What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Kullervo]

Since I'll be participating in an an Anti Proposition 8 rally tomorrow, I am getting in a protest mood:

Hear hear!

Listening for the first time to:

[Dancing Divertimentian]

You'd never know it by the cover (below) but this disc includes Bartok's second violin sonata; and that's what I'm listening to.

Lambert Orkis on piano.

This piece winds to its conclusion on the heels of the most longing deceleration I've ever heard. The piano strums quietly and finally dies while the violin climbs up the register in whisper-like intervals - how wide the intervals I couldn't say - and finally perches itself on a single held note till the end simply fades away. Perfect!

[Brian]

Dr.Evil: Symphony#Evil

Featuring ONE MILLION NOTES

[Brian]

Brian - thanks for the comments above; after Ray's post, I went to Amazon just to see 'what other' C-T discs may be available - a couple w/ the Violin Concerto were listed; the one below received some excellent comments - don't know the other composer - may be my next indulgence into this composer, who died too young!     Dave

That's the one I've heard, though I see my university library also has an album on Lyrita with Lorraine MacAslan playing the violin; that performance is coupled with more short works by Coleridge-Taylor.

[Que]

Disc 3: Kk 31-48

Good morning!

Q

PS Note that this set is on special offer at MDT for an affordable price (£54,00/ €63/ $80). And that has been quite a while for this set, so if this is on your list...

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Léon Orthel, Symphony No. 2, 'Piccola Symphonia' (Van Otterloo/Residentie Orkest)

One of my favourite Dutch symphonies (the other being Vermeulen's First).

[val]

SCHÖNBERG:   Ode to Napoleon opus 41    / John Horton, Juilliard string Quartet

Based on the famous poem of Byron, this work manages to give the same violence and sarcasm of the text. Schönberg gives to the instrumental part, a string quartet and a piano, an extraordinary colour and energy. And the use of the Sprechgesang's technique is remarkable and ideal to express the rage and disdain of the poem.

I don't see many works, with such a political intention, that have this level of quality.

The Juilliard Quartet, Gould and the reciter John Horton give the best interpretation I can imagine.

[Christo]

Léon Orthel, Symphony No. 2, 'Piccola Symphonia' (Van Otterloo/Residentie Orkest)

One of my favourite Dutch symphonies (the other being Vermeulen's First).

Seconded. BTW, would make a nice thread: "Your Favourite Symphony by a Dutch Composer".

Mine would be, in chronological order, Wilms 7, Zweers 3, Vermeulen 2, Pijper 2, Orthel 2, Hendrik Andriessen 3.

[Harry]

Good morning all.

From this box CD V.
Hoboken XV, No. 13,14,2,39.

Still a great pleasure.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Seconded. BTW, would make a nice thread: "Your Favourite Symphony by a Dutch Composer".

Mine would be, in chronological order, Wilms 7, Zweers 3, Vermeulen 2, Pijper 2, Orthel 2, Hendrik Andriessen 3.

I'll keep your faves in mind...

[Harry]

Giuseppe Martucci.

La Canzone dei Ricordi.
Rachel Yakar, Soprano.

O, this is quite impressive singing, and beautiful songs.

[Harry]

From this box:
Symphony No. 4 in G major.
Helen Donath, soprano.

A wonderful performance, and well recorded.

[Bogey]

Over the past week:

Composer J. S. Bach
Work 4 Orchestral Suites
Performer(s) Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Medium and Label 2 CD Set/Teldec 4509-92174-2
Date of performance 1966

Composer Beethoven
Work Symphony No. 3
Performer(s) BPO/HvK
Medium and Label CD/DG 429 039-2
Date of performance 1962

Composer Villa-Lobos
Work Bachianas Brasileirias No. 4
Performer(s) New World Symphony/Michael Tilson Thomas
Medium and Label CD/RCA 09026-68538-2
Date of performance 1996

Composer Mozart
Work Horn Concertos
Performer(s) Hermann Baumann/Concentus Musicus Wien/Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Medium and Label CD/Teldec 0630-17429-2
Date of performance 1974

Composer Beethoven
Work Violin Concerto
Performer(s) Christian Ferras/BPO/HvK
Medium and Label  LP/DG 139021
Date of performance ?

I had the fun of unwrapping the cellophane from this LP.  Very nice.   Not sure of the performance date on this one.

Composer Ravel
Work Ma Mère l'Oye
Performer(s) Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal/Charles Dutoit
Medium and Label CD/London 410 254-2 (West Germany Pressing)
Date of performance 1983
Absolutely love this tandem, more or as much as the BPO/HvK and or Cleveland/Dohnányi pairings.

Composer Mozart
Work Piano Concertos 23 K. 488 and 27 K. 595
Performer(s) Rudolf Serkin/Columbia Symphony/Alexander Schneider
Medium and Label CD/Sony 5128642
Date of performance 1955

Composer Beethoven
Work Symphony No. 3, Op. 55 ("Eroica")
Performer(s) NBC Symphony Orchestra/Toscanini
Medium and Label LP/RCA Victor Red Seal Records/A High Fidelity Recording
Date of performance Commemorative Edition/Toscanini Tour/1950

Composer Dmitri Shostakovich
Work Symphony No. 8
Performer(s) Concertgebouw/Bernard Haitink
Medium and Label CD/ London 411 616-2 (West Germany Pressing)
Date of performance 1982

Composer Abbess Hildegard of Bingen
Work A feather on the breath of God: Sequences and Hymns
Performer(s) Emma Kirkby/Gothic Voices/Christopher Page
Medium and Label CD/Hyperion 66039 (Japan Pressing)
Date of performance 1981

Composer Anonymous
Work Gregorian Chant: Graduale Romanum/In Conceptione Immaculata B. Mariae Virginis
Performer(s) Choralschola Der Wiener Hofburgkapelle/Pater Hubert Dopf S.J.
Medium and Label CD/Philips 411 140-2 (West Germany Pressing)
Date of performance 1983

Composer Beethoven
Work Overtures
Performer(s) Wiener Philharmonic/Leonard Bernstein
Medium and Label LP/DG 2531 347 (West Germany Pressing)
Date of performance 1978, '80, & '81 ?
Not too shabby for $4.

Composer Mozart
Work Divertimenti K. 205 & 247/Marches K. 248 & 290
Performer(s) Academy Chamber Ensemble
Medium and Label CD/Philips416 362-2 (West Germany Pressing)
Date of performance 1985

Composer Beethoven
Work Symphony No. 9
Performer(s) Cleveland Orchestra/Cleveland Orch. Chorus/George Szell
Medium and Label CD/CBS 42532
Date of performance 1961
After a fresh listen to this I found it to be a bit too "brassy" for my liking. I usually enjoy Szell, just not here. I believe that the Cleveland Chorus was definitely the calvery riding in to try to save the day for this performance, as they were outstanding. However, even the soloists were not enjoyable for my listening, especially Adele Addison (soprano) who I found to come across as someone performing an SNL "opera" skit. No worries, Dohnányi would 20+ years later have Cleveland re-do with a version that I hold still to be my favorite.

Good morning.

[karlhenning]

Disc 3: Kk 31-48

Good morning!

I'm doing K.342-367 this morning 

[mozartsneighbor]

Bach, French Suites
Davitt Moroney, Harpsichord

[Dundonnell]

Léon Orthel, Symphony No. 2, 'Piccola Symphonia' (Van Otterloo/Residentie Orkest)

One of my favourite Dutch symphonies (the other being Vermeulen's First).

You are becoming obsessed by that Orthel symphony, Johan

But it is very good, I shall grant you that!

[Keemun]

Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 (Frans Brüggen/Orchestra of the XVIIIth Century; Live: December 2, 2006 - Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris)

[Drasko]

Composer Beethoven
Work Violin Concerto
Performer(s) Christian Ferras/BPO/HvK
Medium and Label  LP/DG 139021
Date of performance ?

I had the fun of unwrapping the cellophane from this LP.  Very nice.   Not sure of the performance date on this one.

January 1967

[mn dave]

disc 8 - Chopin

[mozartsneighbor]