What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[The new erato]

Really good stuff for fans of doom-laden, late romantic orchestral songs!

[asin]B006OW5DN2[/asin]

[Coopmv]

Now playing the following CD, a recent arrival from MDT for a first listen ...

[Lisztianwagner]

Charles-Valentin Alkan
Sonatine

[asin]B000002ZW4[/asin]

[Coopmv]

Now playing the following CD, another recent arrival for a first listen ...

[listener]

HAYDN   Symphonies 39 in g, 47 in G, 54 in G
Hungarian Chamber Orchestra / Vilmos Tatrai, cond.
unusual to program everything in the same key, but it's Haydn so it won't bore.
BRITTEN  The Prodigal Son
City of Birmingham Touring Opera & Birmingham Contemporary Music Group
Simon Halsey cond.
with notes embedded in the disc so they can be retrieved on the computer when you discover that you have lost the magazine.

[madaboutmahler]

You are loving this so much these days, Daniel, that I think I'd best seek it out and listen. I love the music in Der Rosenkavalier, but think the opera silly and long-winded, so seldom listen -- and when I do, it's usually only to the last disc in the wonderful Haitink recording. So maybe the suite would be to my liking!

Ah! Via Mog I found



with couplings that interest me as well. Time to start listening!

I certainly am, David! It's such an uplifting piece which I love so incredibly much. Glad my listening has inspired you to search the piece too, it really is definitely worth listening to. (or hundreds of listens, as I am giving it recently!) I admit to not hearing the whole opera as of yet though.

So, what did you think, David? I have not heard that Jansons recording, although I did see him conduct the piece live in London recently which was a very impressive performance. The two recordings I own of the piece are Previn and Nelsons, both excellent, and very different!

[Coopmv]

Back to early music, now playing the following CD, a recent arrival for a first listen ...

[DavidRoss]

I certainly am, David! It's such an uplifting piece which I love so incredibly much. Glad my listening has inspired you to search the piece too, it really is definitely worth listening to. (or hundreds of listens, as I am giving it recently!) I admit to not hearing the whole opera as of yet though.

So, what did you think, David? I have not heard that Jansons recording, although I did see him conduct the piece live in London recently which was a very impressive performance. The two recordings I own of the piece are Previn and Nelsons, both excellent, and very different!

Give the opera a try, Daniel. The suite fell short of my hopes -- but then, it's not the same without the singers. I can see why you're digging it, though! And I'll give the Previn a try later on.

I didn't try Til and made it only a couple of minutes into Anja Harteros's Fruhling before having my fill of her warbling vibrato.

[madaboutmahler]

Give the opera a try, Daniel. The suite fell short of my hopes -- but then, it's not the same without the singers. I can see why you're digging it, though! And I'll give the Previn a try later on.

I didn't try Til and made it only a couple of minutes into Anja Harteros's Fruhling before having my fill of her warbling vibrato.

Will do, David. I'd be very keen to hear the whole opera! Sorry to hear that you did not enjoy the suite as much as I do, the Previn is an excellent performance. Definitely worth the listen!

Now:

[asin]B000001GIY[/asin]
Der Rosenkavalier Suite

Such happiness! Matches my mood perfectly!

Hope you all have a wonderful night!

This may as well become my default post on the listening thread at the end of each evening! I can't resist listening to the last 10 minutes or so nearly every evening! So brilliant and uplifting! And just so happy!

Hope you all have a wonderful night!

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD1 from the following twofer for a first listen ...

[Lisztianwagner]

Pëtr Il'ič Čajkovskij
Capriccio Italien

[asin]B000GW8AUE[/asin]

[North Star]

Alkan
12 Études in the minor keys, nos. 1 - 7
Jack Gibbons
[asin]B0000030PK[/asin]

[DavidRoss]

Rosenkavalier Suite. Significantly more gloriously over-the-top than Jansons's recording!

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD2 from the following twofer for a first listen ...

[North Star]

Janacek
String Quartet no. 2
Gabrieli SQ
[asin]B0001Y4JH0[/asin]

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD8 from the following set for a first listen ...

[Conor71]

Bizet: Carmen


Now listening to this great Opera - excellent performance!. After this I will listen to Shostakovich for the rest of the day starting with Symphony No. 15 and then possibly moving on to the 7th and 13th.

[kishnevi]

Give the opera a try, Daniel. The suite fell short of my hopes -- but then, it's not the same without the singers. I can see why you're digging it, though! And I'll give the Previn a try later on.

As far as the full opera goes,  you might be better off with a DVD version.  Or it might simply be Haitink's fault.
I have one audio version--the Haitink--and one DVD--the one with Fleming and Damrau conducted by Thielemann (I think--don't have it handy to check).    I was sort of bored by the Haitink, and enthralled by the DVD.   Both Damrau and Fleming were superb, and the sight of Jonas Kaufman (as the Italian Singer) pigging out on spaghetti was an added bonus.  The production updates the costumes and decor to a sort of generic first half of the 20th century, but otherwise stays true to the libretto.

Of course, listening to the full opera gives you a different perspective than merely listening to the suite.  The famous waltz, for instance,  is really a blazing blast of irony, since the elegant melody turns out to be the favorite tune of the most inelegant character of all,   Baron Ochs.

[Bogey]

Rosenkavalier Suite. Significantly more gloriously over-the-top than Jansons's recording!

If it ain't, it ain't Strauss. 

We hit 101 for a temp today....cannot throw down any form or member of the Strauss family in that situation.  I will have to wait for the first frost, my friend, or at least a fall nip.

[nico1616]

Bizet: Carmen


Now listening to this great Opera - excellent performance!.

I never liked Carmen that much, except in this recording. Domingo, Cotrubas and Berganza are in great form but it is Abbado who makes this the best. Orchestral detail is just gorgeous here!