What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Drasko]

How is this? I've not really found any Popov that comes close to the First Symphony (with the possible exception of the Chamber Symphony).

Symphonic Suite No.1 is a piece that I rather like, it's 17 minute suite culled out of a film score. It opens mysteriously with theremin and two wordless voices and after short boisterous movement goes into one of those slow grinding Graves which is basically a crescendo with piling brass, Intermezzo and Waltz of quite Ravelian nature follow to be capped off with one of those echt Popov noisy, gnarly fugatos. It's contemporaneous piece with 1st Symphony written in 1933 and even if it doesn't have the breadth, scope and ambition of the 1st Symphony nor nimbleness and charm of Chamber Symphony (btw I agree that those are two Popov's best pieces) it's worth checking out.
Performance on Olympia is good but unfortunately they don't use theremin, is the part optional or they just didn't have one, don't know. But you can get from operashare broadcast of this excellent concert:
http://wdch.laphil.com/tix/performance_detail.cfm?id=2796
Salonen's reading is on the polished side but very good and has the theremin. All concert is quite worthwile although sound quality is not much.

Symphony No.5 'Pastoral' you can safely pass. Actually it is enjoyable pastoral piece occasionally quite beautiful but when it doesn't sound like some serene part out of Daphnis et Chloe then it sounds like a score for some big 50-60s Hollywood melodrama. It's written sometime during 50s or 60s and the writting is assured and skilfull, orchestration excellent but he is trudging safe grounds, very little of Popov from 30s is there anymore.

The story of Gavriil Popov is to me a very sad one of huge talent being crushed by politics. After twice being singled out by party for creating 'formalistic, alien' music (in mid 30s and by Zhdanov's decree in late 40s) it seems he musically became just a shadow of his former self, of which Shostakovich had to say:...all soviet composers had learnt from Gavriil Nikolayevich in the years around 1930.

[Harry]

Max Reger.

Complete Chamber Music, Volume I.

SQ opus 54/1/2
Trio opus 77b.

Mannheimer Streichquartett

Second helping of this wonderfull cd, and a good start, for the performance is thoughtfull, and very precise. The idiom of Reger is finely detailed by these musicians. Good sound too.
I am really into the music of this composer...........

[Harry]

Gioacchino Rossini

Complete Piano Works, Volume V.

Stefan Irmer, Piano.

Having been away from these recordings, I reacquainted myself again, and reveled again in the fine music, excellent performance, and state of the art recording.
All works perfectly together, and many listener would have the surprise of his life, not expecting Rossini to write piano music, and in this quality.

[wilhelm]

[Harry]

Paul Hindemith

Complete Sonatas, for Solo Instruments and Piano, Volume I.

Sonata for Violin, and Piano, opus 11, No. 1 & 2 & 3 & 4.

Ensemble Villa Musica

You could not wish for better recordings, neither for better performances. In fact when you love the music from Hindemith, this is the only choice. I could sum up all the qualities of this cd and the works thereupon, but I would repeat myself. I invite you to sample this at any given site, it will impress you no doubt.

[Hector]

Tounemire's 3rd and 8th Symphonies from Moscow under D'Almeida on Marco Polo.

I might dip into the Beebs stream of the ENO's 'Carmen' just to confirm, or not, its awfulness. It might be rubbish but it's British rubbish

[bhodges]

Bartók: Hungarian Peasant Songs, Hungarian Sketches, Roumanian Folk Dances, The Miraculous Mandarin (Fischer/Budapest Festival Orchestra) - Fantastic.  I have a a number of versions of the Mandarin but this one will definitely be a favorite.  Rhythmic vitality plus bite, and some sensational woodwind playing.



--Bruce

[karlhenning]

Paul Hindemith

Complete Sonatas, for Solo Instruments and Piano, Volume I.

Sonata for Violin, and Piano, opus 11, No. 1 & 2 & 3 & 4.

Ensemble Villa Musica

You could not wish for better recordings, neither for better performances. In fact when you love the music from Hindemith, this is the only choice. I could sum up all the qualities of this cd and the works thereupon, but I would repeat myself. I invite you to sample this at any given site, it will impress you no doubt.

Cool! And yours is cool, too, Bruce! 

Good morning/day, lads!

[hautbois]

The 'Kreutzer' Sonata from this:



Well played by Faust and Melnikov, if a little uncomfortably closely captured. Real partnership playing, though, with no one performer dominating the other.

She performed the most amazing Brahms concerto ever live with the Malaysian Philharmonic almost 2 weeks ago and it was stunning. Makes me want to go ahead and buy this recording, but i don't know whether i really need another recording of the Beethoven violin concerto...unless of course it is damn good...hmm...

Howard

[bhodges]

Cool! And yours is cool, too, Bruce! 

Good morning/day, lads!

Hiya! 

--Bruce

[Mark]

She performed the most amazing Brahms concerto ever live with the Malaysian Philharmonic almost 2 weeks ago and it was stunning. Makes me want to go ahead and buy this recording, but i don't know whether i really need another recording of the Beethoven violin concerto...unless of course it is damn good...hmm...

Howard

I can now confirm that the Violin Concerto IS damned good. It's just made it to the top of my list, in fact.

[Drasko]

Mozart - Violin Concerto No.5 K219
Leonidas Kavakos / Camerata Salzburg
on Mezzo

[rubio]

Symphony No. 2 and 8 from this set. This is the first HIP Beethoven set I hear, and I'm surprised how much I like it. I think Norrignton succeed very much with these lesser known Beethoven symphonies; No. 2 coming up as one of my favourites. I love the woodwind playing and the freshness the speed, tightness and dancing rhythms give. It's so nice to be re-introduced to these works in this way, and so much more or different details can  be heard. How does the style of Hogwood and Bruno Weil compare to Norrington in the Beethoven symphonies? I have heard a bit of Zinman, and didn't like it as much as Norrington. It wasn't as "different"/exciting as Norrington.

[Harry]

Symphony No. 2 and 8 from this set. This is the first HIP Beethoven set I hear, and I'm surprised how much I like it. I think Norrington succeed very much with these lesser known Beethoven symphonies; No. 2 coming up as one of my favourites. I love the woodwind playing and the freshness the speed, tightness and dancing rhythms give. It's so nice to be reintroduced to these works in this way, and so much more or different details can  be heard. How does the style of Hogwood and Bruno Weil compare to Norrington in the Beethoven symphonies? I have heard a bit of Zinman, and didn't like it as much as Norrington. It wasn't as "different"/exciting as Norrington.

First of all, I am glad you like the Norrington approach. for me that is a top set.
Hogwood is different in the sense that he has a different sense of urgency, and concentrates more on the raw energy Beethoven emits, so I could not do with him either. Bruno Weil is on my list, but not yet at home.
I disagree however with you, with Zinman being not that exciting. It is a very individualistic approach, in which Zinman makes his own creative universe, that has me all in feathers. I jumped up and down the room when hearing the first Symphony, and this excitement stayed until the ninth.

[rubio]

First of all, I am glad you like the Norrington approach. for me that is a top set.
Hogwood is different in the sense that he has a different sense of urgency, and concentrates more on the raw energy Beethoven emits, so I could not do with him either. Bruno Weil is on my list, but not yet at home.
I disagree however with you, with Zinman being not that exciting. It is a very individualistic approach, in which Zinman makes his own creative universe, that has me all in feathers. I jumped up and down the room when hearing the first Symphony, and this excitement stayed until the ninth.

I only listened a bit to the fifth of Zinman, and I guess that is the symphony I have the most problem with in the HIP approach (I'm very imprinted on Karajan here). So maybe it was just that. I will try him out later. Which of these sets are best when it comes to the woodwind playing?

[orbital]

[Harry]

I only listened a bit to the fifth of Zinman, and I guess that is the symphony I have the most problem with in the HIP approach (I'm very imprinted on Karajan here). So maybe it was just that. I will try him out later. Which of these sets are best when it comes to the woodwind playing?

Zinman first, second Norrington, third Hogwood, fourth Gardiner.
And Karajan of course, but he ain't HIP.

[Peregrine]

[Que]

Inspired by the Tchaikovsky ballets thread as well! 



Q

[Drasko]

Bartok - The Miraculous Mandarine (concert version)
Christoph von Dohnanyi / Vienna Philharmonic

never saw before Dohnanyi in action ... man possessed!