What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[SonicMan46]

Poulenc, Francis - Chamber Music w/ many; 5-CD Naxos set; thought that I'd come into the 20th century for a while; unfortunately, the 24-page booklet that came w/ my box is in French only - curious if others owning this set might have found a PDF of the booklet in English? 

[Harry]

Josef Myslivecek.
Complete Wind Quintets & Octets.
L'Orfeo Blaserensemble, Carin van Heerden.

Excellent.

[Lethevich]

[Harry]

Wonderful recordings.

[springrite]

After weeks of fighting Kimi's health problems, and after we have finished all her brain tests today, I am relaxing with:

Haydn Quartets Op.76 #4-6 (Kodaly, NAXOS)

[pi2000]

Mozart / Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage Of Figaro), K.492 / Overture   
Mozart / Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K.550   
Intermission /   
Otesco / De la Matei Citire / Symphony of the Lake   
Otesco / De la Matei Citire / Prelude to Act II   

Schumann / Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61

31 Jan 1937 George Enescu-Conductor NYPS
http://rapidshare.com/files/342885872/Enesco._1937rar

[George]

Some how I expected more of this set, as it is, Gergiev is easily outclassed by many a competitor.
So how do you like them George?

It's only my second time through, but my first pass was not so enjoyable. I thought you liked this set? Perhaps you've changed your mind? Who's you're favorite?

Poulenc, Francis - Chamber Music w/ many; 5-CD Naxos set; thought that I'd come into the 20th century for a while; unfortunately, the 24-page booklet that came w/ my box is in French only - curious if others owning this set might have found a PDF of the booklet in English? 

Pardon my french but that f%#king sucks!! I haven't opened mine up yet. But the notes for the original Naxos individual titles might be available somewhere on the internet. Does Naxos offer access to that stuff or just the covers?

[Conor71]

I almost grabbed that set recently, but it wasn't cheap enough. I also wished that they boxed it with his Concerto recoridings with Klemperer.

Yes that would have been cool! - I have the Barenboim/Klemperer Concertos In the EMI Beethoven Symphony/PC Budget Box and have enjoyed them too .

Now listening:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 28 In A Major, Op. 101
Daniel Barenboim/EMI

[schweitzeralan]

Couldn't resist it .

I was listening to Jozef Elsner's Passion earlier today.

Maciek

For the nth time, listening to a continuing, die hard favorite: Scriabin/Nenptin "Mysterium."

[George]

Yes that would have been cool! - I have the Barenboim/Klemperer Concertos In the EMI Beethoven Symphony/PC Budget Box and have enjoyed them too .

Ah, yes. So much Beethoven, so little time. 

[MN Dave]

That recording Florestan doesn't like.

[SonicMan46]

Pardon my french but that f%#king sucks!! I haven't opened mine up yet. But the notes for the original Naxos individual titles might be available somewhere on the internet. Does Naxos offer access to that stuff or just the covers?  RE:  Poulenc Chamber Works - 5CD Naxos box!

Hey George - checked the Naxos website and no PDF booklet offerings - the box was likely brought out in France, so the only language in the booklet; an English translation may not exist?

BTW - for those interested, BRO has this box for $20 - think that I bought it from Naxos Direct during a sale for even less, but cannot recall the price at the time - 

[George]

Hey George - checked the Naxos website and no PDF booklet offerings - the box was likely brought out in France, so the only language in the booklet; an English translation may not exist?

BTW - for those interested, BRO has this box for $20 - think that I bought it from Naxos Direct during a sale for even less, but cannot recall the price at the time - 

I think it was less than $10 IIRC. I bet Brian would remember. I think he made out like a bandit during that sale.

[Harry]

It's only my second time through, but my first pass was not so enjoyable. I thought you liked this set? Perhaps you've changed your mind? Who's you're favorite?

At first I liked the set, but after a while some thing started to irritate me, so I listen to this set and was convinced, just 18 eúro's at Abeille.

[Lethevich]

A disc of Reger at his best in nice recorded sound. The Böcklin tone poems are extremely fine, and contrary to Reger's reputation there is no notespinning or excessive density here. What we get is an attractive kaleidoscope of the beautiful and macabre in a satisfying structure of four lucid medium length movements.

[Wanderer]

This...

from this-->

[George]

Prokofiev
Symphony 3
Gergiev
Philips

TGIF!!

Harry, I enjoyed these more the second time through. Still disappointing though, as I would like more intensity and coherence from these works. Oh well... 

[listener]

BRITTEN   String Quartet in D, Rhapsody, Quartettino, Phantasy for String Quintet, Elegy for Solo Viola
CHOPIN    24 Preludes                  Ivan Moravec

[Moldyoldie]

Holst: The Planets; Lyric Movement for Viola and Orchestra
Matthews: Pluto, the Renewer
The Hallé Orchestra
The Ladies of the Hallé Choir
Mark Elder, cond.
HYPERION
The only genuine attraction for me here was to hear Colin Matthews' Pluto appendage.  I suppose the musical planetoid has it's peculiar modernist charms, but as has been pontificated ad nauseam elsewhere, it doesn't belong in the same solar system as Holst's classic suite (nor as science would now have it, in anyone's set of planets!).  Matthews' Pluto is of an idiom far removed from Holst's veddy English brand of dramatic romanticism. In my opinion, it's best listened to in isolation...if at all.  The convenience here is that Pluto can either be heard as such or as a seamless segue from Neptune's wordless choir.  Likewise, if one wishes to go to the trouble, the CD can be programmed so that the suite ends in the traditional manner.

This is one of the most generally subdued and understated performances of The Planets I've heard, abetted by Hyperion's spacious soundstage.  Mars builds and culminates broodily instead of menacingly; Venus and Mercury are featherlight filaments in this celestial firmament; Saturn grudgingly packs and imparts its "old age"; Neptune waxes eerie instead of ethereal.  I will, however, give big thumbs up to both Jupiter and Uranus -- Mark Elder and the Hallé Orchestra are well-measured here delivering a suitable punch and brio, along with a splash of vinegar; though the recording's wide dynamic range renders Uranus' pianissimo barely audible.  Those expecting the usual sonic blunderbuss will be surprised by the generally well-considered understatement here...or else sorely disappointed by it.

Holst's Lyric Movement for Viola and Orchestra from 1933 is a very beautiful, but very, very plaintive sounding number to round out the program...perhaps somewhat in concordance with Elder's general approach to the main attraction.

[bhodges]

BRITTEN   String Quartet in D, Rhapsody, Quartettino, Phantasy for String Quintet, Elegy for Solo Viola

I like that Britten recording a lot, especially Garfield Jackson's beautiful reading of the Elegy.

This is one of the most generally subdued and understated performances of The Planets I've heard, abetted by Hyperion's spacious soundstage.  Mars builds and culminates broodily instead of menacingly; Venus and Mercury are featherlight filaments in this celestial firmament; Saturn grudgingly packs and imparts its "old age"; Neptune waxes eerie instead of ethereal.  I will, however, give big thumbs up to both Jupiter and Uranus -- Mark Elder and the Hallé Orchestra are well-measured here delivering a suitable punch and brio, along with a splash of vinegar; though the recording's wide dynamic range renders Uranus' pianissimo barely audible.  Those expecting the usual sonic blunderbuss will be surprised by the generally well-considered understatement here...or else sorely disappointed by it.

Nicely written!  I've been curious to hear this, even if your opinion of the Matthews is similar to others I've read.  From the handful of his works I've heard, I can't imagine his "Pluto" would be a good fit with the Holst.

--Bruce