What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Harry]

From this box, Disc III.

Peer Gynt, opus 23.
Barbara Bonney, Marianne Eklof, Urban Malmberg.

This disc last 85:06, and it works perfectly. I must say, this is to this date the best sung Peer Gynt I personally ever heard. The singers are so totally into this tale, that I am positively scared at times.
Very well recorded too. Simply love Bonny's voice, and the vibrating tenor Malmberg. Jarvi has the job well done.

[val]

SCHÖNBERG:      Piano Concerto opus 42         / Ushida, Cleveland Orchestra, Boulez

A very dramatic version, even in the 4th movement, a Rondo where the very innocent theme increasingly changes into the anxiety of the coda. Boulez is superb, like the orchestra. And Ushida was never as intense and powerful as in this recording.
To me, this is the best version of one of the greatest Concertos of the 20th century.

[pjme]

Hi Val, yesterday on the radio : Schoenberg's concerto with Alfred Brendel - anno 1955 with SWF-Baden Baden orchestra/Michael Gielen.
( now available in a big Brillant box - all Brendel's Vox recordings from the fifties - including Prokofiev's fifth concerto). Boxy sound but a lively and intens performance.
Indeed, a great work. I know it quite well ( bought Ushida/Boulez a couple of years ago) now and am captivated by its drive and the beauty of  "internal logic" .
P.

[val]

I never heard that version of Brendel, but I know well his recording of this Concerto with Kubelik. Nevertheless I prefer Ushida and, in special, Boulez, very inspired.

[The new erato]

Hi Val, yesterday on the radio : Schoenberg's concerto with Alfred Brendel - anno 1955 with SWF-Baden Baden orchestra/Michael Gielen.
( now available in a big Brillant box - all Brendel's Vox recordings from the fifties - including Prokofiev's fifth concerto).

I've been playing a lot of discs from this box recently (mainly Beethoven wks + Mozart piano concertoes and a Schubert disc as well) and enjoying it immensely, haven't got around to the Schoenberg yet, but I will. I find this a very fine set of discs so far.

[pjme]

I should buy it - a couple of days ago it was even discounted at the local "Kruidvat" store. The poor girls at the shop have no clue what it is about ( Kruidvat sells mainly beauty products, pet food, candy and washing powder...) and eye classical Cd's with horror...

[Harry]

From this box:
Symphony No. 3 in D minor.
Doris Soffel, Alto.
Limburger Domsingknaben & Woman's Chorus of the Frankfurter Kantorei.
Recording 1985 by Denon.

Those engineers from Denon knew how to record music, I can tell you, for its nothing short than spectacular. The very intro Kraftig, entschieden is a case in point. What a powerful and at the same time gentle start into the genius of Gustav Mahler's music. Inbal is for me a clear headed conductor, that maps out clearly his way through the emotional content without letting it clog up the music.
The lines are lucid and detailed to a fault, and the many intricate lines are woven together into a comprehensive picture that outshines many a performance. Doris Soffel is a outstanding alto, and she fits well into this framework. Recommended.

[Que]

The poor girls at the shop have no clue what it is about ( Kruidvat sells mainly beauty products, pet food, candy and washing powder...) and eye classical Cd's with horror...

!

Now:



Q

[Harry]

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Now:



Q

That must be something very special, Strauss played by Immerseel?

[Que]

That must be something very special, Strauss played by Immerseel?

But you have that recording, am I right?

Just for the record: this is the first recording by a modern conductor (after Erich Kleiber and Clemens Krauss) that I like.

Q

[Harry]

But you have that recording, am I right?

Just for the record: this is the first recording by a modern conductor (after Erich Kleiber and Clemens Krauss) that I like.

Q

Yes I ordered it, but somehow it was never delivered Que for I cannot find it, although that is saying nothing, for I fail to find some things that I know I have!

[The new erato]

Yes I ordered it, but somehow it was never delivered Que for I cannot find it, although that is saying nothing, for I fail to find some things that I know I have!

I know that feeling. I just found XTCs Skylarking which I have missed for 3 years (I have the box but the disc had disappeared and appeared between some DVDs) and the first disc in ASVs Robert Fayrfax 3 CD set which disappeared a year ago (it had been mislaid inside a Norah Jones album and appeared when I tried to play it a week ago. Yes I have eclectic tastes 

With large collctions one have to be extremely careful, when something disappears one depends on luck if they are ever to appear again. And that includes misplacing albums at the wrong place after playing them.

One friend of mine with a really HUGE collections have separate sections for all all the major countries, alphabetized within countries, besides keeping all his opera discs in a separate archive. We're talking several tens of thousands of items here. 

[marvinbrown]

  I am exploring Schumann's piano works for the first time today .  I am playing CD1 (Davidsbundlertanze, Op.6, Phantasiiestucke, Op.11, Gesange der fruhe, Op.133 and Klavierstucke Op.32). I was inspired by Harry and Wanderer to buy this set and I am really enjoying it:

 

  marvin

[Harry]

  I am exploring Schumann's piano works for the first time today .  I am playing CD1 (Davidsbundlertanze, Op.6, Phantasiiestucke, Op.11, Gesange der fruhe, Op.133 and Klavierstucke Op.32). I was inspired by Harry and Wanderer to buy this set and I am really enjoying it:

 

  marvin

That makes me happy to hear that Marvin!

[Opus106]

Just for the record: this is the first recording by a modern conductor (after Erich Kleiber and Clemens Krauss) that I like.
Q

What do you mean by a modern conductor, in this context? I thought Immerseel was a HIPster.

[Que]

What do you mean by a modern conductor, in this context? I thought Immerseel was a HIPster.

I meant non-Old School/ post-war.  HIP is very modern.

Q

[karlhenning]

Please do! The piece is magnificent, I'll travel to the North for the occasion as well!

[karlhenning]

Gesualdo
Canticle of Zachariah
Tenebrae Responsories for Holy Saturday
A sei voci

[Opus106]

I meant non-Old School/ post-war.  HIP is very modern.

Q

Oh, okay. Thanks.

[Harry]

Gesualdo
Canticle of Zachariah
Tenebrae Responsories for Holy Saturday
A sei voci

That is a very good recording, and one of the best ensembles I ever heard.