What are you listening 2 now?

[Symphonic Addict]

Three very enjoyable quartets.

[Lisztianwagner]

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Sancta Civitas

Cecil Aronowitz, Ian Partridge, John Shirley-Quirk, John Westbrook, Robin Doveton, Bach Choir, Choir of King's College Cambridge, Jacques Orchestra, Knabenstimmen Des Choir Of King's College
David Willcocks & London Symphony Orchestra

[Iota]

I'm looking forward to exploring this cantata cycle. Rademann seems to have chosen some very fine soloists, though several names are new to me. Kristjánsson and Feuersinger are already among my favorites - maybe Elvira Bill too.

Fwiw, the singers names were all new to me, but I was struck at how good I found virtually all the singing. I'm looking forward to hearing more of the cycle too.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra and Don Quixote · Vienna Philharmonic, Clemens Krauss.

[Karl Henning]

A gorgeous work, Karl. I think you will enjoy it.

So I anticipate:

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Dutton did a series of older quad recordings transferred to SACD.  For example, Bernstein's live Mass in Time of War and Ormandy's Shostakovich 5 & 15 for RCA.  I didn't know about this one before.  The stereo mix is in Sony's Chavez box.

Dutton has done some great work with some the older Columbia recordings. Besides the Chávez/Copland, I've got their recording of Holst's The Planets with Bernstein (also featured is Britten's Four Sea Interludes from "Peter Grimes"). The only other one I own is the Ormandy recording of Ives' Holidays Symphony and Symphony No. 2. I haven't heard the surround mixes as I don't have a setup for that (yet), but the stereo mixes sound fantastic.

[Linz]

Anton  Bruckner Symphony No.1 in C Minor, 1877 Linz version with revisions - Ed. Leopold Nowak
Berliner Philharmoniker, Eugen Jochum

[Spotted Horses]

op.22 was never a favorite of mine but I like it a bit more than I used to. Michelangeli and Richter played it and they might be worth a try but my favorite is probably a live recording with Pollini from the late 1990s on DG, coupled with op.26 and the Waldstein (not exactly sure if this was the recording picked for his complete box)

I listened to the first movement by Pollini (both), and it was not a revelation (although I am generally a fan of Pollini). I listened to Badura-Skoda on fortepiano, but was not overwhelmed. It seemed like his technique was not up to performing the rapid figuration with panache on the fortepiano. Then I went back other Pommier, and that was the most satisfactory for me, a light touch that evokes the sound of the fortepiano on a modern instrument. A really lovely cycle, little known or appreciated.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing for what might be a first-listen: Villa-Lobos Five Preludes



I should spend more time with V-L's solo piano music. Much of what I heard has been excellent. This set with Sonia Rubinsky on Naxos might be the only game in town in terms of completeness.

[Symphonic Addict]

Respighi: The Roman Trilogy

Always an immeasurable pleasure to revisit these classics. For some reason I'm not so familiar with Feste Romane and it is incredibly thrilling and memorable (one more work to hear live! someday hopefully). The quiet sections have no waste either. That work impressed me this time the most.

[Linz]

Alexander Borodin String Quartets No. 1 & No. 2 Borodin Quartet
Borodin Quartet

[Henk]

Going through this cycle.

At disc 3. Splendid performances. Power, clarity, joy. Without pretension.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Schubert Piano Sonata in A minor, Op. 164, D 537

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Before dinner --- Schubert German Dances, D 820

[Symphonic Addict]

Martinu: Symphonies 5 and 6

Formidable performances. The Bostonians were on fire playing the 6th.

The consistency of Martinu's symphonies speaks for itself. A solid cycle all around.

My order of preference having heard them all: 6, 3, 4, 5, 1 and 2.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Bruckner's 5th from this set:

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I turned off Bruckner's 5th as I decided there was another work that was more in need of my attention...

Now playing Mussorgsky Boris Godunov:



I'm not going to listen to this entire opera tonight, but I have to say I'm incredibly impressed so far.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Penderecki String Quartets Nos. 1-3

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP: Pettersson Symphony No. 4



My judgement about Pettersson's symphonies outside his Symphonies Nos. 6-8 was completely unfounded. I've got a lot more listening to do!

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP: Silvestrov The Passenger