What are you listening 2 now?

[Symphonic Addict]

Sohy: Symphonie en ut dièse mineur
Waldman: Orchestre National de France

Thanks to @Symphonic Addict for praising this work in the New Releases thread. This is an excellent late-Romantic symphony. The beginning reminded me a bit of Franck (and like Franck's Symphony, this is in 3 movements), but many passages are clearly more modern: a passage in the middle of the 3rd movement is almost jazzy. I'd need to listen a few more times to comment about the structure. I'm impressed, and I'm sure I'll return to this at some point. (But when? There's so much other music I've never heard!)

Glad you liked it. An impressive score, certainly. I should revisit it again as I was also quite taken by what I heard.

[Symphonic Addict]

The Copernican Symphony gets overshadowed by its most celebrated sister and I tend to prefer the former these days.

[Que]

On disc 2 a mass celebration built around the Missa Philomena by Claudin de Sermisy, a parody mass based on Richafort's motet Philomena Preavia.

Complete Amazon review by Stephen Midgley HERE

[Harry]

Cynthia's Revels.
See back cover for works and composers.
Recorder Quartet, The Flautadors.
Recorded at St Jude-on-the-Hill, London, 2014.

I came a bit late to this CD recorded in 2014, but @Que alerted me to this most excellent recorder quartet, based in England, and I might venture as far as to say they are a top ensemble. They play on flutes from Thomas Prescott's workshop based on 16th century instruments from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. They use a range of flutes, from the huge contrabass flute to the tiny "Garklein Floetlein". It all sounds pretty perfect in sense of Pitch and subsequent expression. I am impressed and amazed that such an ensemble has gone under my radar. So here it goes, it my second recording after the "Queen of the Scots", and another one is waiting. Unfortunately they did not record that much. Pristine sound. Sublime artwork front cover. (Queen Elizabeth the I. Anonymous, after 1583)

Queen and huntress, chaste and fair,
Now the sun is laid to sleep,
Seated in thy silver chair,
State in wonted manner keep:
Hesperus entreats thy light,
Goddess excellently bright.
Earth, let not thy envious shade
Dare itself to interpose;
Cynthia's shining orb was made
Heaven to clear when day did close:
Bless us then with wished sight,
Goddess excellently bright.
Lay thy bow of pearl apart,
And thy crystal-shining quiver;
Give unto the flying hart
Space to breathe, how short soever:
Thou that mak'st a day of night,
Goddess excellently bright.
(Ben Johnson, Cynthia's Revels, Act V, Scene VI)

[Harry]

On disc 2 a mass celebration built around the Missa Philomena by Claudin de Sermisy, a parody mass based on Richafort's motet Philomena Preavia

I must try to get back to those recordings. they are on top of my list, but you come up with so many new discoveries, that I am pulled away from my intention to play this series. Bad.......

[Irons]

Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9
Michael Korstick (piano)

Korstick feels as if he's on a tightly coiled spring ready to burst into frenetic action at the drop of a hat throughout Carnaval, and indeed frequently doing so, which of course suits the ever-shifting character of the music perfectly. He drops with equal ease into reverie and tenderness, and characterisations of every hue throughout are brought to life vividly. A superb reading which I enjoyed immensely.

Nicolas Sarkozy on my mind as less then thirty minutes ago reading an article featuring him. Even so, struck by the likeness of Korstick and young Sarkozy.

[Irons]

John Ireland: Sarnia.



Captivating work comprising three pieces inspired by the ancient history and scenery of Guernsey.

[Roasted Swan]

The 7th is slowly crystallizing in my mind as the greatest of Arnold's symphonies. I like them all, love 5 and 9, but that 7th ...

I must admit I've struggled to 'get' Arnold's 7th Symphony.  I think the whole "portraits of my children" thing is such a curious curve-ball that sends the listener off on a potentially misleading path.  Certainly the pervading spirit of the work seems about as un-childlike/innocent/untroubled as can be - even allowing for the fact that one of his children did struggle with nurodivergent issues.  To my ear some of the performances likewise struggle interpretively to reconcile the notes on the page with that narrative.  The version that 'opened the door' for me and made me feel that this was indeed one of his finest symphonic works is this one;



This is an unapologetically brutal often agressive reading that is more a portrait of Arnold's own troubled state at the time of writing rather than of his family.  Really well played and recorded and with couplings of equally unsettled and unsettling works.  This is Arnold about as far away from the cheery persona of the English Dances or St. Trinians as it is possible to get.  Yes - a great work for sure......

[Que]

I must try to get back to those recordings. they are on top of my list, but you come up with so many new discoveries, that I am pulled away from my intention to play this series. Bad.......

Believe me, I'm familiar with the dilemma... 

[Que]

Music for the Queen of Scots.
Works by: Arbeau, Du Tertre, Ghizeghem, Agricola, Gardane, Sermisy, Johnson, Peebles, Hume, Black, Fethy, Anonymous.
The Flautadors.
Recorded, 2009, at the St. Andrews Church Toddington, Gloucestershire, UK.

Never mind if you have an aversion against recorders, this performance and sound will change your mind. Apart from the wonderful music on this CD and a pristine performance on sweet sounding instruments, it is a mirror towards the cultural and musical world of The Queen of the Scots. And that alone is worth to get acquainted with The Flautadors.

Following your example! 

PS I like the original programming.

[Harry]

Music for Philip of Spain and his four wives.
works by: Ortiz, Valderrabano, Henestrosa, Cabezon, Milan, Vasquez, Anonymous, Pisador, Hume, Robinson, Ferrabosco, Caurroy, Morley, etc etc.
Charivari Agreable.
Recorded in St. Andrew's Church, Toddington, November 1997.
Cover: 'Felipe II' by Sofonisba Anguiscola

A delightful disc, with well performed compositions in SOTA sound. This is simply within reason a exquisite performance and a reasonable highly intelligent program choice. It's a performance that channels stress out of the door, within minutes. The ambiance of the Church is pitch black, only the instruments and nothing more. I skipped the singing though of Soprano and Tenor, that was in fact bringing the stress back. Both voices were flat and without expression, loud and raw, devoid of  sophistication or elegance.
Tis easily done with a click of the mouse.

[Papy Oli]

Bach, J S: Christmas Oratorio, BWV248

Sunhae Im (soprano), Petra Noskaiova (mezzo-soprano), Stephan Scherpe (tenor), Jan van der Crabben (baritone) La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken

[Que]

Spotify must be psychic, because right after the Music for the Queen of Scots it switched to this:



 

[AnotherSpin]

Aus der Tiefe, rufe ich, Herr, zu dir in G Minor, BWV 131 - Johann Sebastian Bach
Aus der Tieffen ruffen wir - Christophe Graupner
Ich habe genug, BWV 82 - Johann Sebastian Bach


Osho: Everything that has happened to you is a great gift - all the pains and all the pleasures, all the agonies and all the ecstasies, all the ups and all the downs. Everything is beautiful because everything is contributing toward your growth, toward your ultimate flowering.

[Traverso]

Bach

CD 15

Kantate BWV 111 "Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit" / Johann Gottfried Müthel: Orgelchoral "Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit" / Johann Eccard: Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit Sonntag nach Epiphanias (30.1.1735) - Kantate BWV 14 "Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit" / Johann Nikolaus Hanff: Orgelchoral "Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit / Johann Walter: Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit
+Septuagesimä (28.1.1725) - Kantate BWV 92 "Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn" / Johann Pachelbel: Orgelchoral "Was mein Gott will, das gescheh' allzeit" / Claudin de Sermisy: Il me suffit de tous mes maulx / Johann Eccard: Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn
+Darstellung des Herrn (Mariä Lichtmess, 2.2.1725) - Kantate BWV 125 "Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin"; Orgelchoral BWV 616 "Mit Fried und Freud fahr ich dahin" / Dieterich Buxtehude: Mit Fried und Freud fahr ich dahin BuxWV 76

[Papy Oli]

There's something about that Bach fella, isn't there... 

[Papy Oli]

What do you make of that set so far, @Traverso ?

I streamed the first CD yesterday and I found it very flat and underwhelming  I'll try another random CD later on.

[Harry]

Spotify must be psychic, because right after the Music for the Queen of Scots it switched to this:



 

A miracle, that figures.   

[Harry]

Poema.
Works for Cello and Strings.
Juha Kangas: Concerto for Cello and Strings.
Erkki Salmenhaara: Poema.
Pehr Henrik Nordgren: Hate-Love, Op. 71.
Aulis Sallinen: Chamber Music VIII, Op. 94.
Marko Ylönen, Cello.
Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Juha Kangas.
Recorded in 2013, No PDF file.

In one word, marvelous. Music and sound are SOTA. Erkki Salmenhaara's Poema is a masterwork, Nordgren surpassed himself with Hate and Love, Kangas wrote a fine Cello concerto. and Sallinen is the cherry on the cake so I ate it. @vandermolen should take heed being a Salmenhaara fan, and besides that, it is a recommended release for all.

[Madiel]

Balakirev: Tamara



The only Balakirev work I already owned a recording of, because it's in the Ballets Russes set. Though that Warner recording is from 1954 and mono. I'll have to check it out again (I have zero memory from what was probably only one listen over 2 years ago?!?), but in such a colourful work there's a need for at least reasonable recording quality.

I quite enjoyed this recording of it. There's plenty of mood and atmosphere. However I'm not entirely sure it justifies nearly 22 minutes of playing time (in both recordings).