What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[karlhenning]

Brahms
String Quartet № 1 in c minor, Opus 51 № 1
Tokyo Quartet
(whose violin primo, at any rate, seems to have an Armenian name)

[SonicMan46]

Couple of new arrivals in recent days:

Gernsheim, Friedrich (1838-1916) - Piano Quintets w/ the Art Vio SQ and Oganessian on piano - new performers to me, but really well composed and performed chamber music of the late 19th century, along w/ excellent booklet notes; if you like Brahms in this genre, then Gernsheim should also please - 

Mendelssohn, Felix - String Quartet, Op. 13 & Octet, Op. 20 by Felix as a teenager!  Performed by the Afiara SQ w/ the Alexander SQ added for the Octet; also a short work by Schubert - excellent review in Fanfare by Jerry Dubins reprinted HERE - 


 

[DavidRoss]

Berg Violin Concerto, Sinopoli, Staatskapelle Dresden, Reiko Watanabe violin.

Hmmm.  Sehr interessant.  Your take?

[karlhenning]

And who are the soloists on the Kammerkonzert, Sarge?

[DarkAngel]

These are the two best Vienna New Years performances on DVD, if I keep only one edge goes to earlier DG 1989 version

I wish there was a DVD of 1987 Karajan with Kathleen Battle singing Voices of Spring.......priceless

[Antoine Marchand]

Antoine - the WTC on clavichord looks quite appealing! 

Read the blog review and assume that you agree?  Dave 

Your assumption is correct, Dave. I totally agree with Kemer Thomson Poway and this Tůma's set is one of my favorite WTC on any instrument (those two clavichords are gorgeous and just perfectly recorded).

Anyway, it would be important to consider that Tůma is an interpreter who generally prefers quite slow tempi and a certain naturalness intended to let the music speak for itself, although without losing sight the general plan of this "musical labyrinth".

BTW, if you did read the review of our friend Jed Distler on Classics Today, you would see that he hated the recording of the Book I, when was released for first time on Supraphon. 

[Sergeant Rock]

And who are the soloists on the Kammerkonzert, Sarge?

Watanabe, violin, Andrea Lucchesini, piano.

"Sinopoli directs a marvelous performance of the Chamber Concerto. Often considered to be Berg's most cerebral and difficult work, in the hands of these players the piece sounds as if it came from the pen of the composer of the Violin Concerto, and that's no mean achievement. A fine disc, then, in every respect." ClassicsToday

Hmmm.  Sehr interessant.  Your take?

Very favorable. Possibly my favorite version....second favorite anyway. See my post in the Berg VC thread.

Sarge

[listener]

THALBERG    Fantasias on Operas by Donizetti                Francesco Nicolosi, piano
      sometimes you just are not in the mood for voices, but "the melodies linger on"  - a nice series, Bellini and Rossini transcriptions to follow.    Maybe I don't find these offensive cause I was brought up with 12" 78's of the Victor Light Opera Company doing "Gems of..."
RODRIGO  Concierto-Serenade for harp & orch.     Concierto in Modo Galante for cello & orch.
                Musica para un jardín -  an orchestration of 4 cradle songs
Batiz, cond. on the 1986 CD   
ARNOLD  sYMPHONY 9
      disc includes a 10 min conversation with Arnold and Andrew Penny, the conductor 

[SonicMan46]

Your assumption is correct, Dave. I totally agree with Kemer Thomson Poway and this Tůma's set is one of my favorite WTC on any instrument (those two clavichords are gorgeous and just perfectly recorded).

Anyway, it would be important to consider that Tůma is an interpreter who generally prefers quite slow tempi and a certain naturalness intended to let the music speak for itself, although without losing sight the general plan of this "musical labyrinth".

BTW, if you did read the review of our friend Jed Distler on Classics Today, you would see that he hated the recording of the Book I, when was released for first time on Supraphon. 

Hi Antoine - thanks for the response above, and YES I did find that Distler review; his rating was 3/8 or 9 and he indeed had few positive words - of course w/ Jed, the usual response to this type of review from him is to BUY! 

Interestingly, Distler and the blog guy had the exact opposite comments regarding both Tuma & Kirkpatrick performances - I've not heard the latter; guess I'll return to the Czech website and see 'what' the shipping might be to me 'across the pond'?  Dave

[Antoine Marchand]

Hi Antoine - thanks for the response above, and YES I did find that Distler review; his rating was 3/8 or 9 and he indeed had few positive words - of course w/ Jed, the usual response to this type of review from him is to BUY! 

Interestingly, Distler and the blog guy had the exact opposite comments regarding both Tuma & Kirkpatrick performances - I've not heard the latter; guess I'll return to the Czech website and see 'what' the shipping might be to me 'across the pond'?  Dave

I bought my set there and it was very, very cheap, shipping and handling included. Anyway, the prices were so convenient that I purchased -a year ago or something so- another items by Jaroslav  Tůma, e.g., his Goldbergs, a double-disc with two complete versions of that work, one on clavichord and another on harpsichord. 

[jhar26]

[Conor71]

Something a bit different! - first listen .

[Brian]

Here is my complete listening log since learning Wednesday evening of the death of Sir Charles Mackerras. Asterisks mark music I had never heard before.

Wednesday, July 14
Dvorak: Slavonic Dances Op 72 Nos 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Czech PO; Charles Mackerras
Dvorak: Slavonic Dance Op 48 No 7. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
Mozart: Symphony No 39. Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras

Thursday, July 15
Elgar: Enigma Variations. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
Suk: Fantastic Scherzo. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
*Dohnanyi: Konzertstuck in D. Raphael Wallfisch, cello; LSO, Charles Mackerras
Janacek: Glagolitic Mass. Danish Radio Choir and SO; Charles Mackerras
*Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel. Larmore, Evans, Henschel; Philharmonia, Charles Mackerras
Beethoven: Symphony No 5. Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
Beethoven: Symphony No 8. Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras

Friday, July 16
Dvorak: The Golden Spinning-Wheel. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
Beethoven: Symphony No 2. Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras

Saturday, July 17
Dvorak: Symphony No 6. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
Dvorak: Symphony No 8. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mackerras

I intend to continue listening to nothing but Mackerras until I've gotten all the Dvorak symphonic poems and symphonies he recorded listened to, as well as the full Edinburgh Beethoven cycle.

[Lethevich]

[Bulldog]

Here is my complete listening log since learning Wednesday evening of the death of Sir Charles Mackerras. Asterisks mark music I had never heard before.

Wednesday, July 14
Dvorak: Slavonic Dances Op 72 Nos 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Czech PO; Charles Mackerras
Dvorak: Slavonic Dance Op 48 No 7. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
Mozart: Symphony No 39. Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras

Thursday, July 15
Elgar: Enigma Variations. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
Suk: Fantastic Scherzo. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
*Dohnanyi: Konzertstuck in D. Raphael Wallfisch, cello; LSO, Charles Mackerras
Janacek: Glagolitic Mass. Danish Radio Choir and SO; Charles Mackerras
*Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel. Larmore, Evans, Henschel; Philharmonia, Charles Mackerras
Beethoven: Symphony No 5. Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
Beethoven: Symphony No 8. Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras

Friday, July 16
Dvorak: The Golden Spinning-Wheel. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
Beethoven: Symphony No 2. Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras

Saturday, July 17
Dvorak: Symphony No 6. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mackerras
Dvorak: Symphony No 8. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Charles Mackerras

I intend to continue listening to nothing but Mackerras until I've gotten all the Dvorak symphonic poems and symphonies he recorded listened to, as well as the full Edinburgh Beethoven cycle.

All Mackerrras for many days in a row - no way I could do that.  Actually, there's no way I could listen to nothing but orchestral music for days on end.  What happens when Mackerras is all gone?

[Brian]

All Mackerrras for many days in a row - no way I could do that.  Actually, there's no way I could listen to nothing but orchestral music for days on end.  What happens when Mackerras is all gone?

I can only do it for a number of days because of the large number of styles he worked with, and my being in a Dvorak mood anyway at the moment, and my having to write on the Beethoven cycle anyway for a writing project. The biggest temptation has been NML'ing albums that are at great sale prices at ArkivMusic, to see if I want to buy them.

Orchestral music is my bread and butter; I've been getting into chamber music in a big way the last few months, after years of ignoring it, and after the World Cup listened to a good deal of Spanish piano music. But about 50% of my listening is orchestral music - in the week before Mackerrathon, 26 of 50 individual pieces.

Got the "New World" Symphony on right now, by the way, as I clean my room. First time I've listened to it in 2010.

[Teresa]

...Actually, there's no way I could listen to nothing but orchestral music for days on end.   

I agree even though symphony orchestras and symphonic wind bands are the only ensembles I enjoy in the Classical realm, I also like to listen to Jazz and Rock music.  Classical is not the only orchestral music I like, I really love orchestral movie music and orchestral pops.   

Currently listening to:



I just checked my collection and I don't have any Sir Charles Mackerras.  I have owned many LPs and Reel to Reels conducted by him in the past.  I looked and he does have 16 SACDs but nothing I wanted.  So I cannot join-in in honoring his life, except to say 84 years is a nice long life, I hope we all live so long.

[Mirror Image]

I just checked my collection and I don't have any Sir Charles Mackerras.  I have owned many LPs and Reel to Reels conducted by him in the past.  I looked and he does have 16 SACDs but nothing I wanted.  So I cannot join-in in honoring his life, except to say 84 years is a nice long life, I hope we all live so long.

So you don't have any Janacek or Delius in your collection? These were two composers I think he completely understood better than any other.

[Novi]

Went on a bit of a Berg binge after seeing a bit of chatter here:



From this most excellent box:
violin concerto (Mutter/Levine)
chamber concerto (Zukerman, Barenboim, and Boulez)



The violin concerto again, Suk/Ancerl

And finally:



Then, for some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to finish up with a bit of Bruckner (the 8th):



Man, I'm ready for bed.

[Antoine Marchand]

First listen:



Johann Jakob Froberger - Suites 1649 & 1656
Christophe Rousset, harpsichord
Instrument: Harpsichord Johannes Couchet 1652, Antwerp, extended in 1701 to include a four-foot stop. Collection Musée de la Musique, Paris
Recorded in February 2007 at the Musée de la Musique, Cité de la Musique, Paris
Ambroisie