What are you listening 2 now?

[VonStupp]

Camille Saint-Saëns
Symphony in A Major, R. 159
Symphony 1 in E-flat Major, op. 2
Symphony 2 in A minor, op. 55
Liège RPO - Jean-Jacques Kantorow

Gorgeous sound and playing from BIS and Liège.
VS

[Harry]

¡Jácaras! 18th Century Spanish Baroque Guitar Music
Santiago de Murcia.
Paul O'Dette, Andrew Lawrence-King, Pedro Estevan, Pat O'Brien, Steve Player.
Recorded: 1997, Valkkoog Church,  Schagen, Noord Holland,The Netherlands.

Fascinating foot tapping Guitar music. It's hard to sit still listening, you always tend to move something in your body. It's spirited and vibrant. Add to that a 1997 SOTA recording by Harmonia Mundi, and musicians who clearly enjoy the ride. But then de Murcia was a versatile composer. Recommended.

[cilgwyn]

Hovhaness: Symphony No 46 "To The Green Mountains" & Symphony No 39 Symphony for Guitair & Orchestra KBS Symphony Orchestra / Vakhtang Jordania  Koch cd



It has been said that a little Hovhaness goes a long way and it's true to say that I gradually whittled my pile of 20 odd Hovhaness cds to about six that I do find myself returning to when I'm in the mood for his brand of mystical murmurations. When he does get it right there's no doubt his music is very individual. I can imagine some ageing hippies or new age minded folk going into raptures if they were introduced to this music. At it's very best like one of those relaxation tapes but not as boring. These two symphonies strike me as among his most enjoyable efforts and apart from his "Exile" Symphony the only symphonies he composed that I find myself returning to. They remind me very much of his "Mountains and Rivers without End",which is one of my favourite of his numerous (!!) compositions. In fact they are pretty much in the same vein. Particularly No 46. If you want tightly hewn symphonic argument best to avoid though!

[Harry]

Camille Saint-Saëns
Symphony in A Major, R. 159
Symphony 1 in E-flat Major, op. 2
Symphony 2 in A minor, op. 55
Liège RPO - Jean-Jacques Kantorow

Gorgeous sound and playing from BIS and Liège.
VS

Bookmarked.

[SonicMan46]

Bach, CPE - Cello Concertos - own the ones below (plus Mate in the Brilliant Cello Concerto box); Bylsma is still my favorite - Altstaedt is my newest addition and I like his different approach as do most in the attached reviews (except for Hurwitz w/ a 4/9 rating). All of these performances on period instruments, BUT plenty others available - maybe should add a modern cello to the collection?   Dave

   

[Brian]

William Alwyn (1905-1985)
Early String Quartets.
Villiers Quartet.
Recorded at Wyastone Leys, Monmouth, UK. 2019.

In all respects "Most Excellent". A very special voice he has in his SQ. The Villiers does the music proud. The sound leaves no wishes open. I love more of this, for his Chamber music makes me long for more of the same.

These are early quartets going up to number 9? I don't know any of them yet...would you say they are all mature? How many are there total?

[Harry]

These are early quartets going up to number 9? I don't know any of them yet...would you say they are all mature? How many are there total?

Mature are only the No 7 and 9. The other quartets are in the process for him finding his true North, youthful works but already with a quality that keeps one listening. How many are there in total...good question. Recently I played the Quartets No. 10-13, by the Tippett Quartet which I recommend highly I might add. I am presently reading my way into his chamber music and the things he wrote, still an ongoing project for me. For now I count 13 SQ, a few of them only a single movement.

[Brian]

Thank you! I will start with the 10-13 volume you posted.

[Traverso]

Ravel-Korsakov-d'indy & Franck



CD 1

[Philo]

I think he's planning to release a new recording of it. I've always thought of him as playing piano like Yvonne Lefébure, though obviously recorded better.

That is excellent to here, and I will look up that pianist, as if I like him, I suspect I'll like her.

This is in my top five recordings of the AoF on piano. But I don't understand the artistic value of changing the sequence of the contrapuncti. So I have burnt a CDR with the contrapuncti in the order of the first printed edition.

Agreed, luckily I just move them around in VLC.

My discovery of him was a very happy surprise - it is why I will always do the majority of the searching, for those moments of serendipity.

Today, a program of Yvonne Lefébure performances:
Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 (my ultimate litmus test): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arsTVXzVDaI
Emmanuel's Sonatine No. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmFW8s1mFEM
Mozart's Fantasy in C minor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhtCc7pzxe8

[Wanderer]

In my search for pianists I could slot into my Scarlatti School, I came across David Lively who...

...has also recorded an extraordinary version of the Busoni Piano Concerto. Make of that information what you will. 

[Wanderer]

Wow, Mandryka is getting special treatment from the software!

I've never had any type of weird posting bug like this, but that's maybe because I'm having lunch in Greek. 

[Wanderer]

[Mandryka]

That is excellent to here, and I will look up that pianist, as if I like him, I suspect I'll like her.

Agreed, luckily I just move them around in VLC.

My discovery of him was a very happy surprise - it is why I will always do the majority of the searching, for those moments of serendipity.

Today, a program of Yvonne Lefébure performances:
Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 (my ultimate litmus test): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arsTVXzVDaI
Emmanuel's Sonatine No. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmFW8s1mFEM
Mozart's Fantasy in C minor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhtCc7pzxe8

The idea of pianists of her ilk is that you should really minimise pedal for legato, use fingers mainly for legato. She was one hell of a character -- you MUST watch this!

[prémont]

Today, a program of Yvonne Lefébure performances:
Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 (my ultimate litmus test): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arsTVXzVDaI
Emmanuel's Sonatine No. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmFW8s1mFEM
Mozart's Fantasy in C minor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhtCc7pzxe8

I have listened to a lot of recordings of op. 109 lately - actually inspired by you, but not Lefébure's recording. Thanks for the link to the YouTube recording.

[Traverso]

Schönberg

Pelleas und Melisande OP.5 Symphonic Poem

Variations Op.31 for Orchestra

[SonicMan46]

 

Just looked at my Joseph Wölfl collection - now have a dozen CDs (see attachment) - edited Wiki bio below - died young, another TB victim on the era!  Dave

Wölfl (1773-1812) was born in Salzburg, where he studied music under Leopold Mozart and Michael Haydn. He moved to Vienna in 1790 and visited Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (may have taken lessons from him). Woelfl was over 6 feet tall, with an enormous finger span (his hand could span a thirteenth, according to his contemporary Tomášek); to his wide grasp of the keyboard he owed a facility of execution which he turned to good account, especially in his improvised performances. Although he dedicated his 1798 sonatas Op. 6 to Beethoven, the two were rivals. Beethoven bested Woelfl in a piano 'duel' at the house of Baron Raimund Wetzlar in 1799, after which Woelfl's local popularity waned. After spending 1801 to 1805 in Paris, Woelfl moved to London, where his first concert performance was on 27 May 1805. In England, he enjoyed commercial if not critical success. Woelfl suffered from tuberculosis, and died of the disease in London. (Source - edited)

[prémont]

The idea of pianists of her ilk is that you should really minimise pedal for legato, use fingers mainly for legato. She was one hell of a character -- you MUST watch this!

This may be a good idea with Bach e.g., but Beethoven prescribes use of the sustaining pedal relatively often - or do you think that the longer sustaining time of modern pianos neutralizes his prescriptions? A problematic movement as to this is the Adagio sostenuto from op.27/2 e.g.

[Traverso]

The idea of pianists of her ilk is that you should really minimise pedal for legato, use fingers mainly for legato. She was one hell of a character -- you MUST watch this!

It's fun to watch and see how the music is brought to life.

[Bachthoven]

This is quite a powerful performance of the Brahms 3rd Piano Sonata by Daniil Trifonov. Too bad the piano sounds so bright and glassy, though. I converted it to a FLAC file so I could play it through my stereo--definitely sounds better, but still rather bright.