What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Harry]

Beethoven.

Symphony No. 3, "Eroica".

The Creatures of Prometheus opus 43.

The London Classical Players/Roger Norrington.

Norrington is fast, very fast, the second movement, clocks at 12:31, and that's about right for this movement, allthough there are parts were he slows down the tempi, which he should not, IMO.
Gardiner and Zinman are just a few seconds slower but not much, and Gardiner wins thumbs up for applying the right amount of urgency in the right places. Zinman sheds much more light on the details, like strings and brass, and he is fast too, but in the wrong places he slows down to much like Norrington. But anyway three marvelous sets to have and treasure. For instance Karajan in his sixties recordings clocks over 17:00 minutes, but than again, Karajan can....
This need for urgency comes out best in the first movement and the last of this symphony. That this orchestra applies wooden sticks for the timpani, is a huge plus I think.
The Scherzo, allegro vivace, third movement, has a jolting quality, with very fine playing. Norrington is a committed conductor, granted with some odd quirky tempi modulations, but as a whole this is bloody marvelous. The sound is good and forward.
The opus 43 is a fine piece, and for the first time played with the right tempi, boy is that fast, clocks in at 4:52, and that's as fast as it can be played, without the brass losing coherence. Beethoven would have loved this pushing to the utmost. I do..................

[Harry]

Beethoven.
Symphony No. 1.
The London Classical Players/Norrington.

I simply could not resist, wonderfullllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.

[Mark]

This:



Much to admire here in the Dvorak Piano Concerto - particularly Kleiber's masterful leadership of the Bavarian State Orchestra. He drives them near-on ideally, with only the hard, slightly 'burred' brass to complain about. Richter's playing, too, leaves little room for grumbling; though EMI's remastering has made the tone of instrument too treble-heavy, so it lacks weight and presence at the bass end. It's also too glassy, and a tiny bit brittle. Tempi, however, are spot on - no sagging here, such as dogs the recording of this work on Chandos. Overall, I'm actually rather surprised that I'm enjoying this as much as I am: I can't claim to be a Richter fan based on the (admittedly very few) recordings of his work I've heard to date.

[Sergeant Rock]

George and Harry have put me in a heroic mood today. Just finished this Third



just beginning this one




Sarge

[Harry]

Borodin.

Symphony No. 1 in E flat major.

Royal Stockholm PO/Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

Brilliant licensed these recordings from Chandos, and it was recorded in Stockholm 1993-4.
A golden decision, for they are truly excellent. A fine Chandos sound, and a performance that has all the urgency and power it needs, to bring this finely detailed composition off. The Orchestra responds well to the Russian giant, and play as a bunch of hard headed angels, straight out of the clouds, aimed at your sense for grandiose music making.
Always had a penchant for Borodin, but never found a decent recording, until now.

[Scriptavolant]

The oboe is an instrument capable of immense beauty and new composers often neglect that aspect of the oboe.

I think Maderna was quite concerned about the beauty of the oboe, infact it was his favourite instrument of all, best fitting his idea of the aulodia. Of course, his concertos were composed in the second half of the XXth Century so it is difficult to expect an Albinoni revival  , but if one takes into account his aesthetical aims and his poetics, I think he did give a new voice to the instrument.

Thanks for the link, I'll check out your recommendation. I think now I'm going to give a spin to Berio's Sequenza for Oboe.

[karlhenning]

Mozart
Piano Concerto № 27 in B-flat, K.595
Mitsuko Uchida
English Chamber Orchestra
Jeffrey Tate

[hautbois]

I think Maderna was quite concerned about the beauty of the oboe, infact it was his favourite instrument of all, best fitting his idea of the aulodia. Of course, his concertos were composed in the second half of the XXth Century so it is difficult to expect an Albinoni revival  , but if one takes into account his aesthetical aims and his poetics, I think he did give a new voice to the instrument.

Thanks for the link, I'll check out your recommendation. I think now I'm going to give a spin to Berio's Sequenza for Oboe.

You do like XXth Century music do you. Haha...There is a video of Penderecki's Cappriccio for oboe and strings on YouTube which is very interesting.

Howard

[George]

Borodin.

Symphony No. 1 in E flat major.

Royal Stockholm PO/Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

Brilliant licensed these recordings from Chandos, and it was recorded in Stockholm 1993-4.
A golden decision, for they are truly excellent. A fine Chandos sound, and a performance that has all the urgency and power it needs, to bring this finely detailed composition off. The Orchestra responds well to the Russian giant, and play as a bunch of hard headed angels, straight out of the clouds, aimed at your sense for grandiose music making.
Always had a penchant for Borodin, but never found a decent recording, until now.

Just added to my wishlist, Harry.

[wilhelm]

[orbital]

Rachmaninov - The Isle of The Dead - Previn/LSO

[karlhenning]

Nikolai Andreyevich
Sheherazade, Opus 35
Phila / Ormandy

[SonicMan46]

Borodin.  Symphony No. 1 in E flat major.  Royal Stockholm PO/Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

Brilliant licensed these recordings from Chandos, and it was recorded in Stockholm 1993-4.
A golden decision, for they are truly excellent. A fine Chandos sound, and a performance that has all the urgency and power it needs, to bring this finely detailed composition off..................

Harry - second the Borodin Symphony set - superb recordings & a bargin!    P.S. Biber w/ Manze - another winner! 

For me this morning, Antonio Soler (1729-1783) - solo keyboard sonatas on harpsichord w/ Gilbert Rowland - currently, just have Vols. 1 & 2; Naxos has published 13 volumes!  Check HERE for listings & comments - not sure 'how many' discs of these works I want, but would appreciate any comments from those who may have more - thanks!

 

[Harry]

Just added to my wishlist, Harry.

You will not regret my friend, be sure of that.

[Harry]

Harry - second the Borodin Symphony set - superb recordings & a bargin!    P.S. Biber w/ Manze - another winner! 

For me this morning, Antonio Soler (1729-1783) - solo keyboard sonatas on harpsichord w/ Gilbert Rowland - currently, just have Vols. 1 & 2; Naxos has published 13 volumes!  Check HERE for listings & comments - not sure 'how many' discs of these works I want, but would appreciate any comments from those who may have more - thanks!

 

Dave I have them all, and you will want them all, for he is the hero of the Harpsichord, the Chopin of his time.
Believe me, every disc is a jewel.

[George]

You will not regret my friend, be sure of that.

Given the conductor and your assurance, I have no doubt. I only hesitate because I will not be buying until after I am setting comfortably in my new apartment. 

BTW, get on over to the composer/member thread and your CD giveaway thread.

I need to go to work. Have a nice day, people! 

[Harry]

Hyacinthe Jadin. (1776-1800)

String Trios opus 2, 1-3.

Ensemble Les Adieux.

And yet another winner on the label NCA, from all the recordings I bought, just one dud, that's all.
Wonderful contemplative music well executed, and marvelously recorded.
There are many influences, but luckily he can stand on his own feet. Fine music that flows like a little bach, unobtrusive, but cooling nevertheless.

[Lethevich]

Vaughan Williams - Choral works (Nimbus)

At the moment: Te Deum. I am very very glad that this composer existed...

[Que]

Q

[Valentino]

Haydn: "London" symphony (i.e. no. 104). LPO/Solti.

Big band Haydn for the ear, while reading Pierre Clostermann's "The big show". Tally ho!