What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks to a reminder this morning from Snipper:

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this highly recommended block of Bloch. Hagai Shaham has a most expressive style which works nicely with pieces like 'Nigun'...





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Now playing:
Bloch, Ben-Haim - Bloch  Baal Shem Suite for Violin & Piano part 2 - Nigun

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD1 from this set, which arrived last week for a first listen.  I enjoy virtuosic performance of WTC on both piano and harpsichord ...

[Coopmv]

Here is another long-term favorite with a very young Blandine Verlet performing under Raymond Leppard.  I have owned this CD for some 25 years ...

[Sadko]

I like that disc and I like the Pletnev/Haydn you played before it even more. Both are excellent though!

Yes, the Bortkiewicz was a nice discovery for me.

For the Haydn sonatas I like Brendel better. There is a lot I like by Pletnev, but this recording is not among my favourites.

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD2 from this set, which arrived last week for a first listen ...

[Mirror Image]

I can applaud all of these : )

Well Karl, you know, I only listen to the finest music.

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD2 from this set for a first listen ...

[Conor71]

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, Manfred Symphony

0:)

[Mirror Image]

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, Manfred Symphony

0:)

I was never too fond of Karajan's Tchaikovsky, but that's a great 3-CD set with Pletnev/Russian National Orchestra. I think Pletnev turned in one of the most dazzling and mind-blowing versions of The Voyevoda I've ever heard.

[Sadko]

Nápravník: Concerto symphonique (Evgeny Soyfertis, BBC SO, Titov)

[Conor71]

I was never too fond of Karajan's Tchaikovsky, but that's a great 3-CD set with Pletnev/Russian National Orchestra. I think Pletnev turned in one of the most dazzling and mind-blowing versions of The Voyevoda I've ever heard.

For sure MI - The Pletnev set is awesome and in fantastic sound!. I really havent listened to it that much yet - I was very impressed by the Manfred Symphony I listened to earlier! .

Now listening:



Puccini: La Boheme

I have been listening mainly to Chamber Music the last few months so it is has been nice to lsiten to some larger scale music today - This Opera is a fantastic recording! .

[Sadko]

Nápravník: Dubrovsky [Opera] (Kozlovsky, Bolshoi O, Nebolsin 1955)



Nice music and voices. Another piece of this old "Russian Gold", as I call it for myself.

[Mirror Image]

Now:

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So far a gorgeous account of Orpheus. Wonderfully warm sonics as well.

[Mirror Image]

Now:

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Listening to this wonderful performance of Mass again. I think I prefer it to Craft's and Stravinsky's own performances.

[Que]

Good morning

Returning to this set has brought quite some rediscoveries! Sooo much superb music around...

Q

[Scarpia]

Tippett Symphony No 1.  Awesome!

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[Que]

Dave's (Sonicman) post in the French Baroque thread prompted me to run this set again!

Q

[mc ukrneal]

Nápravník: Dubrovsky [Opera] (Kozlovsky, Bolshoi O, Nebolsin 1955)



Nice music and voices. Another piece of this old "Russian Gold", as I call it for myself.

Interesting. I have that Napravnik Piano Concerto disc, but never realized he had done operas. I'll have to see what else is available...

[val]

BRAHMS:     Vier ernste Gesänge opus 121

The version of Hans Hotter and Gerald Moore seems a sort of ideal to me. Eloquent, powerful but also very human.

I prefer this songs by a male voice, but I love the "souplesse" of the phrasing and rhythm of Janet Baker with a remarkable support of Andre Previn in the piano. The third song, "O Tod, wie bitter bist du" - to me the best song in German language ever written - never sound so perfect in the contrast between the first and second part.

The version of Kathleen Ferrier and John Newmark is a case apart. Very pathetic and emotional, perhaps more than Brahms would want. But, even if the style may be discussed, no doubt that this version touche us deeply.

[Lethevich]

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No.17, 19 & 20. I don't own the box, but now it's out there's not much point linking the seperate issues. Holmboe's quartets (as well as his music in general) continue to grow on me. I identify quite strongly with his ruthlessly discriminating compositional method - I don't feel that "economy of means" as a description has any place here, not only because he was a quite prolific composer, but also because his music is not exceptionally austere - his core unchanging aesthetic of formal rigour fused with a strongly approachable and humanistic manner is wonderful to me. It's not at all depictive, but I don't that this is fully abstracted music either. It has a strong emotional drive, however this is not tied down to Romanticism or nationalism - it is more a reflection of natural practices (gradual change, evolution) that are a part of everyday life, which I suppose is why I find myself more and more engaged by his compositions however hackneyed my descriptions sound.

Essentially - the sun came out, this was one of the first warm days of the year, and I found myself experiencing a powerful urge to play his music.