What are you listening 2 now?

[Papy Oli]

JS Bach - BWV 22

[Todd]

[Mandryka]

Apart from the excellent playing by Anne Marie Dragosits, the instrument is indeed the real star of this recording - with a matching selection of French harpsichord pieces to display its exotic qualities. Marvelous stuff... 

I must say, I do agree with you.

[Que]

I must say, I do agree with you.

Good to hear!

Now on Spotify:



After spending three decades with Katchen-Suk-Starker, I might be in the market for an update... 

[Operafreak]

Shostakovich; Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 10-Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Jaap van Zweden

[Traverso]

Prokofiev

[Roasted Swan]

I had a trawl through bargain Telarc discs recently and bought 4;



The Zinman/Baltimore disc is tremendous.  A really good programme of substantial pieces not just very standard Russian "pops".  So you get the complete Russian Easdter Festival, complete Francesca da Rimini (beautiful but a bit low voltage) the complete Causcasian Sketches plus a couple of filler/pops.  All very well played and recorded - not too OTT Telarc - just powerful and detailed.  Not yet listened to the 2 Robert Shaw - no great hopes - probably well sung/played/engineered but musically unimaginative.  Never mind it'll be fun blasting out the home hi-fi!  The Fennell disc is also very good indeed.  The cover looks very unpromising but in fact it includes the Vaugahn Williams Sea Songs (fairly rare) and English Folksong Suite in the original wind band versions plus great Lincolnshire Posy and Shepherd's Hey.  The other Sousa/march stuff is fun and well played but the meat is in those other pieces......

[SonicMan46]

España - Piano Works w/ the composers on the cover art performed by Jean-Francois Heisser - older recordings from the 1990s but in excellent sound - Dave

 

[Traverso]

Beethoven

piano concerto No.5

[Roasted Swan]

Having bought this download set after a tip from Papi Oli on the bargains thread I've been listening to  couple of things today.  Decent 1960's (I guess) radio broadcast quality but the performances I've dipped into are tremendous!  A fiery Ma Vlast, dark and powerful Asrael for starters.  Anyone interested in this conductor/repertoire/orchestra must buy this at this price....... £66.80 for the 15 CD's OR £3.73 (yes £3.73) for the FLAC download.  The definition of a no-brainer

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9268516--karel-an-erl-live-recordings

[Mapman]

I had a trawl through bargain Telarc discs recently and bought 4;



The Zinman/Baltimore disc is tremendous.  A really good programme of substantial pieces not just very standard Russian "pops".  So you get the complete Russian Easdter Festival, complete Francesca da Rimini (beautiful but a bit low voltage) the complete Causcasian Sketches plus a couple of filler/pops.  All very well played and recorded - not too OTT Telarc - just powerful and detailed.  Not yet listened to the 2 Robert Shaw - no great hopes - probably well sung/played/engineered but musically unimaginative.  Never mind it'll be fun blasting out the home hi-fi!  The Fennell disc is also very good indeed.  The cover looks very unpromising but in fact it includes the Vaugahn Williams Sea Songs (fairly rare) and English Folksong Suite in the original wind band versions plus great Lincolnshire Posy and Shepherd's Hey.  The other Sousa/march stuff is fun and well played but the meat is in those other pieces......

I also acquired a used copy of Stars and Stripes earlier this year. I agree that it is a weird title. They are great recordings of the Vaughan Williams and Grainger works for band. I'm not sure why Sea Songs is so rare, since my memory (from what I was told when I played the piece years ago) is that it was intended as another movement for Folk Song Suite.

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No. 2 in C minor (second version 1877) The USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra

[Roasted Swan]

I also acquired a used copy of Stars and Stripes earlier this year. I agree that it is a weird title. They are great recordings of the Vaughan Williams and Grainger works for band. I'm not sure why Sea Songs is so rare, since my memory (from what I was told when I played the piece years ago) is that it was intended as another movement for Folk Song Suite.

You are quite right about the Sea-Songs being originally in the folksong suite.  Vaughan Williams' rationale (quite reasonably) was that there would be two "quick march" movements back to back so better to excise it from the suite.

[VonStupp]

Nos 3 and 5 'Sinfonia Sacra' are my favourites. You have to hear Koussevitsky's powerful and brooding recording of No.3.

Thank you for the recommendation, I look forward to it. Hopefully I can find the Dutton Laboratory update floating in the aether before I can secure it physically.

For this afternoon:

George Dyson
Hierusalem
Three Choral Hymns
Three Songs of Praise
Fantasia and Ground Bass
Psalm 150

Valery Hill, soprano (Hierusalem)
Thomas Trotter, organ
St. Michael's Singers
Royal PO - Jonathan Rennert

Looking forward to Hierusalem with the RPO.

VS

 

[Linz]

Giovanni Sgambati Symphony No. 1, Cola di Rienzo Overture

[Que]

[Mandryka]

wq 65/5 - John Irving singles this out as a high point of classical solo sonatas. Deep and weighty, sort of thing. I'm thinking that maybe CPEB was the classical Beethoven - the one who made the most of the solo sonata form. The ending of this sonata is really surprising - it doesn't end on a clear cadence, there's no feeling of closure.

[Brian]

Zelenka, Trio Sonatas for two oboes and bassoon, No 2, 5, 6. (After buying this disc for an attractive price I noticed that it is half of a set, and I have since purchased its companion.)



Very nice recorded performances on period instruments. Marvelous music, but some how the magic I felt upon discovering these work in the recording by soloists of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (Claves) is not quite reproduced.

Anyone have a favorite recording of this music?

The one I have, which delights me, is on ECM with an all-star lineup that includes Heinz Holliger, Thomas Zehetmair, and Christiane Jaccottet.

[JBS]

I also acquired a used copy of Stars and Stripes earlier this year. I agree that it is a weird title. They are great recordings of the Vaughan Williams and Grainger works for band. I'm not sure why Sea Songs is so rare, since my memory (from what I was told when I played the piece years ago) is that it was intended as another movement for Folk Song Suite.

I'd assume they had the US market in mind, and Sousa is well known enough even among non-classical audiences that he was intended to be the main draw.  I can guarantee you that this recording was the introduction for some of its buyer to both RVW and Grainger. Hopefully it prompted some to explore further

TD

CD 12
Solo cantatas sung by none other than Gerard Souzay
Philippe Courbois: Don Quichotte
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier: L'Automne
(Apparently part of a larger work called Quatre Saisons)
Andre Campra: Les Femmes
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Thetis

[Symphonic Addict]

Kuula: Violin Sonata in E minor

A splendid and passionate work, one that deserves to be saved from oblivion.




Tubin: Piano Sonata No. 1

I really hope the other works of this set are better as this sonata is nothing but faceless and significantly long for its material. It works better like background music.




Schulhoff: Duo for violin and cello

Schulhoff rarely disappoints me, this is music with meat and substance.




Jongen: Two pieces for wind quintet

Simply endearing and enjoyable music, Jongen was very good at writing for winds. It's composed with pentatonic scales, some parts of the work sounded like "Chinese".




Onslow: Cello Sonata No. 2 in C minor

I would call this piece "Sonata for piano and cello" as the piano part is rather prominent, even it seems more so than the cello one. I've come to think that both Onslow and Ries are some of the best "kept secrets" from the Classical period.