What are you listening 2 now?

[Mandryka]

https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/55/000169555.pdf

Decent sound - the Brahms is "interesting" The booklet shows Pletnev to be an old reactionary, so I've completely lost respect.

[AnotherSpin]

https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/55/000169555.pdf

Decent sound - the Brahms is "interesting" The booklet shows Pletnev to be an old reactionary, so I've completely lost respect.

I listened to Pletnev live back in Soviet times, some early CDs later. For some reason he seemed interesting then, maybe in comparison to the average products of the so-called "Russian" school of pianism. And I could never get rid of some kind of dreary, nauseating heaviness, viscous energy coming from him, and my invariably bad feeling afterwards. I happily got rid of my interest in him many years ago.

[Florestan]

https://static.qobuz.com/goodies/55/000169555.pdf

Decent sound - the Brahms is "interesting" The booklet shows Pletnev to be an old reactionary, so I've completely lost respect.

In another thread you seem to be appreciative of "free thinkers". Well, nowadays, in the era of mass conformity to the latest "progressive" fad, especially amongst the youth, to be an old reactionary is to be a courageous "free thinker". 

[prémont]

The booklet shows Pletnev to be an OLD REACTIONARY, so I've completely lost respect.

In a political or musical sense - or both?

[Que]

Toccate e Partite - Libro Primo, Francesco Cera, harpsichord.

[Florestan]

In a political or musical sense - or both?

Judge for yourself.

[Alexei Shor] is a melodist, and being a melodist nowadays is the greatest courage. Everyone can write nonsense, and this is considered good. But no one wants to listen to this. Shor is an independent person, he writes what he wants and what he hears. That's why his music is so popular.

[Florestan]

TD



Not too late at all: the Orthodox Easter will be celebrated tomorrow. 

[prémont]

Judge for yourself.

Yes, he seems to be very critical of Mad Vlad.

[Florestan]

Yes, he seems to be very critical of Mad Vlad.

Some of his views, here:

https://www.riorchestra.org/news/pletnev-interview

[Todd]

Starting in on a proper, multi-listening session once over of this set.

[Selig]

No booklet on Qobuz, but the sound is streaming.

Booklet is here: https://www.blueheron.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/645312499656_Booklet.pdf

I've been listening to this non-stop, just some of the best songs ever written IMO.

[VonStupp]

Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Mass in B-flat Major, op. 77
Alma Virgo, op. 89a
Mass in D Major, op. 111

Susan Gritton, soprano
Collegium Musicum 90 - Richard Hickox

After going through Haydn's masses, I couldn't ignore his Esterházy successor Hummel.

Hummel is at his creative, forward-looking best during the Credo and Sanctus in both works. The Alma Virgo is a bit of high-flying soprano fun.
VS

[Florestan]

[AnotherSpin]

[Iota]

Debussy: La damoiselle élue

Already at 24 years old, Debussy's harmonies appear to be carried along in a permanent state of ecstatic suspension, supposedly Wagner-inspired yet so different. A very lovely thing.

[Keemun]

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 4 and 5 (Till Fellner, Kent Nagano, Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal)

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Jacques Ibert: Le chevalier errant & Les amours de Jupiter. Orchestre national de Lorraine, Jacques Mercier.

[SonicMan46]

Continuing today with Beethoven's Piano Sonatas - Wilhelm Kempff's mono (1950s) vs. stereo (1960s) - I own the latter but listened to a few hours of the mono recordings this morning on Spotify, now on my own stereo ones - preference, well liked them equally - in Todd's Rating, both are in the top 10 tier with the mono performances a few notches higher - reviews are also equally excellent (attached - seen the one by our Jens Laurson with a link to his 9-part listing of dozens of recordings in the last 80+ years!) - believe that I'll just keep the stereo box.  Dave

P.S. at the bottom is another Hurwitz discussion - he is selective but likes the ones mostly in that top 10 tier linked above, BUT at the very end, he talks about the newer Igor Levit box as a top 'modern' choice for these works; Todd has Levit in the middle of his 3rd tier - may have to do a listen on Spotify - other opinions?

[Lisztianwagner]

First listen to:

Hans Werner Henze
Undine, act 1^

Oliver Knussen & London Sinfonietta

[Todd]