What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Brian]

.[asin]B004H6P2KQ[/asin]

Concertos 15 and 17 (Szell/Cleveland)

[Mirror Image]

Morning, MI.
"slowly revealed itself" is a reason why I've always enjoyed the 7th, with every listen I discover more about the piece. This is a symphony that I feel requires multiple recordings to explore it completely, I have Bernstein, Boulez & MTT and they all sound as if they have different score notations.

I think all of Mahler's symphonies require multiple recordings. But that's just me.

[Mirror Image]

This is a fine disc, could not wish for better advocacy.

A great disc. No doubt about it.

[TheGSMoeller]

I think all of Mahler's symphonies require multiple recordings.

Very true, as is with most great pieces of music. I should have specified that I find the 7th to benefit from multiple versions more than any. I've never listened to the Zinman recordings, keep hearing good comments about them.

Don't know why I wrote about Zinman, my eyes hurt today  thought that was a Zinman recording you posted MI.

Listening now...

[asin]B000026D0F[/asin]

[Sergeant Rock]

David Del Tredici, Final Alice, Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony and Barbara Hendricks




Sarge

[kishnevi]

Amazingly beautiful, and the performance begs to be heard.

Agreed, and so does the companion CD with the other quartets.

Very true, as is with most great pieces of music. I should have specified that I find the 7th to benefit from multiple versions more than any. I've never listened to the Zinman recordings, keep hearing good comments about them.

I like the Zinmans, but I think the best of his are 3, 4 and 9.

Of the recordings of 7 I have,  I think Abbado/BPO is the best,  followed by Thomas and Gergiev (yes--with 6, probably the best of his series) and Sinopoli,   then Bernstein/DG and Tennstedt (studio).  My Tennstedt set has a live recording of 7, but I haven't heard that one yet.   Berstein/NYPO and Zinman are good but not good as the others.  The Rattle recording actually comes in dead last among this company.

Speaking of thread duty:
Just finished:  Mahler 5, Tennstedt/LPO (studio recording)

Bach Partitas, Ashkenazy

Sarge

And your opinion?

[bhodges]

Anyway, listened to:

Comments, Corey? (I have the other recording - haven't yet heard this one.)

--Bruce

[prémont]

DOWLAND    Lachrymae
Philomusica of London       Thurston Dart, cond. & harpsichord

Yes I knew this recording exists, but I have never heard it. How is it?
Does Dart hit the bulls eye, in the way he sometimes did?

[Coco]

Comments, Corey? (I have the other recording - haven't yet heard this one.)

--Bruce

I'll have to listen a few more times to say anything of worth about it, but I will say that it's been a long time since a piece of music has made me grin from the sheer pleasure of listening to it. Some amazing sounds.

[karlhenning]

Loving even the duplication!

Brahms
Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Opus 56b

Сергей Васильевич [ Sergei Vasilyevich (Rakhmaninov) ]
Symphonic Dances, Opus 45

Schubert
Rondo in A Major, D.951 (Grande Rondeau)

Ravel
La valse
Martha Argerich & Nelson Freire, pf
Recorded viii.2009

[asin]B003W16TBS[/asin]

[bhodges]

I'll have to listen a few more times to say anything of worth about it, but I will say that it's been a long time since a piece of music has made me grin from the sheer pleasure of listening to it. Some amazing sounds.

Fabulous...that was sort of my reaction, too, when I heard it. And to tell the truth, I've only heard the complete cycle once, although I've listened to a couple of the sections separately, on their own. But after I heard it, I just wanted to let my brain digest a bit before listening again. Now I'm beginning to think that Grisey may have been - among his other virtues - one of the late 20th-century's greatest orchestrators.

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

[...]

Brahms
Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Opus 56b

[...]

[asin]B003W16TBS[/asin]

Listening to this is like going wild over Brahms all over again!

[Sergeant Rock]

And your opinion?

Like it very much. The best thing about it, it doesn't sound like the other Partitas I own (Tipo, Schiff, Gould). Four very different takes on the same notes 

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Listening to Hindemith's Symphonia serena, Hindemith conducting the Philharmonia (a wonderful sounding Walter Legge production from  1956).




Sarge

[DavidW]

Bach Italian Concerto, French Overture, Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue performed by Belder... and WOW I love it!  I hate this Thursdays pays off again, I no longer hate the harpsichorder, it was the performer.  Belder's WTC featured zany fast playing (can't hear the structure), and strange rubato on top of it, doesn't even sound Bachian.  My previous harpsichord experience was years before when I wasn't enthusiastic for PI.  I didn't even give the English Suites a fair try after the Belder WTC fiasco... and I just falsely generalized to harpsichords sound clanging, banging, too fast and unmusical... and you know what?  It's all hogwash.  I just don't like Berben.

Belder's performances of those works (Italian Concerto, French Overture, Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue) are eye opening.  Fantastic!  The harpsichord is a musical instrument and the performers can make Bach sing.

[karlhenning]

Listening to Hindemith's Symphonia serena, Hindemith conducting the Philharmonia (a wonderful sounding Walter Legge production from  1956).

Nice recording, Sarge!  And better cover art than the edition I picked up : )

[listener]

Yes I knew this recording exists, but I have never heard it. How is it?
Does Dart hit the bulls eye, in the way he sometimes did?

re Dowland Lachrymae:  Performance style is a bit towards Stokowski with the warm string sound, tempos seemed a bit more brisk and I did not feel like falling asleep. 
today DVOŘÁK  The Water-Sprite    The Midday Witch     Symphonic Variations
Bavarian Radio Orch.    Kubelik
a couple of Australian trumpet concertos by Raymond HANSON and William LOVELOCK
John Robertson, trumpet      Sydney Symphony Orch.    Joseph Post, cond.

[karlhenning]

Bartók
Táncszvit, Sz77
Divertimento for string orchestra, Sz113
CSO
Boulez

[asin]B002DZX958[/asin]

[Brahmsian]

Bartók
Táncszvit, Sz77
Divertimento for string orchestra, Sz113
CSO
Boulez

[asin]B002DZX958[/asin]

The Bartok Divertimento may just be my favorite Bartok piece, and I've only heard it once, and it was 3 or 4 months ago.  I thought it was flat out super fantastic.  Below the green lemon Bartok, to be sure. 

[Lethevich]

,[asin]B0035GU9TS[/asin]

The more I listen, the more the dry recorded sound annoys me. I don't mind analytical, nor do I want it swamped in ambience, but this just sounds hard-going.

Edit: ok, I'm switching to the Takács recording for the rest of No.14 - Hyperion knows how to record chamber music.