What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Subotnick]

Time to finish listening to this delightful disc.



TTFN.
Me.

[SonicMan46]

This is my great discovery. Although these works are written on major key, they express a deep sadness, at least this is my point of view. The music is marvellous composed. Great performances and good sound.

Hello Ric - thanks for bringing up Pfitzner and his Piano Trios - he has been discussed often in this thread and added to my 'wish list' for a while but to date, I've not acquired any CDs of his works (and plenty good ones seem to be available, esp. on the CPO label) - in fact, I was just perusing the Amazon offerings and the 4-CD CPO set shown below seemed quite attractive (not sure 'what' is included, but CPO usually offers a bargain when combining their CDs) - any comments from those who may know this collection?  Thanks - Dave 

[Dundonnell]

How could such a horrid man(Pfitzner) write such nice music?

(Sorry, rhetorical question Wagner wasn't very nice either..or Beethoven....!)

[Subotnick]

Back to this disc for the 3rd symphony. Can't say I'm enjoying it much so far. Having said that, as I type the second movement is becoming interesting as it draws to a close.



TTFN.
Me.

[Todd]

I've been slowly working my way through this box for the last five or six weeks, and now that I'm finished, I think I need another go at it.  I already knew I loved Schanbel's Mozart from a prior, single Pearl disc (with a slightly better transfer), but after hearing so many sonatas and concertos, including Schnabel's own cadenzas, Schnabel now rates along with Haskil, Casadesus, Klien, and Endres as my favorite Mozarteans.  Sound overall is far more than acceptable.  World-class music making.

[Subotnick]

Ending the day with a mighty fine recording of Respighi's symphonic poems. A much loved disc of mine.



TTFN.
Me.

[Lilas Pastia]

Today: Léon Orthel's third and fourth symphonies. The third is a substantial four movement work lasting close to 35 minutes. My impression is that of a work that mixes in Alice in Wonderland and The Turn of the Screw. It's loaded with marches (some brutal, some mock-military) nightmarish or puckish episodes. It's hard to figure what the composer's intent may have been. But it's carefully constructed, with a sense of destination and an authentic 'symphonic' sense of a musical argument expounded and resolved.

The fourth is a sinfionia concertante for piano and orchestra. I listened to this one only once so far, but I was struck at the similarity of idiom with piano concertos by Rosenberg or Wiklund. Grand swathes of orchestral lushness, big chords and arpeggios from the soloist, a sense of triumph and boldness mingled with the requisite romanticism. I found it a bit impersonal and fabriqué, but further listening is in order for a firm opinion to emerge.

Yesterday: my first acquaintance with the chamber music of Hans Franke. He was a minor german composer whose dates are the exact same ones as Starvinsky's (1882-1971). Despite this chronological coincidence, Franke is anything but a modernist. His music is entirely tonal and could be mistaken for any composer from a couple generations back. Indeed the notes mention the influence of Mendelssohn and Schumann. Writing that kind of music in the 1940s may sound like a damning combination, but it is very impressive.  No regerian or hindemithian thickness, but a good dose of fluid and expert working out of the bold themes, sweet harmonies and superbly crafted interplay between the instruments. I regularly put my book down to listen to the music.

[Ric]

Hello Ric - thanks for bringing up Pfitzner and his Piano Trios - he has been discussed often in this thread and added to my 'wish list' for a while but to date, I've not acquired any CDs of his works (and plenty good ones seem to be available, esp. on the CPO label) - in fact, I was just perusing the Amazon offerings and the 4-CD CPO set shown below seemed quite attractive (not sure 'what' is included, but CPO usually offers a bargain when combining their CDs) - any comments from those who may know this collection?  Thanks - Dave 

Hello Sonic. I only own that cd on piano trios and I am very impressed. That set seems a good chance, only is lacking this cd.

[val]

BEETHOVEN:   String Quartet n. 14 opus 131
CESAR FRANCK: Piano Quintet

/ Marcel Ciampi, Capet Quartet  (1928)

The sound is bad, but not enough to prevent us to enjoy the best version ever recorded of Franck's Quintet, full of passion, but always disciplined and with a superb cohesion.

The version of Beethoven's Quartet opus 131 is also extraordinary.

The great artists of Capet's string quartet didn't fear to show emotions, but were never sentimental. Their balance is perfect.

[karlhenning]

electric string quartet. Zzzzz

[Catison]

A little Advent music.



Messiaen: Vingt Regards Sur l'Enfant Jesus

I doubt this would ever get played in church, but still a breathtakingly powerful musical invocation of El Niño.

[Florestan]

Ridiculous artcover...

[Catison]

Ridiculous artcover...

Couldn't agree more.  Its like they wanted Messiaen to roll over a few times.

[Florestan]

Couldn't agree more.  Its like they wanted Messiaen to roll over a few times.

Exactly.

[karlhenning]

Chávez
Symphony № 2, Sinfonía india
Symphony № 5
Symphony № 6
LSO
Mata

[bhodges]

You are such a judge-a-book-by-its-cover guy, Bruce! 

This weekend I got a huge dose of Marc-André Dalbavie, a young French composer heavily involved in the spectralist movement.  Friday night, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) did Palimpseste (2002), Diadèmes (1986) and the world premiere of Fantaisies (2008), the latter for cello and ensemble.  All quite intriguing, and the musicians were fantastic, sailing easily through three quite difficult scores.

The next day I heard a recording of Diadèmes (Boulez/Ensemble Intercontemporain) and the recent Flute Concerto (2006), played by Emmanuel Pahud, with Pascal Rophé and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.  Quite stunning music, especially the latter (which appears on Pahud's new CD with concertos by Jarrell and Pintscher).

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

Milhaud
Symphony № 11, Romantique
Basel Radio Symphony
Alun Francis

[Kullervo]

In honor of my new headphones arriving: Stravinsky - Les Noces, Renard, L'histoire du Soldat (Stravinsky/Columbia)
Fauré - Piano Quintets (Collard/Quatuor Parrenin)

[Keemun]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 (Blomstedt/Staatskapelle Dresden)

[Bulldog]

Schumann's Op. 12 and 26 piano pieces along with the Symphonic Etudes played by Wolfram Lorenzen on a Troubadisc SACD.  I don't have any problems with the performances but the sound quality is problematic.  There's a harshness in the loud passages and not much heft to the sound, two characteristics I don't often find together.