What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Drasko]

[Lisztianwagner]

If that looks like a box set of Bruckner, it is.  I've begun listening to the Karajan/Bruckner BPO set, and as I hoped,  Der Meister's style works most excellently with Bruckner.  This is the first time I've listened to B1 and actually liked it;  and while I've heard performances I like of 3 and 5, there's nothing so far to complain about in either of these performances.

So glad to hear you enjoyed the Karajan performances, Jeffrey! He's my absolute favourite Bruckner interpreter.

W. A. Mozart
Symphony No.36

[Lisztianwagner]

Thread duty:

Gustav Holst
The Planets

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[mc ukrneal]

Thread duty:

Gustav Holst
The Planets

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Also listening to this.   My feelish is meh. Mars is laid back (with some uncharacteristic wrong notes or not being in tune at the beginning). Build up is pretty good, but the different instruments are not quite together when they should be. Brass seem to want to go at a different pace and this is more evident with some of their entrances. This is surprisingly weak in the very areas I expected it to be strong (in terms of sound and impact).

Venus is better. Nice, polished sound. Mercury - not bad. But again, not as sure-footed as I expected. It is with some trepidation that I head to Jupiter. A straight-forward reading, sounding mostly fine (and in some places smashing). Could have been more nuanced, but overall ok. Beautiful central part - they deserve credit there. Saturn, Uranus and Neptune seem to be a bit better.

[Leon]

Beethoven : Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

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Download of the first three discs is available now for $5.99, the CD edition will be released on May 29th.

So far, exactly how I like Beethoven played.

[mc ukrneal]

Next up - Arensky,via a recommendation of the SonicMan. Very nice so far...
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[Lisztianwagner]

Gustav Holst
A Somerset Rhapsody

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[Lisztianwagner]

Also listening to this.   My feelish is meh. Mars is laid back (with some uncharacteristic wrong notes or not being in tune at the beginning). Build up is pretty good, but the different instruments are not quite together when they should be. Brass seem to want to go at a different pace and this is more evident with some of their entrances. This is surprisingly weak in the very areas I expected it to be strong (in terms of sound and impact).

The Karajan/BPO is one of the best recordings of The Planets I've ever heard. Mars is incredibly powerful and intense, very thrilling, and overall the orchestra plays brilliantly, althought I admit as well that brass sound keeping a different pace in some entrances and, in terms of sound, the introduction is not as clear and perfect as I expect from those performers. About this movement, I think Karajan did a better job in the recording with the Wiener Philharmoniker.

[Brian]

Download of the first three discs is available now for $5.99,

CRAP. Why am I on my work computer?!??!?

Next up - Arensky,via a recommendation of the SonicMan. Very nice so far...
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I hate to go snob on you, but if the Second Quartet isn't being played in the original version - one violin, one viola, two cellos - then don't settle for less. I'm reviewing the Nash Ensemble's new recording for MusicWeb right now, coupled with the Glazunov Quintet and a tiny unfinished sextet by Borodin, and as far as the Arensky Second Quartet goes, it's my reference.

You'll understand my geekery when you hear the quartet. An incredible, stunning piece.

[Mirror Image]

Also listening to this.   My feelish is meh. Mars is laid back (with some uncharacteristic wrong notes or not being in tune at the beginning). Build up is pretty good, but the different instruments are not quite together when they should be. Brass seem to want to go at a different pace and this is more evident with some of their entrances. This is surprisingly weak in the very areas I expected it to be strong (in terms of sound and impact).

Venus is better. Nice, polished sound. Mercury - not bad. But again, not as sure-footed as I expected. It is with some trepidation that I head to Jupiter. A straight-forward reading, sounding mostly fine (and in some places smashing). Could have been more nuanced, but overall ok. Beautiful central part - they deserve credit there. Saturn, Uranus and Neptune seem to be a bit better.

My Dad owns 50+ recordings of The Planets and I've never heard him discuss any of Karajan's performances. My Dad's favorites are Bernstein, Boult, Rattle, and Solti. If I ask him again, they'll probably change.

[Brian]

My Dad owns 50+ recordings of The Planets and I've never heard him discuss any of Karajan's performances. My Dad's favorites are Bernstein, Boult, Rattle, and Solti. If I ask him again, they'll probably change.

Boult's one of my favorites. I also like Karajan/Vienna, Gardiner, and (trust me I'm surprised about this too) Norrington.

[Mirror Image]

Boult's one of my favorites. I also like Karajan/Vienna, Gardiner, and (trust me I'm surprised about this too) Norrington.

Interesting choices, Brian. By the way, did you download that Roussel recording of Evocations?

[Brian]

Interesting choices, Brian. By the way, did you download that Roussel recording of Evocations?

Not yet. I'll definitely do it before Amazon starts collecting Texas sales taxes on July 1!

[Sergeant Rock]

Haydn Symphony #72 D major Ivan Fischer conducting the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra




Sarge

[mc ukrneal]

Boult's one of my favorites. I also like Karajan/Vienna, Gardiner, and (trust me I'm surprised about this too) Norrington.

There I was, thinking maybe this Brian character knows what he's talking about on the Arensky, only to read you like Boult. Ugh.   According to Sarge, I am one out of just 712 billion who dislike Boult/Planets, but I dislike it intensely, so perhaps that makes up for it.

I don't really know whether the Arensky is the double cello or not (I am not currently where the booklet is to check either). Maybe the one you have is better, but this is good in any case. I'm not against getting another version, especially if it is different. Then I can have fun comparing. In any case, I am loving the piano quintet most of all, so all is good.

[Leon]

Beethoven : Piano Sonatas - Nos. 30, 31 & 32
Gerhard Oppitz

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[Leon]

Not yet. I'll definitely do it before Amazon starts collecting Texas sales taxes on July 1!

Are they really going to collect it?  What I've understood from the emails I've gotten from Amazon, concerning sales tax in Tennessee, is that they will NOT collect it (yet) but will tell you how much you owe and it is up to you to file the form and write a check to the state.

[Sergeant Rock]

Dvorak Symphony #7 D minor Claus Peter Flor conducting the Malaysian Phil




Sarge

[Mirror Image]

There I was, thinking maybe this Brian character knows what he's talking about on the Arensky, only to read you like Boult. Ugh.   According to Sarge, I am one out of just 712 billion who dislike Boult/Planets, but I dislike it intensely, so perhaps that makes up for it.

I don't really know whether the Arensky is the double cello or not (I am not currently where the booklet is to check either). Maybe the one you have is better, but this is good in any case. I'm not against getting another version, especially if it is different. Then I can have fun comparing. In any case, I am loving the piano quintet most of all, so all is good.

Don't feel bad, Neal. There's a lot of highly acclaimed recordings that I just can't stand.

[Lisztianwagner]

Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Violin Concerto

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The little discussion I had yesterday about this piece has made me in mood for listening to it.