What are you listening 2 now?

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Holst: The Planets

Quite simply one of the most extraordinary and memorable orchestral works I know, and this is one of the best interpretations I've heard so far. A perfect match.

I whole-heartedly agree with you about this Groves performance. A real sleeper!

[Linz]

Claude Debussy Jeux, Images Printemps
Orchestre National del'O.R.T.F,  Jean Martinon

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP: Shostakovich Suite from "The Age of Gold," Op. 22a



I've always loved the complete ballet of The Golden Age (aka The Age of Gold). Most of the time I opt for the complete ballet, but sometimes a suite will do if it is intelligently arranged and, thankfully, it is because Shostakovich selects music that is representative of the general mood of the piece.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP: Copland Sextet

[AnotherSpin]

[steve ridgway]

Szymanowski - Violin Concerto No. 2

[steve ridgway]

Ligeti - Lontano

[Que]

 

Revisiting this set is quite a treat. The Missa de septum doloribus is a later mass by De la Rue, rich in texture. Here performed with plain-chant to beautiful effect. The excellent recording (2001/02) is not closely miked as sometime these days (Beauty Farm) - so you can hear the actual space (chapel) and voices sound blended.

[Que]

Obviously I have to browse my collection, so that takes time, but...I can recommend the box with holds 11 CD' (no worries you can stream it) CD 3 "L'Orgue Classique Francais 1650-1800, Olivier Vernet playing.
I recommended the box quite vehemently in the past on GMG, but no one gave an inkling of interest. To my ears this box is an enrichment of anyone's collection. And I still hold to that opinion.

I actually have that set on the shelves.  
Like you say: it is good, and that also applies to the Griginy but perhaps not a perfect fit. I need to revisit.

Sofar Chapelin-Dubar is out. I tried Pierre Bardon (Vérany) before, but no.

Next on my list is Bernard Coudurier (BNL).
And there is a new recording by Michel Bouvard (organ mass) and François Espinasse (hymnes) (Château de Versailles Spectacles), played on the organ of the Royal Chapel.

[Madiel]

I'm using OperaVision again. This time I'm in the midst of Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin.

To be honest it's not especially grabbing me. Not terrible, but not "wow, now I'm really into opera" either.

It's interesting that there have been a couple of times in the first act that Tchaikovsky has clearly thought "stuff, it, nobody needs to hear the words" and had characters singing over the top of each other even the first time that they sing something.

I understand why the "letter scene" is relatively famous, just from it's sheer length it's a showcase for the soprano.

EDIT: Overall not bad. People behave in a standard operatic fashion. But I did get more engaged as this went on, and especially liked the last scene where I was practically cheering Tatiana on. The staging was quite interesting, particularly in the way that characters were used silently, mostly good choices with a couple of wobbly choices.

[Que]

A recent purchase and quite happy with it.



PS Not sure why people at Christophorus thought that a 19th c. painting of a boy with spaghetti was the perfect choice for the cover. It almost seems like "anything Italian" (even though the painter was German) was good enough...

[Irons]

Holst: Beni Mora - oriental suite
Choral Symphony

Top draw Beni Mora.

[vandermolen]

Top draw Beni Mora.

Oh absolutely! I love that work, especially the proto-minimalist final movement. Sargent gives fine performances of both works. I have really enjoyed and been moved by this new Somm CD.

[nico1616]

Listening to the 1st piano concerto by Liszt. I heard it live yesterday played by Masaya Kamei, 5th in the Queen Elisabeth Concours this year. He brought the Concertgebouw Bruges down with his performance, Argerich isn't bad either 

[AnotherSpin]

No doubt someone will point out that the most remarkable thing about this recording is the performer's tie. I listened anyway. Didn't feel particularly moved, but at least I wasn't repulsed either. That's something—and now it's a bit closer to dinner time.

[AnotherSpin]

I'm using OperaVision again. This time I'm in the midst of Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin.

To be honest it's not especially grabbing me. Not terrible, but not "wow, now I'm really into opera" either.

It's interesting that there have been a couple of times in the first act that Tchaikovsky has clearly thought "stuff, it, nobody needs to hear the words" and had characters singing over the top of each other even the first time that they sing something.

I understand why the "letter scene" is relatively famous, just from it's sheer length it's a showcase for the soprano.

EDIT: Overall not bad. People behave in a standard operatic fashion. But I did get more engaged as this went on, and especially liked the last scene where I was practically cheering Tatiana on. The staging was quite interesting, particularly in the way that characters were used silently, mostly good choices with a couple of wobbly choices.

It's hard for me to bring myself to listen to Russian opera these days, or Russian music in general, really.

But judging by distant scraps of memory, Eugene Onegin is probably the finest of them all. I was familiar with nearly all the major ones. Used to be, anyway. There are a few truly remarkable moments in Onegin—deeply moving and quite beautiful. Taken as a whole, though, it all feels a bit scattered. As is often the case with Tchaikovsky.

[ritter]

...and now it's a bit closer to dinner time.

You sure have early dinners in Ukraine! Bon appetit!

Reminds me of an anecdote of a colleague of mine, who when starting his career attended an onboarding week in a leading Swiss bank in Zurich. When the agenda for the day was finished, the MD told the new hirees they could go and rest, to then reconvene at 6 pm for dinner. To this, a Spaniard replied "Dinner at 6? You must be joking!". 

Before lunch in an hour or so here in Madrid, Katia Ricciarelli singing Rossini arias. Gabriele Ferro conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon.

[AnotherSpin]

You sure have early dinners in Ukraine! Bon appetit!

Reminds me of an anecdote of a colleague of mine, who when starting his career attended an onboarding week in a leading Swiss bank in Zurich. When the agenda for the day was finished, the MD told the new hirees they could go and rest, to then reconvene at 6 pm for dinner. To this, a Spaniard replied "Dinner at 6? You must be joking!". 

Before lunch in an hour or so here in Madrid, Katia Ricciarelli singing Rossini arias. Gabriele Ferro conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon.

In Ukraine, people usually have dinner around one or two in the afternoon, and supper later in the evening, around seven or eight. As for me, I tend to have breakfast closer to noon and then a dinner around five, skipping supper altogether. So I'll have filet mignon ready by 5 — that gives me a couple of hours for reading and music until then.

Unlike in Spain, we don't have a siesta—though to be fair, we don't really get extreme heat either. Odesa is in the south, and while summer day temperatures can stay at 30 degrees or a bit higher, it usually doesn't last long.

[Traverso]

The world of Harp

[Traverso]

Music at the royal courts of Europe Julian Bream