What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[AnthonyAthletic]

Roslavetz:  Piano works/Hamelin

Sonatas and various mini works, washing down very well indeed...must take the time to find more about this composer whom I instantly was attracted to.

[karlhenning]

Yes the Just has the same coverart. Did you know that that disc is OOP Dave?

Suggesting that the artwork failed to keep the recording in circulation? 

[Daverz]

Schmidt, Symphony No. 3 - Pesek/Slovak Philharmonic on a Supraphon Lp.  The orchestra plays very well here.  I thought this had made it to CD, but I can't find it anywhere.

[Sergeant Rock]

Schmidt, Symphony No. 3 - Pesek/Slovak Philharmonic on a Supraphon Lp.  The orchestra plays very well here.  I thought this had made it to CD, but I can't find it anywhere.

Interesting. I'm always on the look out for Schmidt recordings. There are so few. I haven't seen this on CD either. If you eventually find it, let us know.

An important Schmidt release is imminent: the Piano Concerto for left hand

Luisi's Schmidt symphony cycle is outstanding (what I've heard, and recommendations from other, uh....Schmidtites? Schmidtarians? ) so I expect this concerto release to be worthy.

Sarge

[Papy Oli]

Received from jpc today :



not a proper classical analysis, (if i can ever made one !  ), but the voice of that Janet Baker is quite something !! 

[Choo Choo]

Luisi's Schmidt symphony cycle is outstanding (what I've heard, and recommendations from other, uh....Schmidtites? Schmidtarians? )

I have the Schmidt #4 with Mehta / VPO from 1971 (which I have to admit, I got primarily for the coupling: Schoenberg's Chamber Symphony #1) :

   

It seems fine, as far as I can tell.  I am by no means an expert.  There's a very enthusiastic review of it here.

[Lilas Pastia]

Tchaikovsky symphonies 4 and 5 with the BPO under Karajan (1972, EMI). I listened to these a few days apart, as a continuous run on 4-6 would be unthinkable. It's hard to figure what makes these so special. A combination of steroids-pumped BPO, Karajan at his slickest and most wilful, as well as EMI's Radio City Music Hall engineering. There's so many calories in these versions that it's not advisable to listen to them more than once in a distant while.

Strings are huuuuge in sound, with a depth and density to their tone that make them sound like they're 120. Creamily beautiful winds (James Galway principal flute?), very nicely captured by the engineers, immensely powerful and cutting trumpets and horns (rather feeble low brass though), and Mack Truck timpani recorded within their own echo chamber. Karajan surprises with some decidedly indulgent phrasing (in the strings esp.), but otherwise maintains an iron grip over the rythm. I was disappointed by the first 2/3 of the wonderful slow movement of 5 (prosaic and clumsy, with dreadfully loud string pizzicatos), and the 3rd movement waltz is bland and cautious. By contrast, the middle movements of 4 are very nicely turned indeed, and the wind dominated scherzo is bubbling with joy. The coda of both last movements are taken at a truly breathtaking clip and it's both a miracle and a tribute to the fantastic virtuosity of the orchestra that they maintain such airtight ensemble. Truly amazing race for the finish.

These 1972 remakes are very different from the 1965 DG issues, which are altogether mellower and more affectionately handled. There's an element of brutality here that is quite alien to Tchaikovsky. That is especially obvious in 5, for which the older recording easily surpasses this one (or the late 70s DG remake for that matter). I'm bracing myself for the Pathétique, which IIRC was the one unqualified success of this batch of recordings.

[SonicMan46]

Joseph Bodin de Boismortier (1689-1755) - Ballets de Village - absolutely delightful music (CLICK on image for a Musicweb review) w/ winds (bassoon, oboes, flutes & recorders), strings, harpsichord/organ + musettes & hurdy-gurdies - spiritied playing - 

Sonatas Two Bassoons & Continuo - same composer, coming up next - 

 

[Christo]

A great disc, imho. I cherish all of these performances, ever since they appeared, long ago:

[Solitary Wanderer]

[Florestan]

Mozart

Violin Concerto no.1 in B flat major, KV 207   
Violin Concerto no. 2 in D major, KV 211
Violin Concerto no.3 in G major, KV 216
Adagio for Violin and Orchestra in E major, KV 261

HENRYK SZERYNG                 
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Alexander Gibson

Good morning/day/evening/night to all!

[Harry]

Goodmorning all, and a very good day to all.

Tomaso Albinoni.

Trio sonatas, opus 1.

Parnassi Musici (on period instruments)

These opus 1 pieces from Albinoni are amazing stuff, and that is in part a success for this group of players, for they perform this music to perfection, and well it is recorded by Walter Hartmann, a ace in that world. The writing for organ has to be mention here, for it makes a good basis for all the fine melodious invention. The trios were much esteemed in Albinoni's time, there were many pirated versions around. Dedicated to Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni, who was a important patron in his life.

[Daverz]

Interesting. I'm always on the look out for Schmidt recordings. There are so few. I haven't seen this on CD either. If you eventually find it, let us know.

Well, the Lp is easy enough to find.  Come join me in my vinyl madness!

Schmidtites? Schmidtarians?

Schmidtniks!

[Harry]

Johann Christian Bach.

Flute Quartets, opus 19.

Camerata Koln.

Karl Kaiser & Susanne Kaiser, Transverse Flutes.

Tis well recorded and well performed.
There is a high craftmanship is these concerti, and is established in the very first bars of this first quartet in C major.
Refined melodic lines and unexpected harmonic turns and its expansiveness is impressive.
Well worth having and hearing.

[FideLeo]

Johann Christian Bach.

Flute Quartets, opus 19.

Camerata Koln.

Kurt Kaiser & Susanne Kaiser, Transverse Flutes.

It's Karl Kaiser, no?

[Harry]

It's Karl Kaiser, no?

Right you are my friend, corrected that, thank you!

[Daverz]

Tomaso Albinoni.
Trio sonatas, opus 1.

Apart from the fact that I'm not a huge fan of oboe concertos, which seem to be the bulk of his surviving output, I'm very fond of Albinoni, so I'll have to get this.

Tonights listening so far: Lps:

Ives, String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2 - The Concord Quartet on a Nonesuch Lp.  Shamefully never reissued on CD.

The SQ1 is a student work, but a lovely and well constructed one.  The SQ2 is more like the cantankerous Ives we normally think of.

Schumann, Symphony No. 1 - Klemperer/Philharmonia on an Angel blue label Lp.  On CD several times, of course.  Wonderful performance with the usual Klemperer virtues of clarity and balance.

Shostakovich, Symphony No. 6 - Boult/LPO on an Everest Lp.  I'll have to reevaluate Boult after hearing this fantastic performance. And very beautiful sound on this Lp.  This has been reissued on CD coupled with Sargent's Shostakovich 9.

[Harry]

Douglas Lilburn.

Orchestral Works.

New Zealand SO/James Judd.

I did not expect such quality coming out, but hey I was much mistaken, for this was and is a pleasant surprise. He is a masterly orchestrator, and has clearly much to say, that makes on me a great impression. All the works are highly appreciated in my ears, and I am also impressed about the recording that is very good.
75 minutes of enjoyment.
Recommended.

[Lilas Pastia]

Schumann, Symphony No. 1 - Klemperer/Philharmonia on an Angel blue label Lp.  On CD several times, of course.  Wonderful performance with the usual Klemperer virtues of clarity and balance.

Shostakovich, Symphony No. 6 - Boult/LPO on an Everest Lp.  I'll have to reevaluate Boult after hearing this fantastic performance. And very beautiful sound on this Lp.  This has been reissued on CD coupled with Sargent's Shostakovich 9.

These are two classic performances that despite their age still belong to the top (other contenders: Klemperer's Schumann and Mendelssohn 4th symphonies). I, too had them on lp, long gone by now. I should get them back on cd.

[johnQpublic]

Shostakovich - Overture to "The Bolt" (Jarvi/Chandos)
Schulhoff - Ogelala (O. Dohnanyi/Arte Nova)
Markevitch - Concerto Grosso (Lyndon-Gee/Marco Polo)