What are you listening 2 now?

[ritter]

Well done on the translation, Jan, and thank you for doing it. 

+1.

Messiaen

La Transgiguration de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ

 

Magnificent execution! The Choir is wonderful!
The soloists and the orchestra, all admirable!
Reinbert de Leeuw: marvelous chef:
Precision, nobility, greatness, very warmhearted!
a very great master!.....
What emotion: he came down from his desk,
and he came to embrace  me in my seat in the hall !!!
while the public applauded standing
for more than ten minutes!
It was an extraordinary execution....
June 29, 1991 in Amsterdam 

Translated with some effort for the English speakers

Nice! I have that recording in another format (Naïve box set). La Transfiguration... is a late Messiaen work I'm not too familiar with, and your post has made me think about revisiting it. But first, I better listen to Vingt regards... played by a certain Jean-Rodolphe Kars (also recorded live at the Concertgebouw) . 

[Traverso]

Well done on the translation, Jan, and thank you for doing it. 

It is an extensive work, this recording lasts 1h40
There are other excellent recordings including Cambreling, Dorati and Chung.
I would have loved to have been present at this performance, it must have been very special.

[Traverso]

+1.
Nice! I have that recording in another format (Naïve box set). La Transfiguration... is a late Messiaen work I'm not too familiar with, and your post has made me think about revisiting it. But first, I better listen to Vingt regards... played by a certain Jean-Rodolphe Kars (also recorded live at the Concertgebouw) . 

Well Rafael, you are a very lucky person with these two fantastic works ahead of you,enjoy......enjoy......  

[aligreto]

It is an extensive work, this recording lasts 1h40
There are other excellent recordings including Cambreling, Dorati and Chung.
I would have loved to have been present at this performance, it must have been very special.

I can understand that wish Jan as I, and I am sure many others, have often felt it over the years of listening to recorded music.

[Irons]

Don't take my word for it, have a listen for yourself. If you can tolerate Honegger you can tolerate Pettersson. Anyway, that concerto was glorious.

I realise not meant in a bad way but "unrelenting" and "screaming" is not what I look for. Not adverse to Pettersson per se, enjoying 6th and 7th Symphonies. But after trying numerous times I have yet got to the end of the 9th.

[SonicMan46]

Walther, Johann Jakob (1650-1717) - Scherzi da Violino w/ Bojan Čičič and the Illyria Consort - listening on Spotify - a recording that has been highlighted in the listening thread recently - knew nothing about this Baroque composer - synopsis of his Wiki bio below (first quote) - and his limited number of compositions (second quote).  The facts of his life known only by a lexicon written by Johann Gottfried Walther who has also been featured in these pages by his Organ Works performed by Simone Stella (pic below) - so different composers; Gottfried was JS Bach's cousin. At the moment, the 2-disc set is available for only $12 on Amazon Prime USA - maybe a purchase?  Dave

Johann Jakob Walther was a German violinist and composer. All the known facts of his life and activity are from the Musikalischen Lexikon by Johann Gottfried Walther (Johann Sebastian Bach's cousin), a dictionary which first appeared in 1732. J.J. Walther was born in Witterda bei Erfurt. Between 1670 and 1674 he is said to have remained a violinist in the orchestra of Cosimo III of the Medicis in Florence. From 1674 he was concertmaster at the court of Dresden. He died in Mainz. Alongside Biber and Westhoff, J.J. Walther is one of the most significant German violinists of the 17th century. Besides a virtuoso technique including doublestops and arpeggios, his works display a wealth of formal devices, especially in the treatment of ostinato variations. (Source)

Works: 40 compositions are known, contained in two volumes:
Scherzi da Violino solo con il basso continuo, published in 1676. This cycle anticipates Paganini's technique in that it contains pizzicato harp imitations while the bow imitates nightingale song.
Hortulus chelicus published in 1688. It contains 28 pieces and is more varied than the other collection. (Source - same)

 

[Spotted Horses]

Liszt, Années de pèlerinage, Sonetto 47 del Petrarca and Sonetto 104 del Petrarca, Cziffra



These performances are utterly captivating. There are a few tracks in the set where I think the recording quality is a problem (Sposalizio) but on these two it is just fine.

Mozart Piano Sonata K 311, Zacharias



The performance can't be faulted, but the sonata didn't grab me as strongly as some of the later sonatas. Unlike most cases, the slow movement didn't make a strong impression.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Jacques Ibert: La Ballade de la Geole de Reading.

[Todd]

Disc one.

[Linz]

Mozart Piano Sonatas 12,13 and 14 with the Fantasia in C minor K475 By Ingrid Haebler

[SonicMan46]

Haydn, Joseph - Keyboard Sonatas w/ Tom Beghin on a number of historic instruments or reproductions using the 'virtual room' concept; first 3 of 12 discs (also a bonus DVD) this afternoon - my other period instrument sets are with Schornsheim and Brautigam - attached is a PDF review of Haydn's keyboard works w/ van Oort, Schornsheim, and Beghin sets discussed by Sylvia Berry - enjoyed the read.  Dave


 

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schönberg
A Survivor from Warsaw
Erwartung

[Symphonic Addict]

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition

Superb and wholly committed performance. This is quite fine pianism I must say.

https://www.youtube.com/v/UzgosPZzSk4

[Lisztianwagner]

William Walton
Viola Concerto



Paul Neubauer (viola)
Andrew Litton & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

[ritter]

William Walton
Viola Concerto



Paul Neubauer (viola)
Andrew Litton & Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

E che me pensi, cara Ilaria?

Good evening to you!

[JBS]

Walther, Johann Jakob (1650-1717) - Scherzi da Violino w/ Bojan Čičič and the Illyria Consort - listening on Spotify - a recording that has been highlighted in the listening thread recently - knew nothing about this Baroque composer - synopsis of his Wiki bio below (first quote) - and his limited number of compositions (second quote).  The facts of his life known only by a lexicon written by Johann Gottfried Walther who has also been featured in these pages by his Organ Works performed by Simone Stella (pic below) - so different composers; Gottfried was JS Bach's cousin. At the moment, the 2-disc set is available for only $12 on Amazon Prime USA - maybe a purchase?  Dave

 

I liked it, but not enough to call it a must buy.

The total length btw is 100 minutes, split about equally between the 2 CDs.

[Linz]

Simon Rattles new Bruckner 4th Version 1878-81, Cohrs AD4B

[SonicMan46]

I liked it, but not enough to call it a must buy.

The total length btw is 100 minutes, split about equally between the 2 CDs.

Agree - excellent music from apparently a great violinist of his time and well performed/recorded - on Spotify, I listened to just half of the recording which was stated to be 1hr 45 mins, so you're right, i.e. about 50 mins/disc - it's in my Amazon cart but haven't decided - I do have a dislike for these 80-100 min performances that are put on 2 CDs.  Dave

[vers la flamme]

Anton Bruckner: Symphony No.9 in D minor, WAB 109. Eugen Jochum, Staatskapelle Dresden

This recording is just bonkers. I've never heard Bruckner sound so explosive before. Complete savagery. If the music itself wasn't as majestic as it is, parts of this would sound downright vulgar. I guess this impression is mostly coming from the scherzo, which now plays. The Dresden brass sound like no one else. Razor sharp, with so much presence, they stand out from the rest of the orchestra. There is less of the blended sound than you get from e.g. the Berlin Philharmonic. (There are some moments of incorrect intonation in the brass, too, but it doesn't bother me.) The string section also has a very unique sound that I can't put my finger on. All in all, really great performance. We'll see what Jochum makes of the adagio.

[Linz]

The second CD is the discarded scherzo and the discarded Finale Volkfest 3 andante qusi Allegretto 1878 extended initial vesion and 4 Finale 1881 unabridged edited by Cohrs If anyone is interested it is avalable at Prestomusic.com