What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Haffner]

That 9th is about the best performance of the work I can recall ever having heard. I've already gone through it twice, and I'm looking for excuses to watch/listen to it again. Edit: In fact, I think I found one. Splendid.

Currently Listening To:

Chopin's 1st Scherzo, by a recording my tall, leggy blonde model neighbour has put on. She's trying to learn how to play the piano, but from her attempts at mimicking the playing - which might be Horowitz, though I can't be certain right now - it's not going too well.

Thanks for the funny story, R. And now I'm getting ready to spin the last half of the 8th. Life is so good!

[Que]

Im Reich der Operette

One of my little "guilty" pleasures.   

Q

[rickardg]

Ligeti, György
String Quartet No. 1, "Metamorphoses nocturnes"
Arditti Quartet
via Naxos Online

[Renfield]

Thanks for the funny story, R. And now I'm getting ready to spin the last half of the 8th. Life is so good!

Concerning that, I'm now counter-attacking with:

[bhodges]

Ligeti, György
String Quartet No. 1, "Metamorphoses nocturnes"
Arditti Quartet
via Naxos Online

I gather that  is a "yes"!  Have you heard this before? 

--Bruce

[Que]

Currently Listening To:
Chopin's 1st Scherzo, by a recording my tall, leggy blonde model neighbour has put on. She's trying to learn how to play the piano, but from her attempts at mimicking the playing - which might be Horowitz, though I can't be certain right now - it's not going too well.

Concerning that, I'm now counter-attacking with:

Inviting her to come over for a glass of wine seems a better strategy ...  
Provided you like blondes, that is! 0:)

Q

[MN Dave]

[Renfield]

Inviting her to come over for a glass of wine seems a better strategy ...  
Provided you like blondes, that is! 0:)

Q

This one is dangerous: I distinctly remember a former partner of hers leaving the building in tears, under a torrent of banshee-like screams from our piano-loving blonde, never to return!

Though she is stunning, I do give her that.


Still listening to Flier; and in line with skewed priorities of the moment, let me note what a great album that is!

[rickardg]

I gather that  is a "yes"!  Have you heard this before? 

Maiden spin for composer, work and performer, and to be completely honest post-war music in general (this is from the 50's right?)

"Yes" would be putting it mildly, it's more of a "WOW!". Particularly after my classicism binge (Mozart symphonies 39-41, PC 20-27, Haydn die Schöpfung) this afternoon.

[bhodges]

Maiden spin for composer, work and performer, and to be completely honest post-war music in general (this is from the 50's right?)

"Yes" would be putting it mildly, it's more of a "WOW!". Particularly after my classicism binge (Mozart symphonies 39-41, PC 20-27, Haydn die Schöpfung) this afternoon.

Yes, 1953-54 is the date.  Cool that you like it!  It is quite a piece, and the Ardittis do it beautifully.  And certainly a nice tonic after the Mozart and Haydn, too.  (PS, I often find it refreshing to listen to works dramatically different from each other, e.g., following a Bruckner symphony with solo piano music, or a string trio with a vocal recital.)

Anyway, that Ligeti is a great piece.  Will be interested to hear what you think of the second one, too, from 1968.

--Bruce

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Bruckner, Ninth Symphony (Giulini/VPO)

Great work, great performance.

[Brian]

DVORAK | Symphony No 9
Staatskapelle Berlin, Otmar Suitner

Not until these past few weeks have I really come to appreciate this symphony. I used to see it as bombastic, annoying, and hugely overrated - but Suitner and his Berliners have forced me into a dramatic reappraisal of this incredible work.

[rickardg]

Ligeti, György
String Quartet No. 2
Arditti Quartet

Will be interested to hear what you think of the second one, too, from 1968.

Listening to it now, for the second time in a row. This isn't as immediate as the first, seems to me it focuses more on sound than on music. He loses me sometimes, but perhaps with a tempo indication like IV. Presto furioso, brutale, tumultuoso you're meant to be confused. Very fascinating, even if it hasn't the same immediate wow-factor as No. 1, I'm sure I will come back to it.

[Brian]

BERWALD | Sinfonie singuliere
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ulf Bjorlin

Another old friend returning home: I hadn't listened to this one in three months. Still an odd little darling!

[bhodges]

Ligeti, György
String Quartet No. 2
Arditti Quartet

Listening to it now, for the second time in a row. This isn't as immediate as the first, seems to me it focuses more on sound than on music. He loses me sometimes, but perhaps with a tempo indication like IV. Presto furioso, brutale, tumultuoso you're meant to be confused. Very fascinating, even if it hasn't the same immediate wow-factor as No. 1, I'm sure I will come back to it.

Yes, it is completely different from the first one (which sounds more like Bartók).  And you are right: his experiments with timbre anticipate his later explorations of sound--the second quartet is less concerned with melody and more with texture, shape and form.  And PS, if you're inclined and want to compare the same pieces by a different group, I've heard the Artemis Quartet does a beautiful job with both of these.  (I haven't heard it yet.)

But in any case, enjoy your "wow."  It's great when that happens!

--Bruce

[Brian]

MOSZKOWSKI | Waltz, Op 34, No 1
Seta Tanyel, piano

I can see a great pianist - say, Horowitz or Moravec - taking this delightful confection and turning it into one of the great encore pieces in the classical repertoire. A pity nobody has.

[bhodges]

Horowitz used to do Moszkowski's Entincelles as an encore.  Here is a video of him doing it, a bit of giddy fun.  (I don't think I've heard this waltz!)

--Bruce

[George]

Todd, my friend, I would be interested in your opinion regarding these performances.
I have send them to George, but never heard from him what his thoughts were.

Well, I did tell you that the first symphony didn't move me much. I will check out #2 soon and post my thoughts. Forgive me if I am not moving through this set fast enough for you, but I have dozens of new CDs in my to listen to pile and I haven't been listening to very much classical these days as it is. 

[Bogey]

When I walked in the door this evening my wife had five Wolfies in the tray from our Brilliant set.  Playing now:

Piano Sonatas K279-283
Klára Würtz

She's no Uchida, but she still pleases the ear.

[Brian]

KALLIWODA | Symphony No 5
Hofkapelle Stuttgart, Frieder Bernius

Not sure what to think. The performance is not as snappy as that of Das Neue Orchester on CPO, but this one has its merits, too, and great playing all-around. I think the CPO disc is still the one to have. One thing is for sure, though: this symphony is the real thing, a bona fide romantic-era masterpiece that can stand alongside the symphonies of folks like Schubert, Mendelssohn and Schumann.