solid work from his early period.

The op 104 dates from 1817, thus its numbering is theoretically correct. Except that it is a transcription of the Trio op 1 no 3, also from 1795. In this case the music was transposed to the string instruments, with some minor adaptations. The 2 violas get most of the harmonic 'filling' normally done by the pianist.

Recorded in the warm, resonant acoustics of the Rudolfinum, Prague in 1976. A very fine disc. These works do not feature in the 50-disc Beethoven set from EMI. I had no intention of getting every scrap of music Beethoven ever wrote, and I was confident that big box would cover even obscure corners of his oeuvre. I'm glad I got this, then.

A best selling novel in UK and Canada, Vikram Seth's An Equal Music, is written around this actual recording. A fair time ago but I recall enjoying the book very much. Based on a string quartet ensemble of which one of the members had an obsession of locating a LP copy of Beethoven String Quintet (cannot recall which one) Supraphon issue which for this composer an obscure work. It had a significant resonance for myself as he (it could be she) eventually found a copy at Harold Moores record shop in London. There is much more to the novel then just the Supraphon quest and is a very good read. Recommendable.

[kyjo]

Some fine works, indeed. What are some of your other favorite Grieg works?

The violin sonatas, PC, Holberg Suite, Symphonic Dances, 3 pieces from Sigurd Jorsalfar, even the oft-maligned Symphony in C minor....

[Mirror Image]

The violin sonatas, PC, Holberg Suite, Symphonic Dances, 3 pieces from Sigurd Jorsalfar, even the oft-maligned Symphony in C minor....

Nice list, Kyle. No love for any of the solo piano works?

[ritter]

A best selling novel in UK and Canada, Vikram Seth's An Equal Music, is written around this actual recording. A fair time ago but I recall enjoying the book very much. Based on a string quartet ensemble of which one of the members had an obsession of locating a LP copy of Beethoven String Quintet (cannot recall which one) Supraphon issue which for this composer an obscure work. It had a significant resonance for myself as he (it could be she) eventually found a copy at Harold Moores record shop in London. There is much more to the novel then just the Supraphon quest and is a very good read. Recommendable.

I've been meaning to read An Equal Music for years, but have never got around doing so. Your post has revived my ineterst. Let's see...

I really enjoyed Seth's A Suitable Boy when it came out...

[SonicMan46]

Last 2 discs of the recordings below - Dave

Martinu, Bohuslav (1890-1959) - Music for Violin & Orchestra w/ Hogwood and the Czech PO; Bohuslav Matoušek on violin/viola - new arrival (already own the 4-disc violin chamber works) - Dave

 

[foxandpeng]

Last night Schnittke's 1st (talk about a strange, goofball symphony!), and then Rautavaara



And this morning Haydn symphonies in the 20s including the Lamentation symphony.

Good call on the  Rautavaara! I am thoroughly enjoying my survey of his music. So much that is excellent, and even the 'lesser' works are valuable. That disc is super! Hope you enjoyed as much as I have.

Schnittke is very much on my radar to explore next. I don't really know him well at all.

[Mirror Image]

Schnittke is very much on my radar to explore next. I don't really know him well at all.

Oh man, you're in for a sonic feast! One of my favorite composers. If you need any help and/or recommendations, don't hesitate to ask!

NP:

Yoshimatsu
Symphony No. 2, "At terra"
BBC Philharmonic
Sachio Fujioka

[kyjo]

Actually, this is excellent music. I loved it. Kyle, Cesar, Greg, even John(MI) give it a try --- it' on Spotify and I'm very glad I stumbled upon it.

Thanks for the "hat tip", Andrei. I'm quite fond of Swedish composers, so Sjögren should be right up my street!