What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[karlhenning]

Thank you very kindly, Andy.

[karlhenning]

Listening to:

The E Major Partita, BWV 1006
Grumiaux

[Solitary Wanderer]

Innovative in its day [1968] but sounding hopelessly dated and 'clunky' today this foray into transcribing Bach's keyboard works into flights of fancy for the Moog synthesizer is a charming blast from the past. You can't help but smile at some of the sounds and cringe a little at others. I loved this album as a 19 year old, but today its going onto the 'For Sale' pile 

[Wanderer]

Beethoven: Missa Solemnis (Harnoncourt).

Rachmaninov: All-Night Vigil (Hillier).

Boehe: Tragic Overture (Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz/Albert).

[karlhenning]

Innovative in its day [1968] but sounding hopelessly dated and 'clunky' today this foray into transcribing Bach's keyboard works into flights of fancy for the Moog synthesizer is a charming blast from the past. You can't help but smile at some of the sounds and cringe a little at others.

Yes, there is no want of the cringeworthy there 

[karlhenning]

The C Major Sonata, BWV 1005
The D Minor Partita, BWV 1004
Grumiaux

[The new erato]

I'm not a great Karajan fancier, but in this kind of material he is absolutely great. A truly legendary recording of a favorite work (the Metamorphosen).

[bhodges]

Innovative in its day [1968] but sounding hopelessly dated and 'clunky' today this foray into transcribing Bach's keyboard works into flights of fancy for the Moog synthesizer is a charming blast from the past. You can't help but smile at some of the sounds and cringe a little at others. I loved this album as a 19 year old, but today its going onto the 'For Sale' pile 

Interesting...I'd thought about replacing this on CD, since I also loved it at about the same age.  (But haven't heard it in decades.)

--Bruce

[Que]

Q

[Papy Oli]

Maiden listen to Saint-Saens full stop, at the moment halfway through the 3rd symphony.

Something really caught me off guard in the opening minutes of the second movement - i simply had to stop what i was doing and take full notice of that movement. Hadn't experienced that for a while. Beautiful. 

[Harry]

Boehe: Tragic Overture (Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz/Albert).

The Boehe I played a few days ago, and I think it well worth your time, for he has a unique voice, and is a fabulous orchestrator. What think you Tasos?

[Harry]

I'm not a great Karajan fancier, but in this kind of material he is absolutely great. A truly legendary recording of a favorite work (the Metamorphosen).

True, this is one of Karajan's discs I have played very often, still do as a matter of fact....

[karlhenning]

Interesting...I'd thought about replacing this on CD, since I also loved it at about the same age.  (But haven't heard it in decades.)

Oh, you just don't want to hear the "second movement" of the Brandenburg Third, Bruce, not at this point, you don't.  Your opinion of Carlos with the benevolence of that distant memory is one thing.  Going back to it now invites a perilous, "What was he thinking?" line of reasoning, which is quite another  

[Peregrine]

A real discovery for me this year - the Smetana quartet. Highly polished, smooth ensemble, with an amazing ability to generate mood and atmosphere, from the most subtle to the extreme. Much colour in their music making...

[bhodges]

Oh, you just don't want to hear the "second movement" of the Brandenburg Third, Bruce, not at this point, you don't.  Your opinion of Carlos with the benevolence of that distant memory is one thing.  Going back to it now invites a perilous, "What was he thinking?" line of reasoning, which is quite another  

 True, but I'm curious to hear it through my "current ears," i.e., after having heard much contemporary music in the interim, including lots more electronic music.  And hey, if it did result in "What was he thinking?" that's all right; I don't mind having the rosy memory muddied a bit, for research purposes.  

--Bruce

[Wanderer]

The Boehe I played a few days ago, and I think it well worth your time, for he has a unique voice, and is a fabulous orchestrator. What think you Tasos?

I agree with you, Harry, first impressions are very positive. I'd anticipated I'd find Boehe's style agreeable; however the recording and performances so far exceed my expectations. 

[Brian]

  Current listening to Symphony No.2, this is my first time with Dvorak's Symphonies :

 


  marvin

The Second is a lovely, joyful symphony, with especially Bohemian flair in the last two movements. One of my favorite Dvorak pieces. Regrettably, I think that Kubelik's is the least interesting performance of it that I've ever heard. (Each movement has a brief, plain-jane introduction, and Kubelik treats these with undue weight and gravitas, which kind of bogs down the proceedings.) Anguelov, Suitner, and Gunzenhauser (Naxos) all bring more passion, commitment, and pure cheeriness to the piece, especially the first two, each with all sorts of neat touches in the winds in the third movement; and Anguelov's is the only performance I've heard that makes the rather weak-themed slow movement sound really engaging. Regrettably the Anguelov is only available in the full box or $12 download, so maybe you should just fall in love with the late symphonies, realize you need more than one cycle, and go out shopping again  .

By the way, you will find the Fourth quite Wagnerian!

[Papy Oli]

[marvinbrown]

The Second is a lovely, joyful symphony, with especially Bohemian flair in the last two movements. One of my favorite Dvorak pieces. Regrettably, I think that Kubelik's is the least interesting performance of it that I've ever heard. (Each movement has a brief, plain-jane introduction, and Kubelik treats these with undue weight and gravitas, which kind of bogs down the proceedings.) Anguelov, Suitner, and Gunzenhauser (Naxos) all bring more passion, commitment, and pure cheeriness to the piece, especially the first two, each with all sorts of neat touches in the winds in the third movement; and Anguelov's is the only performance I've heard that makes the rather weak-themed slow movement sound really engaging. Regrettably the Anguelov is only available in the full box or $12 download, so maybe you should just fall in love with the late symphonies, realize you need more than one cycle, and go out shopping again  .

By the way, you will find the Fourth quite Wagnerian!

  The weather in London is just terrible now. After dinner with freinds we decided to part company. I went back home and I'm on the 4th Symphony (Dvorak) now and WOW those slow movements (I'm 13 minutes into it) are Wagnerian  0:) - lyrical, luscious just what marvinbrown ordered.  I can't wait to get to the Sixth and Seventh- sorry Mark I am moving sequentially (old habits die hard I guess  ).  I'm going to have to go back to the 2nd Symphony and give that another listen after I am done with the Cycle.  No cycle is perfect and if the the 2nd Symphony proves to be the weak link in the Kubelik cycle I'll just have to look elsewhere for another version.....e-music comes to mind!


  marvin 

[Brian]

Told ya bout the Fourth! I love its scherzo.

if the the 2nd Symphony proves to be the weak link in the Kubelik cycle

The other reason you could call it the weak link is that his last three symphonies are  0:)  and  all at once! Mark's right about 6 and 7.

The Suitner box is insanely cheap (I think it can be found for under $20) and contains an 8 like no other ... but those are pleasures you have yet to discover, lucky person!