What are you listening 2 now?

[aligreto]

Castel: La Fontana del Placer [Heras-Casado]





This is a substantial work. It is delightful music. It is very well played. The vocals are also excellent from the two singers [tenor and soprano] and they are provided with some wonderful arias to sing. Their voices are very suitable for singing this music and they pull it off well.

[aligreto]

It seems like aligreto may have started an informal Poulenc festival here with his comments on Poulenc piano music. Today I listened to Trois pieces pour piano, Le Sage. Usually I don't do well with miniatures, but these seem to defy the rule.

I am rather pleased that you are liking what you hear. I find Poulenc's  music to be very attractive and engaging.

[Operafreak]

Britten: War Requiem, Op. 66

[Que]

Good morning Que.

I am exploring Voces Suaves also, but until now they are always half good and half irritating for me. Voices are very personal, so much is clear to me.

This recording of the Bernardi Requiem is quite good. An interesting piece, but not for me since I'm not such a fan of the Venetian style.

[Roasted Swan]

Yes, I prefer that to the more recent Previn/LSO boxed set as it has a nicely illustrated decent booklet with it.

But the newest version (without booklet) was remastered........

[aligreto]

Poulenc: Eric Le Sage Plays Poulenc





From CD 5:

Sonate pour cor, trompette et trombone [Koster/Vallade/Mellardi]

This is a short, quite playful, quirky and whimsical work which features wonderful textures, sonorities and harmonies.

[Lisztianwagner]

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Pastoral Symphony



One of my favourite RVW's symphonies along with the 7th, so lyrical, meditative and beautifully evocative.

[Florestan]

TD
This landed today, after a slight saga (the vendor sent me a Slipknot CD the first time) so I'm now hearing Enescu's Octet for the first time ever.


The premise is that all the composers had some personal connection to Enescu, as teacher or friend or fellow performer. The exception is the Pais work which came in first in a competition for (paging Andrei) young Romanian composers.

Never heard about George Ioan Păiș but he seems an interesting guy*. I'm not the greatest fan of Enescu, honestly. 

* here is an interview with him, maybe Google Translate can be of some help.

https://pallasathena.ro/sincretism-in-pandemie/

[Todd]

from



The Renaissance pieces only.  It's got a boys' choir.  A whiff.

[Operafreak]

Messa Per Rossini-; Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Riccardo Chailly

[aligreto]

Mozart: Symphony No. 38 "Prague" [Tate]





Tate gives the opening of the first movement a wonderfully dark hue in the Adagio section. However, the sunshine bursts through from behind the dark clouds when we arrive at the Allegro section. This section contains a wonderful aria-like theme that I suspect even non Mozart listeners would recognise. This version of this movement finishes in a flurry of positivity.
The slow movement is very lush and full sounding here. It is wonderfully gentle and it has a light air of pathos to it.
The final movement is assertively presented. It is buoyant and well poised yet robust
I like the way that Tate illustrates the wonderful orchestration and individual scoring throughout the work.

[Traverso]

Beethoven


violin sonatas 9 & 5

[Florestan]

[Papy Oli]

Poulenc
Sinfonietta
Deux Marches et un Intermède

[vandermolen]

Good morning Jeffrey,I just purchased  this edition 

Good afternoon, Jan - I hope that you enjoy that set as much as I have. You have chosen an auspicious day to purchase the set!

[vandermolen]

But the newest version (without booklet) was remastered........

Yes, I know but I don't like to buy boxed sets with no booklet info. I guess it's swings and roundabouts.

[aukhawk]

I can't resist joining in the celebration.
RVW Sinfonia Antartica, cond. Andrew Manze
This cover image makes the Antarctic look a bit, well, suburban.


RVW Sinfonia Antartica, cond. Andrew Manze

And later I'll make time for his Sea Symphony, the BBC SO & Chorus conducted by Sakari Oramo, from the 2013 Proms (on YouTube).  This choral sound really pins you to the back wall.

[j winter]

Cracking open the big Toscanini box and diving in for a sample... surprisingly good sound on the Beethoven, it was recorded at Carnegie Hall 1953 rather than in Studio 8-H... I'm a happy boy

[Spotted Horses]

Mozart Piano Sonata KV310, Brautigam.



To be honest, it gave me little pleasure. He is banging too hard and the sound of the instrument is too clamorous for my taste.

I liked Brautigam's Beethoven (on fortepiano) a lot, so I was surprised by my reaction.

[aligreto]

Lalo: Symphony in G minor [Andretta]





I do not say it very often but I am afraid that I do not particularly like this work.
I find the first movement to be a bit episodic and somewhat disjointed.
The second movement is exciting and is well driven here.
I find the slow movement to be a bit ponderous and unwieldy.
The slow movement takes its time to make an impression but it does conclude reasonably well.
Perhaps I am being too harsh.