What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

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Roy HARRIS   Violin Concerto
Symphony 1933 (no. 1)   Symphony no. 5
Louisville Orchestra   cond. Lawrence Leighton Smith, violin cto    Jorge Mester Sym.1, Robert Whitney Sym.5
Gregory Fulkerson, violin

I own this recording as well, but honestly Roy Harris has never been a composer I've been able to get into for some reason. I don't know why, but his music isn't that memorable. His Symphony No. 3 is a highly acclaimed work, but I still have yet to crack this nut.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I own this recording as well, but honestly Roy Harris has never been a composer I've been able to get into for some reason. I don't know why, but his music isn't that memorable. His Symphony No. 3 is a highly acclaimed work, but I still have yet to crack this nut.

Which performance? This one is terrific:

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Which performance? This one is terrific:

I'm not talking about performances, I'm talking about the music itself. That Lenny recording is fantastic though. His DG remake doesn't have quite the edge that I like, but is pretty good as well.

[Scarpia]

Which performance? This one is terrific:

Recently got that recording (can't quite remember why).  Am looking forward to finding the time to listen to it.

[mahler10th]

Whilst watching Tchaikovsky 6 @ the Concertgebouw, I noticed that along with the mighty names of Bruckner, Mahler...are prominent on the balcony, there is also this:  FRANCK
Franck.  Now what is he doing in such illistrious company?  Why is is name up there, when so few of his works are recorded and his name is not as instantly recognisable for the masses of today?  It would seem we have missed something...when the Concertgebouw balconies were at design and constriction stages, Franck must have been as wideley known and wideley accepted as a music master with the same status as his now better known peers.  Today he isn't.  Today he is not a past master - he is another ambiguous musician from the past, that is all, who wrote Symphonies and Organ music.
This cannot be so.  It is perhaps the case that while he still has an audience and a buying public, he is not regarded as on of the greats, like he was in the past.  But scoiety at that time didn't rate him highly for nothing.  His name isn't beside Bruckners in the Concertgebouw for no reason.  So...I have started listening to him to see what the franck I've been missing...

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Classic stuff.

[Scarpia]

Whilst watching Tchaikovsky 6 @ the Concertgebouw, I noticed that along with the mighty names of Bruckner, Mahler...are prominent on the balcony, there is also this:  FRANCK
Franck.  Now what is he doing in such illistrious company?  Why is is name up there, when so few of his works are recorded and his name is not as instantly recognisable for the masses of today?  It would seem we have missed something...when the Concertgebouw balconies were at design and constriction stages, Franck must have been as wideley known and wideley accepted as a music master with the same status as his now better known peers.  Today he isn't.  Today he is not a past master - he is another ambiguous musician from the past, that is all, who wrote Symphonies and Organ music.
This cannot be so.  It is perhaps the case that while he still has an audience and a buying public, he is not regarded as on of the greats, like he was in the past.  But scoiety at that time didn't rate him highly for nothing.  His name isn't beside Bruckners in the Concertgebouw for no reason.  So...I have started listening to him to see what the franck I've been missing...

[asin]B000056KND[/asin]

Classic stuff.

Franck's Symphonic Variations are on this disc, and they didn't even bother to list it on the cover.   

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This is one of those cases when the wardrobe designer probably should be listed first of all. 

[listener]

Franck's Symphonic Variations are on this disc, and they didn't even bother to list it on the cover.   

Second line on the front.

[Scarpia]

Second line on the front.

Mabye I'm blind, but the second line says l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Charles Dutoit

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I'm not talking about performances, I'm talking about the music itself. That Lenny recording is fantastic though. His DG remake doesn't have quite the edge that I like, but is pretty good as well.

Yes, that remake isn't as electrifying. What I like about the Third is its spaciousness. And the last minutes are sublime. I fell in love with this work the moment I heard it, and that was more than 30 years ago, when I was in my late teens. I knew my Brahms and my Bruckner, and could hear a very American echo.

[Mirror Image]

Yes, that remake isn't as electrifying. What I like about the Third is its spaciousness. And the last minutes are sublime. I fell in love with this work the moment I heard it, and that was more than 30 years ago, when I was in my late teens. I knew my Brahms and my Bruckner, and could hear a very American echo.

Johan, I'll have to give Harris' third a fresh listen tonight. I own both Bernstein's (Sony and DG), Mata (Dorian), Jarvi (Chandos), and Alsop (Naxos), which one do you think I should listen to?

[DavidW]

Brahms Piano Quartet #2 played sensitively yet passionately by Hamelin and the Leopold String Trio.  Oh boy I need to hear more Hamelin!

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Now:

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Listening to Bernstein's On The Waterfront which will be followed by Harris' Symphony No. 3.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Johan, I'll have to give Harris' third a fresh listen tonight. I own both Bernstein's (Sony and DG), Mata (Dorian), Jarvi (Chandos), and Alsop (Naxos), which one do you think I should listen to?

Bernstein on Sony. That's the interpretation I know and love. But who knows, among the other contenders might lurk the superior version... I only know the two by Bernstein and a historic one by Toscanini.

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Bernstein on Sony. That's the interpretation I know and love. But who knows, among the other contenders might lurk the superior version... I only know the two by Bernstein and a historic one by Toscanini.

Yeah, I figured you might say Bernstein. But I have already pulled up Mata's recording of it. From what I remember, Mata did a good job with this symphony.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Yeah, I figured you might say Bernstein. But I have already pulled up Mata's recording of it. From what I remember, Mata did a good job with this symphony.

If Mata is able to crack the work for you, excellent!


P.S. Just listened to a snippet of the Mata on Amazon. I really prefer Bernstein even in that short fragment, the strings have much more passion.

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If Mata is able to crack the work for you, excellent!

Well I kind of just blindly picked a performance to go with, so we'll see how it goes. I remember liking this performance a good bit. Bernstein's is excellent too of course.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Harris, Symphony No. 3


It remains wonderful, the work, the performance.

[Conor71]

Bruckner: String Quintet
Bruckner: Symphony No. 3

Good morning - starting the day with some Bruckner. I am very impressed with his String Quintet, what a lovely work!.
I was going to listen through the Jochum/EMI cycle this week but I have reverted back to my Chailly set as I prefer the interpretations and SQ on this one. Now listening to Symphony No. 3, "Wagner" - Although I found it a bit difficult to get into him at first, I have really come to admire Bruckner and often listen to one of his works when I feel like listening to a Symphony.

[Mirror Image]

Okay, so the Harris 3rd still didn't do anything for me. I don't know why I just don't connect to it at all. As I said, it's the music, not the performances that I don't connect with. The Mata recording was quite good. The orchestra played great.

Anyway onto something that I do connect with...

Now:

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A dark work, but the moments of light toward the end that come shining through are truly beautiful, but are harrowing in their poignancy.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Okay, so the Harris 3rd still didn't do anything for me. I don't know why I just don't connect to it at all. As I said, it's the music, not the performances that I don't connect with. The Mata recording was quite good. The orchestra played great.

Anyway onto something that I do connect with...

Now:


A dark work, but the moments of light toward the end that come shining through are truly beautiful, but are harrowing in their poignancy.

I share your love of the Pettersson Violin Concerto. A pity you can't connect with the Harris. I wonder why. I did listen to Koechlin's 'Vers la Voûte étoilée' tonight. It's beautiful music, rather ethereal and wispy, to these ears. I wonder if you don't like too much solidity in the orchestral sound? Perhaps that might be a reason - you don't like heaviness? Just guessing...