What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Coopmv]

Good morning all ...

Now playing CD1 from this set.  This is English baroque music to the core.  The Avison Ensemble, which I only discovered recently, is an excellent English ensemble ...

[Coopmv]

No. 10 (1975)

I like the American organist Daniel Chorzempa, who is way better than Michael Murray.  The latter only recorded for Telarc.  I have a number of Philips recordings by Chorzempa, both on LP and CD.  Here is one of them ...

[Coopmv]

Morning!

Perhaps listening to Allan Pettersson for the first time (symphonies 6 and 14) was not the best way to ease myself gently into the day!  But I'm sure this will do the trick! 

Hey, I have some of these movies on VHS ...

[Opus106]

Morning!

Now:

<Tartini - Trios and Sonatas - Casazza - La Magnifica Comunita>

Q

Good afternoon, Que. How do you find those sonatas? I'd like to beef-up my rather non-existent Baroque violin collection.

[Bogey]

Beethoven
Symphony No. 5
Giulini/Los Angeles Philharmonic
Recorded 1982
DG

After the HvK '62*, this is my favorite recording of this piece.

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD2 from this set.  CD1 is excellent ...

[Ric]

Beethoven
Symphony No. 5
Giulini/Los Angeles Philharmonic
Recorded 1982
DG

After the HvK '62*, this is my favorite recording of this piece.

Those recordings are just my favorites too!

[Coopmv]

Those recordings are just my favorites too!

Is there a box set for all of Giuliani's Beethoven Symphonies?

[Opus106]

I'm in a C minor mood, today; although I had decided to give this one another try after I listened to the first movement last night.

Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 8 in C minor, WAB 108
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra/Eugene Jochum

Live 1982

[SonicMan46]

Now playing CD2 from this set.  CD1 is excellent ...

 

Hi Stuart - just looked up John Garth (1721-1810) - lived to almost 90 y/o and during my favorite period of music!  Apparently, Charles Avison was a friend; own a number of Avison recordings but may have to put Garth on my 'wish list'!  

This Saturday morn, listening to another 'new' acquisition (inserted above) - Prokofiev - Piano Concertos w/ Krainev & Kitaenko & RSO Frankfurt; have not re-visited these works in a while - own a complete set w/ Ashkenazy-Previn & the 3rd w/ Argerich-Dutoit; plenty of competition & varied opinions - but the price was right!  

[Ric]

 

Is there a box set for all of Giuliani's Beethoven Symphonies?

Giulini recorded Beethoven's symphonies with many labels, but I think he didn't complete the cycle with one alone label.

[Coopmv]

Now playing this CD on the big rig and on my laptop in the music room ...

[Lethevich]

May as well start at the beginning. First impressions are that this is disturbingly masterful, given the composers age. Even stranger, it isn't a direct immitation of any greater composer of the time, but a perfect amalgamation of various influences. Quite how the composer managed to do this at the age of 18 is slightly bewildering. So far, it has rhapsodically skipped along for 7 minutes and it hasn't even remotely begun to sound like note-spinning.

Edit: additionaly surprising is that the orchestra sounds rather good for one I had never heard of before.

Arnell's 4th is definitely a most excellent work. The only thing that prevents it being a total masterpiece is the finale: expertly crafted and gorgeously orchestrated, but simply not on the same level as I and II in terms of thematic boldness and staying power. Nonetheless, anyone who likes Arnold, Hanson, Alwyn, Mathias or Hoddinott will find something on the same level. Come to think of it, Arnell's gift as orchestrator may well be the most sophisticated of the lot. This is as bold and colourful as it gets. One strikingly original feature is the thundering timpani tattoo that starts the symphony. Talk about summoning one's attention !

The 5th is still on the trial bench, but I detect a particularly sophisticated internal structure (3 movements with many tempo changes within). Much the same features as in the 4th: powerful orchestration (the brass players deserve a pitcher of ale when it's over), intricate development and some arresting ideas. As is often the case with yours truly, the structure of the work is what takes the longest time to register, but ultimately leaves the most profound mark. A third or fourth hearing will probably uncover other layers of musical meaning and structural sophistication.

I didn't think as highly of the 3rd, which for some reason elicited much the same response as Brian's 1st: some very powerful moments that refuse to coalesce in a satisfying symphonic structure. I can't tell what's at fault because I'm not musically trained. But obviously, at over 60 minutes,  the effect is not the same as that of its successors (half that length).

I too had big problems with the 3rd's length and structure - I will definitely seek out later works by him, given your greater appreciation of what came after. Great review, BTW!

[Coopmv]

Next to play

[Lethevich]

Good afternoon, Que. How do you find those sonatas? I'd like to beef-up my rather non-existent Baroque violin collection.

I second this request! I'm a fan of Paganini's theatrics, could these offer something similar (albeit not as extreme)?

[Opus106]

I'm in a C minor mood, today; although I had decided to give this one another try after I listened to the first movement last night.

Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 8 in C minor, WAB 108
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra/Eugene Jochum

Live 1982

Oh, that felt rather good! Still, I have to somehow make this work "fit at once" in my head -- I find it a bit stretched. A few more listening sessions should do well, I suppose.

[ChamberNut]

Oh, that felt rather good! Still, I have to somehow make this work "fit at once" in my head -- I find it a bit stretched. A few more listening sessions should do well, I suppose.

You seem to be liking it more and more, Nav!    It really took awhile for me too, and with each listen, it seems to blend perfectly and sinuously!  There are so many recordings of this symphony, and so many people have their own favorite recording that has hit them like a ton of bricks.

It's one of the greatest personal discoveries of joy and beauty for me in all classical music.!

Long live Bruckner's 8th.  0:)

[Jay F]

I'm listening to Brahms' String Quintet op. 88. It's in my iTunes, from a 2-disc set called The Complete Quintets. I believe it's on Philips, by the Berlin Phil. Octet, incl. Peter Steiner. (There was a boy named Peter Steiner on my brother's little league team who refused to play on the sabbath, and many of their games were on Friday nights. I wonder if it's the same guy.)

I don't like Brahms' symphonies or piano concertos at all, but his chamber music just takes me away to another, more beautiful world than the one I actually inhabit.

When I first started listening to classical in a big way, 20 years ago, chamber music didn't make much of an impression on me. It "didn't suck," or was "better than rap," but I didn't really get into it until 2008, when I heard the Beaux Arts Trio doing Schubert. I think today may begin another chamber phase, this Brahms is so good.

[SonicMan46]

For the afternoon:

Alwyn, William - String Quartets w/ Maggini Quartet; have a lot of Alwyn, but just one of the SQs, so this disc will be a nice addition!

Bach, JS - Solo Sonatas & Partitas w/ Rachel Podger; well, think I'll take a 'break' from acquiring these works, along w/ Podger, also own the Mullova & the 'older set' w/  Henryk Szeryng - Historic/New/Hip - 

 

[Opus106]

You seem to be liking it more and more, Nav!    It really took awhile for me too, and with each listen, it seems to blend perfectly and sinuously!  There are so many recordings of this symphony, and so many people have their own favorite recording that has hit them like a ton of bricks.

It's one of the greatest personal discoveries of joy and beauty for me in all classical music.!

Long live Bruckner's 8th.  0:)

I had heard it only twice before, and the first time was before I had really gotten into AB's symphonies. I think I can always take a movement at a time. Bruckner's slow movements are, I find, wonderful to follow.

Thread duty:

http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/GkX4MyDeIqI