What are you listening 2 now?

[Madiel]

Kullervo.



Just an astonishing leap in the scale of Sibelius' ambition.

[Harry]

Pjotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky,

Symphony No. 1 "Winter Daydreams" in g minor.
Oslo PO Mariss Jansons.

[Mandryka]

One of the most aptly titled releases I've purchased, the music does indeed contain much sweet harmony throughout.  The beauty and surface simplicity captivate.  A wow! release.

All the Naxos recordings that Tonus Peregrinus made are exceptional. Somehow they create a sense of rapport between the singers, as if they're sparking off each other in real time, and that for me gives the music an irresistible allure.

[DavidW]

[Roasted Swan]

I've listened several times in the last few days to this disc;



I think I've worked out - for me - why John Wilson just isn't the real deal.  He is well-known in the business as having a very fine "ear" for instrumentation/orchestration etc.  Listening to a sequence of his Sinfonia of London discs reveals now very specific traits in his conducting.  He has a preference for extremes - of dynamic/articulation/musical gestures.  In some works - Korngold symphony/Respighi etc this works well and of course it does help hugely to have playing as fine as that of the Sinfonia of London.  But he is crippingly lacking in nuance or musical half-lights.  For sure he gets his orchestra to play softly - but that becomes "just" a dynamic without the emotion or "why" behind the dynamic.  In fact - to steal and amend a famous musical quote - he's not very good at the silences between the notes which is where the musicality resides.  So instead it becomes high quality traffic control - you start / you stop / you play louder.  make no mistake some of this new Ireland disc is beautiful and compelling to listen to.  But that is just because the music at that moment fits his style.  At no point to I feel that Wilson is doing anything that is artistically revelatory.... he tells me no secrets

[Harry]

I've listened several times in the last few days to this disc;



I think I've worked out - for me - why John Wilson just isn't the real deal.  He is well-known in the business as having a very fine "ear" for instrumentation/orchestration etc.  Listening to a sequence of his Sinfonia of London discs reveals now very specific traits in his conducting.  He has a preference for extremes - of dynamic/articulation/musical gestures.  In some works - Korngold symphony/Respighi etc this works well and of course it does help hugely to have playing as fine as that of the Sinfonia of London.  But he is crippingly lacking in nuance or musical half-lights.  For sure he gets his orchestra to play softly - but that becomes "just" a dynamic without the emotion or "why" behind the dynamic.  In fact - to steal and amend a famous musical quote - he's not very good at the silences between the notes which is where the musicality resides.  So instead it becomes high quality traffic control - you start / you stop / you play louder.  make no mistake some of this new Ireland disc is beautiful and compelling to listen to.  But that is just because the music at that moment fits his style.  At no point to I feel that Wilson is doing anything that is artistically revelatory.... he tells me no secrets

Well if you want to get unburdened from the discs with him, remember me, I gladly have them.

[JBS]

Zayin is indeed that Hebrew letter / number. Guerrero's plans was to write 7 string trios, in the end he wrote 7 pieces, of which two (IV and VII) are for quartet, one (VI) for solo violin, and the rest for trio. He then added a Pequeño Zayin - VIIb, also for trio. They were composed between 1983 and the year of the composer's death in 1997. The total duration of the cycle is intended to be ca. 70 minutes.

It's interesting music, but I'd say that listening to the cycle in one go might result rather challenging to the listener. Allegedly, the first Zayin is composed using combinational techniques, while the remainder is based on fractals (not that this would be appreciated by the non-professional listener IMO).

Thanks. I'll keep an ear out for his work.

[Harry]

Antonin Dvorak.
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, "The Bells of Zlonice"

Staatskapelle Berlin, Otmar Suitner.

I have the first box in the Edel classic guise, Brilliant re-released them with ugly cover art.

[Spotted Horses]

Mozart's Divertimento (Salzburg Symphony) K 136 is another little gem. Particularly effective is the central slow movement, featuring imaginative voice leading. Listening to the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields chamber ensemble.

[Todd]

Second listen.  Supremely fine.  The Pavel Haas not only bats 1.000, they hit it out of the park each at bat.

[Traverso]

Such a great series!  And such an amazing composer.

He sure is ,he deserves more attention 

[Traverso]

Mozart

CD 1


Octet KV C ( 17.05 and B to 370a)

Sextet KV Deest

Octet KV C17.03

[Harry]

Edvard Grieg.

Complete Symphonic Works.
Volume I.

Symphonic Dances.
Peer Gynt Suites, No. 1 & 2.
Funeral March, in memory of Rikard Nordraak.

WDR SO. Koln, Eivind Aadland.
SACD.

[Karl Henning]

CDs 22 & 23

Kuhnau
Biblical Sonatas

[Mirror Image]

Now playing Copland Symphony No. 3 with Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic:



I haven't heard this particular performance in ages, but this one is just as fine of a performance as the one on DG. Hugely impressive.

[Mirror Image]

I've listened several times in the last few days to this disc;



I think I've worked out - for me - why John Wilson just isn't the real deal.  He is well-known in the business as having a very fine "ear" for instrumentation/orchestration etc.  Listening to a sequence of his Sinfonia of London discs reveals now very specific traits in his conducting.  He has a preference for extremes - of dynamic/articulation/musical gestures.  In some works - Korngold symphony/Respighi etc this works well and of course it does help hugely to have playing as fine as that of the Sinfonia of London.  But he is crippingly lacking in nuance or musical half-lights.  For sure he gets his orchestra to play softly - but that becomes "just" a dynamic without the emotion or "why" behind the dynamic.  In fact - to steal and amend a famous musical quote - he's not very good at the silences between the notes which is where the musicality resides.  So instead it becomes high quality traffic control - you start / you stop / you play louder.  make no mistake some of this new Ireland disc is beautiful and compelling to listen to.  But that is just because the music at that moment fits his style.  At no point to I feel that Wilson is doing anything that is artistically revelatory.... he tells me no secrets

I can only nod my head along with your own. Overrated conductor. If he's the new Hickox or Handley, then we're in big trouble. As you mentioned, it's his lack of nuance and actually feeling the music he's conducting is where his weaknesses lie. Technically assured, but nothing to say musically.

[Que]

On Spotify:

[Mirror Image]

On Spotify:

Lovely set! It's nice to finally be able to comment on something you're listening to, Que.

[Harry]

Pjotr Ilyich Thaikovsky.

Symphony No. 2 "Little Russian" in C minor. ( Revised version 1879)
Capriccio Italien.

Oslo PO, Mariss Jansons.

[Mirror Image]

And I think we might agree that in the movie, Timothy Spall can play the man!
(Just spent yesterday listening to his jazz piano pieces: gorgeous stuff. I agree with your characterisation of the man's music...)

Glad to hear you're a fan of Schulhoff as well.