What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[not edward]

I just posted a message in the Ligeti composer thread, so maybe you would like to respond there, but let me say that I find him to be one of the unbelievable orchestrators I've heard. He pulls sounds from the orchestra that are just out-of-this-world. I haven't heard the Requiem yet, but it's coming up in the box set I own titled The Ligeti Project on Teldec. Do you own any of the Teldec recordings, Sid? They are outstanding.

You have a treat coming in the Requiem, which is the most ambitious of the works from his 'clocks and clouds' phase. The Kyrie (a four-part fugue where each fugal part is a five-part canon--hey, Ligeti loved his medieval polyphony) is one of the most terrifying pieces of music I've ever heard. Live, it's spine-chilling.

Thread duty: a couple of Mahler recordings I'd forgotten how good they are: Chailly's Concertgebouw 5th and Barenboim's 7th with Staatskapelle Berlin.

[DavidRoss]

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Glass.  Love it more all the time.

[Harry]

From this fine box, CD VIII, because I cannot get enough of it.



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[Harry]

And after some time of putting away I started again with this box. CD I.

Morceaux opus 3 & the Preludes opus 23.

One of the best things Shelley ever recorded.


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[Harry]

And I will sing praises of this set too. Figueras was in good shape while recording this. Its a very pleasant journey through time and culture. I have listen today at disc No. 5 & 6.

Sephardic Romances from the Age before the Expulsion of the Jews from Spain 1492 & Renaissance music from the Neapolitain Court. ( 1442-1556)


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[Harry]

And as a closing off for today's listening I put this in my player, and I can tell you it had been there many times already. So beautiful is this performance, that I did not inserted it into my collection after I have played it for four times. Recommended.


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[jlaurson]

F. Mompou (1893 – 1987),
Select Piano Music
Stephen Hough
Hyperion

"Satie, minus the cynicism", to paraphrase Hough.

Question / Survey:

What Orchestra (and maybe with which conductor) would you find interesting
for a new recording of Dvořák's Cello Concerto.

[bhodges]

Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 (Repin/Nagano/Hallé)

--Bruce

[Lethevich]

What Orchestra (and maybe with which conductor) would you find interesting for a new recording of Dvořák's Cello Concerto.

Surprisingly not the CzPO - a recent one with Bělohlávek was rather uninteresting, and there are plenty of other recordings from its glory days.

How is the BRSO nowadays - has Maazel managed to bore them to death? They had such a virtuoso Dvořák sound during the 70s. Sadly the ideal conductor for such an enterprise - Mackerras - is no longer around, so perhaps Libor Pešek (or Jakub Hrůša to give a newbie a shot).

Edit: np
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[Brian]

Jakub Hrůša to give a newbie a shot).

That's a solid choice. Hrůša brings a lot of attention to detail to what he does, especially with woodwinds, and prefers fairly broad tempi without being dull. I'd prefer him away from his Prague Philharmonia, though: a more incisive ensemble might bring out his best. Or, very possibly, just record them somewhere other than the Rudolfinum (perhaps the big acoustic that they don't quite fill explains why their new Ma Vlast isn't top-notch) and it would be grand.

Just gonna make sure my vote for Bergen/Litton counted though.

[jlaurson]

Surprisingly not the CzPO - a recent one with Bělohlávek was rather uninteresting, and there are plenty of other recordings from its glory days.

How is the BRSO nowadays - has Maazel managed to bore them to death? They had such a virtuoso Dvořák sound during the 70s. Sadly the ideal conductor for such an enterprise - Mackerras - is no longer around, so perhaps Libor Pešek (or Jakub Hrůša to give a newbie a shot).

Are you referring to to the Jiri Barta recording? Surely not the Queyras recording. (Well, the latter was with the Prague Phil, anyway...)
But Bělohlávek is taking the CzPO on again, as per 2011... that would offer some marketing opportunity.

BRSO... one of the two best German orchestras...  Maazel long gone... but out for revenge when he takes the MPhil on next year. Snoozecontrol!
The BRSO almost always excellent, but for the extra kick of character, they need a specific conductor.

Bergen PO/Litton suggestion counted, cherished, and considered. I like them.

[Brahmsian]

From the library.  First-Listens to most of these works (except for the Adagio for Strings, String Quartet and Violin Concerto)

Barber

CD1
Adagio for Strings, Op.11
Overture to 'The School of Scandal', Op.5
Violin Concerto
Knoxville:  Summer of 1915, Op.24
Essay for Orchestra, Op.12
Medea's Dance of Vengeance, Op.32a

CD2
Dover Beach, Op.3
Piano Sonata, Op.26
Excursions for piano, Op.20
Summer Music for wind quintet, Op.31
Three Songs, Op.2
String Quartet, Op.11


Various artists, conductors and ensembles.

[Lethevich]

That's a surprisingly balanced retrospective. I suspect that the first essay for orchestra will leave you wanting to hear the other two, though

[Opus106]

From the library.  First-Listens to most of these works (except for the Adagio for Strings, String Quartet and Violin Concerto)

Barber

CD1
Adagio for Strings, Op.11
Overture to 'The School of Scandal', Op.5
Violin Concerto
Knoxville:  Summer of 1915, Op.24
Essay for Orchestra, Op.12
Medea's Dance of Vengeance, Op.32a

CD2
Dover Beach, Op.3
Piano Sonata, Op.26
Excursions for piano, Op.20
Summer Music for wind quintet, Op.31
Three Songs, Op.2
String Quartet, Op.11


Various artists, conductors and ensembles.

The Overture to the School of Scandal used to be a staple of B.com.

TD: Telemann | Brockes Passion | Veldhoven, live

[Papy Oli]

good evening all 

No.5


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[The new erato]

Bergen PO/Litton suggestion counted, cherished, and considered. I like them.

My home team!

[Brahmsian]

From the library.  First-Listens to most of these works (except for the Adagio for Strings, String Quartet and Violin Concerto)

Barber

CD1
Adagio for Strings, Op.11
Overture to 'The School of Scandal', Op.5
Violin Concerto
Knoxville:  Summer of 1915, Op.24
Essay for Orchestra, Op.12
Medea's Dance of Vengeance, Op.32a

CD2
Dover Beach, Op.3
Piano Sonata, Op.26
Excursions for piano, Op.20
Summer Music for wind quintet, Op.31
Three Songs, Op.2
String Quartet, Op.11


Various artists, conductors and ensembles.

Very impressed with all of the music included here.  My first impressions of Barber is just how much more melodic he is compared to many other 20th Century composers.

[DavidRoss]

Very impressed with all of the music included here.  My first impressions of Barber is just how much more melodic he is compared to many other 20th Century composers.

Yep.  He was more concerned with writing beautiful music than with impressing academic polemicists.  Knoxville, the essays, Medea (Cave of the heart), Summer Music...all are among my faves.

[Daverz]

Lees: Symphony No. 2 and Violin Concerto.

 

Kraus: Symphony in A Major; Gillis: Symphony No. 7 "Saga of a Prairie School"

I have everything on my Squeezebox organized alphabetically by composer and work, and I often choose simply what takes my fancy, which often creates odd juxtapositions of styles.



String Quartet No. 1.  Such heavenly music.  I love this Cherubini Quartet set.  Does the viola dominate here, or is it merely up to par with the other players?  Ideal balances in these recordings, too.



Barber: Piano Concerto and Higdon Violin Concerto.  Actually a felicitous juxtaposition.  I'm very impressed with the Higdon, and think it's right up there with many mid 20th Century concertos like those from Piston or Schumann.  Coupling it with Tchaikovsky is pretty goofy.

[The Diner]

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