What are you listening 2 now?

[Florestan]

Same here. You might as well put a bullet in my head. Aside from my parents, it's the one constant in this life that has given me everything. One thing it hasn't done much for me is my insanity.

It is my firm conviction that all currently active GMGers (yours truly included) are insane one way or another. It is also my firm conviction that there are much worse ways of being insane. 

[Karl Henning]

Alfred Schnittke
Cello Concertos 1 & 2
Dmitri Shostakovich
Cello Concertos 1 & 2
Ivashkin/Polyansky
Russian SSO
Moscow SO

Early morning sorties into contrasting Russian Cello Concertos, as a change from Rautavaara's distinctive sound world. All outstanding pieces in different ways, and a welcome return to the Schnittke in anticipation of exploring more of his music. I remember being captivated by the Schnittke CC #1 last year and it is no less fascinating this morning.

Superb album.

[Mirror Image]

It is my firm conviction that all currently active GMGers (yours truly included) are insane one way or another. It is also my firm conviction that there are much worse ways of being insane. 

Yeah, we're quite the eclectic bunch here on GMG.

[Mirror Image]

Alfred Schnittke
Cello Concertos 1 & 2
Dmitri Shostakovich
Cello Concertos 1 & 2
Ivashkin/Polyansky
Russian SSO
Moscow SO

Early morning sorties into contrasting Russian Cello Concertos, as a change from Rautavaara's distinctive sound world. All outstanding pieces in different ways, and a welcome return to the Schnittke in anticipation of exploring more of his music. I remember being captivated by the Schnittke CC #1 last year and it is no less fascinating this morning.

Pounds the table! Schnittke and Shostakovich are a great pairing. I hope concert promoters are reading this!

[kyjo]

Now playing Kabalevsky's Piano Sonata No. 1 In F Major, Op. 6 with Michael Korstick:

Great stuff! CPO's entire Kabalevsky series is worth its weight in gold.

[Florestan]

Yeah, we're quite the eclectic bunch here on GMG.

The best classical music forum of them all, no contest and hands down.

[kyjo]

The best classical music forum of them all, no contest and hands down.

Heartily agreed!

[SonicMan46]

Well, the remainder from my recent small PrestoMusic package - Dave

     

[Mandryka]

Never enjoyed those, maybe I'll try again some time soon.

[steve ridgway]

Stravinsky - Concertino for String Quartet. I'm sure I've heard bits of this somewhere before.

[steve ridgway]

Webern - 6 Songs After G Trakl.

[steve ridgway]

Berg - Three Excerpts from "Wozzeck".

[bhodges]

Tonight at 7:30pm (EDT), the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in this excellent-looking live stream -- and it's free. Watch on the orchestra's website, or on YouTube or Facebook.

https://www.cincinnatisymphony.org/watch-listen/free-livestreams/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3DC6VbCIKM

Louis Langrée, conductor
Dwight Parry, oboe

Guillaume Connesson: Les belles heures ("The Beautiful Hours") [World Premiere, CSO Commission]
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2

--Bruce

[Florestan]

Spotify

[steve ridgway]

Messiaen - La Nativité Du Seigneur.

[Florestan]

On Spotify

[VonStupp]

First-Time listen:

Richard Strauss
Ariadne auf Naxos Suite
(D. Wilson Ochoa)

Buffalo PO - JoAnn Falletta

This Aradne auf Naxos 'Symphony-Suite' really seems to hang fire until maybe the last third (or half if generous), where the music really starts to kick into gear. Maybe it is Buffalo's lean sound that makes me yearn for the passionate string lines from the likes of someone akin to Sinopoli and Dresden, or perhaps the bleeding chunks arrangement isn't paced well.

I went ahead and listened to the Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Suite as well, and found Falletta's light and bouncy drawing-room sound profile much more successful. Having listened to Fritz Reiner's recording not so long ago, with the Chicago SO's thicker Romantic style, both approaches worked well for me in that work. A delight!

VS

[SonicMan46]

Hotteterre, Jacques-Martin (1674-1763) - long-lived French composer and flautist who was the most celebrated of a family of wind instrument makers and wind performers - my third volume (2-discs rather that 1 in the first two volumes) of his works w/ Camerata Köln - recommended if you like 'windy' French music from this period and with this excellent group.  Dave

 

[Artem]

[Florestan]

On Spotify

KV 457

Take that, Ludwig!