What are you listening 2 now?

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No.5 in B Flat Major, 1878 Version Ed. Leopold Nowak
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 28

[brewski]

Orff: Catulli Carmina (Ormandy/Philadelphia, recorded 1967). Another recording new to me, along with the piece itself. Those weary of Carmina Burana might find this a welcome change. In any case, the sound quality is particularly present here, with sharply characterized percussion, a beautiful Temple University Choir, and soloists Judith Blegen and Richard Ness.

[Symphonic Addict]

Now playing Braunfels Hebridentanze, Op. 70 (Divertimento after Scottish Dances for piano and orchestra)

I didn't know about the existence of that recording, less so about that Orchestral Suite in E minor.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I didn't know about the existence of that recording, less so about that Orchestral Suite in E minor.

It's a good one, Cesar. I think you'll enjoy it, especially if you've enjoyed the previous volumes.

[brewski]

Lutoslawski's Concerto for Orchestra, Little Suite, and 4th Symphony:

Of the three versions of the Concerto posted on the Frankfurt Radio Symphony's YouTube channel, I might like Urbański's take the best, though it would be a tough call.

Definitely want to hear his 4th Symphony, too, after a bit of a break from hearing it last weekend.

What think you of the NDR recording?

[Linz]

Jean-Philippe Rameau Pièces de Clavecin en Concerts  CD1
Musica Amphion, Pieter-Jan Belder

[Symphonic Addict]

Henze: Antifone, Scorribanda sinfonica sopra la tomba di una maratona and Erlkönig. Orchesterfantasie aus 'Le Fils de l'air'

Quite strong works, above all Scorribanda and Erlkönig. This composer continues surprising me for good.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing two of Britten's chamber works for viola/piano --- first up: Reflection



Followed by Lachrymae, Op. 48

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Petrushka. Steinberg/Pittsburgh.

[foxandpeng]

William Alwyn
String Quartet 10, En Voyage
String Quartet 11
String Quartet 12, Fantasia
String Quartet 13
Tippett Quartet
SOMM

Not music with which I am hugely familiar, but very enjoyable

[foxandpeng]

William Alwyn
The Early String Quartets
String Quartets 6 - 9
7 Irish Tunes for String Qt, Nos 1, 4, 7
Villiers Qt
Lyrita

First listen to these after hearing the later quartets. Only a short way in, but I like these pretty well.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Before dinner --- Britten Children's Crusade Op. 82

[JBS]

And for me, it's after dinner, with another run at this CD

[Karl Henning]

[Karl Henning]

And for me, it's after dinner, with another run at this CD

Nice! I need to return to Carter.

[Cato]

And for me, it's after dinner, with another run at this CD

Nice! I need to return to Carter.

Yes!  And Oliver Knussen was a great advocate and conductor of modern composers like Carter!

That CD looks like an all-around fave! 

[Symphonic Addict]

William Alwyn
String Quartet 10, En Voyage
String Quartet 11
String Quartet 12, Fantasia
String Quartet 13
Tippett Quartet
SOMM

Not music with which I am hugely familiar, but very enjoyable

Big fan of these quartets.

[Symphonic Addict]

Four Scandinavian concertante works:

Ludvig Norman: Concert Piece for piano and orchestra
Adolf Wiklund: Concert Piece for piano and orchestra
Ture Rangström: Ballad for piano and orchestra
Louis Glass: Fantasy for piano and orchestra

The Rangström and Glass stood out the most, very cool structurally speaking. Even though I don't hear much Rangström frequently, I was able to detect distinctive gestures of his style. And speaking of Glass, I wonder what happened to the missing recordings of his symphonies 1, 2 and 6 on CPO. That's been a great series so far.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Britten The Turn of the Screw, Op. 54



About The Turn of the Screw:

Some have called it "the perfect opera libretto." Mrs. Myfanwy Piper provided Britten with an adaptation of the novella by Henry James; this wordy, ambiguous text is magically turned into a concise psychological thriller about a governess placed in charge of two orphaned children at the estate of their uncle. The uncle is unwilling to provide any parenting. He simply orders the governess not to bother him about anything having to do with the children. Isolated at the estate, the governess soon perceives that two malevolent ghosts (of the master's valet and of the former governess) are fighting her for the very souls of the children. In a final confrontation, the girl is taken away from harm by the old housekeeper, but the boy's final struggle to renounce the evil influence proves too much for him, and he dies. Were there really ghosts, or was the psychological struggle actually an outgrowth of the repressed sexuality of the governess? James' novella is ambiguous; Britten seems on the surface to cast the ghosts as real (his opera gives them voices and words to sing, which James did not do), but there is enough of a question that it can be staged either way. The dramatic and musical form is masterly. One theme, twisting its way around all notes of the scale, dominates the opera, whose 15 scenes and prologue each constitute a variation on the theme. Doubt creeps in slowly in Act One, as scenes of idyllic upper-class country life are subtly darkened by references to death until the ghosts finally appear and call to the children. Act Two presents a struggle between the ghosts and the governess, with the tension tightening each step of the way. Britten uses only 13 instruments and six voices in this opera, but he creates a breathtaking variety of sounds from these resources. Because of its small scale the work is not played in the larger opera houses very often, but it is accepted as a masterpiece of the growing genre of chamber opera.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]