What are you listening 2 now?

[Florestan]

That's very good indeed.

[Harry]

Louise Farrenc (1804–1875)
Complete Works for Violin and Fortepiano.
Aleksandra Kwiatkowska: historical violin.
Anders Muskens: fortepiano.

Since I am trying to listen to most of the recordings with her music, I must conclude that these works for Fortepiano and Violin appealed very much to me, though not in this performance. The music is superb but the reverb at the recording venue "Schloss Weißenbrunn" amplifies aspects of the historical instruments and so destroy the intimacy of the music, especially the historical violin, painful to my ears, so as sad as it makes me, this is the engineers fault, for the artists are not to blame, they are exceptionally good in what they do. Exit it is.

[Harry]

Louise Farrenc.
Works for Violin and Piano.
Sonate No 1 Opus 37 (1848) Première Mondiale.
Sonate No 2 Opus 39 (1850).
Variations Consertantes Sur Une Mélodie Suisse Opus 20 (1835)
Laurent Cabasso, Piano-Gaëtane Prouvost, violin.

This is more like it, perfectly recorded and performed. Intimate acoustic, just enough air around the instruments, and a real sense that the musicians are involved in the compositions. Thumbs up.

[Selig]

Hearing the gamba sonatas in this way is very satisfying indeed, thanks @prémont !

[JBS]

Second go at this

[Harry]

Giovanni Benedetto Platti (1697? – 1763)
Six Sonatas for Violoncello and Basso continuo, 1725.
Sebastian Hess, Baroque violoncello.
Axel Wolf, Lute and Theorbo

What a superb combination of instruments in Platti's sonatas. And it sounds so well, so perfectly balanced, instruments that have a natural affinity in timbre and expression. Platti is a composer not much in the ear of classical music addicts, which is strange, for he is an exponent of his time and the unravelling of a new era with musical progress pushing forwards. Newfangled utterances that took root thanks to him. A creative mind that took the challenge and met his goals. Two fine musicians captured the essence of Platti perfectly, and makes this recording a joy to hear. The recording is direct and lets one hear all nuances and intricate details. Recommended, to those who still live, without the knowledge of his genius.

[Florestan]

Alternating between these sets:

[Spotted Horses]

Hindemith Wind Quintet, first the Netherlands Wind Quintet, then Les Vents Francais

The Netherlands Wind Quintet struck me as a bit wan. The recording by Les Vents Francais was a lot more lively and engaging. Utterly brilliant piece.

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, 1892 Version by Bruckner and Joseph Schalk. Ed. Haslinger-Schlesinger-Lienau
Münchner Philharmoniker, Hans Knappertsbusch

[Mister Sharpe]

In keeping with my new mantra: less news, more music. (I'm getting into this, actually; tomorrow it may well be: "even less news, much more music." Still, even when one hides behind his or her stereo speakers it's hard to avoid controversy: eg, is this cover in good taste? (Ferroud died in a horrific car accident in 1936, a loss - you may remember - that shook his bud, Poulenc, to his core).

 

[Linz]

Hector Berlioz Romeo and Juliet Op. 17 the conclusion
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major Op.92
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Mass no. 1 in D minor
Frederick Guthrie; Patricia Brinton; William Blankenship; Sonja Dracksler
Wiener Symphoniker, Charles Adler

[Symphonic Addict]

Bliss: Cello Concerto and Violin Concerto

The Cello Concerto receives a smoking performance in stupendous sound quality. It might be my reference recording for that work. Even though I'm not too keen on mono recordings, this Decca recording is rather good. The Violin Concerto has a more complex structure and writing, but it is quite absorbing in the end.

[hopefullytrusting]

Today, Lowell Libermann:

Etudes on Brahms Songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adkEqPlC8vk
Four Etudes on Songs of Robert Franz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z71P4c-CQPs
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xhS9GXDeZI
Gargoyles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXTmuc--cpU

[Todd]

[Daverz]

Bliss: Cello Concerto and Violin Concerto

The Cello Concerto receives a smoking performance in stupendous sound quality. It might be my reference recording for that work. Even though I'm not too keen on mono recordings, this Decca recording is rather good. The Violin Concerto has a more complex structure and writing, but it is quite absorbing in the end.

Guy Johnston is fabulous in the Bliss Cello Concerto.  Listening again now.  He wasn't on my radar before, but I do have 2 other recordings by him: a Cello Concerto by Dobrinka Tabakova, and "A Song for Chris", a cello concerto by Edward Gregson.

Other interesting listens today: Mahler Symphony No. 7 - Kondrashin/Moscow PhilharmonicLeningrad Philharmonic.  Melodiya's recording is decent stereo, though the strings sound a bit recessed.  Actually I wish Kondrashin's Moscow Shostakovich recordings were this good.   I have not compared the Leningrad Mahler 7 to the Concertgebeow recording.

[André]

In keeping with my new mantra: less news, more music. (I'm getting into this, actually; tomorrow it may well be: "even less news, much more music." Still, even when one hides behind his or her stereo speakers it's hard to avoid controversy: eg, is this cover in good taste? (Ferroud died in a horrific car accident in 1936, a loss - you may remember - that shook his bud, Poulenc, to his core).

 

Oh my, I didn't know that ! The picture shows a bit of a 1937 Bugatti - was that the make of car Ferroud drove ?

Someone at Naïve must have had that piece of info at the back of his mind when creating the cover for the disc. Other disturbing bits: works on the disc include 'Jeunesse' (Youth) and 'Chirurgie' (Surgery). Creepy stuff.

The music is very fine. I think I posted something about it in august 2024.

[Symphonic Addict]

Schubert: Piano Sonatas 13-15

Quite taken by the beauty of the 13th. A firm favorite so far.

[Que]

[AnotherSpin]

[...]
Other interesting listens today: Mahler Symphony No. 7 - Kondrashin/Moscow PhilharmonicLeningrad Philharmonic.  Melodiya's recording is decent stereo, though the strings sound a bit recessed.  Actually I wish Kondrashin's Moscow Shostakovich recordings were this good.   I have not compared the Leningrad Mahler 7 to the Concertgebeow recording.

I remember a discussion comparing the two Kondrashin recordings of Mahler's Seventh on a certain post-Soviet forum many years ago. Most people favored the Concertgebouw version and I was agree. It seems the one with the Soviet orchestra suffered from shitty sound, in addition to its other shortcomings.