What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[The Emperor]

Steve Reich - Daniel Variations 

[bhodges]

Steve Reich - Daniel Variations 

I just heard this recently at the Bang on a Can marathon, played by the SIGNAL Ensemble.  An incredibly moving piece, might be one of Reich's alltime best, which is saying something. 

--Bruce

[Drasko]

Yevgeni Sudbin recital (video stream) - Haydn sonata, Chopin & Scriabin Mazurkas, Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit

http://www.avro.nl/handlers/asxhandler.ashx?mms://wm1.avro.jet-stream.nl/avro/web/klassiek/080614_fc_sudbin.wmv

or if that link won't comply, google this: avro klassiek classique sudbin Silverlight

[The Emperor]

I just heard this recently at the Bang on a Can marathon, played by the SIGNAL Ensemble.  An incredibly moving piece, might be one of Reich's alltime best, which is saying something. 

--Bruce

Yeh, i agree, it's really a great piece.

[RebLem]

In the week ending Saturday, August 2, 2008, I listened to the following for the first time:

1.  Bach, J.S.: Congratualtory and Homage Cantatas, S. 30a, 36b, 36c, 134a, and 173a--Helmuth Rilling, cond., Bach-Collegium, Stuttgart, Gachinger Kantorei, 7 soloists.  (2:01:14) hanssler 2CD set, Vol. 139 of CBE.  Recorded 2000.

2.  Pleyel, Ignace (1757-1831): Symphony in C Major, Op. 66 (B.154) (23:10) |Symphony in G Major, Op. 68 (B.156) (24:19) |Symphony in D Minor (B.147) (22:45)--London Mozart Players, Matthias Bamert, cond.  MHS CD, reissue of CHANDOS disc. Rec. 1995  This CD is part of the "Contemporaries of Mozart" series.

3.  Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 (39:08 )  |Brahms: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 77 (36:11)--Nathan Milstein, violin, William Steinberg, cond., Pittsburg Symphony Orch.  EMI  GROC CD.  Recorded 1953-1955.

4.  Bartok: Chamber Works, Vol 1, a 3 CD compilation, part of a 6 CD set of the complete Bartok chamber music from Hungaroton.  CD1---Andante (Albumblatt to Adila Aranyi) (3:46) |Rhapsody (Folkdances) 1 for violin and piano, Sz. 86 (10:02) |Rhapsody (Folkdances) 2 for violin and piano, Sz. 89 (10:58 ) |Rhapsody (Folkdances) 1 for cello and piano, Sz. 88 (10:11) |Hungarian Folksongs for violin and piano, Sz. 42 (9:41) }Sonata in E Minor for violin and piano, DD 72 (28:35).  CD2---Sonata 1 for violin and piano, Op. 21, Sz. 75 (32:12) |Sonata 2 for violin and piano, Sz. 76 (20:15) |Sonata for solo violin, Sz. 117 (23:21).  CD3---44 Duos for two violins, Sz. 98 (49:24) |Sonata for two pianos and percussion, Sz. 110 (24:57)--numerous artists--violinists: Gyorgy Pauk, Zoltan Szekely, Mihaly Szucs, Vilmos Szabadi, Gidon Kremer, Denes Kovacs, and Wanda Wilkomirska.  Cellist: Laszlo Mezo.  Percussionists: Ferenc Petz, Jozsef Marton.  Pianists: Peter Frankl, Isabel Moore, Erzsebet Tusa, Marta Gulyas, Iury Smirnov, Dezso Ranki, and Zoltan Kocsis.

The Bach pieces were all written to order pieces to celebrate various events in the lives of aristocrats and cultivated bourgeois folk.  The music from all of them was later used, with slight variations, in sacred cantatas.  This is another issue which shares with the vocal music in the CBE a generally high standard of performance and recording quality.

The Pleyel disc consists entirely of premiere recordings.  They are suprisingly interesting pieces; Mozart liked much of Pleyel's work, recommending them to his father's attention, and he was not a man who was generous in his praise of many other composers.  Welll worth acquiring and listening to, with the typically high standard of performance and recording we have come to expect from Chandos.

The Milstein/Steinberg/Pittsburg collaboration is a stunning production in glorious full-ranging monaural sound.  While I still prefer Grumiaux/Galleira in the Beethoven and Szeryng/Monteux in the Brahms, these are magnificent performances, lyrical and subtle, with soloist and conductor in perfect sync with one another, working with a magnificently pliant and responsive orchestra.

I reported on Volume 2, the other 3 CD set in the Hungaroton set of the complete Bartok chamber music back in February.  Thse are, of course, works of variable quality, but achieving a generally very high standard.  The middle movement of the Sonata for two pianos and percussion, from 1937, is startlingly predictive of the Shostakovich Piano Quintet.

[SonicMan46]

Classical Cello Concertos for most of the afternoon - outstanding Brilliant 7-CD box set; works included from the following composers:

CPE Bach, 1 CD; Boccherini, 3 CDs; Leonardo Leo, 2 CDs; and Joseph Haydn, 1 CD - will likely stop @ 4 discs, and finish them off another day!     CLICK on the image for a great review from MusicWeb - can't disagree - 

[karlhenning]

(OBS: I have corrected your typo)

Ach! Mi dispiace! Sorry!

[prémont]

Ach! Mi dispiace! Sorry!

Never mind  I am not going to peter out for that reason.

[Renfield]

I am not listening to anything: thank you, oh splitting headache.

However, I listened to (/watched) Karajan's live Alpensinfonie, earlier, from this:




And do not worry, M, I listened to the original audio track, not the re-recorded one. It was every bit as excellent as you had suggested.

(Hence my reason for "invoking the M", so to speak.)

[PaulR]

Shostakovich: 1st Piano Concerto Hamelin/Litton/Glasgow BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Haven't listened to this in a while, so I'm listening to it now

[Lilas Pastia]

That is merely a curiosity imo, Stokowski's absurdly fast tempo makes it more a caricature than an interpretation, sounding for the most time like just a noisy mess. Thankfully same disc also contains decent performance by Mata.


Finally got my hands on this, was curious about Knipper's fourth for a long time.

Please let us know your opinion on Knipper's fourth !

C.P.E. Bach's E Flat concerto, for the umpteenth time. I sincerely think some of his keyboard concertos have only been equalled by Mozart's 9th and, much later, his 17th. This E flat work has incredible musical 'face'. The very opposite of mere note spinning.

[M forever]

And do not worry, M, I listened to the original audio track, not the re-recorded one. It was every bit as excellent as you had suggested.

Musically, yes, but I never said the original track was excellent as far as sound quality is concerned. It is fairly good though, in any case vastly better than the horrible DG CD. It gives you a much better impression of what Karajan's Alpensinfonie sounded like.

[Renfield]

Musically, yes, but I never said the original track was excellent as far as sound quality is concerned. It is fairly good though, in any case vastly better than the horrible DG CD. It gives you a much better impression of what Karajan's Alpensinfonie sounded like.

Yes, I meant the performance. Sound-wise, the balance left a bit to be desired, for one...

[eyeresist]

C.P.E. Bach's E Flat concerto[/b], for the umpteenth time. I sincerely think some of his keyboard concertos have only been equalled by Mozart's 9th and, much later, his 17th. This E flat work has incredible musical 'face'. The very opposite of mere note spinning.

Which performance, may I ask?

[The new erato]

I am not listening to anything: thank you, oh splitting headache.

However, I listened to (/watched) Karajan's live Alpensinfonie, earlier

So what would you expect?

[Harry]

Good morning all my friends.


Evaristo Felice Dall' Abaco. (1675-1742)

CD I from VI.

Concerti Opus II, No. 1,4,5,7.
Concerti Opus 5, No. 3,5.
Concerti opus 6, no. 5,11.

Concerto Koln.

This box advised by I think, Premont, and Que, is a winner on all counts. The expected excellence of playing is assured by this group, but the music is also a match. A budget box with six cd's ranging from Abaco to Eberl, all producing their finest. I simply love the D minor, A minor, and G minor concerti by Abaco. Good sound too.

[Que]

Listening to a disc from the set above, with music for the vihuela (kind of Spanish lute), played by José Miguel Moreno.

Q

[ezodisy]

Scriabin op 11 Preludes - Igor Zhukov
Strauss Metamorphosen - Karajan (gold)

[Subotnick]

Good morning!

I'm starting the day with Charles Wuorinen:



TTFN.
Me.

[Wanderer]

Yevgeni Sudbin recital (video stream) - Haydn sonata, Chopin & Scriabin Mazurkas, Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit
http://www.avro.nl/handlers/asxhandler.ashx?mms://wm1.avro.jet-stream.nl/avro/web/klassiek/080614_fc_sudbin.wmv
or if that link won't comply, google this: avro klassiek classique sudbin Silverlight

I liked his way with Gaspard de la nuit (especially Ondine) very much. I believe I've read somewhere he was to record a Ravel album.

I listened to the original audio track, not the re-recorded one.

Do you mean the stereo track instead of the 5.1 surround or another source altogether?