What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

Started by Maciek, April 06, 2007, 02:22:49 AM

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George

Tchaikovsky
Symphony 6
HvK/BPO
DG


8)

Haffner

Quote from: George on September 02, 2008, 09:50:55 AM
Tchaikovsky
Symphony 6
HvK/BPO
DG


8)



oooooooOOOOOO JA! I'm breakin' that one out now! Loved the Lenny as well  ;).

karlhenning

As much as I know I've enjoyed the individual symphonies of Vaughan Williams, the breathtaking cumulative impact of listening to the third through sixth in close succession was a revelatory, greater-than-the-sum-of-the-parts experience.  I cannot simply glide to frivolity as a result, so it's some Shostakovich for me now:

Dmitri Dmitriyevich
Violin Concerto № 2 in C# Minor, Opus 129
Sergey Khachatryan
Orchestre National de France
Masur

Opus106

Giving a spin to the only disc with Wagner on it, thanks to all the Wagner talk the past few hours.

The programme...

Szell conducts

Rossini
L'Italian in Algeri: Overture
Cleveland SO

Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 5
WDR SO, Cologne

Wagner
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act 1
NYPO

Josef Stauss
Delirien
Cleveland SO

Regards,
Navneeth

George

Richard Strauss
Eine Alpensinfonie, op.64
HvK/BPO
DG


8)

George

Quote from: AndyD. on September 02, 2008, 09:52:39 AM
oooooooOOOOOO JA! I'm breakin' that one out now! Loved the Lenny as well  ;).

0:)

Haffner

Quote from: George on September 02, 2008, 10:04:27 AM
Richard Strauss
Eine Alpensinfonie, op.64
HvK/BPO
DG


8)




Sigh :). My favorite interpretation. I'm so wi'cha today, G-man.

George

Quote from: AndyD. on September 02, 2008, 11:37:37 AM
Sigh :). My favorite interpretation. I'm so wi'cha today, G-man.

I am grateful for that.


Lethevich

RVW - A Sea Symphony. The Handley performance feels less of an "event" than Boult makes it, but this is a typically brilliantly balanced performance, and the final sections are extremely moving.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

Solitary Wanderer

'I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth.' ~ Emily Bronte

karlhenning

Vaughan Williams

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra

Five Variants on 'Dives and Lazarus'
London Philharmonic Orchestra

Vernon Handley

karlhenning


Lethevich

Martinu - Piano Concertos (Supraphon)

PC no.3 is reinforcing its position as my current favourite with its wonderful first movement.
Peanut butter, flour and sugar do not make cookies. They make FIRE.

Kullervo

Inspired by the above post: Martinů - Estampes, The Parables, Tre Ricecari, Piano Cto. No. 2 (Bělohlávek/Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Rudolf Firkušný, piano)

This is a rip of a long OOP disc I borrowed from the UCF library. If anyone wants a copy I'll gladly upload it.  :)

Gustav

Quote from: George on September 02, 2008, 10:04:27 AM
Richard Strauss
Eine Alpensinfonie, op.64
HvK/BPO
DG


8)

is this the only alpensinfoine you have heard?

Dancing Divertimentian

#31576
Quote from: AndyD. on September 02, 2008, 04:11:06 AM
Good 'un! The sound of that recording is as good as could be expected, for the time, but the winner for me is the whole "not-afraid-to-get-the-hands-dirty" conducting. What I mean is, Knap isn't overly polite at the wrong places on this recording; he doesn't make the same mistakes that, say, Herr Karajan does in his own, classic recording of Parsifal. (It's not that I don't like the Karajan...it is Karajan, after all  ;). I just didn't feel the emotional connection as powerfully as in either of the Knap recordings.)

I agree 100%, Andy. Kna has a strong feel for the rhythm and pulse of this work. No sagging or listlessness. Dynamics swing wide (soft and grand) yet never sound plastered on as mere decoration. He really seems to have a natural inclination as to how this work should go.

Yeah, the sound isn't digital but fortunately there's plenty of weight and clarity so that everything Kna does is perfectly related to the listener. Glad they caught him in the stereo era!

Unfortunately I haven't heard Karajan's Parsifal. But for comparisons I have Barenboim's recording and yet another of Kna's recordings: the 1951 Bayreuth (on Teldec).

To me Barenboim suffers in the same way Karajan apparently does - there just isn't the sense of an "iron will" imposed on the music as with Kna, which helps keep everything tied together for the (very) long haul. It's probably not fair to compare in this manner as Barenboim certainly is accomplished when appraised on his own, minus any Kna comparisons. But, well, Kna seems to intuitively know his way around this vast score and really pulls out all the stops.

Of course Kna had the benefit of knowing this work inside and out as he performed it at Bayreuth for thirteen consecutive seasons starting in 1951 (when Bayreuth was reopened) until 1964. So kinda puts him a leg up on anyone else. 

As far as Kna's 1951 Bayreuth recording, the cast is a great one but I still prefer the 1962 Philips Bayreuth recording for its superior sonics. The comparatively dim 1951 mono sound is a major handicap in that the orchestra isn't as present nor as weighty and hasn't the impact the later recording does. Which to me means I'm missing much of the music.

So, yes, Kna's Philips recording is something very special and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as a first choice.


Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

The new erato

G Pierne: Cydalise et le chevre-pied, Timpani. My first exposure to Pierne. This is colorful as well as charming stuff. Must listen again.

Karlowicz: Symphonic poems vol 1, Naxos. Very beautiful but slightly featureless music. I see the reviewer in the brand new Gramophone issue prefers the Chandos version of one of these works just because it is rougher and has more edges to it. I wonder if he may be on to something?   

mozartsneighbor



Arriaga, String Quartets 1-3, Naxos

I had seen this recommended quite a few times in this forum  -- so I got it. And I am not disappointed... very tuneful and a very individual voice.
Pity he died at 19!

Harry

Good morning, all that are of good will.

This morning I am playing this wonderful cd. One of the best choirs around for this repertoire I think, at least for me. Its on repeat mode in my home. HM is releasing some wonderful recordings in the Gold Series.