What are you listening 2 now?

[ChamberNut]

Breaking open this newly arrived box set.

Listening to the first two discs. Utterly gorgeous music.

[Harry]

I bookmarked this complete set on Qobuz, and the good thing is they do not take up space in my home, it's all in my Roon server.   and that one works in my cellar and is a very tiny NUC. 3500 CD's in it already, and plenty room for much much more

[Linz]

Leopold Mozart Symphonies, The London Mozart Players; Matthias Bamert, Contempories of Mozart Vol. II CD 7

[ChamberNut]

Leopold Mozart Symphonies, The London Mozart Players; Matthias Bamert, Contempories of Mozart Vol. II CD 7

I see you have quite a number of recordings with Matthias Bamert conducting. A great conductor!

I'll never forget he came to our city to conduct a performance of Franck's D minor symphony with our orchestra. Unforgettable and launched a major appreciate for me for this work.

[Karl Henning]

Breaking open this newly arrived box set.

Listening to the first two discs. Utterly gorgeous music.

Very nice!

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No 2 in C Minor, 1872/77 Mixed Versions. Ed. Leopold Nowak, USSR Ministry of Culture Orchestra, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky

[DavidW]

A modern Schubert 9 that I really, really like! There is such great control and precision, and a dramatic performance:


And this is up to Paavo Jarvi's usual high standard of excellence:

[Linz]

Ludwig van Beethoven Mass C major op. 86
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Vesperae de Dominica K321
Chor Symhonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, WDR Rundfunkchor, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Günter Wand
Günter Wand Radio Recordings Box 3 CD 1

[Iota]

Bright & Early.
Lute Music.
Hopkinson Smith, Lute,  SIX-COURSE LUTE MADE BY JOEL VAN LENNEP, BOSTON, 1977.
See back cover for details.
RECORDED ON APRIL 2021, AUDITORIUM JEAN-PIERRE DAUTEL, CONSERVATOIRE & ORCHESTRE DE CAEN (FRANCE).

Hopkinson Smith approaches these mysterious treasures reminiscent of distant times and reveries of the Middle Ages on his six-part lute built in the late fifteenth-century tradition. With the humility of one who appreciates the incredible richness and expressiveness of these works, he is the lone lutenist who has become a storyteller through his instrument, like a true creator! Well recorded.

Your post piqued my interest, so I had a listen to the first part and have enjoyed it very much so far. Nice recommendation! 

I had never heard of this pianist before and looked up what was available to stream. First I tried her recording of the Chopin second sonata, which was quite good, convulsive heaving in the appropriate passages comparable to Pogorelić, who is my reference (his 1980 recording, his debut LP for Deutsche Grammophon). But I went to the Liszt and the Liebestraum did not work for me. The opening is very quiet, which allows for a big buildup to the dramatic conclusion, but it seems to relegate the first part of the piece to setting the stage for the big climax. I put on dependable Arrau and sure enough that opening passage is played full throated with much harmonic sensuality in evidence.

Actually the whole of that opening section of Liebestraume is marked dolce cantando, and Buniatishvili follows Lizst's directions pretty accurately throughout. But to be honest I wouldn't mind even if she didn't, as she plays with such vivid spontaneity and varieties of emotional intensity, the piece feels more alive in her hands than in any other performance I know. I haven't heard Arrau though so I'll give him a whirl.

[Spotted Horses]

Actually the whole of that opening section of Liebestraume is marked dolce cantando, and Buniatishvili follows Lizst's directions pretty accurately throughout. But to be honest I wouldn't mind even if she didn't, as she plays with such vivid spontaneity and varieties of emotional intensity, the piece feels more alive in her hands than in any other performance I know. I haven't heard Arrau though so I'll give him a whirl.

Leaving aside the customary interpretation as a musical direction (of which I am ignorant) dolce cantando means sweetly singing, and I can't fault Arrau for failing to observe the direction.

[André]

Pleasant works, once again in the wrong order: symphony, then concerto, and an overture to close the program.

Is it so hard to replicate the normal order they would be played in concert ?

[SonicMan46]

Mozart, WA - String Quartets with the youthful Armida Quartett - 7 CDs collected in 5 jewel boxes (2 are doubles) - reviews attached, if interested.  Dave

 

[Iota]

Leaving aside the customary interpretation as a musical direction (of which I am ignorant) dolce cantando means sweetly singing, and I can't fault Arrau for failing to observe the direction.

Fair enough, it was just when you said Arrau played the opening section 'full throated', I'd understood it as playing loud. : )

[Spotted Horses]

Fair enough, it was just when you said Arrau played the opening section 'full throated', I'd understood it as playing loud. : )

I don't know how to define loud. It was not piano. Listening to Buniatishvili's recording I would have assumed the opening was marked pianissimo (pp) or at least piano (p). If you can find a way to listen to Arrau I think you would find it worthwhile (I was listening to a digital Philips recording, I'm not sure if he recorded the piece more than once for Philips).

[Iota]

I don't know how to define loud. It was not piano. Listening to Buniatishvili's recording I would have assumed the opening was marked pianissimo (pp) or at least piano (p). If you can find a way to listen to Arrau I think you would find it worthwhile (I was listening to a digital Philips recording, I'm not sure if he recorded the piece more than once for Philips).

Sure, will try and track that recording down.

[Cato]

SONATA-REMINISCENZA.

See back cover for details.

Anna Zassimova, Piano, Piano: Steinway D.
Recording: 2018, Liszt zentrum Raiding, Österreich, and Hans-Rosbaud-Studio. SWR Baden-Baden, 2009.


Mesmerising enchantment, everything in proportion with not a hint of passionate excess. Bold and romantic, but also clear and precise. Her performance is exquisite. Stunning virtuosity and a delicate touch in the best possible way. That sums up what you get with Anna Zassimova. I heard another disc of her, Piano works by Dora Pejacevic, in which I found the same qualities. A clear recording.

That is some concert, and it ends with a work by Wyschnegradsky!!!


Today, thanks to Dayton Classical Radio:


Poulenc visits the 1500's!

Suite française (d'après Claude Gervaise)

William Boyce: Symphony #3:

William Boyce was the Anton Webern of the 1700's! 

And for your daily dose of mystery, mysticism, and mystification:

😇

Scriabin:  Piano Sonata #6 !!!


Michael Ponti's classic performance from the VOX Box!

[Linz]

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23, Lazar Berman and Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35, Christin Ferras, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan

[Spotted Horses]

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23, Lazar Berman and Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35, Christin Ferras, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan

I still remember when that set of recordings came out. At the time I was only aware of Karajan's recordings of the 70's and 80's. The 60's recordings in this series of releases was a revelation.

[Karl Henning]

A modern Schubert 9 that I really, really like! There is such great control and precision, and a dramatic performance:


And this is up to Paavo Jarvi's usual high standard of excellence:

I like the cover! 😉

[Madiel]

Mozart: starting on the first of 3 albums with earlier (and much shorter) divertimenti for winds



Image is probably not of an actual recording session, but it does rather help show why the Netherlands Wind Ensemble were considered a bunch of young rascals. Shorts! Shirtless! Shoeless! And so very 1970.

First up, K.166 is for 10 winds. K.240, 213 and 252 are for 6 winds.