What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Henk]

The opening is very fine...

[Harry]

Henry's Purcells Theatre Music, Volume V.

The Libertine or The Libertine Destroyed.
The Massacre of Paris.
Oedipus
Overture in D minor.
The History of King Richard the Second, The Sicilian Usurper.
Sir Barnaby Whigg, or no Wit Like a Woman's.
Sophonisba or Hannibal's Overthrow.
The English Lawyer.
A Fool's Preferment or The Three Dukes of Dunstable.
The Indian Emperor or the Conquest of Mexico.
The Knight of Malta.
A dialog between Thirsis and Daphne.
The Wives excuse or Chuckholds Make Themselves.
Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero.
Regulus or the Faction of Carthage.
The Marriage Hater Match'd.

Singers: Judith Nelson, Martyn Hill, James Bowman, David Thomas, Rogers Covey Crump, Paul Elliott, Alan Byers, Peter Bamber, Emma Kirkby, Michael George, Geoffrey Shaw.
The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood.

[Moldyoldie]

Sibelius: The Wood-Nymph; A Lonely Ski-Trail; Swanwhite; The Wood-Nymph (Melodrama)
Lasse Pöysti, narrator
Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, cond.
BIS (also Musical Heritage Society)
I bought this Musical Heritage Society reissue for less than three bucks plus shipping (shipping may have been more than the CD!) and must say it was quite the bargain.  The Wood-Nymph  is an early (1894) 21-minute tone poem featuring marvelous string ostinatos and brass fanfares -- seemingly quite simple in construction, but still juicily Sibelian in sound!  A shorter narrated melodrama version appears as a bookend to the disc.
A Lonely Ski-Trail is a brief, meditative soliloquy spoken in Swedish.  If I may be so bold as to time-jump and defer to another medium, it's very Bergmanesque. 
Swanwhite is presented here as a series of fourteen short episodes of incidental music to a Strindberg play (I've read where there's also a concert suite) of which I'm particularly fond of No. 9 Lento.  There's no heavy going here, just some fine music which offers subtle suggestions of more familiar works in the Sibelius oeuvre.

Sibelius: Symphony No. 3; Symphony No. 7
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis, cond.
LSO LIVE
Here are quite distended and sensitive realizations of what must be Colin Davis's final thoughts on these two fine symphonies.  I don't think I've ever heard so much probing and shaping of musical contours in these works as I'm hearing here.  After three listens on different days, I tend to conclude that the Third is brought off less successfully with the approach, if only because the often fetching melodic lines as heard so unambiguously in other performances (e.g. Bernstein/NYPO) are bent and often broken here in an attempt to find some elusive profundity that's perhaps more ephemeral than genuine.  Maybe other listeners hear more in this than I do.  In any case, the orchestra certainly plays responsively and with fine ensemble -- sounding great in the dry, vivid and close-up soundstage.

The Seventh here, however, is another matter.  Davis and the LSO bring off a wonderfully expansive, detailed, and moving realization which grows on one with successive hearings.   Davis's sensitive shaping  weaves finely-wrought lines and an incredibly subtle sense of pulse and flow; the climaxes are brought off beautifully.  It all culminates in a perfectly judged coda which lingers profoundly in the mind -- I loved it!  In my opinion, this is a performance of the Seventh which thoroughly demands to be heard and savored by all who love this work.

By the way, Sir Colin's infernal humming, which is heard so prominently in the recording of the Fifth Symphony in this LSO LIVE series, is graciously muffled.

[mn dave]

LvB

P Con 4

fleisher/szell

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Excellent write-up, moldyoldie! Thank you.

[Harry]

Its awfully quiet on the forum...............

[mn dave]

Its awfully quiet on the forum...............

[Wanderer]

R. Strauss: Don Quixote ~ Phantastische Variationen über ein Thema ritterlichen Charakters (Staatskapelle Dresden/Luisi).
Braunfels: Phantastische Erscheinungen eines Themas von Hector Berlioz (RSO-Wien/Russell Davies).

[karlhenning]

Prokofiev Complete Piano Sonatas (Fredrick Chiu)

Goes perfectly well with the aftershocks here in Sichuan...

Hmmm . . . .

Yes, I am fine. I am doing mostly training work for medical workers and volunteers on psychological first aid and other things.

Glad you are well, Paul. And hat's off to you, doing such important work!

[mn dave]

I need more Alkan. More that sounds like this CD.

[karlhenning]

Bohuslav Martinů
Symphony No. 6, Fantaisies symphoniques (1951-53)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Bryden Thomson

[mn dave]

LvB

P Con 4

Arrau/Haitink

[orbital]

I need more Alkan. More that sounds like this CD.

Unfortunately the choices are extremely limited.

Just stay way from his chamber music if you ask me. The Naxos Grand Duo and the Trio CD was probably the biggest musical disappointment of 2008 for me.

If you want something really superlative, how about this:


Not only is there Alkan, Busoni and Medtner, but there is also Balakirev's piano transcription of the Romanza from Chopin's E minor concerto. It may substitute for a lost nocturne, when played that way.

[mn dave]

Just stay way from his chamber music if you ask me. The Naxos Grand Duo and the Trio CD was probably the biggest musical disappointment of 2008 for me.

Thanks for the warning.

If you want something really superlative, how about this:


Not only is there Alkan, Busoni and Medtner, but there is also Balakirev's piano transcription of the Romanza from Chopin's E minor concerto. It may substitute for a lost nocturne, when played that way.

'Tis wish-listed.  0:)

And thank you again.

[mn dave]

This gem will be on next.



I'm at home today and the wife's gone so I'm listening to the big boy's stereo. A rare thing indeed. 

[bhodges]

If you want something really superlative, how about this:


Not only is there Alkan, Busoni and Medtner, but there is also Balakirev's piano transcription of the Romanza from Chopin's E minor concerto. It may substitute for a lost nocturne, when played that way.

This reminds me that I haven't heard this!     *[cue alarm bells]*  Great-looking program...

--Bruce

[Henk]

Disc 5, Also Sprach Zarathustra.

[SonicMan46]

Well, if you're into late 19th-early 20th century String Quartets by 'little known' composers (a favorite topic for many of us on this forum -  ), then a couple of recent arrivals & just a first listening:

Kienzl, Wilhelm (1857-1941) - String Quartets, Nos. 1-3 w/ Thomas Christian Ensemble.

Marx, Joseph (1882-1964) - Complete String Quartets w/ same group as above.

 

O, you will enjoy them, well I did!

Harry - getting to re-listen to the works I posted above yesterday & along w/ your commments - remarkably beautiful music writing & performances - yet more 'forgotten' composers to be rediscovered!     This is becoming a never-ending adventure - 

I absolutely love the cover art - both works by Gustav Klimt, and done in 1912 & 1907, respectively; found the 'originals' on the web (colors may of 'off' but hard to say in which images not knowing the originals).

Joseph Marx has his own Website w/ an extensive discography, i.e. likely much music to explore!  Check on MusicWeb for an excellent review (I agree w/ the 'up front' playing of the performers, but kind of prefer that approach in chamber music). 

Wilhelm Kienzl was another 'long-lived' Austrian composer; the Wiki Article gives a brief bio & lists his many works, much vocal/choral w/ some operas; but a paucity of chamber music listed, with a good amount of paino compositions!   Must agree w/ Harry, just enjoyable & captivating quartet music from both of these guys! 




 

[Bogey]

Mozart Clavier-Concerte 20 & 21
Jos van Immerseel/Anima Eterna Orchestra
Channel Classics Nl

[karlhenning]

Peter Mennin
Symphony No. 7, Variation Symphony (1963)
CSO
Martinon