What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Mark]

Bruckner 4/Ormandy/Philadelphia/Sony



A total powerhouse performance, almost breathtaking at times.

Thanks for reminding me that this is on my shelves. I picked it up at a charity shop (on Renfield's recommendation), but still haven't heard it weeks later.

[Lethevich]

Thanks for reminding me that this is on my shelves. I picked it up at a charity shop (on Renfield's recommendation), but still haven't heard it weeks later.

I have got thoroughly sick of the 4th, but this one kind of... blows the cobwebs away, it's nice

[Lilas Pastia]

Beethoven symphony 9. Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä. Great things to report on the technical front, but not nearly enough to redeem the abysmal interpretive decisions from the podium. When every single note is treated as an accent, the real ones just don't register, climaxes scream but don't engulf and the whole thing becomes terribly tiresome. A one shot deal, so to speak...

Beethoven concerto 4, Barenboim, Klemperer. Once again I was astonished at the truly great engineering (I could hear every page turn or chair creak). But even better, this is one manly, gruff yet compassionate performance. One of the very best I've heard.

Beethoven cello sonatas op 5 (2 of them): Bylsma, van Immerseel. Not exactly a Viagra moment, either musically or interpretively. I found Bylsma's tone rather wooden (it fails to glow or expand vertically), and the music is frankly not transcendant. The Magic Flute vatiations I chose to conclude the session were more to my liking. I look forward to hear the really great works (op. 69 and 102), but I'm not sure this will dislodge Fournier and Kempff.

[Renfield]

Thanks for reminding me that this is on my shelves. I picked it up at a charity shop (on Renfield's recommendation), but still haven't heard it weeks later.

In fact, I was thinking of asking you about that!

Let me know of your impressions when you hear it. (Though the other two members of the GMG European Late-Night Division (TM) - that is, Lethe and I - appear to concur regarding its high quality. So that should be enough! )


A perhaps-interesting note about that recording:

The original recommendation that led me to give Eugene Ormandy's Bruckner (out of all conductors') a shot came from Gramophone, in the issue about neglected first-rate recordings. However, what actually got me to buy this recording so quickly was the accompanying quip about Ormandy and his players easily surpassing "noted Austrian celebrity conductors" in both performance and interpretation...

But as it is, the closest recording to Ormandy's in style that I'm aware of (though still not all that close to it), is said "Austrian celebrity conductor's"; or at least by the only one I know of who might be referred to in this manner, and so vehemently, by Gramophone: Herbert von Karajan!

Though not the EMI recording the consensus has as one of the best "faithful Brucknerian" 4ths, but rather the DG "super-powered" (to paraphrase another Gramophone comment) performance from the complete cycle with the BPO (also available separately on as a Galleria reissue), which is another one of my favourite Bruckner 4ths.

Still, Ormandy's does perhaps manage to surpass even the DG in its suavity and "orchestral eloquence", admittedly; though not in its mystique, I'll add. For the latter, I still choose Karajan.


Edit: I'm listening to Karajan's Bruckner 4th, after all this.

But previously, I was listening to the new Mackerras Beethoven cycle. And, indeed, with quite the pleasure! Rough edges here and there, but it's no mean achievement. If nothing else, it offers a non-"big band" alternative that won't blow your ligaments apart, but will still satisfy the desire for an "intimate" view of the Beethoven symphonies. Very well done!

[Renfield]

Hah! The bass entry in the new Mackerras 9th (not that I've heard the old one) is very likely the funniest one I've heard: yes, funniest.

He practically whistles into his opening "O Freunde", so to put it. Ouch.

[Lethevich]

Bruckner - Requiem (Hyperion)



This is very good. It's not "profound", but it's engaging light and accomplished choral music, occasionally reminicent of Mozart's requiem. Bruckner has a lot of very good, rather lesser-known choral music to explore. His Libera Me on another Hyperion disc coupled with the mass in E minor and Aequali is superb.

I wish I could find a decent list of his surviving pre-maturity works...

[George]

Currently listening to this - just the final movement at the moment (I'll do the whole thing tomorrow):



You really want to know what I think so far? I like it, despite finding the final movement an odd combination of profoundly intense and moving, and at the same time, irritatingly slow. Comparing it with Karajan's outing, I find Herbie injects more pace and piles on the emotional impact more convincingly.

You mean the 70s outing, right?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

sofronitsky

What...is he clipping his toenails, washing his hair, shaving...what?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Alban Berg, Chamber Concerto for piano, violin, and thirteen wind instruments.

Sviatoslav Richter piano, Oleg Kagan violin w/ the Moscow Conservatory Instrumental Ensemble, Yuri Nikolaevsky, conductor.

[Lethevich]

Ostinato (Savall, Hesperion XXI)

The Pachelbel Canon & Gigue on this is the so anti-romantic that it's almost unrecognisable, kind of fun.

[Greta]

Haven't posted here in ages...



Bartok and Lutoslawski
Concertos for Orchestra
Christoph von Dohnányi/Cleveland Orchestra

Man, good stuff. Cleveland sounds like perfection. This orchestra always sounds incredible on any recording I have, I wish I could hear them live someday.

I don't know how really to describe their recordings with Dohnányi, besides great..I'm tempted to say cool in approach, but that's not what I mean, more like he just lets the music speak for itself. Honest. Yeah, that's the word I was looking for. And he sees the long line so well. I'm starting to investigate his recordings with Cleveland right now.



Mark-Anthony Turnage
Drowned Out/Kai/Three Screaming Popes/Momentum
Sir Simon Rattle/CBSO

Love this!! I had heard Turnage often on broadcasts, Proms, etc. and liked it, but this is my first foray. Drowned Out is rather loud, and long (aptly named), but once I got past it, the rest of the disc is just great. I like the unique orchestration, the heavy jazz influence. The last piece Momentum is very groovy and a bit addictive!

[Peregrine]

Haydn, Op.76 1-3

Panocha Quartet

[Mark]

You mean the 70s outing, right?

The ONLY outing, George. I do believe Herr Karajan only visited the shores of Tchaikovsky's symphonies but once.

[wilhelm]

[Que]

My Alpha order from MDT arrived yesterday afternoon!

Starting the morning with this:



See my comments HERE.

Q

[val]

J S BACH:     Orgelbüchlein          / André Isoir  (CALIOPE)

One of the most touching works of Bach, consisting on 45 short chorals, each one with a deep symbolism. Most of the chorals were composed between 1713 and 1716.

André Isoir is very poetic and fluent, and the instrument is beautiful. The best version I know of this work.

[sidoze]

What...is he clipping his toenails, washing his hair, shaving...what?

what sort of listening do you do?    I listened to most of my Sofronitsky collection last night  I don't keep all that many, but I do have more of him than any other pianist (sounds rather funny to say that consideringg how I used to collect...)

[Que]

See my comments HERE.

Q

[gmstudio]

Haven't posted here in ages...



Bartok and Lutoslawski
Concertos for Orchestra
Christoph von Dohnányi/Cleveland Orchestra

Man, good stuff. Cleveland sounds like perfection. This orchestra always sounds incredible on any recording I have, I wish I could hear them live someday.

I don't know how really to describe their recordings with Dohnányi, besides great..I'm tempted to say cool in approach, but that's not what I mean, more like he just lets the music speak for itself. Honest. Yeah, that's the word I was looking for. And he sees the long line so well. I'm starting to investigate his recordings with Cleveland right now.

I'm quite fond of their Bruckner recordings...I wish they would have done the whole cycle, but alas. 

FWIW, I live about a mile from Severence Hall, and yes, they are even better live. 

[gmstudio]