What are you listening 2 now?

[Spotted Horses]

Benjamin Britten
Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

The interesting thing about these recordings is that Karajan had to contend with another strong musical personality, Walter Legge. I remember listing to the Karajan Philharmonia recording of Liszt's Les Preludes, and comparing with a Berlin recording on DG made just a few years later. The sound was completely transformed. Staccato brass statements in the Philharmonia recording were replaced by dark, menacing legato playing. There was a clear difference between Karajan the collaborator and Karajan the emperor.

[Karl Henning]

The interesting thing about these recordings is that Karajan had to contend with another strong musical personality, Walter Legge. I remember listing to the Karajan Philharmonia recording of Liszt's Les Preludes, and comparing with a Berlin recording on DG made just a few years later. The sound was completely transformed. Staccato brass statements in the Philharmonia recording were replaced by dark, menacing legato playing. There was a clear difference between Karajan the collaborator and Karajan the emperor.

Très intéressant.

[Spotted Horses]

Très intéressant.

I hope I am remembering that right, it has been years and years.

[Traverso]

Thanks for the suggestion, Jan. Very satisfying!

Glad you liked it Karl....

[Traverso]

The Organs in the Renaissance and the Baroque

Alpenländer CD 2  Gustav Leonhardt

[aligreto]

Debussy: Sonata for violin and Piano [Capucon/Chamayou]





One of the attractions of this work, for me, is that it has a wonderful storytelling aspect to it. It seems like the violin voice is supplying the information and the piano voice is encouraging the telling of the tale by prompting and questioning. There is a wonderful relationship between the two voices.

[Linz]

Julie Fischer Bach  Concertos BWV 1043, 1041, 1042 and 1060 with The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

[Lisztianwagner]

Nice!

Agreed!

The interesting thing about these recordings is that Karajan had to contend with another strong musical personality, Walter Legge. I remember listing to the Karajan Philharmonia recording of Liszt's Les Preludes, and comparing with a Berlin recording on DG made just a few years later. The sound was completely transformed. Staccato brass statements in the Philharmonia recording were replaced by dark, menacing legato playing. There was a clear difference between Karajan the collaborator and Karajan the emperor.

You remember right, if the two Karajan versions are compared, as a matter of fact the Philharmonia recording has a clearer, more defined sound for the brass, while the BPO recording shows a more nuanced brass tone.

[Linz]

Bach Secular Cantatas BVW 173a, 202, 36c and 524 fragment

[JBS]

This a recording of one concert in which the Halle and BBC Northern Orchestras played together.  The Mahler performance is the one in this OOP issue

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schönberg
Suite Op.29

[vers la flamme]

This a recording of one concert in which the Halle and BBC Northern Orchestras played together.  The Mahler performance is the one in this OOP issue

How is the sound on these Barbirolli Society Mahler recordings?

[JBS]

How is the sound on these Barbirolli Society Mahler recordings?

Variable, depending on the date and source (which ranges from Pye/HMV/EMI studio recordings to private tapes). The one I'm listening to now seems to have been taken from BBC tapes of the concert, and sounds good for a live 1960 recording.

[Linz]

I Have the BBC Recording Coupled with Bruckner Symphony 9

[aligreto]

Martinu: Chamber Music [Dartington Ensemble] - Five Madrigal Stanzas





This is particularly interesting and engaging yet very straightforward and lyrical music on the face of it. However, the harmonies and the counterpoint both lend a different perspective to this wonderful music. They can both be harsh and sometimes abrasive but they are always engaging and absorbing. The performances from both instrumentalists here are excellent!

[Todd]

5.  Nice.

Plus a first ever and probable last ever listen to the Septet. 

[Stu]

Working on a score video for Piston's wonderful vibrant 4th string quartet.  As much as I love his symphonies, I think his quartets might be his greatest work.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Arthur Meulemans: Pliny's Fountain.  Rahbari/Brussels.

[aligreto]

Reinecke: Ballade Op 288 [Gallois/Pierre]





This is a very lyrical and pastoral sounding concertante work for flute and orchestra. The musical language is very clear and direct but there are one or two interesting byways along the road that make it more interesting. I like the orchestration in this work. It is rich without being lush and full sounding without ever overwhelming the flute.

[vandermolen]

Arthur Meulemans: Pliny's Fountain.  Rahbari/Brussels.

A beautiful work!