What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Harry]

Good morning Tasos, and all that are of friendly nature!

[Wanderer]

Good morning Tasos, and all that are of friendly nature!

Good morning, Harry! 

Have to flee or I'm gonna be late for my coffee arrangements. You're welcome to join us in the Plaka!

[val]

MICHAEL HAYDN:      String Quintets P. 105, 108 & 109   / L'Archibudelli         (SONY)

The perfect version of this quintets that had so much influence on the young Mozart.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Good morning, everyone!

Have listened/am listening to: Orthel, Symphony No. 2/Schmidt, Symphony No. 2. Later on I am going to revisit Wellesz's First and Holmboe's Sixth and have a listen, for the first time, to RVW's string quartets.

[Harry]

Good morning, Harry! 

Have to flee or I'm gonna be late for my coffee arrangements. You're welcome to join us in the Plaka!

Me Envy...........

[Harry]

From Leonhardt's box, this one, of which I could not find a image, with works for Harpsichord by:

Rameau, Le Roux, Pancrace Royer, Jacques Duphly.

Most excellent!

[ChamberNut]

D'Indy
Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 98   
Prunyi/New Budapest Quartet members

This is the first time I'm listening to a work by D'Indy. Sounds great!

P.S.: Ray(alias CN), you'll have to check it out if you haven't already done so. 

Thanks Nav, I will!

Make sure you check out D'Indy's string quartet(s).  I think you'll really enjoy! 

[Opus106]

Make sure you check out D'Indy's string quartet(s).  I think you'll really enjoy! 

Will do.

[Harry]

From another big box, the last cd, with the following works.

Variations sur le nom "Abegg", opus 1.
Papillions, opus 2.
Sonata in G major, opus 22.
Presto in G major, op. posth.
Impromptus uber ein thema von Clara Wieck, opus 5.

A fine close to this set, which I will treasure.

[mn dave]

Bach

Keyboard Cto in E major bwv 1053

Collard/Ensemble Orchestral de Paris

[Harry]

From another big budget box, that I play for the third time now.

Organ Concertos.
Concerto for Organ, Strings, and BC, WQ 34, in G major.
Praludium WQ 70 in D major.
Concerto for Organ, Strings, and two Horns & BC, WQ 35, in E flat major.
Fantasie und Fuge WQ 119 in C minor.

Roland Munch, Organ.
Kammerorchester CPE Bach, Hartmut Haenchen
Capriccio recording 1986.

Well prepared and performed. Very good recording. Lively tempi, well articulated, and above all fine music.

[mn dave]

Mozart

P Cto #6 in B-Flat Major, k 238

Collard & Quatuor Muir

[Moldyoldie]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 5
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Otto Klemperer, cond.
EMI
As a point of reference for this brief review, know that I was introduced to the symphonies of Bruckner mostly through Otto Klemperer's commercial recordings with the New Philharmonia Orchestra on EMI/Angel. As is the case with many, it was Bruckner's majestic and tuneful Fourth (heard on late evening radio) that initially turned me on to the composer, and in my case, the conductor as well. From there it was a progression to the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh.  Let me say that if it wasn't for a bit of persistence and curiosity on my part as a serious listener, my Brucknerian excursion might well have ended after hearing this Fifth.

Here was Bruckner as the musical equivalent of reading War and Peace, or perhaps more apropos to this performance, of Joyce's inscrutable Ulysses.  Klemperer's conception of the Fifth is one of rocklike strength and manifested in a great deal of deliberate, staccato phrasing.  The harmonic details are laid bare, but the experience is akin to climbing Yosemite's El Capitan...step by careful step.  The approach works to fine effect in the opening movement as the measured argument unfolds and culminates compellingly.  However, Klemperer's taut reins and deliberate manner undermine things in the succeeding Adagio movement and the Scherzo that follows; lines begin to crumble somewhat as if parts of the orchestra want to "sing", but are simply not allowed to.  This results in a few noticeable lapses in ensemble, one instance so egregious as to wonder why there wasn't a retake.  In any case, the overall effect through these two contrasting middle movements is one of a measured trot where there should often be a wild gallop; a plodding, drawn-out exegesis where there should be an extended, unbridled proclamation.  Contrast this with almost any other performance, notably those of Jochum/Dresden or Dohnányi/Cleveland, which in my opinion are rightly esteemed among cognoscenti.

The all-important Finale and its fugue elements are equally laid bare, all building and intersecting in Klemperer's unyielding reined-in manner, yet brought home convincingly and making the whole eighty-minute exercise worth the near excruciating wait.  Still....

In good conscience, I can't recommend this recording to a novice listener; seasoned Brucknerites probably already know if it's palatable. I would also guess that this hardened and emphatic performance is venerated among fans of Klemperer as epitomizing the conductor in his later years.  As for me, I purposely avoided Bruckner's Fifth for many years until I was suitably well-heeled to invest in other more flowing and varied recorded performances.  Having returned to this recording the day of this writing, my opinion of it remains mostly unchanged.

[Keemun]

(Que, thanks for resizing this image in my post yesterday.  Now I know how to do it.)

I listened to all of the symphonies in this set yesterday, and Symphonies Nos. 1, 3 and 4 made the greatest first impression.  But to be fair, I wasn't listening with my full attention, so the other symphonies may be just as good and I didn't realize it.  I am listening to Symphony No. 5 right now.  What I remember is that it seemed drag a bit in the first movement (but the timing doesn't indicate that it is any slower than normal) and there was something about the ending that I didn't care for. 

[Harry]

From the big box this one.

Vocal Music Volume I.
Klopstocks Morgengesang am Schopfungsfeste, Wq 239. (Leipzig 1784)
Auf, Schicke dich recht feierlich. Wq 249. (1775)
Anbetung dem Erbarmer, Wq 243. (1784)
Heilig, Wq 217. (1776).

Barbara Schlick, Johanna Koslowsky, Hilke Helling, Wilfried Jochens, Gotthold Schwarz.
Rheinische Kantorei-Das Kleine Konzert, Hermann Max.
Recorded in 1979.

Excellent singing, and fine compositions.

[Haffner]

I rarely break free of the Wagner I guess.

Lohengrin (Solti)

[Keemun]

It's official, I'm burned out on Sibelius.   So in the words of Monty Python: And now for something completely different.

Handel: Messiah (Suzuki/Bach Collegium Japan)  0:)

[Dundonnell]

A thread in the Composer Discussion section has prompted me to dig out the Egon Wellesz Symphony #s 4 , 6 and 7 disc Gotfried Rabl Vienna Radio SO CPO 999808.

Fine and interesting music.Wondering.... is this the music Mahler would have composed if he lived a few more years??

Good question.....but I don't have an answer, I am afraid!

[Harry]

It's official, I'm burned out on Sibelius.   So in the words of Monty Python: And now for something completely different.

Handel: Messiah (Suzuki/Bach Collegium Japan)  0:)

Most excellent choice

[karlhenning]

Bartók
Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta, Sz 106
Toronto Symphony
Jukka-Pekka Saraste