What are you listening 2 now?

[VonStupp]

Malcolm Arnold
Clarinet Concerto 1, op. 20
Clarinet Concerto 2, op. 115
Horn Concerto 1, op. 11
Horn Concerto 2, op. 58

Michael Collins, clarinet
Richard Watkins, horn
London Musici - Mark Stephenson

The Benny Goodman rag is quite the surprise at the end of Arnold's Second Clarinet Concerto.
VS

CD 2 from this set:

[Spotted Horses]

At Sonata No 24, 2/3 of the way through my survey of Beethoven Piano Sonatas. This one is very concise.

I'm finding the middle sonatas generally the low point in my engagement with the cycle. The early sonatas are attractive, Haydn on steroids, the late ones are profound and mysterious. The middle ones, outside the very dramatic ones (the Wallenstein, Appasionata) don't resonate with me. It estimate I listen to the cycle once every five years or so, and I find the the non-named middle sonatas are the ones which I don't retain any memory of.



Continuing with my survey of the WTC, I am up to BK II, through e-minor. I am finding this set of recordings satisfactory, although it does not displace Schiff/Decca, which was the set I imprinted on, when it was a new release.

[AnotherSpin]

This piano AoF is definitely worth hearing, he uses the piano to produce some novel effects, tasteful and fresh.

There is no AoF by Risto Lauriala on Qobuz, but there is his recordings of Partitas.

[prémont]

This piano AoF is definitely worth hearing, he uses the piano to produce some novel effects, tasteful and fresh.

Acquired it and listened to it several years ago. Recall it as being very sympathetic. Maybe I should revisit it.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Gershwin: Porgy & Bess; An American in Paris.

[Cato]

A Christmas present for expanding the ears! 

Ivan Wyschnegradsky: Troisième Fragment Symphonique, Op.32

I offered this a few days ago elsewhere: this time it has the Symphony #2 for Strings
/

[ritter]

Songs by Ennio Porrino. Angela Nisi (soprano) and Enrica Ruggiero (piano).

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner  Symphony no. 3 in D Minor, 1890 Thorough revision Bruckner with Joseph and Franz Schalk Ed. Theodor Raettig
Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell

[Linz]

Frank Martin Die Weisse von Liebe und Tod des
Cornets Christoph Rilke
Jard van Nes, alto  Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam, Reinbert de Leeuw

[Mandryka]

There is no AoF by Risto Lauriala on Qobuz, but there is his recordings of Partitas.

It's strange because all his other recordings seem to be there - the AoF isn't on spotify either. PM me if you want the files.

I haven't heard that recording of the partitas, but today I listened to his Diabelli Variations. It is extraordinary, like no other performance I've ever heard - after the shock of the first few variations I thought it was wonderful! But initially, it was a disconcerting to say the least.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

R. Strauss: Don Juan; Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche; Ein Heldenleben.  Wiener Philharmoniker/Clemens Krauss.

[VonStupp]

Jean Sibelius
The Wood Nymph, op. 15
Lahti SO - Osmo Vänskä

Another from Sibelius I don't believe I have heard before.
VS

[André]

Brahms: piano concerto no 2.



This performance of the Brahms concerto was taped live from the Concertgebouw on November 1, 1973. It has also been issued on Tahra. The sound is wide-ranging, with a deeper sound stage than what we usually hear on Philips or Decca. It's very slightly cloudy in places, but we get to hear both soloist and orchestra in a realistic perspective, with no discernible compression.

Musically this is slightly less polished but more exciting than the Gilels/Jochum/BP commercial release. Gilels hits a few wrong notes here and there, but my ! What incredible command of the keyboard, what depth of tone allied to delicacy of phrasing (Backhaus sounds a bit jackhammerish in comparison). And Jochum in Amsterdam is definitely more volatile than in Berlin. Some tutti have an explosive quality (the timps in particular spare no effort to drown the rest of the orchestra). Together they really go to town in Brahms' « little, little scherzo ». 

In the Andante we hear the great Tibor de Machula giving his all in his moving solos. Listeners familiar with Haitink's recording of Don Quixote will know what to expect: a sweet, almost weeping tone, the vibrato strong yet perfectly controlled, with some unabashed portamenti - possibly the most 'vocal' cellist I've heard. In this movement Gilels hits some keys almost ferociously, but barely brushes them in the hushed soliloquy before the return of the cello solo (more weeping) - an unusual take on this most romantic movement.

The finale has a power that is close to demonic: Jochum is almost volcanic here, and Gilels' hands thunder forth mercilessly. Not the carefree, joyful romp one often hears instead. 2 minutes shorter than the DG performance, it still clocks in at just under 50 minutes, a few minutes longer than Serkin, Pollini or Rubinstein.

As a musical experience this is hard to beat. As a recording, because of those tiny imperfections (wrong notes, slightly cloudy sound) it still ranks at the top. 9/10

[JBS]

More with Stein and the Bambergers



Suite in the Olden Style in F major Op 93
Serenade in G major Op 95

[brewski]

Scriabin: Poème de l'extase (Muti / Philadelphia). Of many fine versions around, this one gets high marks for Muti's affinity for the score and the orchestral execution.

[Madiel]

Bach, J.S.: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her, BWV 9



The opening chorus is very interesting, in that it has a very light chamber-music quality with a flute and oboe d'amore taking the lead rather than the strings. And the same pair of instruments come back to the fore in one of the arias.

Only 2 discs of the whole series to go. Do I have any memory of any of it? No, of course not... and that would probably be true even if I hadn't started in 2012.

[Que]

Morning listening:

[Madiel]

Repeat Ravel: L'enfant et les sortilèges



With more of a focus on the music. Honestly, how exactly did Ravel get stuck with the label of 'impressionist' composer? This is hard-edged and modern.

[Harry]

The Lion's ear.
A Tribute to Leo X, Musician among Popes.
La Morra, Corina Marti, Michał Gondko.
Recorded in February, 2015 at Beuggen Castle, Rheinfelden, Germany.

Works by.
Mantovano, Lirum bililirum. Piacenza, Gioioso. Bruhier, Vivite felices. Milano: Ricercare Ness 4 & 10, De mon triste desplaisir (after Richafort) Fantasia "De mon triste. Pesenti, Che farala, che dirala. Anonymous (Pope Leo X?), Spem in alium, Se mai per maraveglia, Fortuna disperata. Pisano, O vos omnes.
Craen, Ecce video celos apertos. Genet, Jerusalem, convertere. Cavazzoni: Recercada, Lautre yor per un matin, O stella maris. Isaac, Fortuna disperata / Sancte Petre; Quid retribuam tibi, Leo, Pope Leo X: Cela sans plus; Canon di papa Lione X a 3 voci.  Desprez, Salve, Regina.  Mouton, In omni tribulatione.

Fresh sounds from old times! Yet another wonderful release by La Morra. One can hardly find fault with any of these recordings. In this case a small one. The first track, Lirum Bililirum by Montovano has the voices all muddled up, it sounds a bit like sand paper. After that superb recording and performances. There is so much beauty in what is happening here. A fine rutsch in the morning.

[Que]

For me the big prize of this recording is the inclusion of Clemens non Papa's Christmas mass Missa Pastores quidnam vidistis. Which suffers from neglect... the only other recording available is by the Tallis Scholars.

PS the entire programme consists of German & Franco-Flemish repertoire and for a British ensemble it comes off rather well.
Stile Antico also did recordings with English and a Spanish Christmas music,