What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Lilas Pastia]

Hardly any assessments here are objective. Yours and David's are about equally subjective. Let the record show, however, that MY subjective assessment = David's. I suppose that makes mine invalid too...

Listening to:
Sinfonietta Wien / Huss - Hob II_37 Scherzando in E 2nd mvmt - Minuetto

The more I listen to Wagner's operas, the more I like the best parts - the orchestral, choral and occasional singing parts - work of a genius. But my appreciation of the so-called music dramas is slowly sinking in the quicksand of his inanity as a librettist. How on earth such glorious stuff could be held prisoner of such ridiculous plots and words?. Tell you what: eurotrash is a term invented to describe the innumerable attempts to free the music from its dramatic    context and distract the attention from yards and acres of pompous declamation dutifully pockmarked by the expected leitmotives.  

I have two unopened Ring cycles and a few single operas waiting on my shelves. As usual I'll listen to them with mixed feelings.

[not edward]

Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms (CzPO & chorus/Ancerl). Simply joyous.

[Homo Aestheticus]

[Henk]

This must be the only version available for this Handel's opera ...

Well in case you consider buying it, it's terrific!

[Coopmv]

Well in case you consider buying it, it's terrific!

There are few Handel's oratorios I do not already have but his operas are a different matter ...

[mahler10th]

This is such a pleasant way to end a very long day.   0:)

[Coopmv]

This is such a pleasant way to end a very long day.   0:)

I have the symphonies set by Rangstrom, which is quite nice.  But how is his string quartets?

[SonicMan46]

Bach, JS - Cello Suites w/ Sigiswald Kuijken on the Shoulder Cello, a.k.a. 'violoncello da spalla' (see large pic at bottom) - now I have several other versions of these famous works, but this 'old timey' instrument fascinated me; Kuijken on this instrument built for himself and arrived in 2004, so these are recent recordings; have just listened to the first disc - yes, sounds like a cello but somewhat 'lighter' in sound - need some more listenings - 

Tonight, along w/ 'finishing up' the Telemann Trumpet Concertos posted previously, also listening to the 2nd disc of the Bach Cello Suites described above - plan to post a longer discussion on this instrument 'new' to me w/ more pics in my 'old instrument' thread this weekend, just need to scan in some pics from the liner notes - 

[marvinbrown]

Thanks for the advice.  I beg to differ.  Tell you what, I'll delete my post assessing Wagner as an artistic failure if you first delete yours praising him as a great man.  

Now playing:  Beethoven, Pastoral Symphony -- van Immerseel/Anima Eterna

 Fat chance! Wagner's greatness will outlive your opinions of him, that I am sure.

  PS: if I let you win this argument I would be doing opera newbies a disservice.  Imagine an opera newbie who reads your remarks about Wagner and decides based on your comments that Wagner is an artistic failure.  This individual would be discouraged from exploring Wagner's operas. 

Time filters out the garbage and exposes great works of art to posterity.  All of Wagner's mature operas are part of the standard operatic repertoire- why? because they have stood the test of time- why? quite simply because they are GREAT WORKS OF ART and that makes Wagner GREAT!     

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD1 from this set, which arrived from MDT a few weeks ago ...

[Bogey]

Haydn
Divertimentos (String Trios) Nos. 14-18
Das Weiner Philharmonia Trio
Recorded in 2003
Label: Camerata

Thanks for the reminder, Gurn.

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD2 from this set ...

[karlhenning]

Wolferl
String Quartet in D Major, K.575
String Quartet in F Major, K.590
Leipziger Streichquartett

[Dancing Divertimentian]

The more I listen to Wagner's operas, the more I like the best parts - the orchestral, choral and occasional singing parts - work of a genius. But my appreciation of the so-called music dramas is slowly sinking in the quicksand of his inanity as a librettist. How on earth such glorious stuff could be held prisoner of such ridiculous plots and words?. Tell you what: eurotrash is a term invented to describe the innumerable attempts to free the music from its dramatic    context and distract the attention from yards and acres of pompous declamation dutifully pockmarked by the expected leitmotives. 

I have two unopened Ring cycles and a few single operas waiting on my shelves. As usual I'll listen to them with mixed feelings.

Agreed, Wagner's plots are plenty campy (to put it mildly), but from where I sit it's an affliction shared by a whole gaggle of other popular opera plots. Honestly, even Wozzeck's plot bores me to tears but the music is just glorious.

But, really, what opera reaches super-stardom on the basis of its plot? Seems to me - like everything else in classical music - it's the music that draws the average listener in to the respective works. And if the music is good the works tend to endure. It's not for nothing that Wagner's works keep getting revived at the Met and elsewhere around the world.

So, since battle lines seem to be taking shape, let me just put my resources squarely in Marvin's camp: based on the music (including singing, of course) Wagner makes the grade. 0:)   

[Valentino]

Quatuor Mosaïques play K. 387 by Fraud.

There are some discussions in here that could turn this glorious morning sour. But not with this damn god coffee, luckily.

[val]

CAVALLI:      La Calisto                           / Concerto Vocale, René Jacobs

I admire very much René Jacobs, but this is not one of his best recordings.
It is true that his orchestration is interesting, even if he uses instrumental parts from other composers. The problem, however, are the singers. Ragon and Bayo excepted, they are mediocre and unable to give life to their characters.
This is, perhaps, the reason why Jacobs conducts the work exaggerating the contrasts, using "special effects" (wind, thunder, bird sounds), in an attempt to give some theatrical life.
But this is an opera, and, if the singers are not good enough, no conductor can replace them. In fact this reminds me of Toscanini conducting "Un Ballo in Maschera", another failed recording because of the singers.

[Lethevich]

Something great that I almost never listen to - fixing this now.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Listened to

Schubert, Impromptus (Schnabel)
Rautavaara, Symphony No. 7 (on BIS)

[Coopmv]

Now playing Act 1 from Samson from this set, which arrived from MDT almost 2 months ago ...

[Coopmv]

Now playing Act 2 from Samson from this set.  I first heard this piece well over 20 years ago and have the recordings on both LP's released by RCA (crappiest quality one can imagine) and ERATO (a bit better).  But I prefer the crystal clear CD sound.  The engineers did a good job in remastering.