What are you listening 2 now?

[Spotted Horses]

Listened to this release, mentioned by @Symphonic Addict, String Quartet No 1. Wow, an utterly brilliant work from start to finish. The poignant dissonances in the second movement are to die for!

[brewski]

Janácek: Monologue and Prayer from Jenufa - Still a fave after all these years, from Karita Mattila's Arias & Scenes recording.

-Bruce

[Linz]

Mieczysław Weinberg Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra, Op. 30 and Chamber Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra, Op. 147, Umea Symphony Orchestra, Thord Svedlund;

[André]

This resolutely tonal and neo-romantic symphony was composed in 2015. It has a kinship with music composed 3-4 generations ago. Doderer takes good note of today's penchant for lush new agey sonorities. Silvestrov's shadow can definitely be detected. Its three movements have little to connect or relate to one another. To my ears it sounds like an extended suite from a lost opera by Schreker (and none the worse for that). The middle (slow) movement is a lyrical, whimsy nocturne for soprano and orchestra. A gentle tapestry of strings underpins the voice most of the time. Anne Schwanewilms, one of the most beautiful soprano voices to have emerged in the last 20 years, sings this gentle music to perfection. The finale is quite beautiful, with its wafts of Sibelius, Hanson and late Kancheli. Whatever the composer's idea of how a symphony should sound, there is much to like here.

The violin concerto is a much shorter work (24 mins to the symphony's almost 50). It sounds more original, in the sense that there seems to be little influence from other voices. It's a fine, invigorating work in which the soloist has a lot to do.

Orchestral playing and recorded sound are excellent. I see Harry posted about this disc a year ago and liked it too.

Not for the die-hard modernist. You know if this is for you.

[VonStupp]

Johan de Meij
Symphony 1 'LOTR' (orch. de Vlieger)
London SO - David Warble

I've known the concert band version for a long time, but never peeked at the orchestrated one before, as presented here.

FYI, the paired Mahler 5 is from Harold Farberman. A rather slow account, as I recall.
VS

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No. 6 in A Major, 1881 Version. Ed. Robert Haas, Heinz Bongartz, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Helgoland, Wyn Morris, Ambrosian Male Voice Chorus, Symphonica of London

[Bachtoven]

Brilliant playing and excellent sound. His use of tone colors and dynamics reminds me of Julian Bream, but Shibe has even better technique.

[ritter]

Igor Stravinsky conducts The Fairy's Kiss (his first, mono recording of the complete ballet, with the Cleveland Orchestra).



From the big box:

[foxandpeng]

This resolutely tonal and neo-romantic symphony was composed in 2015. It has a kinship with music composed 3-4 generations ago. Doderer takes good note of today's penchant for lush new agey sonorities. Silvestrov's shadow can definitely be detected. Its three movements have little to connect or relate to one another. To my ears it sounds like an extended suite from a lost opera by Schreker (and none the worse for that). The middle (slow) movement is a lyrical, whimsy nocturne for soprano and orchestra. A gentle tapestry of strings underpins the voice most of the time. Anne Schwanewilms, one of the most beautiful soprano voices to have emerged in the last 20 years, sings this gentle music to perfection. The finale is quite beautiful, with its wafts of Sibelius, Hanson and late Kancheli. Whatever the composer's idea of how a symphony should sound, there is much to like here.

The violin concerto is a much shorter work (24 mins to the symphony's almost 50). It sounds more original, in the sense that there seems to be little influence from other voices. It's a fine, invigorating work in which the soloist has a lot to do.

Orchestral playing and recorded sound are excellent. I see Harry posted about this disc a year ago and liked it too.

Not for the die-hard modernist. You know if this is for you.

On my list!

[foxandpeng]

Johan de Meij
Symphony 1 'LOTR' (orch. de Vlieger)
London SO - David Warble

I've known the concert band version for a long time, but never peeked at the orchestrated one before, as presented here.

FYI, the paired Mahler 5 is from Harold Farberman. A rather slow account, as I recall.
VS

De Meij is quality.

[pjme]

Just saw the CHANDOS CD mentioned -
Surprised to find this on YT.
Pauk recorded this work for CBC- as did Howard Hanson - much earlier - for Mercury. If I remember well, Dennis Russels Davies recorded it also with the American Composers Orchestra.

[Linz]

Johann Pachelbel
Johann Christoph Bach
Johann Michael Bach Motets, Cantus Cölln

[Spotted Horses]

On my list!

He had me until I read soprano.

[foxandpeng]

He had me until I read soprano.

Willing to give it a go, but I mostly don't connect with choral stuff 🙂

Open mind until I've had a good listen!

[ritter]

Sticking to Stravinsky, but with a corner of his output I seldom revisit, the music for piano duet. Here played by Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale.

[foxandpeng]

Sergei Prokofiev
The Symphonies
Symphony 3
Andrew Litton
Bergen PO
BIS

Been a while. Nice to come back to familiar music rarely revisited. I do enjoy Prokofiev and have particular affection for #3.

[Irons]

Dabrowski: Concerto for Violin, 2 Pianos and Percussion.

Jadwiga Kaliszewska (violin) with Paznan Percussion Ensemble.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Janácek: Monologue and Prayer from Jenufa - Still a fave after all these years, from Karita Mattila's Arias & Scenes recording.

-Bruce

I have that album--really love her singing/acting!

PD

[Todd]

[foxandpeng]

Robert Simpson
Symphony 11
Matthew Taylor
City of London Sinfonia
Hyperion

Always good. Shockingly acceptable to my less engaged domestic classical music critic.