What are you listening 2 now?

[vandermolen]

Malipiero: Symphony No. 4 'In memoriam'

Malipiero almost always rewards with his personal style, except for his very late works which are loaded with ugly dissonances.

My favourite of the Marco Polo series

[vandermolen]

Lepo Sumera: symphony No.2

[Madiel]

Vivaldi

Laudate peri (setting G major) (RV 601)
Concerto for violin and organ in D minor (RV 541)
Violin concerto in F 'for the feast of Saint Lorenzo' (RV 286)



A very solid volume in the Naive series. Though its inclusion in both the 'Voices' box (which is how I got it) and the 'Sacred Music' box is one of the signs that they were stretching a bit when they made the 6-CD boxes. It more properly belongs in the 'Sacred Music' category.

[Madiel]

Vivaldi

Violin Concerto in B flat, La Caccia (RV 362, or Op.8 no.10)
Violin Concerto in E, 'Il Riposo' (RV 270)



This volume is not bad by any means, but it does suffer a bit from the basso continuo being heavy and aggressive. A comparison to other recordings - both others in the Naive series, and trying other recordings of one of the concertos on the album - shows how things are sometimes overdone here.

The first movement of La Caccia is an example, whereas the 2nd movement is restrained and ends up being a highlight. The whole of Il Riposo has a muted sound according to Vivaldi's instructions, so there's no issue with heaviness here - though there is a weird slide down at the end of the final note which doesn't seem to have any basis in the score.

Academia Montis Regalis is actually responsible for 3 of the slightly weak volumes that I've listened to thus far (the others being the motets and the flute concertos), though they're also responsible for Juditha Triumphans which was very good. They only did 5 volumes in total, all in the earlier period of the edition. I wonder whether someone reached the conclusion that they weren't quite living up to standards, or whether it's just coincidence that I feel that way about them. I haven't checked whether recording venues and/or recording engineers are different for them compared to other groups.

[Que]

[Madiel]

Vivaldi: Gloria RV 588 (with inbuilt introduction 'Jubilate, o amoeni chori')



It's been an evening for finishing off albums. I'm finding Alessandrini/Concerto Italiano to be one of the most reliable of the performers - which is a good thing because at present they are also the group with the most volumes (11 in total, of which I've listened to 5).

[Todd]

[AnotherSpin]

Quattro Pezzi (1959)
Uaxuctum (1966)
La Nascita del Verbo (1948)

Listening to an album of Scelsi's orchestral works while reading a collection of his writings. From the article Sound and Music: "Western classical music has devoted almost all its attention to structure, to what is called musical form. It has neglected the study of the laws of sound energy, of music as energy - which is life itself. In this way, it has produced thousands of magnificent structures that are often empty or meaningless, the products of constructive rather than creative imagination. Melodies move from sound to sound, yet the intervals are hollow abysses, for the notes are devoid of sonic energy. The inner space is empty."

[Harry]

The second volume in this series and every bit as good. Sound and performance are top notch. Recorded in 2024 at Castrillo Mota de Judíos (Burgos, Spain) Church of San Esteban. Castrillo Mota de Judíos.
Organ: Federico Acitores, Opus 104 (2019). Temperament: Bach – Kellner/Pitch: a=415 at 20 degrees celsius.


This instrument sounds the works, a bit astringent but that also goes for old organs from Cabezon's time. Federico Acitores is a sensitive builder of organs, for he succeeded in making it really authentic.
I am ready with modifying and upgrading my system, added some extra reference cables and installed a reference switch. It sounds perfect to me and that is as it should be.

[pjme]

the wonderful "Cantigas" - from this set:

[brewski]

Gesualdo: Madrigali

Exaudi Vocal Ensemble

Big fan of the group (and Gesualdo) so thanks for citing this.

[Harry]

THE CHAMBER MUSIC OF MALCOLM ARNOLD - Volume I.
THE NASH ENSEMBLE.

Surreal, music that confuses, and on the other side of the spectrum, delights. It almost sound experimental, combining melodies, phrases, and odd sound samples, a composer who lost his compass and out of the blue creates magic. Fine sound and performances.

[brewski]

The recording was made in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in the center of Odesa, which was partially destroyed in the summer of 2023 by a Russian missile strike. Inside it has now been almost completely restored, while exterior work is still ongoing. One might add, that the historic center of Odesa is under UNESCO protection, if such protection means anything at all.

Last night brought yet another attack: residential buildings and administrative offices were set ablaze.

P.S. The Philharmonic Hall, where the Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra regularly performed, was also damaged a few months ago.

Thank you for the information, and the context. Honestly, I'm a little amazed that this recording even exists, but grateful for it.

[ritter]

First listen to this recent(ish) recording of Stockhausen's Mantra. Jean-Frédéric Neuburger & Jean-François Heisser (pf), Serge Lemouton (electronics).

[Todd]

[hopefullytrusting]

Man, I love discovering new things (this might be my obsession): Patricia von Blumroder (pianist) sole release



#suckitbarenboim

[Mapman]

Bach: Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke, BWV 84

The first movement is a lovely duet between Soprano and Oboe.

[Linz]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.39 in E flat major, KV 543
Symphony No.40 in G minor, KV 550
Orchestra of the 18th Century, Frans Brüggen

[Karl Henning]

This again, because I have wanted to listen to it attentively thrice before proceeding in the box, because it is so richly rewarding, and deserves it.

CD 6
Arnold Schönberg
Erwartung, Op. 17 (1909)
Dorothy Dorow, sop

Anton Webern
6 Stücke für Orchester, Op. 6 (1909)
5 Stücke für Orchester, Op. 10 i(1919)

Alban Berg
Kammerkonzert (1923-25)
Theo Olof, vn
Theo Bruins, pf

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, 1872 First concept version. Ed. William Carragan [2005]
Bruckner Orchester Linz, Dennis Russell Davies