What are you listening 2 now?

[ritter]

Olivier Messiaen's
Harawi

Rachel Yakar, soprano, Yvonne Loriod (piano)

I like much of Messiaen, but Harawi is a work I find bordering on the horrendous!  I saw it live, with the composer in attendance, Mme. Loriod at the piano, and soprano Sigune von Osten in the late 80s here in Madrid. I revisited it a couple of years ago in the (live) recording with the singer of the work première (Marcelle Bunlet) and Messiaen himself at the keyboard, and couldn't believe my ears: those onomatopoeic sounds, that Sanskrit (real or faux, I don't know).  Good grief!

I hope you enjoy it more than I did (and perhaps I should give it another try).

[Todd]

[ritter]

Well, I am not a huge fan of Messiaen generally -and when I saw Harawi come up with an hour-ish play time, I thought, 'Oh God!', and felt slightly annoyed! But as it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised, particularly since at various, numerous points throughout the work, he actually sounded quite tuneful (call me old-fashioned!) There were some interesting verbal effects with the manic repetitions of words and syllables, for example. I probably could wish it lasted about half as long as it did, but I didn't mind it and, for me, that means it was pretty OK. I don't think I want any of it played at my funeral, but I don't feel I wasted an hour of my time, either I would definitely listen again. By the way, the 'Sanskrit' you heard is neither faux nor real, but, allegedly, Quechuan (Peruvean Andean), though it's also admitted gibberish in places, too.

....

Thanks for the feedback! I didn't even remember how long the piece is... And of course, I misremembered: Quechua, not Sanskrit!

Good you found some parts enjoyable. I'll give it another try. 

[aligreto]

Poulenc: Piano Music played by Eric Le Sage





From CD 3:


Promenades pour piano

[Linz]

Mahler Symphon 1 Rafael Kubelik and the Symphonieorchester Bayerischen Rundfunk

[SonicMan46]

Pleyel, Ignaz (1757-1831) - String Quintets w/ the chamber groups on the cover art below - born in Austria, taught by Vanhal and Haydn, and residing most of his life in France. Pleyel was a composer, music publisher, piano maker and more (see quote). Among his hundreds of compositions are 41 Symphonies, 21 Concertante Works, 13 String Quintets, 70 String Quartets, and much more - all categorized by Rita Benton - see his website HERE - hence the 'Ben' on the art work.  Dave

The piano firm Pleyel et Cie was founded by Ignace Pleyel and continued by his son Camille (1788–1855), a piano virtuoso who became his father's business partner in 1815. The firm provided pianos used by Frédéric Chopin, who considered Pleyel pianos to be «non plus ultra». It also ran a concert hall, the Salle Pleyel, in which Chopin performed his Paris concerts. In September 2009 a replica of the 1830 model of Pleyel's piano was built by Paul McNulty which is now in the collection Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw. (Source)

 

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schönberg
6 Orchestral Songs, Op.8

[Todd]

8.  Rather excellent.  The recorded sound invites one to turn it way up.

[aligreto]

Bax: Overture to a Picaresque Comedy [Thompson]





This is an interesting work. It is multi-faceted in terms of its musical content and that variety is interesting in itself. Once again, the orchestration is of the highest order.

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schönberg
6 Orchestral Songs, Op.8

Schönberg again, now:
Begleitungsmusik zu einer Lichtspielszene

[vandermolen]

"Paean" is one of those compositions when a composer is given the opportunity to use all the forces available "for a special" occasion.
Bax's original version of Paean for piano was composed in 1920.
When Bax was commissioned to provide an orchestral work for the Sir Henry Wood Jubilee of 1938, he decided to expand his Paean for very large forces, including organ.
A noisy and fortunately short "song of praise or triumph."
It's a fun hoot!

+1

[Todd]

[Symphonic Addict]

+1

+2

[Symphonic Addict]

Verdi: Il Trovatore

Splendid!

[vers la flamme]

I could be wrong but I thought that Mirror Image was positive about the Bryden Thomson set.I purchased the set on his recommendation. Maybe he changed his mind......?

No, it's entirely possible that I'm wrong. I thought I remembered him posting a negative comment about it the last time I posted it on this thread, but it could have been someone else.

[Traverso]

No, it's entirely possible that I'm wrong. I thought I remembered him posting a negative comment about it the last time I posted it on this thread, but it could have been someone else.

Well,he will be back soon I suppose . 

[vers la flamme]

Arthur Honegger: Symphony No.2 for Strings & Trumpet. Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic

Ages since I've heard this one.

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No.2  in C Minor, edited by W. Carraghan (1872)

[JBS]

For Children Sz 42

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Nicolaus Bruhns Organ Works. Joseph Kelemen.