What are you listening 2 now?

[Harry]

Johan Halvorsen.
Orchestral Works, Volume 1.
See back cover for details.
Marianne Thorsen, Violin.
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi.
Recorded: 2009, Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway.

Not to know this composer is a serious omission in one's classical upbringing
For the richness of melodies, his excellent view on creating the best in his ability, and succeeding admirably without any trouble at all is a great plus for liking him. It will be impossible to find some music of him to dislike, nay you will not find it Järvi is the conductor to meet his standards, so a perfect symbiosis, in good sound.

[prémont]

What I've found is that you have to be in the right frame of mind for Vartolo's rubato in a piece which is as familiar as The Goldberg Variations. Sometimes it sounds totally natural to me, sometimes it sounds too much of an intervention. Vartolo is wonderful in Froberger, Scarlatti on harpsichord and Frescobaldi too.

I think his Rossi and Trabaci also deserves mention.

[Linz]

Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky Symphony in B Minor, Op. 58 "Manfred"
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov

[Traverso]

Mozart

Violin Sonatas KV,301-304-376-378

Arthur Grumiaux
Clara Haskil

[SonicMan46]

Boccherini, Luigi (1743-1805) - Flute Quintets on the recordings below - he wrote 26 works according to the list below (Source) (likely 'some' reworkings of his string quintets?). The Auryn Quartet record Op. 55 w/ Michael Faust on a modern flute; Auser Musici perform Op. 19 w/ Carlo Ipata on a historic one-key instrument after Grenser; the Goya SQ does Op. 17, 19, & 55 w/ de Torres on a historic Grenser reproduction; and Rampal on a modern flute performs G437-442 - reviews attached.  Dave

Boccherini's Flute Quintets
Flute Quintets, Op. 17, Nos. 1-6 (G419-424) (1773)
Flute Quintets, Op. 19, Nos. 1-6 (G425-430) (1774)
Flute Quintets, Op. 55, Nos. 1-6 (1797) (G431-436)
Flute Quintets w/ cello, Nos. 1-6 (G437-442)
Flute Quintets w/ flute/oboe, x 2 (G443, 444)

 

 

[Harry]

Johann Gottlieb Janitsch. 1708–1763
Chamber Music.
See back cover for details.
Die Freitagsakademie, Katharina Suske.
Recorded: 22–24 May 2022, Radio studio Zürich.

Recorded are five quartet sonatas (two of which are first recordings!). In 1752, Johann Joachim Quantz called this genre the "touchstone of a true contrapuntists," and Janitsch's contributions are indeed true gems in this supreme discipline. They masterfully combine the melodic elegance of the galant style popular around the middle of the 18th century with contrapuntal finesse and expressive harmony. Added to this is a calm but clear recording and ditto performance.

[Linz]

Zoltán Kodály Dances of Galánta, Concerto for Orchestra, Variations on a Hungarian Folk Song, The Peacock
Dances of Marosszék (Version for Orchestra)
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta

[Traverso]

Delibes

Sylvia
Coppelia

[JBS]

New arrival.

CD 1
Opus 145
No.1 in C
No.2 in e minor
No.3 in A

[brewski]

Live from Stuttgart, this amazing lineup. I've never heard the Lutosławski, nor the second Saariaho.

Lutosławski: Kleine Suite für Kammerorchester
Saariaho: Graal théâtre für Violine und Orchester
Saariaho: Verblendungen für Orchester und Tonband
Debussy: La Mer

Carolin Widmann, violin
Matthias Schneider-Hollek, sound direction
SWR Symphonieorchester
Bas Wiegers, conductor

[Florestan]

Delibes

Sylvia
Coppelia

Two of the most charming ballets ever written.

[Linz]

b]Anton Bruckner[/b] Symphony No. 3 in D Minor,
Staatskapelle Dresden, Eugen Jochum

[Lisztianwagner]

Karl Amadeus Hartmann
Concerto for Piano, Wind and Percussion
Symphonische Hymnen

Maria Bergmann (piano)
Rafael Kubelik & Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

[JBS]

New arrival.

CD 1
Opus 145
No.1 in C
No.2 in e minor
No.3 in A

Continuing on to CD 2
Wo035
No.1 in d minor
No.2 in G
No.3 in a minor

[Symphonic Addict]

Yes, having a structure of some kind, especially when doing a deeper dive into a composer's oeuvre is always a good thing or, at least, I'm speaking from my own experience.

Have you got to Henze's SQs yet? I recall enjoying these works, but, as I mentioned previously, I'm long overdue for a Henze-a-thon.

Yes, I have heard them. I remember liking the first one the most. The others sounded more challenging and at that time they didn't impress me as much as I wanted.

[Symphonic Addict]

Both those discs look very interesting. Particularly (for me), Heliogabalus Imperator, since I read it is based mainly on Héliogabale, ou l'anarchiste couronné by Antonin Artaud (an author I find fascinating).

That Wergo CD also includes Los Caprichos, Englische Liebeslieder and Ouvertüre zu einem Theater.

[ritter]

That Wergo CD also includes Los Caprichos, Englische Liebeslieder and Ouvertüre zu einem Theater.

I've just ordered it... 

[Symphonic Addict]

I've just ordered it... 

Nice, Rafael. Enjoy!

[Spotted Horses]

Maconchy, "The Land." A suite of four movements titled by the four seasons. An early work, which nevertheless has a stamp of originality, to my ears.

[André]

Catching up...



1960 mono, okay conducting, stentorian soloists, Vishnevskaya's penetrating soprano in particular loud as an engine whistle. I think this one will get the charity shop treatment.



Another russian Requiem, this time from Moscow, recorded in the same year with 3 of the same soloists (was there a Leningrad/Moscow competition going on ?). It was issued in stereo but for some reason my japanese cd issue is in mono. The sound is a bit raw (always was in Moscow Melodiya issues) but immediate and wide-ranging.

The thing is that this is a hair-raising, sizzling, terrific performance of the work. Passionate, deeply spiritual, with an amazing response from the orchestra. It's not only the famous episodes like the Dies Irae or Tuba Mirum that raise the scalp, but even soft, quiet moments like the ominous bass drum taps before Mors Stupebit are endowed with incredible intensity.

Same soloists but a very different kind of response. Markevitch takes some 6 minutes more than Melik-Pashaev, mostly in the lyrical episodes, allowing the voices to take on a more relaxed (less edgy), pleading quality. Overall Markevitch's tempi are more contrasted. The sound is no more than a 6.5/10 but the interpretation gets top marks. Anyone hooked on Fricsay's or Toscanini's Requiem ought to hear this. It's even better (and with better sound).