What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Harry]

Harry - LOL!    Actually, I listened to 4 of the discs - just delightful - but then took my wife out to dinner!    Dave

O, my friend that is enjoyable too, more so I gather!

[Harry]

Thomas Tallis.
The Lamentations and Contrafacta.
Chapelle du Roi/Alistair Dixon.
Volume VIII.

Rerun II.
I stay with my opinion, this is the best box with Tallis music you can buy, and for a good price too.
Sound is great, and the performances are nearly without fault, and they are not serious.

[Dana]

Rimsky-Korsakov was an incredible orchestral composer, no? We should not allow the exceeding fame and popularity of Scheherazade cloud the fact that it is exceptionally well-made and wonderful in just about every way.

      He absolutely was! Rimsky-Korsakov is one of five or so composers who I would say lose the most from live performance to CD. It doesn't matter what it is, and it more often than not is the first time I hear it, but whenever Rimsky-Korsakov is programmed, I always enjoy myself (the closest I've come to replicating the live feeling is Reiner's Sheherezade)

[Harry]

Muzio Cementi.
Sonatas for Fortepiano, Violin, and Cello.
Volume V.
Opus 28 no. 1-3.
Opus 29 no. 1-3.
Pietro Spada, Fortepiano.
Vincenzo Bolognese, Violin.
Andrea Bergamelli, Cello.
On period instruments.

The music is entertaining, not of worldclass, but fine nevertheless. And after no less than 4 volumes the Engineer, which deserves special mention Giovanni Fornari, was finally able to record the Fortepiano in a acceptable way. The editor, by the fine name of Maurizio Refice obviously did not listen during editing, otherwise he would have heard that something was going wrong. Its okay with this fifth disc, it sounds very good. Same studio mind!
But O, dear, now the playing is uninspiring, and the tempi are sluggish. Whatever....the music is nice, and I have to keep that in mind.
If you are a Clementi addict, by all means buy it, its mildly disappointing, if not, best avoid it.

[Valentino]

Mozart: PC23 in A K.488. Klien/Vienna Volksoper Orch./Maag.

What an unexpected delight! A treasure in my modest selection of "The Great Musicians" 10" LP collection. Superb liner notes, with music analyzis too.

[Harry]

Hans Huber.
Symphonische Einleitung zur Oper "Der Simplicius". (1898)
Eine Lustspiel-Overture, opus 50. (1879).
Symphony No. 2 opus 115. "Bocklin Symphony". (1900)

Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, conducted by Jorg-Peter Weigle.
Matthias Wachter, Solo Violin.
Gunther Maysenholder, Organ.
Sterling recording 1996.

I resent the dismissive remarks about Hans Huber. He is often described as a minor second rate composer, but that is IMO absolutely untrue, and he deserves much better. For he is a inspirational en inventive composer, that has at every corner and nook a surprise waiting in the form of delicious brittle and sensitive writing, and furthermore he is a fine orchestrator in his own right. He seldom repeats himself, and creates highly romantic melodies almost instantly the moment the disc starts to spin. Repeated listening makes my admiration even greater, and so far I affected all my musical friends, and no one did complain afterwards.
At first hearing you tend to dismiss, and I admit I did so too, but getting at him from a different angle made me realize that there is more to the man than a first hearing. A swiss Bruckner only lighter and more swift, but not less intense.
He is a stronghold in my collection, and I urge you to sample it, and preferably start with this disc.

[wintersway]

Good morning/day to all!

[Harry]

Good morning/day to all!

WW long time no see.
So little time?
That's a fine recording you have there!

[Danny]

[karlhenning]

Langgaard: Sfaerernes Musik (Music of the Spheres) (Frandsen/Danish Radio Choir and Sym. Orch., live recording, 20 March 1980) - Stumbled across this at Academy and recalled some interesting comments.  I can't believe this music was written in 1918; it sounds much more contemporary.

It's about ten minutes before the end, and finally the soprano enters (Edith Guillaume), very otherworldly.  Again, I can't quite reconcile the piece with the date of its composition.  The other two works in this set are the 4th and 6th symphonies, also live recordings (from 1981 and 1977, respectively). 

A wonderful, wonderful work, Bruce!

[karlhenning]

. . . Langgaard's development wasn't linear. If you subscribe to the idea of progress in the arts, Langgaard's work is positively scandalous. Almost nothing he wrote later went as far as 'Music of the Spheres'. In a sense he is almost 'post-modern' in his stylistic diversity. So the other symphonies I mentioned as my favourites are more late-romantic in tone, but in a very pure and fresh way - no cloying chromaticism. It boils down to this - I simply love his very individual voice, whatever 'language' he is speaking.

I can readily assent here.

[karlhenning]

Nielsen
Symphony No. 1 in G Minor, Opus 7 [ FS 16 ]
Danish National Radio
Thos Jensen

Great rouser for a brisk Boston Monday morning!

[Bogey]

On the heels of my Oscar hangover (caused not by wine, but by too much food and too little sleep):



Good morning all.

[karlhenning]

Good morning, Bill!  Most unusual for me, I stayed up for the whole of the broadcast last night, too.  And even though I was a purely disinterested party 

[Bogey]

Good morning, Bill!  Most unusual for me, I stayed up for the whole of the broadcast last night, too.  And even though I was a purely disinterested party 

Good morning Karl.  Ooof, a midnight Monday for you.  Not one of their better broadcasts, but with the writers' strike ending right up against it, I will give them a pass and just be thankful that they had a show at all.

[RebLem]

In the 3 weeks ending Saturday, 23 FEB 2008, I listened to only 9 CDs, such was my addiction to politically oriented broadcasting. But here they are.

1. Bach, J.S:: 4 Reconstructed Violin Concerti: Sinfonia in D Major, S. 1045 (5:34) |Conc. in D Minor, S 1052R (20:20) |Conc.for 3 violins in G Minor, S. 1056R (9:20) |Conc. in D Major, S. 1064 (15:52)—Rilling, cond., Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Isabelle Faust, violin (all), Muriel Cantoreggi & Christoph Poppen, violins (S. 1056R)—hanssler CD Vol. 138 of CBE. Rec 2000. Fine performances of tastefully constructed, but minor works.

2. Bach, J.S.: A Book of Chorale Settings: Incidental Festivities & Psalms (63:16)---Rilling, cond., Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Gachinger Kantorei, Gerhard Gnann, organ---hanssler CD Vol. 82 of CBE. Rec 1998-9. Fine performances of minor works.

3. Schumann: Fantasiestuecke, Op. 12 (22:30), rec. 5/70 |Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13 and Posthumous Etudes (33:48 ), rec. 1/72 |Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 (20:13), rec. 10/76---Sviatoslav Richter, piano—Yedang CD. Magnificent performances.

4, 5, 6. Bartok: CD 1-- Piano Quintet (1904, rev 1920) (38:17), SQ 1, Op. 7 (1909) (29:57) |CD 2—SQ 2, Op. 17 (1917) (26:16), SQ 3 (1927) (14:57), SQ 4 (1928 ) (22:22) |CD 3--- SQ 5 (1934) (30:15), SQ 6 (1939) (27:32), Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano (1938 ) (16:42)---Tatrai Quartet in piano quintet and the 6 string quartets. Csilla Szabo, piano (quintet), Miklos Szenthelyi, violin, Kalman Berkes, clarinet, Zoltan Kocsis, piano (Contrasts)---3 CD Hungaroton box, Vol. 2 of a 6 CD slipcased set of the complete Bartok Chamber Music. I know that the Bartok string quartets are supposed to be the greatest body of chamber music from the 20th century. Everybody who knows what they're talking about says so. I must say, however, that I have never been able to warm to them. And other sets than this are generally considered better by all those other people. But I think the neutral, natural tone of these performances, in an acoustic that is perfect for chamber music, neither too reverberant or too dry, make the best case for these works I have heard, and I own and have listened to the Emerson and Takacs Quartet sets as well as this one. To me, the most interesting work here is the piano quintet. It is beautiful, and has a rigorous musical argument, a precursor, in many ways, of the Shostakovich quintet. The Contrasts is also an interesting work. It was commissioned by Bartok's friend Joseph Szigeti; he played it with Benny Goodman. This set is highly recommended.

7. Choral music of Herbert Howells and Ralph Vaughan Williams. This CD has 6 pieces, which alternate between the two composers, as follows: VW: Prayer to the Father of Heaven for SATB Choir (4:40) |HH: A Sequence for St. Michael for ST Soli, SATB Choir, and organ (1961) (11:56) |VW: A Vision of Aeroplanes for for soprano solo, SATB Choir, and organ (1955) (9:47) |HH:The House of the Mind for SATB Choir and organ (9:57) |VW: Lord, Thou hast been our Refuge for STB Soli and countertenor, and SATB Choir, organ, and trumpet (9:36) |HH:Requiem for ST Soli, countertenor, baritone, and SATB Choir (20:57)—The Finzi Singers, Paul Spicer, dir. (all soloists are also members of The Finzi Singers), John Freeman-Attwood, trumpet, Harry Bicket, organ—Chandos CD. Fine performances.

8. Salmhofer, Franz (1900-75) Heiteres Herbarium (Cheerful Herbarium) (25:03) |Loewe, Carl (1796—1869): Die Heinzelmaennchen, Op. 83 (8:58 ) ; Der verliebte Maikaefer, Op. 64 # 1 (5:47) ; Tom der Reimer, Op. 155 (5:40) |Prokofiev: The Ugly Duckling after Hans Christian Andersen, Op. 18 (1914) (12:18 )---Eberhard Buechner, tenor, Norman Shetler, piano. Berlin Classics CD—All these songs, on nature themes, are sung in German, even the Prokofiev. Booklet is entirely in German, no English notes or texts. Despite that, these are wonderful, tuneful songs, and Buechner is a wonderful tenor. Highly recommended.

9. Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf |Saint-Saens: The Carnival of the Animals |Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell—NYPO, Leonard Bernstein, cond. and narrator in the Prokofiev and Saint-Saens, Master Henry Chapin, narrator in the Britten. (75:13)—Sony CD. Superb performances and narration. Highly recommended.

[Harry]

Hans Huber.
Symphony No. 3 opus 118. "Heroic". (1902)
Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, conducted by Jorg-Peter Weigle.
Barbara Staier, soprano.
Stephan Leuthold, Organ.

Its Hans Huber Day for me. After listening to the Second Symphony I could not help my self, honestly!
The urge to play another one of his genial works was beyond my power to resist. The first measures into the first movement Adagio Molto left me no choice, but to play endlessly this heavenly music. Almost Brucknerrian in expression, with more weight to the strings as to to brass, and that is typical of Hans Huber! The second movement Trauermarsch is a impressive lament, that is one of the most powerful movements he ever wrote, heart rendering in fact!
But what is taking you by surprise is the emotional vehement third movement with a bizar name, Deathdance, and by Jove, it is giving you that impression, and hits home fast and mercilessly. The fourth movement Allegro con Fuoco almost comes as a relieve. Finely orchestrated, and well played, and I think a decent recording.

Some samples
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/hnum/2180814?rk=classic&rsk=hitlist

[Ephemerid]

Debussy: Pelleas et Melisande
Concert suite arranged by Erich Leinsdorf
Abbado

[Bogey]

Great avatar Josh!

Now:

[longears]

Good morning Karl.  Ooof, a midnight Monday for you.  Not one of their better broadcasts, but with the writers' strike ending right up against it, I will give them a pass and just be thankful that they had a show at all.

As usual I was appalled at the crassness of cutting off people they're supposedly honoring (unless they're big name actors--talk about a vicious class system!), but wasting all sorts of time with lame jokes, long introductions, awful production numbers with atrocious songs, watching the "Stars" walk across the stage to the mike, and so on.  At least this time someone had the graciousness to thank Cormac McCarthy for writing the story they were being honored for filming--not like the shameful Forrest Gump episode of self-congratulatory gaucheness.

Now listening--half-heartedly:  LvB Hammerklavier Annie Fischer