What are you listening 2 now?

[Lisztianwagner]

I liked it! Reminded me a lot of Richard Strauss's tone poems.

P.S. I really like Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie. He definitely takes the music much, much slower than anyone, but it introduces a new layer of meditativeness to the music. Not the only Satie I'd want to have, but indispensable.

Great! Yes, although the composer didn't call it a tone poem, it is a work in the tradion of Richard Strauss or Franz Liszt; its colorful orchestration and inspiring, depicting themes make Falstaff a very brilliant composition.

That's true, despite the slow tempo, Leeuw's interpretation doesn't lose thoughtfulness and reflection.

[vandermolen]

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

[Traverso]

Haydn


Heiligmesse


The Choir of St John's College Cambridge

George Guest

[ritter]

First listen to Vincent d'Indy's mammoth (43') Piano Sonata in E, op. 63, played by Jean-Pierre Armengaud.


I'm enjoying this more than I expected (I'm rather indifferent to d'Indy's music, TBH, and my reactions to it tend to range from "that's not bad" —e.g. Symphony No. 3, op. 70—, to "this is atrocious" —his opera L'Etranger, which I can only describe as a "Parsifal de pacotille"). This work, in 3 movements, sounds unmistakably French, even if one doesn't really automatically associate the words "Sonata" and "French", does one? The sound world is that of Franck, and I'd say the work's ambition exceeds its inspiration. Some reviews (e.g. in Gramophone magazine) find faults in Armengaud's rendition, but I think it works rather well; a more "passionate" interpretation would make this late-romantic, excessive music almost unbearable. The filler is a selection (7 pieces) of Tableaux de voyage, and the shorter forms seem to suit the composer's talents better.

[SonicMan46]

Dipping a toe into this newly arrived set, Mozart Piano Concerti with Zacharias and the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra

 

Concerto No 16 (which was a mistake, I was thinking of Concerto No 17, which I loved in the Brautigam recording). In any case, the performance is just what I want, lithe piano playing, an energetic chamber music texture from the orchestra. Beautiful.

+1 -    After decades of buying and culling Wolfie's PCs, down to just two boxes on the modern piano (Anda inserted above) - will be happy w/ those; of course, have two boxes on fortepiano for a 'balance' -     Dave

[SonicMan46]

Sweelinck, JP (1562-1621) - Keyboard Works w/ 10+ different performers on organ, harpsichord, and virginal (more details on the back cover below - click to enlarge) - a 6-disc set.  Dave

 

[ritter]

Well, if we're going late-romantic and excessive (after d'Indy), let's go all the way:


I really like the music Busoni composed in, let's say, the last 15 years of his life (from around the Elegies onwards), as I think that's when he found a truly original and striking voice, and somehow managed to channel his genius into a succession of superb works. Seen from that perspective, the massive Piano Concerto is a "transitional" work, and is by all accounts excessive and flawed. And yet, it has some extraordinary moments (in all of its 5 movements), and I very much   enjoy it (I had the chance to see it performed live here in Madrid some years ago).

This 1966 broadcast recording with Pietro Scarpini and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under Kubelik has received very positive reviews, and I could buy it (heavily discounted) in Munich this week —I think it's now OOP—. I had never heard of Scarpini until this was released, and he seems to have made a speciality of this concerto (he also performed I with the  Cleveland Orchestra under Szell —available on YouTube in poor sound—).

So far, this is sounding very convincing, and the sound is perfectly OK.

[Traverso]

Schubert


CD 5  Nature

[Que]

On Spotify, since I'm on holiday in central France:

[aligreto]

Bax: Dance of Wild Irravel [Thompson]





This is a short but a suitably animated and atmospheric work. Bax never fails in the atmosphere department.

[aligreto]

Really, don't you like solo piano music? 

I am somewhat of an aberration in that regard as far as classical music listeners are concerned. I have been struggling with the sound of solo piano music for approximately fifty years now. It is not for the want of trying, I assure you. I am fine with the piano in an ensemble and with most piano concertos but, e.g., the likes of Bartok's piano concertos causes me great distress due to the excessive percussive nature of the instrument in such works. Another example is that I cannot properly "hear" JS Bach's keyboard music when played on a modern piano.

[aligreto]

P.S. I really like Reinbert de Leeuw's Satie. He definitely takes the music much, much slower than anyone, but it introduces a new layer of meditativeness to the music. Not the only Satie I'd want to have, but indispensable.

Yes, that would be my take also, for what it is worth.

[aligreto]

I have enjoyed it,especially Nympholept. By the way.this recording was advised by Jeffrey   

Jeffrey's recommendations are always worth consideration.

[ritter]

I am somewhat of an aberration in that regard as far as classical music listeners are concerned. I have been struggling with the sound of solo piano music for approximately fifty years now. It is not for the want of trying, I assure you. I am fine with the piano in an ensemble and with most piano concertos but, e.g., the likes of Bartok's piano concertos causes me great distress due to the excessive percussive nature of the instrument in such works. Another example is that I cannot properly "hear" JS Bach's keyboard music when played on a modern piano.

Fully understandable! I have a similar problem with the sound of the solo violin, or more exactly, the combination of violin and piano.There are works for those forces I admire, but in general the violin sonata genre is one I shy away from...

Good evening to you, Fergus.

[aligreto]

Fully understandable! I have a similar problem with the sound of the solo violin, or more exactly, the combination of violin and piano.There are works for those forces I admire, but in general the violin sonata genre is one I shy away from...

Good evening to you, Fergus.

Good evening to you too, Rafael. I hope that all is well with you.

It is interesting how different ears hear things differently.

[Lisztianwagner]

I am somewhat of an aberration in that regard as far as classical music listeners are concerned. I have been struggling with the sound of solo piano music for approximately fifty years now. It is not for the want of trying, I assure you. I am fine with the piano in an ensemble and with most piano concertos but, e.g., the likes of Bartok's piano concertos causes me great distress due to the excessive percussive nature of the instrument in such works. Another example is that I cannot properly "hear" JS Bach's keyboard music when played on a modern piano.

I see. It's fine anyway, the world of classical music is so wide that inevitably there can be a type of composition less captivating than others to someone's ear. About myself, I have still had some problems with Italian Opera.

[Traverso]

Jeffrey's recommendations are always worth consideration.

Don't spoil the poor man....

[Lisztianwagner]

Bach/Elgar
Fantasia & Fugue in C minor, BWV 537
Bach/Holst
Fugue à la gigue in G major, BWV 577
Bach/Schönberg
Prelude & Fugue in E-flat major, BWV 552

[Todd]

[Karl Henning]

Don't spoil the poor man....

(* chortle *)