What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Lethevich]

Hehe, Alwyn's 2nd is a nice work. Halfway through the second movement, there was a tragic/majestic brass section underpinned by timpani which had me thinking Allan Pettersson had just taken over Considering its sub 30 minute length, it says quite a lot during that time.

tks Lethe thats very interesting and will have to have my curiosity satisfied and order it - im still trying to get to grips with his Symphony 3 which has some great bits in it but not yet fully understand it 

That's how I would describe the organ concerto on my disc. The other two string-only pieces are quite accessable, but  I found the organ concerto's final movement to be overly long considering how I didn't really "get" the argument of the piece.

[The new erato]

I'm now at disc 3 of this beautiful set, Preludes, after 2 discs of the sonatas (of which I particularly love nos 3 & 5). The Scriabin of the piano is much more my thing than the orchestal stuff. 12 Euros at abeille! 

[abidoful]

I'm now at disc 3 of this beautiful set, Preludes, after 2 discs of the sonatas (of which I particularly love nos 3 & 5). The Scriabin of the piano is much more my thing than the orchestal stuff. 12 Euros at abeille! 

!!!!OH!!!She was a friend of mine!!Quite an accomplishment! Thinking of buying it...

[listener]

BRITTEN    Early Chamber Music 
    Temporal Variations, Two Insect Pieces  (oboe & piano); Phantasy in f for string quintet, Alla Marcia, 3 Divertimenti (string quartet); Phantasy Quartet 2 for oboe and strings
WIENIAWSKI   Violin Concertos 1&2, Faust Fantasy
     I'll hear no.2 live in a couple of weeks, with The Planets (probably not the full orchestration - bass oboes are pretty rare and the orchestra is taking the piece to a smaller hall in the 'burbs so the organ ?   but they do have a chorus booked.)

[Drasko]

[Que]

The fortepiano is by Salvatore La Grassa, Viennese School, ca. 1815.

Samples

Q

[Gurn Blanston]

The fortepiano is by Salvatore La Grassa, Viennese School, ca. 1815.

Samples

Q

And what do you think of this disk, Mr. Q? I have a little Komen and it is just enough to make me want more! I haven't read or heard anything about those late middle period sonatas yet though.

[Moldyoldie]

Daugherty: Fire & Blood;   MotorCity Triptych;    Raise the Roof
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Neeme Järvi, cond.
NAXOS
Michael Daugherty; he of the Metropolis Symphony, UFO, Philadelphia Stories, and myriad other works inspired by modern American life and pop culture; is currently Professor of Composition at the University of Michigan School of Music.  Here are three works commissioned and premiered by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra during Daugherty's four years as Composer-in-Residence from 1999 to 2003 -- recorded in live performance with nary a hint of audience noise till each work's concluding applause.  Inspirations range from Detroit's magnificent Diego Rivera murals and the artist's heritage, politics, and illness-stricken wife to Rosa Parks and the Motown sound.  The composer writes at length of his Motor City muses, but I'd like to leave allusions to the movement titles and merely describe the music and its imparted emotional impressions.

Volcano, the first movement of Fire and Blood for violin and orchestra, displays the scissoring, angular violin attacks heard elsewhere in Daugherty's oeuvre, here brought to us by committed soloist Ida Kavafian, punctuated by colorful orchestral explosions redolent of Mexico with perhaps an accidental tinge of Appalachia. Featured is an interlude of violent violin underlain by marimba, xylophone, and a plethora of percussion.  In River Rouge, the second movement, Kavafian moves from abject screaming to somber contemplation.  Mexican trumpets are taken up by the solo violin in a mournful and purposely nostalgic expression.  In the finale titled Assembly Line, Kavafian digs into her strings while the orchestra bangs, slaps, soars, and sizzles in what's probably the work's closest approximation to the listener's initial expectations; i.e., the kind of relentless rhythmic raucousness of industry on parade painted notoriously by Prokofiev in his Symphony No. 2, but here hewing much closer to the personal amidst the collective rather than the collective per se.

MotorCity Triptych (triptych a la the Auto Club rather than any Renaissance art form) begins with Motown Mondays. Here is that marvelous R&B that smacks of orchestral Smokey Robinson - that's until things turn dramatic. We're suddenly thrust into a combination of a Midwest morning followed by explosive swashes of Brando and Bernstein's waterfront -- stirring stuff!  A direct quote of Copland's opening tympani of Fanfare for the Common Man introduces Pedal-to-the-Metal with that trumpet again interceding from south of the border.  Violent orchestral eruptions are interrupted by a screaming siren.  The trumpet displays angst and anger before being assuaged by a seemingly reluctant acceptance...the city moves on!   Rosa Parks Boulevard, the finale, is a soulful tour de force for the DSO trombones -- alternatingly mournful, tensely dramatic, delicately drunken, but always powerfully expressive.  The unforgettable trombone theme pervades a colorful and varied orchestral workout.

Raise the Roof is for tympani and orchestra.  While it gives those kettles a chance to shine, it's otherwise stylistically similar to what we've heard up to this point replete with prominent brass, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and even a piano.  As they've done on previous forays into this pseudo-classical cum jazz idiom, Järvi and the DSO eat it up!  By the way, were you one of those who enjoyed drum solos?

[The new erato]

Revisiting some old favorites:



How utterly wonderful music!

[SonicMan46]

Rach's Piano Concertos w/ Earl Wild - finishing the 2nd disc tonight; BOY, for 60s recordings these are wonderfully remastered and Wild's playing is just superb - all 5* Amazonian Reviews.

Now, Todd has started a thread applauding the Kocsis recordings of these same works, which seems a worthy consideration - I like him a lot, so will put that set on my 'wish list', esp. at the asking price!   

 

[bhodges]

Domenico Dragonetti: Quintet 18, Quartet #1, Quintet #31 and 13 (John Feeney, double bass / Loma Mar Quartet) - For a double-bass virtuoso, Dragonetti wrote some surprisingly engaging music that is not just showy for its own sake.  These are first recordings of all of these pieces, all performed on period instruments. 

--Bruce

[Tom 1960]

Disc 2 - Symphonies 6 - 8

I wish I had more spare time. At this pace, I should be done with this collection by Christmas. 
Not complaining though. I have a good feeling I'm going to enjoy this collection much more than I ever anticipated.

[SonicMan46]

Domenico Dragonetti: Quintet 18, Quartet #1, Quintet #31 and 13 (John Feeney, double bass / Loma Mar Quartet) - For a double-bass virtuoso, Dragonetti wrote some surprisingly engaging music that is not just showy for its own sake.  These are first recordings of all of these pieces, all performed on period instruments. 

Hi Bruce - never heard of this guy, but from the Wiki Bio HERE, love his dates (1763-1846) and will explore the offerings!  Thanks - Dave

Disc 2 - Symphonies 6 - 8

I wish I had more spare time. At this pace, I should be done with this collection by Christmas. 
Not complaining though. I have a good feeling I'm going to enjoy this collection much more than I ever anticipated.

Tom - well, if you do not enjoy this superb collection, then Gurn will bar you from the Haydn Haus thread -   

[Tom 1960]

Tom - well, if you do not enjoy this superb collection, then Gurn will bar you from the Haydn Haus thread - 

Funny you should mention Gurn's name. He's pretty much responsible for me purchasing this set. Not that I'm holding it against him.

[bhodges]

Hi Bruce - never heard of this guy, but from the Wiki Bio HERE, love his dates (1763-1846) and will explore the offerings!  Thanks - Dave

He is apparently well-known to double-bass players (e.g., Allan here), and additionally, I think Gurn mentioned that he was Beethoven's favorite bassist.  I find most of these charming, and John Feeney plays with great gusto and agility.

--Bruce

[Coopmv]

I find Ashkenazy a half-baked conductor even when he isn't trying to play the piano at the same time.  Solti can't be topped in this.  (BTW, no Choral Fantasia in this set.)

Doesn't Barenboim have good company in Ashy?  I have never been too impressed with Barenboim as a conductor either ...

[SonicMan46]

Funny you should mention Gurn's name. He's pretty much responsible for me purchasing this set. Not that I'm holding it against him.

Tom - LOL!     Gurn has been a MAJOR influence in the Haydn threads, although I owned a LOT of Haydn myself before joining the 'old' forum - this is a GREAT box set of the complete symphonies (I have on order another set w/ Dorati at a great price from Barnes & Noble, but may not be in stock - bummer!).

But, there are numerous 'boxes' of Haydn's many works - own a bunch myself, so just 'speak up' about what may interest you in this era, Papa Joe usually has something (if not MUCH) to offer!  Dave 

[SonicMan46]

Richter, Franz (1709-1789) - Symphonies w/ Bamert & London Mozart Players - one of the early composers of the famous Mannheim Orchestra under Johann Stamitz; Richter was extremely prolific w/ over 80 Symphonies and many chamber works, concertos, masses, etc.! 

This is only my second disc of his symphonic works (the other a Naxos CD, below right) - 

 

[Gurn Blanston]

Tom - LOL!     Gurn has been a MAJOR influence in the Haydn threads, although I owned a LOT of Haydn myself before joining the 'old' forum - this is a GREAT box set of the complete symphonies (I have on order another set w/ Dorati at a great price from Barnes & Noble, but may not be in stock - bummer!).

But, there are numerous 'boxes' of Haydn's many works - own a bunch myself, so just 'speak up' about what may interest you in this era, Papa Joe usually has something (if not MUCH) to offer!  Dave 

Funny you should mention Gurn's name. He's pretty much responsible for me purchasing this set. Not that I'm holding it against him.

Tom,
Pleased that you got that set, and seem to be enjoying it. There is so much great music in there, and it is so much better than adequately performed, it was a hard recommendation not to make!

Dave,
You might check the Haus in a little while, I am starting to post a series with a listing of my Haydn collection so far. Maybe you will have a suggestion or two to fill in some gaps.



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Listening to:
Hamburg Soloists / Emil Klein - Hob 03 07 Divertimento in A for Strings Op 2 #1 5th mvmt - Finale: Allegro molto

[Franco]

Disc 2 - Symphonies 6 - 8

I wish I had more spare time. At this pace, I should be done with this collection by Christmas. 
Not complaining though. I have a good feeling I'm going to enjoy this collection much more than I ever anticipated.

This was my first Brilliant set.  I had not ever bought their boxes assuming that they were low budget massive collections offering mediocre ensembles and playing at a cheap price - maybe something for newbies but not for the serious collector.  Boy, was I surprised when I listened to the first CD.  I could not help but smile, and I almost had to pinch myself, since I could not believe how good these performances were.