What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Brian]

They are currenly giving away the Vanska/Minnesota cycle on BIS, 5 hybrid SACDs at around 19£ on mdt. The single disc I have (which includes nr 8 ) have impressed me greatly, at this price I'll go for the complete package whether I need another Beethoven cycle or not.

Indeed, that price is a steal! I already have Vanska's 1, 2, 6, 7 and 9, but at that price, why not go for the box...

[Lethevich]

Indeed, that price is a steal! I already have Vanska's 1, 2, 6, 7 and 9, but at that price, why not go for the box...

Indeedie - see it as an opportunity to use your single issues as gifts, if not just resell.

[Harry]

The 9th Symphony, today.

[bhodges]

Last night, a spectacular concert with the Jack Quartet playing music of Toshio Hosokawa:

Urbilder (1980)
Silent Flowers (1999)
Blossoming (2007)
6 Kalligraphie (2007)

Jack Quartet are four guys from the Eastman School who play like maniacs (in a good sense) and totally into new music--the more difficult, the better.  Hosokawa writes pretty difficult stuff; he studied at Darmstadt with Helmut Lachenmann, and loves very delicate, quiet effects contrasted with loud, crunchy ones.  Afterward, I found out the quartet learned all four pieces in three weeks. 

--Bruce 

[karlhenning]

. . . Afterward, I found out the quartet learned all four pieces in three weeks. 

Love it, Bruce!

[bhodges]

Love it, Bruce!

I couldn't believe it when they said that!  And some people say classical music is dying...well, not when young players can tackle scores like these, which might have taken some of their predecessors months to assimilate.  Concerts like this are yet more evidence that the quality of performers is increasing; young players, especially, seem unfazed by anything.

--Bruce

[mahler10th]

ERATO:  

"...have impressed me greatly, at this price I'll go for the complete package whether I need another Beethoven cycle or not..."

Thats the spirit!!   No point in messing about.  Get it now!!!

Thread Duty:

Martinu
Symphony No 5
N Jarvi
Banberg SO

It's got more DEPTH than some other Martinu 5's out there.  For some reason I didn't expect Jarvi to swim through this, but he does, and it's the best I've heard.

[Harry]

ERATO:  
Thats the spirit!!   No point in messing about.  Get it now!!!

Thread Duty:

Martinu
Symphony No 5
N Jarvi
Banberg SO

It's got more DEPTH than some other Martinu 5's out there.  For some reason I didn't expect Jarvi to swim through this, but he does, and it's the best I've heard.

And I for one totally agree with you.

[Drasko]

Janáček Sinfonietta, Szell and his Clevelanders, a performance I've lived with and loved since I was 17.

You mean to say young, naive, easily impressible. Don't worry you'll get over it with time, some just need more time than others.



The 3rd, with dirge like 11+ minutes Andantino con moto, quasi allegretto. Lento lugubre more like.

[Brian]

The first two works on this disc don't particularly interest me, but "Episode at a Masquerade" is simply extraordinary. And the Warsaw Philharmonic sounds just ravishing. Makes me wish Naxos' ongoing Richard Strauss series was with Warsaw, rather than the Staatskapelle Weimar.

But you know who's one of the best conductors in the world? Antoni Wit.

[Harry]

The first two works on this disc don't particularly interest me, but "Episode at a Masquerade" is simply extraordinary. And the Warsaw Philharmonic sounds just ravishing. Makes me wish Naxos' ongoing Richard Strauss series was with Warsaw, rather than the Staatskapelle Weimar.

But you know who's one of the best conductors in the world? Antoni Wit.

As till now two volumes, with very interesting works, that have to grow on you.
Antoni Wit is indeed one of the best conductors we have these days.
Happy listening Brian.

[CD]

The 3rd, with dirge like 11+ minutes Andantino con moto, quasi allegretto. Lento lugubre more like.

I need this. 

[Harry]

The 10th Symphony, one movement.
It always makes me very sad.

[Conor71]

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 - Barshai/WDRSO

[Harry]

Symphony No. 9 & Egmont opus 84.

Marvelous rendition. Never heard such a unusual one, it prompted me to get the Gardiner set out of my collection to be played soon.

[CD]

[Conor71]

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 - Karajan/BPO

[The new erato]

Argerich/Kovacevich in Mozart K 501 from the Lugano Festival 2008. Scintillating playing.

[Brian]

[Lethevich]

Tonal, but not your usual pastoral Romanticism, as was so popular in this region - cool beans.