What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[North Star]

Good evening, everyone!

Currently listening to:
http://www.youtube.com/v/Bj_U1BntjPo

Finzi Cello Concerto.

Karlo has been recommending this work to me for a long time, and I now see why! This is absolutely gorgeous music, really excellent. So lyrical, poetic and beautiful!

It's a wonderful piece, certainly. Have you heard the third movement already?

Thread duty: Earlier today:
Martinu
The Epic of Gilgamesh (Cantata on the Words of the Old-Babylonian Epic for Soloists (STBtB), Speaker, Mixed Chorus and Orchestra, 1954-5, H. 351)
Belohlavek & Prague SO
[asin]B000PFU8KW[/asin]

[DavidRoss]

Saw this quoted by Ray, above, and directed personally at me:

Could you please stop making moral judgments about this conductor, I really do not appreciate this bashing. Start being concerned about your own morals. Throwing the first stone.....
What prompted Karajan to do what he did, is his business. He lived in a dangerous time, and had to cope with that. Not you!

Looks as if my question to Coopmv hit an unintended collateral bullseye. 

I learned a few years ago that Harry is afforded special protection at GMG putting him off limits for direct response to his incivility. If his protectors are serious about maintaining a civil atmosphere on this site -- as I hope they are -- then they should muzzle him at the outset of his inappropriate and uncalled-for personal attacks on me or any other member.

And, Coop, if you know the answer to my question, I hope you will not let Harry's belligerent rudeness scare you away from responding.

[Bogey]

This one on mono vinyl is hitting that "Sunday afternoon spot" perfectly.

I believe both recorded in '56?

[Bogey]

Sibelius VC. Recorded 1935 at the Abbey Road Studios.  Goo goo g'joob goo goo g'joob.

[Coopmv]

I agree too.
It is not a simple matter; Karajan was ambitious, eager to obtain a prestigious appointment and he wanted to work in Germany; it was certainly a dangerous time, getting the membership card and coming to terms with the Nazi party was the counterpart he had to pay to have a job. This also happened in Italy during the Fascist regime. Although that's true it was a very questionable choice....it would have been better if Karajan would have decided to emigrate, like Toscanini and Erich Kleiber.

Artists who lived under the regimes of Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong did not exactly have the easiest of times either.  Immigration was more easily said than done.  Wilhelm Furtwangler could have gotten a very good job in the US, but HvK was just starting out at the time ...

[Coopmv]

Also, during a rehearsal of Karajan's memorial in Vienna, Bernstein said: "We will play this piece for Herbert".
Yes, I have heard about that; Bernstein let Karajan conduct the NY Philharmonic, but Karajan never returned the favoure letting Bernstein conduct the Berliner Philharmoniker when he was in charge, at least except the performance of Mahler No.9 in 1979.

Indeed, it was factually incorrect to say Bernstein never conducted the BPO when HvK was in charge of that orchestra.  Karajan did not step down from his position at the BPO until 1988 IIRC.  The chairman of Sony Akio Morita was actually visiting Karajan at the time of his unexpected passing.  Perhaps it was to offer Karajan a deal to jump ship from DG to Sony ...

[madaboutmahler]

Back from listening to:
[asin]B0001TSWNW[/asin]

Incredibly beautiful and exciting performances! I love Prokofiev's take on R+J so incredibly much, one of my favourites!

[Gold Knight]

On Spotify:

Sergei Rachmaninoff--Symphony No.1 in D Minor, Op.13, Symphony No.2 in E Minor, Op.27, Isle of the Dead, Op.29, Symphony No.3 in A Minor, Op.44 and Symphonic Dances, Op.45. All of these works feature the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra led by Mariss Jansons.
Malcolm Arnold--Symphony No.1, Op.22, Symphony No.2, Op.40 and Symphony No.5, Op.74, all performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the composer himself.

[Brian]

I had incredibly high hopes, but Marek Janowski's Janacek (Glagolitic/Taras Bulba) on PentaTone is the single worst Janacek CD I've ever heard.



Good orchestral clarity is the only plus here. Neutered brass, non-existent trombones, completely faceless winds, a conductor who shies away from wildness or ferocity. The crucifixion in the Mass and the battle scenes in Taras Bulba are no more harrowing than your average drinking game. Tenor Stuart Neill sounds completely overwhelmed by the challenge: his enunciation stinks and the strain on his voice as he wanders completely lost through the big solo makes me feel sorry for him.

This isn't even the fun, perverse, loopy kind of bad. It's the boring, sad, shambolic kind of bad. I'm deeply let down.

[North Star]

I had incredibly high hopes, but Marek Janowski's Janacek (Glagolitic/Taras Bulba) on PentaTone is the single worst Janacek CD I've ever heard.

Good orchestral clarity is the only plus here. Neutered brass, non-existent trombones, completely faceless winds, a conductor who shies away from wildness or ferocity. The crucifixion in the Mass and the battle scenes in Taras Bulba are no more harrowing than your average drinking game. Tenor Stuart Neill sounds completely overwhelmed by the challenge: his enunciation stinks and the strain on his voice as he wanders completely lost through the big solo makes me feel sorry for him.

This isn't even the fun, perverse, loopy kind of bad. It's the boring, sad, shambolic kind of bad. I'm deeply let down.

Ugh! And to think that I almost pulled the trigger on this one... I might have had to do it literally, too.
But then again, didn't your opinion on Wit's Glagolitic change quite radically?

[Brian]

Ugh! And to think that I almost pulled the trigger on this one... I might have had to do it literally, too.
But then again, didn't your opinion on Wit's Glagolitic change quite radically?

Graaaahh!! Right now the organ solo from the Mass is playing and I can't wait for it to be over. Shaky playing on a truly hideous instrument.

My opinion on Wit's Glagolitic did change quite radically. However, the first time I listened to it, when I strongly disliked it, I was listening via NML on crappy workplace headphones with a loose wire. Much of the appeal of his recording comes from the extraordinary orchestral sound he's cultivated with the Warsaw PO, so the headphones hurt his cause. And I can't say I'm madly in love with Wit's Glagolitic now: it's very good, but maybe a bit too slick and there are a couple places where I'd love to have given him a little feedback. 

Now, my opinion on Wit's Taras Bulba and Sinfonietta were immediately extremely positive, and have only become more positive. Wit's Taras Bulba is my personal favorite, and entrenches itself more deeply every time I hear somebody else conduct the piece. Especially Janowski: this is the second time I've put myself through the agony of Janowski's Taras Bulba, which starts off very well for 5 minutes and then more or less anything that's supposed to be fast or loud is the musical equivalent of Jell-O.

[North Star]

Graaaahh!! Right now the organ solo from the Mass is playing and I can't wait for it to be over. Shaky playing on a truly hideous instrument.

My opinion on Wit's Glagolitic did change quite radically. However, the first time I listened to it, when I strongly disliked it, I was listening via NML on crappy workplace headphones with a loose wire. And I can't say I'm madly in love with Wit's Glagolitic now: it's very good, but maybe a bit too slick and there are a couple places where I'd love to have given him a little feedback. 

Now, my opinion on Wit's Taras Bulba and Sinfonietta were immediately extremely positive, and have only become more positive. Wit's Taras Bulba is my personal favorite, and entrenches itself more deeply every time I hear somebody else conduct the piece. Especially Janowski: this is the second time I've put myself through the agony of Janowski's Taras Bulba, which starts off very well for 5 minutes and then more or less anything that's supposed to be fast or loud is the musical equivalent of Jell-O.

Thanks for the clarification.
How long do we have to wait for a good recording of the restored Glagolitic 

[Brian]

Thanks for the clarification.
How long do we have to wait for a good recording of the restored Glagolitic 

In hindsight, the fact that Naxos had Wit record the cut version of the Glagolitic is one of the biggest missed opportunities. Of course, the fact that Janowski's recording stinks is also a missed opportunity.

At some point we'll all have to chip in and hire the LSO for a week under the baton of Luke Ottevanger, methinks 

[North Star]

In hindsight, the fact that Naxos had Wit record the cut version of the Glagolitic is one of the biggest missed opportunities. Of course, the fact that Janowski's recording stinks is also a missed opportunity.

At some point we'll all have to chip in and hire the LSO for a week under the baton of Luke Ottevanger, methinks 

That's a superb idea 

[mahler10th]

I tell you now and forever more, this is one Alpine Symphony that blows the rest across the Rockies.  If I was second cello at the BPO, or something,  I'd be setting up a campaign for him to take over from Sir Simon when the time comes.
Honest, if you have never heard Nelsons conduct this, you haven't heard it.  It will blow your eyebrows clean off and leave you with a large hole instead of a face...well, I have to get excited about something.   
I do not know why the picture is so big, but...

[Bogey]

[Lisztianwagner]

Leos Janacek
Romance for Violin & Piano

[asin]B0001Y4JH0[/asin]

[TheGSMoeller]

Berg: Lyrische Suite
Leipziger Streichquartett

[flyingdutchman]

I had incredibly high hopes, but Marek Janowski's Janacek (Glagolitic/Taras Bulba) on PentaTone is the single worst Janacek CD I've ever heard.



Good orchestral clarity is the only plus here. Neutered brass, non-existent trombones, completely faceless winds, a conductor who shies away from wildness or ferocity. The crucifixion in the Mass and the battle scenes in Taras Bulba are no more harrowing than your average drinking game. Tenor Stuart Neill sounds completely overwhelmed by the challenge: his enunciation stinks and the strain on his voice as he wanders completely lost through the big solo makes me feel sorry for him.

This isn't even the fun, perverse, loopy kind of bad. It's the boring, sad, shambolic kind of bad. I'm deeply let down.

So is the one recorded by Masur and combined with the Schubert 8th not an SACD?

http://www.amazon.com/Schubert-Symphony-Jan%C3%A1cek-Glagolitic-Mass/dp/B000REGJ0O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1359335469&sr=8-2&keywords=janacek+dsd

[Conor71]

Dukas: La Peri


Todays theme: French Romanticism - I have the following recordings lined up to play today. The Bizet and Dukas Discs will be first listens  :