What are you listening 2 now?

[Traverso]

Bach


Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke

Non sa che sia Dolore

Weichet nur betrübte Schatten

[Lisztianwagner]

Richard Strauss
Metamorphosen

[kyjo]

The Cecilia Quartet, a group of four Canadian ladies, produced one of my all-time favorite Dvorak albums before it dissolved in 2018. Starting with the Cypresses and finishing with a few encore waltzes, the album's structure primes your brain for a certain way of looking at the central work - the big masterpiece quartet Op. 106. Because you've been enjoying the utterly lovely, ultra-melodic Cypresses, the big quartet sneaks up on you, presenting itself at first as another in the flow of Dvorak's glorious tunes. The development and structural complexity unfolds slowly, luxuriously, even though the Cecilias' performance is actually quite vigorous and exciting. The slow movement is uberromantic, including luxurious portamenti.

A pity this group has disbanded. Also a pity that only 6 of the 12 Cypresses are on this album. There was room for more! A+ stuff.

Thanks for the report, Brian! Sounds like a must-hear performance of my all-time favorite SQ.

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No. 4

[Traverso]

Johann Strauss

Die Fledermaus - Balletmusik  (live 1960)

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony 3 in D Minor

[Brian]

I am a big fan of Sgambati's First Symphony, a medium fan of his Second Symphony, and, now, not a fan at all of his Third, the "Sinfonia epitalamio." This is the world premiere recording of the work, which is a sort of picturesque scene-series depicting various moments at a wedding. It's even less coherently structured than Goldmark's Rustic Wedding Symphony (also in five movements), and Sgambati's tunes are so nondescript, they barely exist. This is more like a series of entr'actes than a symphony. The now-disbanded Rome Symphony and Francesco La Vecchia play the notes, but don't seem to care, and the acoustic is odd. I don't know that a better performance would save the piece.

I haven't listened to this performance of the Second but note that it is two minutes shorter than the CPO performance.

[Todd]

I have never purchased a Vivaldi recording by itself, and since this was free, that long-standing practice continues.  (I do have multiple Vivaldi recordings sprinkled in big boxes.)  Mintz plays well, of course, and the band plays nicely.  It's perfectly acceptable.  The only quibble is that it appears to have been insecurely ripped from a CD.

[Bachtoven]

My favorite recording of these two works:

[jlopes]

[Todd]

K136 from:

[VonStupp]

Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937)
Les enfants à Bethléem

Jocelyne Chamonin, The Star / Hanna Schaer, Mary
Jean-Claude Orliac, tenor / Jean-Marie Fremeau, The Ox
Paul-Emile Deiber, narrator / Norah Amsellem, Jeannette
Raphaelle Hazard, Nicolas / Daphne Kupferstein, Lubin

Maîtrise de Radio France
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France -
Michel Lasserre de Rozel (rec. 1987)

As Christmas Oratorios go, I find Pierné's music most charming.

Additional interest lays in its perspective - that from the view of children and the animals at the manger.

VS

[Klavierman]

Excellent playing and sound.

[Mapman]

Maiden-Listen Monday
Roxburgh: 3 Wordsworth Miniatures
John Bradbury

[vandermolen]

Alexander Glazunov's
Symphony No. 8

Neeme Järvi, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

My favourite Glazunov symphony in a fine recoeding.

[Irons]

Bax: 5th Symphony.

[Que]

Bach


Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke

Non sa che sia Dolore

Weichet nur betrübte Schatten

That's a really excellent recording! 

[Que]

Morning listening on Spotify:

[vandermolen]

Bax: 5th Symphony.

My favourite Bax Symphony (dedicated to Sibelius)

[vandermolen]

Welsh Dances etc (Hoddinott, Jones and Mathias) - a most enjoyable CD: