What are you listening 2 now?

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The Lark Ascending from:



First time listening to this piece and it made quite an impression, so please bear with my ramblings.

The title is well chosen, it truly sounds like a bird song, and a very calming one. I confess that when the first piano notes resounded, I was annoyed as I thought it would only distract from what would otherwise be a wonderful violin solo piece. However, my opinion changed within seconds, and soon I was blown away by how perfectly the two instruments intertwined. What a pure and beautiful music this is! The violin parts - so delicate, and the piano ones - full of pathos, but also in a gentle way. I said they went great together, but truth to be told, for me the piano in fact stole the show at times, which really says something (violin is my favorite instrument while I'm generally not too fond of piano). It sounds really smooth and warm on this recording...

Also at the beginning I mentioned that I found this piece calming, but maybe it would be more accurate to say that it's comforting, and satisfying. It made me think of an old man on his deathbed, looking back at his whole life, and able to go peacefully, with the knowledge that his time here was beautiful and well-lived.

Ps. After looking up the album reviews, I saw that people were saying that the Lark played only with violin and piano is not the most popular/main version of this work, and it surprised me! I can't imagine another version for this piece, the two instruments one is already perfect to me (I now noticed it says on the CD that it's the  "original version", so that's good to know).

Glad that you enjoyed the work!  I haven't heard the one for piano and violin; will have to see if I can find a way to listen to a recording of it.

You might want to to try listening to this one.  It's a well-known recording and considered a "classic" and is a favorite of mine (I recall that the CD was either the first or one of the first ones that I ever purchased).  It's with Sir Neville Marriner and Iona Brown (violin) with the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields.  Hope that you enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mHgucSz1hs

Best,

PD

[Traverso]

Beethoven


Violin Sonatas  7 & 10

[Traverso]

Glad that you enjoyed the work!  I haven't heard the one for piano and violin; will have to see if I can find a way to listen to a recording of it.

You might want to to try listening to this one.  It's a well-known recording and considered a "classic" and is a favorite of mine (I recall that the CD was either the first or one of the first ones that I ever purchased).  It's with Sir Neville Marriner and Iona Brown (violin) with the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields.  Hope that you enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mHgucSz1hs

Best,

PD

Iona Brown is unsurpassable in my opinion, her timing is superb as the portrayal of the intrinsic comes alive. The recording with the Academy of st Martin in the Fields make's it a classic.

[Todd]

from



I'm not sure I've heard a more stern performance of Renaissance liturgical music.  It's not bad, it just displays an absolute lack of charm, lightness, frivolity, or beauty.

[foxandpeng]

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Symphony 2 'London'
Kees Bakels
Bournemouth SO
Naxos

Late to the party as usual. Not much music time again this week, until this afternoon. Good to stop and breathe. I like the Bakels RVW, so will probably enjoy some belated anniversary spins long after the rest of you have migrated on elsewhere....

[Harry]

Organ Music 0f the North German Baroque, Volume XIII.
Complete Organ Music.
CD I.

Michael Praetorius.
Hieronymus Praetorius III.
Friedhelm Flamme, Organ.
Instrument: Christoph Treutmann organ (1734-37) Klosterkirche St. Georg zu Grauhof bei Goslar.
Pitch: c.5/8 ton uber normal.
Temperament: Wohltemperiert (Kelner/Bach, 1/5 comma)

The sound is okay be it a little distantly recorded. The sonorities of the mixtures is quite extraordinarily fine, and the pedal gives a fair amount of punch. A fine organ indeed. 

[The new erato]

Streaming from qobuz:

[Harry]

Streaming from qobuz:

Could you eventually give your comments?

[The new erato]

And last night no 3 + 4 from this set:

[Karl Henning]

Benjamin Britten's
Diversions

Benjamin Britten, Julius Katchen, London Symphony Orchestra

Excellent-sounding mono, from 1955.

Great piece!

[The new erato]

Could you eventually give your comments?

Well sung and recorded, up to the usual standards. Rather bare-boned and transparent in comparison to other issues in the series, as both masses are in 3 parts.

[aligreto]

Lalo: Rhapsody [Andretta]





I like this work. It is big in its vista and it offers a very fine broad orchestral sweep. I also find the orchestration to be interesting and engaging along with the general tone of the work overall. The second movement is particularly noteworthy for its musical content, its orchestration, its dramatic atmosphere and its drive.

[Harry]

Well sung and recorded, up to the usual standards. Rather bare-boned and transparent in comparison to other issues in the series, as both masses are in 3 parts.

That's good news, when I have listened to The Gombert masses part I & II, I will order this one.

[Karl Henning]

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Symphony 2 'London'
Kees Bakels
Bournemouth SO
Naxos

Late to the party as usual. Not much music time again this week, until this afternoon. Good to stop and breathe. I like the Bakels RVW, so will probably enjoy some belated anniversary spins long after the rest of you have migrated on elsewhere....

Oh, we'll celebrate for a while, yet, Danny

[Karl Henning]

And last night no 3 + 4 from this set:

Those were the first two I heard from Haitink's set, and they sold me!

[The new erato]

The Pastoral is particularly fine.

[foxandpeng]

Oh, we'll celebrate for a while, yet, Danny

Glad to hear it, Karl! Lots of RVW to hear in the next few days, I think. Bakels first. Again, I suspect only because of familiarity, but I often return to this cycle (with Daniels conducting 1 and 4). It had lots of positive reviews at the time, and in the face of so many recordings, it was a good, inexpensive cycle. I probably need to stop shying away from older recordings by Previn and Boult, because so many of you wise folk rate them so very highly. I have tended to gravitate toward Hickox, Thomson, and in more recent times and in the face of some detractors, Manze and Elder. Anyway, riding the late train at last

(I also confess that I get easily distracted... finishing listening to Arnell last week was the plan, then returning to Pettersson, but 'Ooh, a badger'... Always a challenge. My wife suggests I may have some undiagnosed neurodiversity, which would explain some of my general channel-hopping. After half a century, it's probably immaterial...)

NP:

RVW
Symphonies 3 'Pastoral' and 6
Kees Bakels
Bournemouth SO
Naxos

[Harry]

Glad to hear it, Karl! Lots of RVW to hear in the next few days, I think. Bakels first. Again, I suspect only because of familiarity, but I often return to this cycle (with Daniels conducting 1 and 4). It had lots of positive reviews at the time, and in the face of so many recordings, it was a good, inexpensive cycle. I probably need to stop shying away from older recordings by Previn and Boult, because so many of you wise folk rate them so very highly. I have tended to gravitate toward Hickox, Thomson, and in more recent times and in the face of some detractors, Manze and Elder. Anyway, riding the late train at last

(I also confess that I get easily distracted... finishing listening to Arnell last week was the plan, then returning to Pettersson, but 'Ooh, a badger'... Always a challenge. My wife suggests I may have some undiagnosed neurodiversity, which would explain some of my general channel-hopping. After half a century, it's probably immaterial...)

NP:

RVW
Symphonies 3 'Pastoral' and 6
Kees Bakels
Bournemouth SO
Naxos

Somehow that rings a bell with me, and made me grin from ear to ear.

[Harry]

Those were the first two I heard from Haitink's set, and they sold me!

I never connected with Haitink, but this you know well. I am happy that this set gives you so much pleasure Karl. Who knows maybe eventually I find my way to these interpretations.

[Papy Oli]

Poulenc
Concerto pour Orgue
Litanies à la Vierge Noire