What are you listening 2 now?

[DavidW]

Last night:

Pettersson's 6th:


Alfven's 2nd:


Shostakovich's 4th conducted by Kondrashin:

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, 1894 Original Version. Ed. Leopold Nowak
Berliner Phlharmoniker,  Eugen Jochum

[Cato]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, 1894 Original Version. Ed. Leopold Nowak
Berliner Phlharmoniker,  Eugen Jochum

A classic performance for sure!

This morning, I was distracted by a claim on YouTube that the Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue for Piano by Cesar Franck is an accursed work in the Van Cliburn Competition.

In over 30 years, nobody who has played this work in the competition advanced after they had played it: 0- 7.

Supposedly, young pianist Magdalene Ho was eliminated early from the competition - to the outrage of many - because of her interpretation of this piece, not because of any mistakes in the playing.

Anyway, here it is:

[Karl Henning]

Lyatoshynsky: Piano Quintet

There is abundance of passion in this terrific quintet.

Great piece!

TD:

[Harry]

Giovanni Zamboni.
Works for Archlute.
Sonate d'Intavolatura di Leuto op.1 Nr.1,3,9,11.
Simone Pansolin, Lute.
Recorded: 2020, Tiglieto, Genova, Italy.

The variety of music on this recording is tantalizing, and it certainly whets the appetite to explore Zamboni's music more deeply. Giovanni Zamboni's Sonate d'Intavolatura di Leuto, Op. 1 remains a jewel of the late Baroque lute repertoire—highly refined, richly detailed, and unjustly underperformed. Simone Pansolin brings four of these sonatas (Nos. 1, 3, 9, and 11) to life in a way that is both stylistically informed and deeply personal. Played on an archlute, the music sounds perfectly at home—elegant, clear, and expressive. Pansolin's interpretations are marked by well-judged tempi and a natural sense of phrasing. His playing is agile and accurate in every detail, yet never cold or mechanical. There is a warmth in his touch, a sensitivity in his timing, and a restraint that lets the music speak for itself. What makes this recording so compelling is the combination of historically informed technique with genuine artistic expression. The recording quality further enhances the experience, it captures every nuance with clarity and intimacy. At times, this union of interpretation and sound quite literally makes me sit up.
The music-making here is simply on a very high level. Pansolin doesn't try to impress with fireworks—he invites you into the world of Zamboni with quiet confidence and respect for the music. The result is moving, beautifully shaped, and deeply satisfying.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP: Walton In Honour of the City of London

[Linz]

Karl Höller Symphonic Fantasy on a Theme by Fescobaldi
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck Variationen op. 56 "Mein junges Leben hat ein End"
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Eugen Jochum

[Karl Henning]

An early, Impressionistic work by Carl Orff:

In contrast, the last work of Max Bruch, but composed around the same time (c. 1920) as the above:

Setting a reminder for myself.

And TD:

[Karl Henning]

love th Octet!

Tangentially, at first I carelessly misread the YouTube widget as "Schlocktett," which may or may not be a Peter Schickele title.

[Karl Henning]

NP: Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67

Dynamite!

[Harry]

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704), Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (1620-1680), Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli (1629-1679), Philipp Friedrich Böddecker (1607-1683).
Ensemble Stravaganza, Domitille Gilon, Thomas Soltani.
Recorded: 2023. Studio de L'Orchestre Nationale de L'Ile de France, Alfortville.

I'm constantly overwhelmed—in the best possible way by the sheer number of recordings that are genuinely worth hearing. There's no conceivable way to cover them all unless granted 200 years of life (and even then, the releases would keep coming). But what a task—to listen to music for one's own delight. Now how does that sound, huh? And what have we here? An ensemble previously unknown to me, Ensemble Stravaganza, performing music I know well (with one exception), and doing so with impressive clarity and conviction. The program features works by 17th-century masters of the stylus phantasticus,
What's immediately striking is the ensemble's impeccable musicianship: precise intonation, beautifully judged phrasing, and a palpable joy in the act of performance. Every note feels both deliberate and alive. There are hardly any blemishes, only a consistent unfolding of expressiveness, elegance, and rhetorical vitality. But it is Böddecker, somewhat of a discovery for me, who leaves the most lasting impression. His Sonata for Violin in D minor stands out as a composition of depth and invention, with a striking emotional range and harmonic boldness. It lingers in the mind long after the disc has finished spinning. To be frank, the works on this CD is one resounding success after another. Each composer is treated with sensitivity and insight, and the performers breathe fresh life into repertoire that, despite its age, feels anything but dusty. Excellent recording. We'll take more of this, please. 😄
As a side note, I could not find a audio CD, its only download or streaming, or discogs.

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, 1866 Original unrevised Linz version prepared by William Carragan [1998]
Adagio (1876) to Symphony No. 3 in D Minor
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Georg Tintner

[ultralinear]

Two concert recordings from 1966 of Jascha Horenstein conducting the LSO in Mahler's 9th Symphony:

April 21st, Royal Festival Hall

September 15th, Royal Albert Hall

Despite being in mono, the April recording has probably better sound overall, and certainly better playing in places.  But they're both fabulous.

[Cato]

Tangentially, at first I carelessly misread the YouTube widget as "Schlocktett," which may or may not be a Peter Schickele title.

Close!  "P.D.Q. Bach" did compose a "Schleptet" (Schickele Number 0) which is not to be missed!

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Listening to this work yet again:

Reich
Jacob's Ladder
Synergy Vocals, New York Philharmonic
Jaap van Zweden



This is a work that gets better and better on each successive listen. Reich at his most pastoral.

[Cato]

I wrote about this above:

For those interested in the Franck Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue mentioned above, here is Alfred Cortot in a 1929 (or maybe 1932) recording: I am surprised that no later recording seems to be available.


Here is a "remastering" of that performance:

[Spotted Horses]

Wellesz, Symphony No 9, Rabi



Very thorny music, probably free atonality. Nice.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP: Barber Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24



A respectable performance, but it doesn't quite measure up to Dawn Upshaw/Zinman on Nonesuch.

[SonicMan46]

Krommer, Franz - Bassoon & Clarinet Works on the recordings below - own about 2 dozen CDs (list attached), mostly his wind works and the 9 Symphonies (well, 8 lost) - short bio below (more at link), and a list of his works compiled by Karel Padrta - over a hundred String Quartets/Quintets, a popular guy in Vienna in the early 19th century.  Dave

Franz Krommer (Czech: 1759-1831) was a Czech composer of classical music and violinist. He was one of the most popular composers in 19th-century Vienna alongside Beethoven, whom he knew. Today he is mostly known for his clarinet and double clarinet concertos. (Source)

Compilation by Karel Padrta (1997) (Source)
Symphonies - 9
Concertos/Concertinos - 10
Wind Ensemble - 50
String Quintets - 35
Wind Quintets - 17
String Quartets - 78
Quartets Wind/KB - 26
Trio Sonatas - 8
Duet Sonatas - 64
Violin Sonatas - 9
Keyboard Works - 42

   

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP: Bartók Sonata For Two Pianos And Percussion, Sz 110, BB 115

From this set -