What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[karlhenning]

How do you like it, Ray?

[ChamberNut]

How do you like it, Ray?

Mixed feelings.  About the work, not the performance.  I had a difficult time paying attention for the entire piece.  However, I loved many parts.  Repeated listens will reveal more to me, I'm sure. 

[ChamberNut]

Beethoven

Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat major, Op. 106 Hammerklavier

1970
Barenboim
EMI Classics

[mahler10th]

To honour of the man who turned music into a well chalked business for himself...very nice, great playing.

[Coopmv]

To honour of the man who turned music into a well chalked business for himself...very nice, great playing.

Is this Hogwood's Haydn CD a relatively recent recording?   

[Coopmv]

Now finally playing CD1 from this set, which arrived from MDT over a month ago ...

[mahler10th]

Is this Hogwood's Haydn CD a relatively recent recording?   

The release date for this disc is July 1990, but the recording is close and clear, and the playing is in terrific order.

[Coopmv]

The release date for this disc is July 1990, but the recording is close and clear, and the playing is in terrific order.

I did not think this was a recent recording since Hogwood has not recorded for L'oiseau Lyre in quite a long time ...

[George]

LvB
Pathetique Sonata
Kempff
Mono
DG

[Coopmv]

Now finally playing CD2 from this set.  CD1 is quite good.

[Dundonnell]

Richard Arnell: piano concerto and 2nd symphony. In a nutshell: it gets better and better. The piano concerto is a grand, smashing affair larded with brazenly confident brass figurations, sweeping string élans, marvelously tummy-wobbling timpani wrtiting and enough melodic material to make the whole cohere and get to the glorious ending with the feeling of elation one gets when listening to one of the great works of the concertante litterature.

The second symphony is another winner, with a perfect 3-movement structure. The kernel of the work is the spacious, ruminative slow movement. The finale has Tchaikovsky written all over it. Not for the melodic content or the orchestration, but the rythmic patterns of Piotr Ilyich's symphonies 1 and 4 are all over the place. A splendid symphony from an unexpected source (two months ago I had never heard a note of Arnell's music).

Arnell's qualities are manifold, but the most striking feature of his symphonic works is his tremendous skill as an orchestrator. His rythmic writing is also extremely intelligent, adapting itself to the instrumentation he uses for his thematic development. This allows his themes to stride forth or expand in the best possible way (much like Tchaikovsky's own inimitable combination or luxuriant orchestration and tremendous rythmic flair). I notice he has a fondness for angularity in enunciating/developing the thematic material. In this respect he reminds me of the best from Walton and Alwyn.

More listenings to Langgaards 15th and 16th symphonies. In 16:I and IV the Straussian influences are unmistakable. Indeed, the symphony could have been labeled 'newly found symphony by Richard Strauss, thouyght to havew been written ca 1935'. The swooping and trilling horns are a dead gieveaway. Mind you, there could be worse influences. I've always thought Szymanowski's 2nd  was the best symphony Strauss never wrote, but Langgaard is a worthy rival. At this point in time I'm tempted to elect Lannggaard as the best danish symphonist, ahead of Nielsen.

I could not agree more with you, Andre, about the two Arnell works In fact, I was so bowled over by the Piano Concerto-and I have to say that I am not a huge fan of romantic piano concertos normally-that I was compelled to send off an email to the pianist David Owen Norris to thank him for reviving such a wonderfully invigorating work. That was not something I would normally do but I was so overwhelmed by the piece! The Second symphony is also marvellous.

As always, your review is a model of excellent writing and musical insight!

That well-deserved compliment aside..........how dare you even dream of putting Langgaard ahead of Carl Nielsen Shocked and stunned

[DavidRoss]

Happy Birthday, Erk!

[mahler10th]

Happy Birthday, Erk!

What is it like?  I was looking at that only last week.

[George]

Debussy Preludes Vol. 1 and 2
Friedrich Gulda
1967

[ChamberNut]

Brahms

Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn (St Anthony), Op. 56a
Tragic Overture, Op. 81

Wolfgang Sawallisch
London Philharmonic Orchestra
EMI Classics

[DavidRoss]

What is it like?  I was looking at that only last week.

A terrific recording of both concertos.  You could hear it in streaming lossy via Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/gil-shaham/barber-violin-concerto-korngold-violin-concerto-much-ado-about-nothing

[Coopmv]

Debussy Preludes Vol. 1 and 2
Friedrich Gulda
1967

George,

What other works did Gulda excel in?  I only have his Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas and his Bach WTC I & II.

[George]

George,

What other works did Gulda excel in?  I only have his Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas and his Bach WTC I & II.

I am not sure. I haven't warmed to his Bach (yet?) and this is the first time that I have heard (or even seen) his Debussy. His Chopin Ballades (only available in the Great Pianist of the Century OOP set) are incredible from a technical standpoint, if they are not among the more poetic readings of these works that I have heard.

[Coopmv]

I am not sure. I haven't warmed to his Bach (yet?) and this is the first time that I have heard (or even seen) his Debussy. His Chopin Ballades (only available in the Great Pianist of the Century OOP set) are incredible from a technical standpoint, if they are not among the more poetic readings of these works that I have heard.

Austria has produced many outstanding pianists over the past half century ...

[mahler10th]

A terrific recording of both concertos.  You could hear it in streaming lossy via Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/gil-shaham/barber-violin-concerto-korngold-violin-concerto-much-ado-about-nothing

Thanks David.