What are you listening 2 now?

[Irons]

I've long loved Previn's LSO Vaughan Williams London Symphony. Now that I subscribe to a streaming service that includes the Telarc catalog, decided to compare it to the Royal PO version.

Slower overall, with total luxury in the orchestral sound and incredible sonics (from the brass to the deep bass drum response). The dynamic range is enormous. It's wild to think that (in my very ignorant opinion), recording quality basically has not gotten better since this was released (1987), except that back then, only 2-3 labels were capable of sonics like this.

Is the performance better? Who knows? We get to enjoy both. 

Interesting. Previn not the first for slow tempo in later years.

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Organ Works [Leonhardt]





Liebster Herr Jesu, wir sind hier (Chorale arrangement), BWV 731
Christ lag in Todesbanden (Chorale arrangement), BWV 718
Valet will ich dir geben (Chorale arrangement), BWV 736
Lobt Gott, ihr Christen allzugleich (Chorale arrangement), BWV 732

[ritter]

Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Murray Dickie, Paul Kletzki, Philharmonia Orchestra

Der Abschied. Love this recording; these days I think I like a baritone better in the lower voice for this work

I wish maestro Kletzki had recorded more Mahler. He has an EXCELLENT feel for the music! Too bad his 4th is out of print.

+1

This recording of DLvdE makes a strong case for the baritone version. Fischer-Dieskau is outstanding in Der Abschied.

Kletzki is a superb Mahlerian. His recording of the Fourth was the first music by Mahler I ever heard (it was on a compilation set released by the Austrian State Oil Company celebrating the "Golden Hall" of the Vienna Musikverein that was in my parents' library, and I must have been 7 or so at the time — why this recording, of a symphony premiered in Munich and performed here by a British orchestra, was included in that set beats me ).

I have that DLvdE, the Fourth, and the adagietto from the Fifth (which AFAIK was recorded singly) in an EMI twofer which was dirt cheap at the time.



FYI, there are two other Mahler symphony recordings by Kletzki. They've been reissued together by Doremi:



I haven't listened to them in ages, and should revisit them. The Ninth has cuts, but even acknowledging that fact, no less a figure than Adorno praised the recording!

And there's another, live, DLvdE by Kletzki, with the great Mexican mezzo Oralia Domínguez a very interesting soloist:

....
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.4 in G major.
....possibly still my favorite Mahler symphony.

And mine!  Love this work (don't know the Szell recording, though  ).

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schönberg
Verklärte Nacht

[Que]

Disc 12 - "The London Scene"
Tom Beghin plays an English Grand Piano,  Longman, Clementi & Co, London, 1798.

[Spotted Horses]

Over a period of time, the complete Années de pèlerinage, by Aldo Ciccolini



Overall, a very satisfying account. The recordings are from 1961 (although the three pieces, Venezia e Napoli, from the second year were recorded in 1968, which is strange) and have a satisfying tonal balance, although they suffer from analog distortion typical of the technical limitations of the time. I usually find Ciccolini to be a bit of a purist and his performance can lean towards the stark and unforgiving. In these performance I hear a pleasant lyricism. I found myself liking the third year best of all, although it is not recorded as often as the other two parts.

I want to listen through again, although I am undecided whether to go through Ciccolini again, or whether I should pick another recording from my shelves (really hard disk). I could go back to Berman, which was my first recording of this music.

[Karl Henning]

Bach


CD 1


One of the many pieces by Bach that I love is the so-called "Triple Concerto" for flute, violin and harpsichord. These performances I grew up with have lost none of their luster over the years. I'm so attached to this performance that I don't wish for any other, it's like a faithful friend.....

Nice! I'm in for the BWV 1044!

[Todd]

4.

[Karl Henning]

Weinberg: Symphony No.21 (first listen):

I look forward to your report!

[Karl Henning]

Arnold Schönberg
Verklärte Nacht

Always ravishing!

[aligreto]

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 Op. 106 "Hammerklavier"  [Fischer]

[Karl Henning]

Good day, Fergus!

I love that Sinfonia, so once again:

JSB
BWV 29: Cantata № 29, « Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir »

[aligreto]

I have that DLvdE, the Fourth, and the adagietto from the Fifth (which AFAIK was recorded singly) in an EMI twofer which was dirt cheap at the time.

I also have that EMI twofer above but my entry into Kletzki's M4 came packaged in this release:





Kletzki's M4 became, and remains, my favourite interpretation.
The voice of soprano is also very successful, in my opinion, in achieving that often elusive "childlike" requirement.

[aligreto]

Good day, Fergus!

I love that Sinfonia, so once again:

JSB
BWV 29: Cantata № 29, « Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir »

Good day to you too Karl.
Continued enjoyment with your listening.
It can be difficult to wrench oneself away from JSB's music. 

[Todd]

I've never listened to the complete digital LvB set from Fluffy.  I will rectify that now. 

1.

Not so hot.

[Biffo]

+1

This recording of DLvdE makes a strong case for the baritone version. Fischer-Dieskau is outstanding in Der Abschied.

Kletzki is a superb Mahlerian. His recording of the Fourth was the first music by Mahler I ever heard (it was on a compilation set released by the Austrian State Oil Company celebrating the "Golden Hall" of the Vienna Musikverein that was in my parents' library, and I must have been 7 or so at the time — why this recording, of a symphony premiered in Munich and performed here by a British orchestra, was included in that set beats me ).

I have that DLvdE, the Fourth, and the adagietto from the Fifth (which AFAIK was recorded singly) in an EMI twofer which was dirt cheap at the time.



FYI, there are two other Mahler symphony recordings by Kletzki. They've been reissued together by Doremi:



I haven't listened to them in ages, and should revisit them. The Ninth has cuts, but even acknowledging that fact, no less a figure than Adorno praised the recording!

And there's another, live, DLvdE by Kletzki, with the great Mexican mezzo Oralia Domínguez a very interesting soloist:


And mine!  Love this work (don't know the Szell recording, though  ).

There is also a recording of the 1st with the Vienna Philharmonic on Basic Classics, a label I have not otherwise heard of. Kletzki makes the same cut in Finale as in the IPO performance. The savage cuts in the 9th rule it out for me, whatever Adorno had to say..

[Karl Henning]

Bach


CD 1


One of the many pieces by Bach that I love is the so-called "Triple Concerto" for flute, violin and harpsichord. These performances I grew up with have lost none of their luster over the years. I'm so attached to this performance that I don't wish for any other, it's like a faithful friend.....

Thanks for the suggestion, Jan. Very satisfying!

[Lisztianwagner]

Benjamin Britten
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

[Karl Henning]

Benjamin Britten
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Nice!

[aligreto]

Reinecke: Flute Concerto Op. 283 [Gallois]





This is an interesting sounding work, The opening movement is lyrical and lively. The concertante parts are interesting and enjoyable. The slow movement is, for me, the most absorbing and engaging of the three. It is very atmospheric and I find the orchestration to be very fine. The final movement is bright and breezy and it finishes with an appropriate flourish.