What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Kullervo]

I have nothing of this composer!
Just to show, that I have not everything.

If you like Toch and Pettersson I don't see why you wouldn't like early Schoenberg.

[ChamberNut]

Ahh, it's been awhile, my friend.  0:)

Bruckner

Symphony No. 5 in B flat major

Dresden/Jochum
EMI

[Harry]

If you like Toch and Pettersson I don't see why you wouldn't like early Schoenberg.

Well Karl said he thinks its thorny, but matter of fact is, that I never even approached Schoenberg. Maybe this inexpensive disc is something I should go with. I had no idea that it sounded like Toch, or Pettersson!

[Renfield]

Second time going through this album in a couple of days, now.

I recall a Gramophone reviewer saying about Fliter that she is "a good pianist, but not a great one". But Gramophone's own Bryce Morrison heartily recommended this disc a few months later, and what a recital!

In my opinion at least, the poise and lyricism in Fliter's playing in the sonata is quite extraordinary; while the other pieces are also beautiful, imaginative, poetic in turn, and really, I don't see anything not to like in this disc.

And that despite my very high standards for new Chopin, with Cortot, Rubinstein, Arrau, Argerich, Richter and Sokolov already gracing my collection (and my listening), to name a few. Suffice to say, I listened to this along with another new purchase: an outstanding new Moiseiwitsch Chopin disc on Naxos - and it still felt like Fliter's EMI debut deserved its place in my afternoon listening.


(Of course, I am not a pianist, and cannot tell you whether the execution is particularly "faithful" to the text, or whether she plays bar X or bar Y with particular adroitness. But I do think this disc is worth the attention of any interested pianophiles. )


Edit: Typos, unsurprisingly.

[Kullervo]

Well Karl said he thinks its thorny, but matter of fact is, that I never even approached Schoenberg. Maybe this inexpensive disc is something I should go with. I had no idea that it sounded like Toch, or Pettersson!

Well, it might be a bit much to say he sounds like them, but there is quite a bit of emotion in these pieces.

[George]

Mozart

Last 3 Symphonies

Boehm

DG


#40 is particularly limp here, I am confused about why these performances are acclaimed. Perhaps the last symphony's performance will change my mind. 

[karlhenning]

Saint-Saëns
Piano Concerto No. 1, Opus 17
Collard / Royal Phil / Previn

[Monsieur Croche]

O, no, I am not that bad, now am I, for I will send you back something you will like, sure thing!

Oh, I trust you will, Harry.

You are absolutely spot on with Kubelik! Never heard better performances of the tone poems, and that also goes for his take on the symphonies, which are bliss too, although Brian had quite some problems with the sound as M had, dated it sounded they said. But I do not hear that, but then I am heavily biased towards these recordings. Or have a different view on what is a dated sound I guess.

Glad I picked a gem! Re the dated sound, are they referring to the performance of the tone-poems, or the symphonies? I think the sound for the tone-poems is very fine, one of the best I have heard for analog recordings in fact!

I have nothing of this composer!
Just to show, that I have not everything.

I hope, Harry, that you won't come back here in one month time, declaring that you have found an unopened box somewhere in your storeroom consisting entirely of Schoenberg recordings, and therefore dash my newfound confidence in my music collection. At least I have Gurrelieder on Naxos.

[Monsieur Croche]

Neither to me. Schoenberg's economy of material and instruments is a welcome break from Strauss's wide-rangingness (not that there's anything wrong with that ). This disc is Schoenberg in a surprisingly friendly mode. I recommend it if you haven't already heard it, M. Croche, even if you think you don't like Schoenberg.

I agree. You can't go wrong with these three works (I like the Second Chamber Symphony especially).

Really, Corey, one serious logical contradiction after another; if I were your professor I will...

From Amazon reviews it seems that these works find Schoenberg in the Late Romantic mode, so I may find it likable after all. And with the Apex price... Thank you for the recommendation, guys, and for reassuring me of the merits of these works. I will see if I can find these works in my local Borders/HMV this coming weekend.

This is serious, right? (Just a last-minute check).

If you like Toch and Pettersson I don't see why you wouldn't like early Schoenberg.

All right, all right, that was the last straw. I really should expand my *cough* "repertoire"; all these Pettersson jokes are growing tired already.

[Monsieur Croche]

What utter rubbish! And coming from "an undergraduate piano major"? No wonder he/she quit. 

This is one of my most beloved piano concerto recordings, MC. Enjoy!


Listening to:

And unwise - hearing Argerich made his way through these pieces, in particular the Gaspard de la nuit, should make it pretty obvious that she is not a lady you would want to mess with. Why couldn't our daredevil - if he was indeed daring - have just said "It sucks"? That would have looked more respectable. That said, I feel a little sad actually to see the entire review being dismissed as 'rubbish', as I was in fact eagerly waiting for someone here to come forward and try explaining to me what a 'post-modern performance' is supposed to sound like. Certainly the term 'post-modern' has a little meaning when applied to compositions (not much though, it doesn't give me any idea what they sound like), but to... performances? The mind boggles. Thankfully, you redeemed yourself, Wanderer, by the perceptive usage of quotation marks in your post, but may I add - just to be cautious - that the same treatment should be extended to the word "quit"?

That Perahia disc is quite wonderful indeed. Are you a piano man (over harpsichord) when it comes to Bach?

[Hector]

If you like Toch and Pettersson I don't see why you wouldn't like early Schoenberg.

That's one way of getting people to try a composer.

Let me have a go: if you like Beethoven and Brahms there is no reason why you should not succumb to...Webern!

I am listening to Koechlin's brilliant 'Le Livre de Jungle' from the Rheinische Pfalz SO, I think, under Segerstam.

Yesterday I heard the 'Rose Lake' on the radio. I have gone off Tippett. These days all I hear is trendy posturing and incompetent orchestration, particularly the annoying percussion. I know this was a late work and considered not one of his greatest but it was a hard listen. This was the famous Colin Davis, a champion of the composer, recording.

[Harry]

Oh, I trust you will, Harry.

Glad I picked a gem! Re the dated sound, are they referring to the performance of the tone-poems, or the symphonies? I think the sound for the tone-poems is very fine, one of the best I have heard for analog recordings in fact!


They are referring to the symphonies, the 9th if I am not mistaken.

I hope, Harry, that you won't come back here in one month time, declaring that you have found an unopened box somewhere in your storeroom consisting entirely of Schoenberg recordings, and therefore dash my newfound confidence in my music collection. At least I have Gurrelieder on Naxos.

I cleaned up the attic not to long ago, for I may move house, in fact a house three times as big as what I now have 150 square meters, and will go to 450, and I found no new boxes forgotten or otherwise.
So no Schoenberg with me alas, you may therefor have absolute faith!

[Harry]

That's one way of getting people to try a composer.

Let me have a go: if you like Beethoven and Brahms there is no reason why you should not succumb to...Webern!

O, that I have, and Alban Berg too, and Hindemith, and Reger, and, and.....

[Hector]

O, that I have, and Alban Berg too, and Hindemith, and Reger, and, and.....

Hmmm. Still cannot get enough of Hindemith, Berg in small doses (do people sit and enjoy 'Lulu'?) but gone off Reger, a bit. The Boecklin tone poems are great, however.

Went back to Diepenbrock's orchestral songs over the weekend after a few years and found that they still hold me.

[Kullervo]

And Reger... I know only the string quartets and the clarinet quintet and they are brilliant — like a missing link between Brahms and Schoenberg.

[Keemun]

[Opus106]

Mozart

Last 3 Symphonies

Boehm

DG


#40 is particularly limp here

I agree. I'm not sure how many times he recorded Mozart's last symphonies for DG, but the No.40 I've heard was pretty slow, which I guess is typical Bohm, but it wasn't to my liking.

[Sergeant Rock]

Just listened to Pettersson's Sixth and Eighth, back to back, courtesy of Jezetha. Now I'm going to either jump off the Rheinbrücke...or listen to some Mozart.

Sarge

[Monsieur Croche]

Let me have a go: if you like Beethoven and Brahms there is no reason why you should not succumb to...Webern!

If you like Palestrina and Bach there is no reason why you should not like Debussy.

You may replace Palestrina and Bach with any other names, the statement would still hold just fine.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Just listened to Pettersson's Sixth and Eighth, back to back, courtesy of Jezetha. Now I'm going to either jump off the Rheinbrücke...or listen to some Mozart.

Don't do it, Sarge, don't do it!



Mozart isn't the only composer!