What are you listening 2 now?

[steve ridgway]

Now playing Cowell - Domnu, The Mother Of Waters

[steve ridgway]

Now resting in the melody free space of Nono - La Lontananza Nostalgica Utopica Futura for solo violin and tape.

[Spotted Horses]

Hindemith, Sonata for Solo Viola (1937). I find Kashkashian a bit more sensuous, a bit less of a virtuoso tour de force compared with Imai.



I read that Hindemith wrote this piece on a train journey from New York to Chicago, and played it in recital when he arrived. How do you do that? Was he hashing it out on his Viola on the train?

[Wanderer]

[AnotherSpin]

Scelsi - Pfhat ("A flash... and the sky opened!")

An intriguing title. The reference to the idea of sudden instant enlightenment is obvious. I'll definitely listen.

[AnotherSpin]

Heavenly Harmonies - Music of Thomas Tallis & William Byrd

Stile Antico

[vandermolen]

It contains three rather good symphonies indeed. The Sinfonia del mare is such a gorgeous score.

Another disc I like is this one, mostly for the Sinfonie del silenzio e della morte.

I agree.

[Madiel]

Vivaldi: Orlando finto pazzo (Orlando feigns madness)



Honestly, these things are getting madder and madder... this is one of Vivaldi's earliest operas, with a plot so wacky that the generally excellent liner notes include a chart to show who is in love with who. Hint: nobody is initially feeling mutual attraction. The whole thing is especially absurd because there are also sworn enemies involved, and apparently you can have a sworn enemy without having a clue what they actually look like. The evil characters in particular are unaware of the identity of the people they supposedly want to kill. Also, the sorceress Ersilla's main superpower seems to be instantly feeling attraction to any young man who crosses her path.

Musically it's... good, although not my favourite. I found it a little tiring on the ears because Orlando is the only low voice amongst 7 characters, with 3 women and 3 castrati roles. And despite being the title character, Orlando is barely in it. He has just one aria and largely sings in recitative (and pretending to be crazy isn't even his own idea, so I've no idea why he gets the title credit). There are several rather good arias, though nothing gave me that absolute "wow!" moment. If anything it's certain sections of recitative that are the most impressive.

There are a whopping 9 alternative arias at the end, which also leads to my favourite booklet note yet. The most famous soprano in the cast was apparently a total diva, and known for it. Vivaldi wrote 3 different arias for a particular scene, and on the score of the 3rd one he wrote: "If you don't like this one, I'll stop writing music".

The booklet does have some printing flaws, including repeatedly misidentifying which of those 3 arias is actually sung in the main recording. But still, it's another case where I'm glad to have the full package rather than just hearing this on streaming.

[AnotherSpin]

Giacinto Scelsi, with a work entitled Pfhat, subtitled "A flash... and the sky opened!". Can music truly capture the instant of sudden enlightenment? One is inclined to answer both no and yes. No, because there is neither word nor sound that can describe or explain it. Yes, because almost anything may serve as its illustration or symbol. At the very least, I felt no urge to laugh or dismiss it as nonsense; it works, and works remarkably well.

The following piece on the album, Konx-Om-Pax, peace expressed in three tongues, seems perfectly placed. What word, with all the limitations inherent in such an instrument, could more fittingly point to pure consciousness, happily freed from the tyranny of the compulsive mind?

At last, Scelsi both surprises and delights.

[Que]

Volume II: The musical glory of Bavaria - The time of favour.
This covers Lassus' first decade at the Bavarian court, in which he produced a third of his entire musical output. Amongst which thirty-odd masses. A downside of the concept of a chronological selection is: no complete masses...

[AnotherSpin]

A selection of sacred works by Thomas Tallis, John Sheppard, Christopher Tye, Robert Parsons, and Robert White.

[Wanderer]

[AnotherSpin]

Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories

Stile Antico

[vandermolen]

Gounod: St Cecilia Mass
Never heard this or any other Gounod before and probably only the Funeral March of the Marionette is familiar to me (from its use on an Alfred Hitchcock TV series many years ago).
The St Cecilia Mass is a powerful and moving work (a David Hurwitz recommendation).

[Mandryka]

Prepping for my next big listening project - the quest to find the perfect Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 22 (Op. 54) - the easiest one to play, but the hardest one to get to sound correct due to its, in my opinion, extremely awkward writing:

Tumaini Sango:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntr5kLpZ_pU
Anastasia Frolova: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6kb0CSs4i0
Marta Czech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jfzvS7tc2o
Maroussia Gentet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP5t5MVfj5Q

Cziffra  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfhXPdcVVFw

[hopefullytrusting]

Cziffra  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfhXPdcVVFw

Eventually.

Ranking last 4: Gentet, Sango, Frolova, Czech

Next 4:
Joel Schoenhals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2sKUeDuC2Y
Alberto Sanna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N8O46rALLM
Tengku Irfan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL5wAExjHlo
Eduardo Del Pueyo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWUauN3uXSw

[Harry]

MALCOLM ARNOLD,
Chamber Music-Volume II.
Nash Ensemble.

After listening to the first volume I felt the need, nay urge to dive into the second instalment. I start to get addicted to the vibes Arnold puts in his chamber music, vibes totally different to the ones I have with say his symphonies or Ballet music. Almost nothing of the wittiness in the Chamber works music but always a layer in another direction, technical prowess and inventive turns and twists. The recording is top notch as is the performance. Already longing for the third volume.

[Wanderer]

[AnotherSpin]

MALCOLM ARNOLD,
Chamber Music-Volume II.
Nash Ensemble.

After listening to the first volume I felt the need, nay urge to dive into the second instalment. I start to get addicted to the vibes Arnold puts in his chamber music, vibes totally different to the ones I have with say his symphonies or Ballet music. Almost nothing of the wittiness in the Chamber works music but always a layer in another direction, technical prowess and inventive turns and twists. The recording is top notch as is the performance. Already longing for the third volume.

I am not very familiar with Matthew Arnold's music, but I rather like almost everything I have heard.

[Todd]