What are you listening 2 now?

[Traverso]

Bach

Vol.5 CD 4

[Que]

No excuses have to be made for the quality of the seven madrigals on this recording. Splendid!
Fantasias from John Ward's consort music serve as enjoyable fillers. 

[prémont]

Ehnes is the (principal) soloist in all of the concertos; Luc Beausejour is harpsichord soloist in BWV 1045, but apparently did not partipate in the continuo for the others (if a harpsichord was used for continuo, which I'm not sure it was). The other soloists are section principals of the orchestra.

I listened to some of this recording (BWV 1043 and 1052R) for the first time yesterday, and also somewhat doubted whether there was a harpsichord in the continuo. Sometimes I got the impression of some plink-plink in the background, but at other times it seemed conspicuously absent. I didn't listen with headphones, though.

The playing, I think, is very good, with verve and conviction.

[Traverso]

I listened to some of this recording (BWV 1043 and 1052R) for the first time yesterday, and also somewhat doubted whether there was a harpsichord in the continuo. Sometimes I got the impression of some plink-plink in the background, but at other times it seemed conspicuously absent. I didn't listen with headphones, though.

The playing, I think, is very good, with verve and conviction.

There is certainly a harpsichord present although virtually inaudible.

[Harry]

No excuses have to be made for the quality of the seven madrigals on this recording. Splendid!
Fantasias from John Ward's consort music serve as enjoyable fillers. 

I could not find this particular recording on Qobuz. unless it has a different kind of artwork.

[Traverso]

Stravinsky

Persephone



part of this box

[Harry]

Johan Halvorsen (1864 –1935)
Orchestral Works.
Volume II.
See back cover for details.
Marianne Thorsen, Violin,
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi.
Recorded: 2009, at the Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway.

Halvorsen is always a great joy to listen to, and volume II in this series is no exception. Full of good tunes, and above all good cheer. The performance could not be better. I have only praise for both the conductor and his soloist, Marianne Thorsen, who possesses a velvety tone and an immaculate technique.Jarvi brings all his charm to these scores and gets performances of subtlety and finesse.  Very good sound.

 

[Cato]

At times, one might think this should have a subtitle, perhaps "Variations on Bruckner's Eighth Symphony"  .

But then you hear something unusual, as the music unfolds, or, "metamorphoses."

Different from Scherber's Third Symphony, as it is in one movement.  Again, nothing adventurous in harmony or polyphony, but interesting nonetheless.


Martin Scherber's Symphony #2:

[Cato]

Okay, so I just finished listening to Scherber's First Symphony, which one might call the Bruckner Symphony 2 1/2.

But not really, because Bruckner's music would have been much more intriguing!  Very conservative, more than the next two symphonies of Scherber, which are much better in their musical content and structure.

But, someone might find it more interesting than I did:

[Traverso]

Mozart

What music can better dispel a gloomy mood without becoming superficial?

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, a miracle of clear joy and unbroken zest for life.

[SonicMan46]

Gottschalk, Louis Moreau (1829-1869) - Piano Music with Philip Martin on 8 CDs over the last few days - Hyperion is offering the boxed set HERE as only a DL (the booklet can be viewed, if interested) - a major 19th century piano virtuoso with his 'American' music.  Died at the peak of his popularity as described below although the cause of his demise is debated still.  Dave

P.S. I obtain the individual physical discs from BRO a while back at half price - check link - see at least 3 available at the moment.

Louis Moreau Gottschalk was an American composer, pianist, and virtuoso performer of his own romantic piano works. He spent most of his working career outside the United States.  on December 18, 1869, at the age of 40, he died at his hotel in Rio de Janeiro, probably from an overdose of quinine. (According to an essay by Jeremy Nicholas for the booklet accompanying the recording "Gottschalk Piano Music" performed by Philip Martin on the Hyperion label, "He died ... of empyema, the result of a ruptured abscess in the abdomen.") (Source)

 

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Kodály: Concerto for Orchestra, Dances of Galánta, Dances of Marosszék (Ormandy/Philadelphia). Another "wow" from these forces during the 1960s. I don't recall ever hearing the Dances of Marosszék.

I didn't know about the recording. I will check it out!

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Ravel orchestral music. Slovak Philharmonic/Aldo Ceccato.

[brewski]

I didn't know about the recording. I will check it out!

You can likely find it any number of places (e.g., YouTube, Spotify, etc.) but the other day I also stumbled across it on the invaluable Internet Archive, here, which could use some love these days. Elsewhere, a pal suggested that Ormandy's Hungarian background may be one of the reasons for this album's success (his Bartók, too), but in any case, it's great.

[Que]

I could not find this particular recording on Qobuz. unless it has a different kind of artwork.

They have the (digital) reissue on Cantus (combining the 2 separate recordings on Musica Oscura):

[Harry]

They have the (digital) reissue on Cantus (combining the 2 separate recordings on Musica Oscura):

That was helpful, found it.

[brewski]

Hindemith: Mathis der Maler and Symphonic Metamorphoses (Ormandy/Philadelphia, from 1961-62). First hearing of this recording, and again, as with other Ormandy recordings over the last few weeks, the performance and sound quality are outstanding.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

You can likely find it any number of places (e.g., YouTube, Spotify, etc.) but the other day I also stumbled across it on the invaluable Internet Archive, here, which could use some love these days. Elsewhere, a pal suggested that Ormandy's Hungarian background may be one of the reasons for this album's success (his Bartók, too), but in any case, it's great.

Ormandy traveled the USA and incidentally failed to return to Hungary. For legal status, he was not different from those Venezuelans etc. detained and deported today. I think he began his career by conducting an orchestra for silent movies at a movie theatre. Somebody should write his biography.

[brewski]

Ormandy traveled the USA and incidentally failed to returned to Hungary. For legal status, he was not different from those Venezuelans etc. detained and deported today. I think he began his career by conducting an orchestra for silent movies at a movie theatre. Somebody should write his biography.

There's definitely a book there. You may be aware that the University of Pennsylvania now has his archives — a huge amount of material — and staff are in the process of going through them. Hoping that eventually some of it is available online.

[Linz]

Johann Sebastian Bach Partitsas No. 1 and 2
Claudio Arrau The final sessions CD1