What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

It was!   I especially enjoyed the Schulhoff.

I'm also mighty curious about the Křenek

[steve ridgway]

Rachmaninoff: Symphony No.2

Quite pleasant and sounds familiar at times.

[Mookalafalas]

I got a digital version of this set a while back, and have listened to the first 70 disk on earphones, and some through cheap speakers, while commuting, mostly. It came available for under $100 from Amazon UK, so couldn't resist. Now binging on it through regular stereo system. It is probably mostly psychological, but sound seems so much clearer and better.  Its not Reiner or Szell, but it's still awfully good. On Dvorak's New World now (disk 9).

[AnotherSpin]

A superb performance in very good recording quality.

[Irons]

Granville Bantock.
Violin sonatas Nr.1 & 2.
Coronach for Violin and Piano.(Pro Patria mori)
Salve Regina for Violin and Piano, "Hail Queen of Heaven".

Lorraine McAslan, Violin.
Michael Dussek, Piano.
Recorded in 2001 Recital Hall, St Paul's School, Hammerschmidt, London.


Towards the end of his long and active musical career Bantock wrote numerous Chamber music works. A selection of that is recorded on this CD, and I did not realize until now, what beautiful works they are. It is good to be amazed at times, it gets you right back to the point of interest, and that's musical commitment. Be on top when something wondrous comes around, totally unexpected. That's what I call a treat! Right? Very competent musicians are at work here. I have been long an admirer of Lorraine McAslan's Violin playing, and rate her very high on my scale. Michael Dussek was unknown to me, but he is a wonderful musical partner. Very well recorded too!

The name Michael Dussek rang a bell, Harry. Turns out he is a sort of house-pianist for Dutton featuring in many chamber recordings released on the label including Bantock works for cello and piano. Indeed, he is the pianist on a particular favourite of mine, a Dutton CD of Gordon Jacob.

[vandermolen]

I got a digital version of this set a while back, and have listened to the first 70 disk on earphones, and some through cheap speakers, while commuting, mostly. It came available for under $100 from Amazon UK, so couldn't resist. Now binging on it through regular stereo system. It is probably mostly psychological, but sound seems so much clearer and better.  Its not Reiner or Szell, but it's still awfully good. On Dvorak's New World now (disk 9).

Looks like a great set!

[Irons]

George Lloyd: Symphony No.5



The sum of parts do not seem to make for a symphonic whole. The music has such great charm and so masterly orchestrated that lack of symphonic structure doesn't detract. I'm enjoying this recording very much.

[vandermolen]

John Ogdon playing French music. The mammoth Dukas Sonata, Schmitt's Deux Mirages, and the Dutilleux Sonata.

Disc 11 of this set I bought today:

The Busoni recording is a classic!

[vandermolen]

Schuman (one 'n') Symphony No 3, Schwarz, Seattle



This symphony seems different than the ones the followed (I've been listening to them in reverse order from eight). More of a brilliant orchestral show piece, compared with the serious, tense tone that seems to characterize the later symphonies. Performance is good. I think I'll listen to Bernstein next. I have a choice of NY Philharmonic recordings from Columbia/Sony (1960) and DG (1987). I think I'll go with 1960, because I'm expecting the sound to be better.

Bernstein's Columbia recording is the best IMO.

[vandermolen]

Boris Tchaikovsky: Piano Quintet
Enjoyable and more like Weinberg than Shostakovich:

[Harry]

The name Michael Dussek rang a bell, Harry. Turns out he is a sort of house-pianist for Dutton featuring in many chamber recordings released on the label including Bantock works for cello and piano. Indeed, he is the pianist on a particular favourite of mine, a Dutton CD of Gordon Jacob.

Thank you for the info, I did not know that Dutton had in house musicians. Comes in rather handy I guess.
Which CD would that be you mentioned? Or is that the one you posted, well, in that case I already bookmarked it.

[Harry]

Con Voce quasi Humana.
Vocal Music of the Trecento.
Ensemble Perlaro.
Recorded 2015, Castle Beuggen, Rheinfelden (Baden) Germany.

This is the first CD Ensemble Perlaro recorded. When I listened to the second one my opinion was quite clear, Phenomenal! I can add this one to that list too, the singing is even better, and perfectly balanced, which is a rare thing, but when it works it works. A treat in the early morning, recorded in SOTA sound.


Ensemble Perlaro gives a panoramic view of the secular music of the Trecento, from the oldest surviving pieces from the Rossi Codex and the first musicians whose names have survived in full, to the florid style of some of the best-known Florentine maestri, to the rapid decline of this culture in the early Quattrocento. The majority of the works are drawn from what is arguably the most important and magnificently endowed collection of Trecento music, the Squarcialupi Codex, now housed in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence. The special feature of this recording lies in the purely vocal interpretation of the Trecento pieces. Through this approach, a clarity of pronunciation and phrasing is gained which in some ways makes it easier to pick out all the "voices" within the various compositional styles and genres such as madrigals, ballatas and caccias.

[Harry]

Alf Thorvald Hurum. (1882-1972)
String Quartet in A minor.
Symphony in D minor.
Bendik & Aarlolilja, Symphonic Poem.

Vertavo SQ, Stavanger SO, Alexander Dmitriev.
Recorded in 1998.

Hat tip to @vandermolen for making me aware of this recording. Very much in my alley indeed. By what I hear I must conclude that he is unknown and quite underrated, for this is beautifully composed music. So many creative ideas in his SQ, I have listened twice to it, and still did not have my fill of it. Same goes for the Symphony in D minor, my favourite key, brimful with attractive melodies, and cleverly arranged too. Performance is very good as is the sound. I would like more of these recommendations if you please.

[vandermolen]

Alf Thorvald Hurum. (1882-1972)
String Quartet in A minor.
Symphony in D minor.
Bendik & Aarlolilja, Symphonic Poem.

Vertavo SQ, Stavanger SO, Alexander Dmitriev.
Recorded in 1998.

Hat tip to @vandermolen for making me aware of this recording. Very much in my alley indeed. By what I hear I must conclude that he is unknown and quite underrated, for this is beautifully composed music. So many creative ideas in his SQ, I have listened twice to it, and still did not have my fill of it. Same goes for the Symphony in D minor, my favourite key, brimful with attractive melodies, and cleverly arranged too. Performance is very good as is the sound. I would like more of these recommendations if you please.

Pleased to hear this Harry. I thought that Alf would be right up your street. It's an excellent CD featuring three fine and memorable works. 

[Que]

Con Voce quasi Humana.
Vocal Music of the Trecento.
Ensemble Perlaro.
Recorded 2015, Castle Beuggen, Rheinfelden (Baden) Germany.

This is the first CD Ensemble Perlaro recorded. When I listened to the second one my opinion was quite clear, Phenomenal! I can add this one to that list too, the singing is even better, and perfectly balanced, which is a rare thing, but when it works it works. A treat in the early morning, recorded in SOTA sound.

Agreed.    It's a great pity that there aren't any more recordings - because the interpretation & execution is of such excellence.

[Harry]

Airat Ichmouratov (b. 1973).
Orchestral Works.
"Youth" Overture, Op. 50 (2016)
"Maslenitsa" Overture, Op. 36 (2012)
Symphony, Op. 55 "On the Ruins of an Ancient Fort" (2015– 17).

Orchestre de la Francophonie, Jean-Philippe Tremblay.
Recording venue, Oscar Peterson Concert Hall, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2019.

I have not seen anyone on GMG having an interest in this music, which is a bit of a mystery to me, for this composer has a distinctive voice. His compositions are not a run of the mill, but rather shows what a talent this man is, in writing accessible music in a context that is very much of this time.
Wit and serious lightness, musical eclecticism at its best. To try is to get wiser. Excellent performance and SOTA sound.

[Harry]

Agreed.    It's a great pity that there aren't any more recordings - because the interpretation & execution is of such excellence.

Well actually there are! But with a different ensemble, but quite as good. Look for Ensemble Peregrina, you will find at least 10+ recordings. I sampled them, and it made me smile of pleasure.

[Roasted Swan]

Airat Ichmouratov (b. 1973).
Orchestral Works.
"Youth" Overture, Op. 50 (2016)
"Maslenitsa" Overture, Op. 36 (2012)
Symphony, Op. 55 "On the Ruins of an Ancient Fort" (2015– 17).

Orchestre de la Francophonie, Jean-Philippe Tremblay.
Recording venue, Oscar Peterson Concert Hall, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2019.

I have not seen anyone on GMG having an interest in this music, which is a bit of a mystery to me, for this composer has a distinctive voice. His compositions are not a run of the mill, but rather shows what a talent this man is, in writing accessible music in a context that is very much of this time.
Wit and serious lightness, musical eclecticism at its best. To try is to get wiser. Excellent performance and SOTA sound.

One of the discs in the Chandos Winter Sale.  My finger hovered over the "buy" but I went for the Terterian instead!

[img=350x350]https://www.chandos.net/artwork/CH5241.jpg[/img]

[Harry]

One of the discs in the Chandos Winter Sale.  My finger hovered over the "buy" but I went for the Terterian instead!

Good choice too

[prémont]

Well actually there are! But with a different ensemble, but quite as good. Look for Ensemble Peregrina, you will find at least 10+ recordings. I sampled them, and it made me smile of pleasure.

Which ensemble - if I may ask?