What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[jlaurson]

A. Bax (1883 – 1953) & F. Bridge (1879 – 1940)
Piano Quintets
Ashley Weiss & Tippett Quartet
Naxos

Wish I had that one - what do you think of it?

For the first movement of the LONG Bax Quintet I thought: Oy... hmmm... it's not fair to Bax to have to share disc space with Bridge. But it was just that movement that I had qualms about; from mid-second movement on I was entrhalled (well, slight exaggeration, that) and bopped along very happily. Will give it another spin tonight.

Thread Duty:

Waker-Upper Music (of sorts)


W.G. Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Symphonies 38 & 41
R.Jacobs
HMU

[mc ukrneal]

This set may be the best purchase I have ever made - ever!! Fantastic music, wonderfully performed.
[asin]B000TT1QR8[/asin]

[Antoine Marchand]

No, Antoine, I bought them when they were released, which was years ago, and I agree they are most wonderful

Excellent, Harry! It's wonderful to know someone else has and love these discs. They seriously deserve a lot of advertising.

Now I am listening to another two highly recommendable Naxos discs by Les Voix Humaines:

[Antoine Marchand]

Schubert - Piano Sonatas (Complete)
Malcolm Bilson, pianoforte



Disc 5:

Piano Sonata No. 21 in B flat major, D. 960

Piano Sonata No. 15 in C major, D. 840, "Reliquie"

Pianoforte built by Gottlieb Hafner, Vienna, ca. 1830. Restored by Edwin Beunk and Johan Wennik in 1993.

Superb rendition by Bilson. Here Schubert is not a poor boy, tormented and finally destroyed by an indefinable tragic passion; but a great composer fighting for his place at the Parnassus, together with Beethoven. As usual Bilson takes full advantage from the beautiful and well chosen pianoforte what gives the recording an exciting exploratory feeling.    

[Drasko]

This looks wonderful--comments?

--Bruce

I've listened it only once with libretto in hand, so can't offer that much insight at this moment but I did really like it. It's I believe Martinu's last piece and music is in his last rhapsodic period of Fresques and Parables and is very beautiful, atmospheric  and powerful. Libretto is in English, story interesting and holds well dramatically with particularly touching ending. Vocal writing is mostly parlando with some very strong choruses, even reminding me slightly of Mussorgsky. In two leading roles Tomlinson and Mitchinson are very good, rest of the cast is ok, Brno orchestra and Prague chorus are superb.

Probably Luke or someone more familiar with the opera could offer more insight.     

[Sadko]

CD 4 (Humoresques, Poetic Moods) of



Dvorak: Piano Works (Kvapil)

[Florestan]

[Lethevich]

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I don't know what to make of this composer much of the time, but I do really like these works.

[Mirror Image]

A bit of Valentine's Day Listening


S. Prokofiev (1891 – 1953),
Romeo & Juliet
V.Gergiev / LSO
LSO Live SACDs
Very lovely performance; one of the few Gergiev-LSO Live recordings I like without reservation.

Yes, that is a great recording. Gergiev is in such control in this performance. I enjoy this recording a lot more than his Kirov recording whose audio quality and overall performance were disappointing to me.

[bhodges]

I've listened it only once with libretto in hand, so can't offer that much insight at this moment but I did really like it. It's I believe Martinu's last piece and music is in his last rhapsodic period of Fresques and Parables and is very beautiful, atmospheric  and powerful. Libretto is in English, story interesting and holds well dramatically with particularly touching ending. Vocal writing is mostly parlando with some very strong choruses, even reminding me slightly of Mussorgsky. In two leading roles Tomlinson and Mitchinson are very good, rest of the cast is ok, Brno orchestra and Prague chorus are superb.

Probably Luke or someone more familiar with the opera could offer more insight.   

Thanks so much. Sounds like I need to check this out sooner, rather than later. And I think you're right--it's his final piece (from 1959)--which I didn't realize.

--Bruce

[mc ukrneal]

Yes, that is a great recording. Gergiev is in such control in this performance. I enjoy this recording a lot more than his Kirov recording whose audio quality and overall performance were disappointing to me.

Romeo and Juliet, in general, seems to have led quite a charmed life on disc though. Many good versions out there...

[Harry]

Excellent, Harry! It's wonderful to know someone else has and love these discs. They seriously deserve a lot of advertising.

Now I am listening to another two highly recommendable Naxos discs by Les Voix Humaines:

Yep, also have them, and again praise worthy!

[Harry]

Destination London.
Music for the Earl of Abingdon.
Chamber music for Flutes, Viola and Cello.

Carl Philipp Stamitz.
Trio in G major.

Johann Christian Bach.
Quartet in C major, opus XIX, No. 1.

Carl Friedrich Abel.
Trio in G major, opus XVI, No. 4.
Quartet in G major, opus XIX, No. 2.

Joseph Haydn.
Trio in C major, HOB IV, No. 1.
Trio in G major, HOB IV, No. 2.

Willoughby, earl of Abingdon.
Country Dances.


Lovingly played, well recorded, and eminently interesting music.

[MishaK]

Listening to the only currently commercially available recording of the original version of the Glagolitic Mass:

[asin]B000000AVF[/asin]

[Luke]

I've listened it only once with libretto in hand, so can't offer that much insight at this moment but I did really like it. It's I believe Martinu's last piece and music is in his last rhapsodic period of Fresques and Parables and is very beautiful, atmospheric  and powerful. Libretto is in English, story interesting and holds well dramatically with particularly touching ending. Vocal writing is mostly parlando with some very strong choruses, even reminding me slightly of Mussorgsky. In two leading roles Tomlinson and Mitchinson are very good, rest of the cast is ok, Brno orchestra and Prague chorus are superb.

Probably Luke or someone more familiar with the opera could offer more insight.   

I can't really add much - all I know is the piece itself and what I've read about it in Safranek's biography. But it isn't his last piece - that is The Prophecy of Isaiah. Another very late piece is a little work for organ called Vigilie, which he left complete but without the registration filled out (the registration is the work of its dedicatee, an organist.composer called Janacek - but not THAT one!). It's an adorable little work, and very poignant.

[jlaurson]

Underrated Beauties-Tuesday


F. Mendelssohn-B. (1809 – 1847)
Piano Concertos + Rondo brilliant
Helmchen / Herreweghe / Royal Flemish Phil
Pentatone SACD

[DavidRoss]

Heeding Luke's praise for the 2nd 4tet:

[asin]B0000030SB[/asin]

[Luke]

  Nice! How are the Lindsays in this one? It's the kind of piece I can imagine them excelling in, but I don't know that recording.

[greg]

Beethoven- op.96 Violin Sonata 10 (Perlman, Ashkenazy)
Listened yesterday and listening again right now. Nice piece! 

[Lethevich]

.[asin]B00005OAD4[/asin]

The dreadfully un-promisingly titled "Dance [or ballad] of the Gnomes" turns out to be a rather fine tone poem, deserving a position as one of his better orchestral pieces.