What are you listening 2 now?

[vers la flamme]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.9 in D major. John Barbirolli, Berlin Philharmonic

It's possible the month-long-plus Mahler bender I've been on may be losing steam; however, this sounds as incredible as it did the last 4 times I listened to it in the past couple of weeks What a recording!

[Karl Henning]

Working my way backwards, so:

Symphony № 7 in c# minor, Op. 131
March and Scherzo from the Suite from The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33bis
Suite from "Lieutenant Kijé", Op. 60

As a rule, I'm against The Upbeat Ending Which Is What the People Want for the c# minor Symphony, but happily here it is a separate track, which made me smile, rather than roll the eyes.
A very fine account of the Opus 131 it is, too.

[vers la flamme]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.10 in F-sharp major: Adagio. Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic

I just love these Bernstein/NY Mahler recordings. This boxed set was my introduction to Mahler and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. This is probably utter nonsense coming from a '90s baby, but listening to these recordings makes me feel like a kid growing up in the 1960s, discovering this Mahler's along with the rest of the world under Lenny Bernstein's baton. It's almost a Christmas-morning feeling; very refreshing. I'm not sure that I'd call any of these recordings my top pick for any Mahler symphony at this stage in my life, but it's always wonderful to return to these performances.

As for the 10th, it's definitely the Mahler work I am the least familiar with, but I've enjoyed every moment of my recent attempts to get to know it better—both performances of the adagio alone and of the Cooke version. I do really like Bernstein's recording of it.

Now Kindertotenlieder, with Janet Baker and the Israel Philharmonic. They're really a good orchestra for Mahler. I'd love to hear more.

[JBS]

Tonight's program so far

Symphonies 6 and 8

Mono recordings.

CD 2 of the Decca Kocsis set

About YNS's LvB
The set has ups and downs. Nothing bad, but in the three "big ones"--3, 5, and 9--he doesn't do anything nobody else has done. (The newly discovered contrabassoon part in the 9th wasn't audible enough to me to make a difference.)

Same with 1 and 2 but I don't particularly like those two symphonies, so I won't blame him. The only conductor I've actually liked in them is Trevino.

OTOH, I don't usually like the Pastorale, but YNS performs it in a way my ears like, lean and well muscled. I also like how he does 4, 7, and 8--which happen to be the three LvB symphonies I like best, so that's a clear winner for me.

[San Antone]

Prokofiev: String Quartets
Pavel Haas Quartet

[Operafreak]

Renée Fleming: The Beautiful Voice

Renée Fleming- English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate

[Que]

Morning listening:



I knew that the 2nd volume was a step up from the 1st, but that was better than I remembered!
Anyway, thoroughly enjoying this. And after a while you get used to the psychedelic covers... 

[Harry]

Morning listening:



I knew that the 2nd volume was a step up from the 1st, but that was better than I remembered!
Anyway, thoroughly enjoying this. And after a while you get used to the psychedelic covers... 

No I will not

[Harry]

Johann Sebastian Bach.

Cantates Volume 8.

No. 22/23/75.

After all those years, I still think Yoshikazu Mera the best counter tenor I ever heard. It was a disaster when he choose pop music instead of becoming a legend. Cantata No. 23, "Jesu nahm zu sich die Zwolfe", second movement aria for Alto, "Mein Jesu, ziehe mich nach dir..." tells you exactly why I think him the best.

[Mandryka]

Morning listening on Spotify:



Pierre Ballard 1631, Claire Antonini.

For me there's too much dance pulse left in her interpretations, I'm not interested in dance music. I can see that what she does is well executed and recorded though.

I just tried her out again, in Dufaut, but soon turned in relief to Louis Pernot.

[vandermolen]

Tonight's program so far

Symphonies 6 and 8

Mono recordings.

CD 2 of the Decca Kocsis set

About YNS's LvB
The set has ups and downs. Nothing bad, but in the three "big ones"--3, 5, and 9--he doesn't do anything nobody else has done. (The newly discovered contrabassoon part in the 9th wasn't audible enough to me to make a difference.)

Same with 1 and 2 but I don't particularly like those two symphonies, so I won't blame him. The only conductor I've actually liked in them is Trevino.

OTOH, I don't usually like the Pastorale, but YNS performs it in a way my ears like, lean and well muscled. I also like how he does 4, 7, and 8--which happen to be the three LvB symphonies I like best, so that's a clear winner for me.

That Alwyn disc is fab.

[Harry]

Johann Pachelbel.

Complete Organ works.
Volume I.
CD I from V.

Das Kirchenjahr: Ostern bis Michaelis.

James David Christie plays on a Ellert-Kohler-Organ (1738) der Kreuzkirche Suhl. The tuning according to Bach-Kellner is at a' = 481 Hz at 15 °C.


I start to appreciate these recordings more as at my first hearing. The first CD in this set is recorded on a beautiful instrument, and the SACD recording allows great insight in the detailing, and how well it is tuned. All the organs used in the complete set is an adventure in itself, and highly recommended to organ buffs. The sheer variety is amazing and frankly quite wonderful. I am still of the opinion, that I would like to see better equipped organists in this set, but you cannot have all I guess.



Little is known about his life and work. Köhler was born around 1710 in Burhave in the Butjadinger Land (then Grafschaft Oldenburg ) in March or April. [1] It is not known where and from whom he learned organ building. His subsequent years of wandering led him to Thuringia, as indicated by influences in his new building in Suhl . The organ in the Kreuzkirche Suhl has 39 registers and combines North German and Thuringian influences in a unique synthesis. It was built between 1738 and 1740 and was subjected to a general overhaul up to and including May 2007.

[Que]

For me there's too much dance pulse left in her interpretations, I'm not interested in dance music. I can see that what she does is well executed and recorded though.

I just tried her out again, in Dufaut, but soon turned in relief to Louis Pernot.

Interesting,  I find that aspect attractive. And perhaps it is the music?

[Operafreak]

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 'Choral'

[Mandryka]

I find that aspect attractive.

I can see it's your sort of thing.

And perhaps it is the music?

Now now. Don't start.

[Harry]

Dora Pejacevic.

Piano concerto, opus 33 in G minor (1913)
Symphony opus 41 in F sharp minor, (1916/17, revised in 1920) "For my mother".

Peter Donahue, piano.
BBC SO, Sakari Oramo.

Utterly beguiling. Even the Piano concerto starts to grow on me. What an unbounded passion, and unstoppable energy is put into the score. It has such inner power, and determination, that the sparks fly unfettered by any restrain. That's good.
For me personally the Symphony is a highlight in every respect, in which she is the most creative in ideas.
Not the best SACD recording by Chandos, but quite good.

It is the only CD I keep out of my collection and always have it at hand, for I want to play it all the time, until I know every note by heart! And by the way is anyone able to get me the Biography written by Koraljka Kos in English or German, about Pajecevic?

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Organ Works [Leonhardt]





Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit, BWV 669
Christe, aller Welt Trost, BWV 670
Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist, BWV 671
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV 675
Fughetta super- Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV 677
Fughetta super- Dies sind die heil'gen zehn Gebot', BWV 679
Fughetta super- Wir glauben all' an einen Gott, BWV 681

[aligreto]

Some rather excellent Grieg, though I am no connoisseur, so it may be awful if a rigorous Griegian standard is applied.  Sound is not bad, either.  The Sibelius is also excellent, but then Karajan always did well with Sibelius.

I have that CD in my collection for many years and I have rarely listened to it. That is not because of the particular presentation but rather that I rarely listen to any music by Grieg at all.
Perhaps I should take it down and listen to it again.

[Traverso]

Bach


Sonata 1

Partita 1

Sonata 2

[Que]

I can see it's your sort of thing.

Now now. Don't start.