What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Symphonien]

Wonderful sonorities here; I've only discovered Murail (and Grisey) recently but am already fascinated by the "spectral" style. Currently on Ethers and I can say it has some of the most beautiful flute multiphonics I've heard in that delicate opening.

[eyeresist]

Glazunov
Symphonies 1-8 & The Sea
USSR Symphony Orch./Svetlanov
Venezia

Listening through the whole set today, currently reinforcing my previous "well-meant but dull" opinion of G.

[mahler10th]

Quote from: M forever on 14 September 2008, 21:15:38
That's a bizarre post. Kempe's recordings are very widely (not just by me) regarded as exemplary, and anyone who knows Strauss can see why. The orchestra's playing is stylistically dead on, as "idiomatic" as it can be, and it preservs a very authentic way of playing this music that goes directly back to Strauss whose favorite band it was. Kempe had also grown up in that same tradition and knew the pieces and the performing style extremely well, plus he was a great conductor who could shape these pieces in a very organic, natural way. This EMI box set is one of the great treasures of recording history. Incidentally, it was my first bass teacher who played in the BP for over 4 decades who first pointed me to these recordings, saying something like "I think we play Strauss quite well, but not quite as well as they play it in Dresden, so you should listen to these recordings, that's how it goes".

I am sincerely sorry M.
I have completely misinterpreted your contextual use of the word 'reference'  -  thinking instead you meant something which could be "referred" to with a view to getting something better.  I too believe the Kempe Strauss set to be something of a benchmark.
What an asshole I can be.  I have removed the stupid post, I wish I could make it up better.  Put me on YOUR pay no mind list - alas I WILL continue to read and learn from your posts - it was an ignorant error and a completely unjustified attack on you.
I am most sorry to you and others I have clearly offended through MY IGNORANCE.

[RebLem]

In the week ending Saturday, September 13, 2008, I listed to the following:

1. Bach, J.S.: Secular Cantata, S. 205, variously known as Der zufriedengestellte Aeolus (Aeolus Satisfied), Zerreißet, zersprenget, zertrümmert die Gruft (Tear down, demolish, destroy the tomb) (38:18 )|Quodlibet, S. 524: Was seind das vor grosse Schlösser (O he thoughts, why torment ye my spirit) (10:11)--in S. 205: Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Gachinger Kantorei, Helmuth Rilling, cond., Sibylla Rubens, soprano (Pallas), Yvonne Naef, alto (Pamona), Christoph Genz, tenor (Zephyrus), Andreas Schmidt, basso (Aeolus) |in S. 524: Michael Gross, cello, Harro Bertz, contrabasso, Michael Behringer, cembalo, Helmuth Rilling, cond., Sibylla Rubens, soprano, Ingeborg Danz, alto, Markus Ullmann, tenor, Andreas Schmidt, basso--hanssler CD, Vol. 63 of CBE.

2. Bach, J.S.: Secular Cantatas, S. 206 for SATB Soli (38:33), 207a for SATB Soli(33:44), 207 for STB Soli (6:10)--Helmuth Rilling, cond. usual suspects--hanssler CD, Vol. 64 of CBE.

3. Bridge, Frank (1879-1941): String Quartet 2 in G Minor (1915) (23:54) |String Quartet 4 (1938 ) (23:24) |Phantasy for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello in F Sharp Minor (1910) (12:14)--Maggini String Quartet, Martin Roscoe, piano (in piano quartet)--Naxos CD.

4. Paulus, Stephen (b. 1949): Concerto for Violin and Orch. (1987) (33:11) |Concertante (1989) (10:33) |Symphony for Strings (1989) (21:12)--Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Robert Shaw, cond. (in VC), Yoel Levi, cond. (Concertante and Symphony), William Preucil, violin (solist in VC)--New World Records CD.

Helmuth Rilling leads his routinely magnificent performances in the two Bach CDs. Special highlights here involve the vocal performances of Sibylla Rubens, one of my favoite sopranos. I found the Quodlibet for vocal quartet and three instrumentalists particularly affecting.

Of course, Frank Bridge used to be known only as one of Benjamin Britten's prime influences and teachers. It has only been in fairly recent years, in, say, the last third of the 20th century, that his own compositions have begun to receive the attention, performances, and respect they so richly deserve. His idiom is characterized by a rather old fashioned, solid classical restraint, meticulously and expertly crafted. The 4th Quartet begins to move into a somewhat more advanced, post-romantic idiom than the others, with more adventuresome harmonies. These performances are well up to Naxos's and the Maggini Quartet's usual high standards.

Helmuth Rilling was involved, curiously enough, not only in the two Bach CDs, but in one of the Paulus works as well; the Oregon Bach Festival, of which he is Music Director, commissioned the Symphony for Strings, and Rilling conducted its world premiere in Eugene, Oregon in the summer of 1989. Paulus is primarily a composer of vocal music, having written 8 operas, the most well known of which is The Postman Always Rings Twice, after the 1934 novel of the same name by James M Cain. It has been the basis for a play, this opera, and no less than four films--Le Dernier Toumant (1939) by director Pierre Chenal, Ossessione (1943), considered by many to be the first Italian neo-realist film, by Italian director Luchino Visconti, and two American films, the 1946 film starring Lana Turner and John Garfield, and the 1981 remake (script by David Mamet) with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange.

The works on this album, which Paulus wrote as composer in residence at the Atlanta Symphony, however, are in an interesting, rather conservative idiom, which requre, at times, some virtuosity; but I did not find myself making either a deep emotional or intellectual connection with any of them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Paulus

Arugula lovers of the world, Unite!  You have nothing to lose but your guilt!  RebLem

[Harry]

Good day my friends, hope all are sound in mind and body.

Started with this fine disc, the second volume of Leclair's opus 9 concerti, with No. 3 in D major, No, 2 in e minor, No. 6 in D major again, and No. 7 in G major, played by Elizabeth Wallfisch, of who you might expect excellence, and which she gives us amply in these works. This extraordinary fine Cello player Richard Tunnicliffe, which stood at the cradle of many a successful recording, and Paul Nicholson, that integrates sublimely with his fellow musicians. The music is well recorded, and to take one concerto which will answer for the rest, No 3 in d major. Lively, well written, and for every instrument the writing is equally virtuoso, they are matched together like clockwork, and are heavily taxed in their skills, to keep it on track. The melodic inventions shows Leclair's abilities in full, and they are awesome if anything.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Morning, Harry! Good to see you!

[Harry]

Morning, Harry! Good to see you!

Thanks Johan, although all is not over, at least I share some responsibility now, so that I may get back some sense of reality.
I missed my music so much, and communing with you guys. Still feel somewhat dazed though, as if all is surreal around me, but that will wear off I guess.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Your absence has been conspicuous. Even statistically. Allowing for holidays, the sharp reduction in the amount of posts has a Groningen-based reason, I think!

August 2008           9510                             
July 2008               10685                         
June 2008              12925

[Subotnick]

Morning!

I am currently listening to a selection of Douglas Lilburn's electronic and orchestral works. Up next will be Charles Wuorinen's Percussion Symphony. A feisty start to my day! 

TTFN.
Me.

Oh! And hi Harry. Hope all is well.

[Wanderer]

Good morning, everyone! 

[val]

SCRIABIN:     Symphony n. 3, "The Divine Poem" /  "Prometheus - Poem of Fire"

Peter Izotov, Orchestra of the Russian Federation, Svetlanov


Very important works in a large, eloquent, version. The orchestra is very good. To me, Svetlanov's interpretation of the 3 Symphonies is superior to the one of Muti. In Prometheus, however, Maazel with Ashkenazy even if they have not Svletanov's sense of mystery, are much more colourful.

[Harry]

Your absence has been conspicuous. Even statistically. Allowing for holidays, the sharp reduction in the amount of posts has a Groningen-based reason, I think!

August 2008           9510                             
July 2008               10685                         
June 2008              12925

O, dear, I have to remedy that.

[Harry]

Morning!

I am currently listening to a selection of Douglas Lilburn's electronic and orchestral works. Up next will be Charles Wuorinen's Percussion Symphony. A feisty start to my day! 

TTFN.
Me.

Oh! And hi Harry. Hope all is well.

Hi Subotnik!
No, not all is well, but maybe in a few days it is.

[Harry]

Good morning, everyone! 

I wonder what you make of Jansons Dvorak, Tasos

[Wanderer]

I wonder what you make of Jansons Dvorak, Tasos

I enjoy these performances immensely, Harry. He manages to make the Ninth (nowhere near a favourite piece of mine) worth listening. 
I wish he had also recorded the Third (which I dearly like).

[Haffner]

I am sincerely sorry M.
I have completely misinterpreted your contextual use of the word 'reference'  -  thinking instead you meant something which could be "referred" to with a view to getting something better.  I too believe the Kempe Strauss set to be something of a benchmark.
What an asshole I can be.  I have removed the stupid post, I wish I could make it up better.  Put me on YOUR pay no mind list - alas I WILL continue to read and learn from your posts - it was an ignorant error and a completely unjustified attack on you.
I am most sorry to you and others I have clearly offended through MY IGNORANCE.

I've made plenty of mistakes like that on this forum, it's not a big deal. Music tends to make people passionate, right ?

[rickardg]

Chopin
Ballades, Mazurkas, Barcarolle
Ivan Moravec, piano

[Subotnick]

I'm on a mission to discover what Holst composed other than The Planets. I have just found this to stream over at last.fm and am giving it a listen as I type.



TTFN.
Me.

[karlhenning]

Hi, hi, Harry!

[Catison]

I'm on a mission to discover what Holst composed other than The Planets. I have just found this to stream over at last.fm and am giving it a listen as I type.



TTFN.
Me.

Awesome recording and perfect for that purpose.