What are you listening 2 now?

[aligreto]

I had Bernstein [Fidelio] on LP and indeed found it superb (oddly, I never got it on CD —to be remedied soon, I suppose—). Of the other versions I own, I have a weakness for the 1955 live Böhm from Vienna on Orfeo: it has a superb cast led by Martha Mödl, a sense of occasion to it (it's from the "reopening festival" of the rebuilt State Opera after its bombing during WW2), and a conductor who clearly cared very much for the score (there's at least 4 other versions available under Böhm—one of them an excellent studio effort from Dresden in 1970 on DG).

Rafael, you have piqued my interest with your "weakness for the 1955 live Böhm on Orfeo". 

[Iota]

Chopin Sonatas 1,2,3 - Katsaris /Sony CD

.. It's truly remarkable how he's able to make the Finale of Sonata 2 so structured and clearly articulated ...

It is! And it certainly wouldn't be possible without his extraordinary chops. That kind of distinct voicing permeates a lot of his playing, his excellent set of Chopin's Preludes amongst other things, is full of felicitous little examples.


Here:



Schumann: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 14 'Concerto Without Orchestra' (arr. Vladimir Horowitz)
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)

Quite something. He barrels through highs and lows of this with the wind of Schumann's emotional energy rampant in his playing, the odd quirkiness creeping in at opportune moments. Bracing stuff.
The Horowitz 'arrangement' is two short passages in the first movement, where he mixes the 1834 and 1853 versions of the sonata.

[Todd]

[Linz]

Adolphe Adam "Giselle" and Joseph Strauss II Die Fledermaus as well Verdi: Otello - Act III. Ballabile conducted by Herbert von Karajan

[classicalgeek]

Oh yes, the 2nd Symphony is a real gem, pretty much on par with, say, Atterberg in terms of exalted melodic inspiration. The slow movement has a moving, hymn-like simplicity that is quite affecting. For whatever reason, I don't have strong memories of the VC. I'd also love to see more recordings of Sköld's music - he's been one of the unluckier Swedes when it comes to recorded representation on disc.

I would say not quite on the level of Atterberg (at least what Atterberg I've heard - I can't compare Sköld to Atterberg's glorious Third, for instance), but really tuneful and well crafted and winsome. Perhaps among Swedish composers, Alfven is a better comparison? I quite enjoyed the Violin Concerto - check out the gorgeous oboe solo that opens the slow movement!

TD:
Prokofiev
Scythian Suite
*Alexander Nevsky
*Linda Finnie, contralto
Scottish National Orchestra
Neeme Jarvi
(on CD)



Excellent performances all around - Jarvi has the SNO at the top of their game.

[ritter]

The first (or first surviving) opera composed in the American continent, Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco's La púrpura de la rosa, to a text specifically written as a libretto by none other than Pedro Calderón de la Barca (initially in the 1650s for Juan de Hidalgo).


I saw this production (on which the recording is based) live in the Teatro de la Zarzuela here in Madrid more than 20 years ago, but never bought the CDs until now. My current impression is not very different from what I recall being my reaction to the staged performances: pleasant and lively music, lovingly performed by Gabriel Garrido (who's given us such wonderful versions of the Monteverdi operas) and his troupe,  but not really very successful as an opera per se. In the liner notes, Garrido explains that the more effective Italian operatic style (in terms of dramatic construction) was not imported to Spain until the ascent of the first Bourbon king, Felipe V, to the throne. At that time, the composer Torrejón y Velasco had already long left for America, so the work (first performed in Lima in 1701)  is "twice removed" from the European operatic mainstream of its time, and is a succession of isolated numbers that only occasionally produce a real theatrical feeling. The fact that this budget reissue does not provide Calderón's text does not help matters.

Garrido performs the score very convincingly, with elegant and authentic sounding instrumentation and embellishments (none of Jordi Savall's excesses in his approaches to Spanish music from the same era to be found here, fortunately). Nothing particularly Latin American in the music, which fits squarely in the Spanish musical style of the late 17th and early 18th centuries (before the arrival of the Italians).

All in all, an important historic document, which provides pleasure regardless of that fact, but not a masterpiece by any means.

[Lisztianwagner]

Dmitri Shostakovich
Piano Concerto No.2

[Symphonic Addict]

Interesting Cesar. Blomdahl's 1st Symphony is the one that stands out most for me.

I don't have strong memories of the 1st, but the 2nd is rather influenced by Hindemith. The moving slow movement is the highlight of the work IMO.

[JBS]

The first (or first surviving) opera composed in the American continent, Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco's La púrpura de la rosa, to a text specifically written as a libretto by none other than Pedro Calderón de la Barca (initially in the 1650s for Juan de Hidalgo).


I saw this production (on which the recording is based) live in the Teatro de la Zarzuela here in Madrid more than 20 years ago, but never bought the CDs until now. My current impression is not very different from what I recall being my reaction to the staged performances: pleasant and lively music, lovingly performed by Gabriel Garrido (who's given us such wonderful versions of the Monteverdi operas) and his troupe,  but not really very successful as an opera per se. In the liner notes, Garrido explains that the more effective Italian operatic style (in terms of dramatic construction) was not imported to Spain until the ascent of the first Bourbon king, Felipe V, to the throne. At that time, the composer Torrejón y Velasco had already long left for America, so the work (first performed in Lima in 1701)  is "twice removed" from the European operatic mainstream of its time, and is a succession of isolated numbers that only occasionally produce a real theatrical feeling. The fact that this budget reissue does not provide Calderón's text does not help matters.

Garrido performs the score very convincingly, with elegant and authentic sounding instrumentation and embellishments (none of Jordi Savall's excesses in his approaches to Spanish music from the same era to be found here, fortunately). Nothing particularly Latin American in the music, which fits squarely in the Spanish musical style of the late 17th and early 18th centuries (before the arrival of the Italians).

All in all, an important historic document, which provides pleasure regardless of that fact, but not a masterpiece by any means.

The libretto is online as a PDF of the original 1687 edition.

https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/la-purpura-de-la-rosa--1/

There's also a complete performance from Santiago Chile on Youtube, a production from almost exactly the same time as you saw it in theater (Santiago October 1999 vs Madrid November 1999)

[ritter]

The libretto is online as a PDF of the original 1687 edition.

https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/la-purpura-de-la-rosa--1/

There's also a complete performance from Santiago Chile on Youtube, a production from almost exactly the same time as you saw it in theater (Santiago October 1999 vs Madrid November 1999)

Thanks for the information, much appreciated! I'll look for that Santiago production on YouTube.

[Symphonic Addict]

Honegger: Sonata for solo violin

Good interpretation, terrible acoustics. The Naxos recording of these pieces are much better.




Poulenc: Sonata for two pianos

A very eloquent and poetic work. The witty Poulenc is absent here.

[Madiel]

Finghin Collins is a very well respected pianist here in Ireland. Hopefully you enjoy the results of what you hear here.

I actually didn't start it last night. Sometime today... will report back!

[Todd]

Disc 14, Mozart Piano Trios.

[Karl Henning]

Chopin Sonatas 1,2,3 - Katsaris /Sony CD

Fine recordings. It's truly remarkable how he's able to make the Finale of Sonata 2 so structured and clearly articulated, as opposed to most pianists, where it tends to become just a foggy mess.

Nice. I'm in!

[foxandpeng]

Michael Tippett
The Rose Lake
Richard Hickox
BBC NOoW
Chandos

Prompted by another thread. I enjoy Tippett very much. He is often the satisfying middle ground for me between the accessibility of RVW and his ilk, and the greater challenge of PMD.

[Madiel]

I'm going to at least start on this Schumann album, though it's a double-CD set so maybe not all at once.

A lot of positive reviews for this set.

Okay, now that I'm actually listening, the playing is really good. Very satisfying.

However, I'm listening in headphones, and it isn't a great album for listening in headphones. Why? Because it's closely recorded and SOMEHOW they've contrived to regularly pick up the sound of the piano stool creaking. At least that's what I think it must be.

Over and over again in quiet music and often when it's in medium range too. I've never heard anything quite like it. Breathing, yes, I'm used to maybe hearing a bit of that. But that's not what I hear. Collins is not a noisy pianist in any of the ways you might think are obtrusive. But every time he shifts his weight on the stool (a perfectly natural, even essential thing to do) I hear these creaks.

It's a real shame that this is distracting me when the actual playing seems excellent.

[Symphonic Addict]

Rodion Shchedrin: Piano Concerto No. 2

A fantastic concerto full of inventive and engrossing moments. Shchedrin has a voice of his own.

[Operafreak]

Tubin: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 3: Nos. 4 and 7- Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Arvo Volmer

[JBS]

Tonight's program
First listen to almost everything

Hmm Copland if he was Brasilian, perhaps? Not sure about this one.

CD 11 Choral works


This one needs several listens to properly judge it.

CD 7: Pieces de clavicin Opus 5

[Madiel]

As I progressed with Collins' Schumann I gradually became more engaged with the playing, and less distracted by the extraneous sounds.

It's very good. Lots of poetry. If I end up buying the CD it will be excellent on speakers.