What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Mark]

Lethe, give it a go.

Luke, I firmly intend to explore backwards.

The only thing I'll say in defence of 'Styx' is that Kancheli obviously knew his long, film-score-writing career had brought him success, so can anyone blame him for writing a piece which so clearly has a cinematic flavour?

[RebLem]

In the week ending Saturday, September 6, 2008, I listened to

1. Bach, J.S.: 6 Late Organ Works from the Leipzig Period, S. 544, 548, 562, 668, 769, 1079 (79:12)--Martin Lucker, organ--hanssler CD, Vol. 100 of CBE, recorded 9/1998.

2. Bach, J.S.: Cantatas 195 for SATB Soli + (19:20), 196 for STB Soli + (12:39), and 197 for SAB Soli + (26:32)--Helmut Rilling, cond., usual suspects--hanssler CD, Vol. 59 of CBE. Recorded 1976-1984.

3. Bach, J.S.: Secular Solo Cantatas, S. 202 (19:17), S. 203 (11;12), S. 204 (28:44)--Helmuth Rilling, cond., Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Sibylla Rubens,m soprano (S. 202, 204), Dietrich Henschel, basso (S. 203)--hasnssler CD, Vol. 62 of CBE. Recorded 1997, 1998.

4. Rachmaninoff: Complete Concerted Works (5) for Piano and Orchestra. CD 1--PC 4 in G Minor, Op. 40 (26:26) |PC 1 in F Sharp Minor, Op. 1 (28:14) |Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, Op. 43 (24:09). CD 2--PC 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 (35:28) |PC 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 (42:02)--Michael Rudy, piano, Mariss Jansons, cond. St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orch.--2 CD Brilliant set, licensed from EMI. Recorded 1990-1993.

5. Faure (1845-1924): Requiem, Op. 48 (34:03) |Pavane, Op. 50 (5:08 ) |Pelleas et Melisande, Op. 80 (20:49)--Rotterdam Phil. Orch. (all) , Netherlands Radio Chorus (Req), Jean Fournet, cond. (Req. & Pav), David Zinman, cond. (Pel), Elly Ameling, soprano & Bernard Kruysen, baritone (Req), Jill Gomez, soprano (Pel)--Philips CD. Recorded 3/1975 (Req & Pav), 11/1979 ( Pel)

6. Ravel: L'heure espagnole (43:46) |Rossini: 4 arias for Cenerentola from La Cenerentola (14:50) and 2 arias for Isabella from L'Italiana in Algeri (10:24)--Teresa Berganza, soprano, Sesto Bruscantini, bass-baritone (all), Alfredo Kraus, Giorgio Tadeo, Herbert Kraus (Ravel), Jean Fournet, cond., Lyric Opera, Chicago, 11 NOV 1965 (Ravel), Orch. di Napoli della RAI, Mario Rossi, cond., with Nicola Monti, Mario Petri, Leonardo Montreale (Cene) 8 OCT 1958, Orch. di Milano della RAI, Nino Sanzogno, cond., with Alvino Misciano, Mario Petri (Ital) 28 JUN 1957--Living Stage CD.

The Bach organ works are ably performed and well recorded. Many of the cantatas feature the artistry of soprano Sibylla Rubens. Although virtually all the vocal soloists in the CBE series are top flight artists, I must confess that I am especially awestruck by the range, the facility and the vocal gymnastics of Ms. Rubens.

The Rachmaninoff set is excellent as well. These performances are well recorded and, interpretively, they emphasize phrasing and an understated lyricism. Generally, in these works, I prefer a more extroverted approach best exemplified, in my opinion, by Earl Wild and Jascha Horenstein, where the emphasis is on virtuoso display, but the lyrical approach has its compensations as well. If that is your preferred approach for these works, this could well be the set for you.

The Faure disc is superbly performed and represents state of the art recording for the era. The Requiem is of special interest for me, as Elly Ameling is one of my favorite sopranos. However, this is an old, corrupted text, and some more modern well done, performances feature Urtexts. This recording is essential for a good Faure collection, but it should not be your only version of the Requiem.

The Berganza disc consists entirely of live performances with audiences, who are especially vocal in the comedic Ravel piece. The recoding is in mono and is not a prefessional recording and has a cavernous, echo-y quality about it. An excellent, vibrant performance, nevertheless and well worth listening to.

[lukeottevanger]

Lethe, give it a go.

Luke, I firmly intend to explore backwards.

The only thing I'll say in defence of 'Styx' is that Kancheli obviously knew his long, film-score-writing career had brought him success, so can anyone blame him for writing a piece which so clearly has a cinematic flavour?

True! Have you heard his film music? There are passages in at least one film which certainly anticipate Styx. So perhaps I'm wrong to imply that he's simply gone a step too far forwards - because the piece is also clearly related to much earlier works. The film score I'm thinking of is actually quite charming - the ultra-sweet kitsch element is used symbolically, between dirtier, rustier sounds, though the delicacy of later Kancheli is missing. But it's all small-scale and simple - in Styx it's blown up onto a scale that I find unwieldy. The film score, with its lesser ambitions and necessarily souped-up imagery works, but the later orchestral piece doesn't (IMO of course). I've tried to explain why I think this is so, but really, I'm not sure I know. So, as with the most recent Part, I'm more than happy to concede that it's probably me who's missing something here. I'd love to love this music!

BTW, of the four or five Kancheli film scores I know, there's another which really stands out as superb - in it Kancheli writes his own Georgian liturical music pastiches, and they are just gorgeous, sung with the raucous fervour I love in Georgian choirs. You'd like it, I think!

[lukeottevanger]

In the week ending Saturday, September 13, 2008, I listened to

Did I miss a week somewhere? 

[RebLem]

Did I miss a week somewhere? 

No, I had a brain fart. 

I caught it myself before I saw your post and went back to other places I had posted it, hoping I could change it before anyone noticed.  No such luck.  Anyway, it has been corrected.

[lukeottevanger]

No, I had a brain fart. 

I caught it myself before I saw your post and went back to other places I had posted it, hoping I could change it before anyone noticed.  No such luck.  Anyway, it has been corrected.

Sorry. Forget I said anything! 

[Haffner]

Schoenberg - String Quartets 3 and 4 (New Vienna String Quartet)

Chills...some horrific moments in that music.

[Kullervo]

Chills...some horrific moments in that music.

You really think so? I hear a lot of things, but not terror. I didn't get them at all the first three or four times I listened to them, but now they've opened up to me. I never noticed how romantic the fourth is until a friend of mine mentioned it.

[Bogey]

Vivaldi L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3
Hogwood/AAM
L'oiseau Lyre

[Haffner]

You really think so? I hear a lot of things, but not terror. I didn't get them at all the first three or four times I listened to them, but now they've opened up to me. I never noticed how romantic the fourth is until a friend of mine mentioned it.

The 1st movements of the 3rd and 4th (especially the former) have moments of such overwhelming dissonance that I tend to get creeped out. I do hear what I think you mean by romance, but mostly in the latter movements of each.

[Kullervo]

The 1st movements of the 3rd and 4th (especially the former) have moments of such overwhelming dissonance that I tend to get creeped out. I do hear what I think you mean by romance, but mostly in the latter movements of each.

Try the Bloch quartets.

[Haffner]

Try the Bloch quartets.

May I have a recording reccomendation, please Corey?

[Homo Aestheticus]

Jean Sibelius * Seventh Symphony

Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Deutsche Grammophon (1967)

[Kullervo]

May I have a recording reccomendation, please Corey?

I have this:



The only other recording I know of is the Pro Arte quartet, but I haven't heard it (and it's rather expensive). The Griller set is well-liked by many on this forum.

[Haffner]

I have this:



The only other recording I know of is the Pro Arte quartet, but I haven't heard it (and it's rather expensive). The Griller set is well-liked by many on this forum.

Thank you!

[mahler10th]

At this unearthly hour:
This guy lives up to the second syllable of his name.

[Kullervo]

Sibelius - Symphony No. 6 (Blomstedt/San Fran)
Vaughan Williams - Sea Symphony (Haitink/London Phil)

[mozartsneighbor]

[calvin]

Rachmaninov Symphony 2

V. Ashkenazy / Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

[Christo]

After Bruch we finished the evening with a bang: Vaughan Williams Fourth in the new recording I acquired today, conducted by Berglund:



Although I've known this symphony for more than 40 years, and play it often, I think this is the first time we've listened to it together. During the Scherzo, Mrs. Rock said, "That's the Klingon Attack!" And damn, I think she's right! I do believe this VW movement inspired Jerry Goldsmith when he wrote the score to Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Berglund's interpretation and the playing of the RPO are blistering! Obviously molded on VW's own recording, tempos nearly identical.

Sarge

As you know, I'm always keen in following your good advice :-)  Especially when RVW is concerned. Good that you remind us of this new release - your posting caused me to order for a copy with Amazon immediately.