What are you listening 2 now?

[VonStupp]

Anton Bruckner
Symphony 4 in E-flat Major 'Romantic', WAB 104 (Haas)
Berlin PO - Herbert von Karajan

VS

[andolink]

Thoroughly enjoying this new download from Presto Classical - -



And this old favorite from Rachel Podger and the Brecon Baroque - -

[PaulR]

Brahms: Violin Concerto

[Nostromo]

Henze's Piano Concerto No.2. This is a terrific performance.

[PaulR]

Shostakovich: Violin Concerto #1

[Que]

This morning, I dediced to get the Secret Labyrinth set by the Huelgas Ensemble out and made my pick:



The Slovenian composer Jakob Petelin Kranjski was at the court of Habsburg Holy Empire known as Jacobus Gallus (Carniolu(s)) a.k.a. Jacob(us) Handl, Jacob(us) Händl. He was incredibly productive.... and talented, but to this day wildly underrated (IMO)...

[Que]

These are of course arrangements... The "1730 Quadri" are the 1st set of what is known as the "Paris Quartets" and were written for flute, violin, viola da gamba (or cello), and continuo.

[PaulR]

[Madiel]

Beethoven: Piano sonata in G major, op.14/2



The timings of Kovacevich in the first and last movements are almost identical to Goode's, yet somehow Kovacevich manages to be smoother and more flowing in the first, and nervier in the last.

Kovacevich is much faster in the central Andante, and while it's still arguably a walking pace (a jaunty, happy walk in this case), one result is that there's a bit less contrast between movements. Whether this is a good or bad thing might be down to personal preference.

[Madiel]

Medtner: 2 Tales (in your language of choice), op.8



Hamelin fills space in his sonata series with the first pair of skazki although the liner notes say that these early ones were not published with the Russian title, originally it was the German Märchen.

In any case, Hamelin plays them very well. In the bigger 2nd piece he's a bit faster than Hamish Milne's Hyperion recording, and possibly that helps hold the structure together though I certainly had no complaints about Milne's performance. They're both very good in this music.

[Madiel]

Faure: Requiem



My CD copy arrived today. Unfortunately my speakers are buzzing a little at certain points, which on past experience could well be a quirk of my speakers (and even a temporary one) rather than any fault with the disc.

But it's a minor buzz. And against that, the liner notes of this album turn out to be fantastically detailed, discussing the history and structure of each work in exactly the ways I love. There's a clear explanation of which version of each work has been recorded here and what other versions exist.

After listening to Haydn masses it's very noticeable how soft-focused the singing is here. The words are not very understandable without a text in front of you. But I think that's the way performances of this particular Requiem tend to go anyway. The approach to the music is not soft and gooey, things are kept moving. And there's a superb surge in the one repeated passage that occurs in both the Introit and the Agnus Dei. There are a couple of other passages where the brass appear and have major impact.

[Madiel]

Ravel: Three Chansons



Poulenc: Exultate Deo and Salve Regina



I realised post-Requiem that a couple of my other French listening projects are at choral music right now. The coincidence was too rich to ignore.

Probably a first listen for the Poulenc pieces, but not for the Ravel.

[PaulR]

Lang: The Little Match Girl Passion

[Florestan]

[Madiel]

MacMillan: Seven Last Words from the Cross



Looking at my recent purchases that haven't been listened to yet, it suddenly became very obvious how I should be finishing off the night. A fascinating parallel to the Faure Requiem, of similar lengths and both in 7 movements.  Though I do think it's interesting that the Seven Last Words was originally presented across 7 nights, not all at once.

I originally heard this album in January 1999. I'm not sure I've heard either work on the album properly since. My knowledge of and response to 20th century music is certainly very different now from what it was then.

[PaulR]

Now for something completely different:

Bach: St Matthew's Passion

[Traverso]

Bach

CD 2





 

 

[Todd]

Disc four.

[Iota]

The Sweetest Songs: Music from the Baldwin Partbooks III
Contrapunctus, Owen Rees

A cd so full of treasures it's like floating on an ocean of them. The singing is superb and the music constantly surprising.

[Papy Oli]

JS Bach - 4-part Chorales (Vol.1) off Bach333