What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Harry]

May I assist by recommending this CPO disc of the Bulgarian Dances, the Bulgarian Rhapsody "Vardar" and the Traumspielsuite- all rich, colourful works played with great enthusiasm.

I should have added that Vladigerov was the Bulgarian Enescu but without the genius! Still...five piano concertos, two violin concertos, symphonies

Ach, yes, I was just in the process of telling our Dave to take a look at this one.

[Dundonnell]

Not an easy matter;  I am not sure that all his symphonies have been recorded . . . wonder what Alun Francis is doing nowadays? 

I have this recording of the Fifth & Sixth Symphonies, and the Concertato, "Moby-Dick", which I think very good.

My favorite Mennin so far is the Symphony No. 7 (Variation Symphony), available from nwcri.

Not going to talk about Mennin as I have added to the Mennin thread ) but must pick up on your mention of Alun Francis. He IS a splendid conductor who has done some sterling work for CPO in the past-the complete Milhaud, Toch and Humphrey Searle cycles, for example., some Casella, Henry Cowell, Benjamin Frankel, Pettersson, Wolf-Ferrari, Klemperer. I hope that CPO can continue to use him for his abilities in out of the way music!

[karlhenning]

Ach! Many thanks, Colin;  another reminder that I need to revisit Toch!

(Cato hasn't been talking Toch much of late . . . .)

[karlhenning]

Carter
Concerto for Orchestra
Southwest German Radio Symphony
Gielen

Good and rowdy!

[Dundonnell]

I really suck at this sort of thing, so I figure sounds may be better than words - this is the first movement of the 3rd. It IS atypical in its almost tonality/post-romanticism, but isn't out of place amongst the other movements either. I am not greatly familiar with the music of these countries, but at a stretch it could perhaps be said to resemble Pettersson by way of minimalist period Górecki, although a little more ritualistic and less traditionally tonal in sound. Here is the finale, which sounds a bit like like Pettersson paying a visit to Xenakis's house in the heavy use of militaristic drumming, tortured brass, several "unmusical" dissonances that Pettersson generally would not use*, and overall atmosphere of oppression. I find the ending quite satisfying too.

*Pettersson seems relatively single-minded in his use of dissonance to indicate struggle or oppression, and to build them on top of and integrate them into a basically tonal (but emotionally dark) structure. This Nordgren symphony uses dissonance it in a slightly more abstract manner, as well as percussion being used during the relatively serene moments that Pettersson would use to go all-out Romantic (soaring strings, woodwind solos, etc) in (the percussion is one area where Nordgren's Japanese influences do show through occasionally). The general Nordgren atmosphere is more ambiguous, despite occasional explosions.

Edit: This is all, of course, probably wrong - which is why I included the samples

I promised to get back to you once I had listened to the Nordgren

Interesting! I can see exactly where you are coming from in your comparisons with Pettersson and Gorecki(I don't know any Xenakis). There is a strange hypnotic quality about the music. I don't think I can commit to saying I am totally sold but I shall probably try at least one Nordgren cd.....oh dear, here I go again

[Subotnick]

Evening.

Thanks for stepping in with the Nordgren comparisons Lethe. I struggle with that sort of thing too. Some of what you wrote struck a chord with me, particularly your assesment of the finale to the 3rd symphony and the visit to Xenakis's house  I thought I heard a little of Schoenberg in there too. "Nordgren's style proceeds from the twelve tone technique".* I have since heard a couple of Nordgren's string quartets. I found Schoenberg much more evident there.



TTFN.
Me.

*Wikipedia is my friend.

[Daverz]

Kalliwoda, Symphony No. 5  on CPO.  The music is a bit rum-te-tum-tum (he sure likes kettle drums).  Hopefully I'll find something to like about the music with more listens.

[Lilas Pastia]

Very little time for music this past week (mostly in the car), but I kept listening repeatedly to Leon Orthel's symphony no. 2. It's a very strong work. Despite its title ('sinfonia piccola') it packs a lot of incident and punch in its 15 minutes' duration.

[Harry]

You see, Harry, we CAN agree   A much better work than some recent reviews have indicated!

(I am sure that we do agree most of the time )

We agree also about the composers you mentioned!

Milhaud, Toch and Humphrey Searle, Casella, Henry Cowell, Benjamin Frankel, Pettersson, Wolf-Ferrari, Klemperer. 

[Que]

Morning Harry!



Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl (Trauer Ode) BWV 198

Q

[The new erato]

A rare foray into romantic opera here:

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Very little time for music this past week (mostly in the car), but I kept listening repeatedly to Leon Orthel's symphony no. 2. It's a very strong work. Despite its title ('sinfonia piccola') it packs a lot of incident and punch in its 15 minutes' duration.

Yes yes yes! I love this work to bits. It's the biggest musical surprise of the year for me, and - from The Netherlands, too. Incredible. I listen to it every day, and it remains fresh, moving and powerful. An absolute masterpiece.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/ngjefnhztd2/Orthel - Symphony No. 2, 'Piccola sinfonia' Op.18.wma

[Subotnick]

Morning!

I've shamelessly neglected Brahms and Sibelius of late. I intend to rectify that. I'm starting of the day with something nice and easy.



TTFN.
Me.

[Subotnick]

I've now moved on to Sibelius. I have just completed the set of his symphonies performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Petri Sakari, by downloading the 2nd from eMusic. I shall listen to them in order and am 15 minutes into the 1st as I type.



TTFN.
Me.

[Sergeant Rock]

Orthel, Symphony No. 2, 'Piccola sinfonia' Op.18

Thanks, Johan.

Sarge

[Subotnick]

Time for a selection of Sibelius songs before I have to go to work... 



TTFN.
Me.

[springrite]

Beethoven late sonatas, played by Solomon.


Solomon's Beethoven is highly touted. I have not listened to it for ages. Did not find it that impressive to my ear back then. Same now. Will give it another go a couple of years down the line.

[prémont]

As I write : Bach's solo violin Sonata 1 and Partita 1. ... I'm awaiting a new purchase, Aaron Rosand's version (Vox). He's one of my favourite violinists. Intense and incredibly focused, yet avoiding any hint of edginess.

I recently discarded the Rosand set. From a technical point of view he cannot be faulted, but the interpretation is romantic beyond endurance.

[prémont]

Bach's Art of Fugue played by harpsichordist Pieter Dirksen on Etcetera.  Then I listened to three favorites of mine: Gilbert, Leonhardt and Hill.  Dirksen holds up well in this company.

Oh yes, but still a rather amputated version.

[hildegard]

A Christmas favorite!

Bach: The Christmas Oratorio, with Agnes Giebel, Marga Hoffgren, Josef Traxet, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; the Gewandhaus-Orchester and St. Thomas Church choir in Leipzig; Kurt Thomas, cantor, conducting. Recorded in the late 1950s, repressed onto three stereophonic LPs in the 1970s.