What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[offbeat]

It's pretty good, and I particularly like the mix of forms, but do have some reservations with how slightly dry and unemotional it sounds (I have these problems with both Craft in general and also Stravinsky's own recordings of his music). Nicely recorded, despite being noticably a bit old (in fact, I guessed the recordings were a good 10 years older than they actually were - early 90s). At its price it's good, but I don't find it to be much of an upgrade on the extremely cheap "complete" Stravinsky box.

tks lethe - in the past i have referred to some of Stravinsky as 'watery cabbage music' - as y say dry and unemotional -think will go for this anyway - the symphony in three movements is attraction enough 

[ChamberNut]

Shostakovich

Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47

Barshai
WDR Sinfonieorchester
Brilliant

[jlaurson]

Listening to Gardiner's Bach (v.20, I believe) and Marc Blitzstein's "First Life" (OM1017)

while reading responses to this piece:

Everyone Is Not a Critic

The process of learning is a humbling affair. Every time our knowledge doubles about an issue dear to our hearts (or minds), we are reminded how little we knew in retrospect. And of how paltry the newly gained knowledge will seem again, once we learn more and re-double our knowledge. Concepts and relationships once out of grasp become 'common knowledge'.

There is a danger that the uninformed curiosity of a past moment will seem like sheer ignorance from the new vantage point. We are all the better off if we remember that any current state of knowledge could well seem ignorant, too, just a few facts and epiphanies down the road.

For me, music is this field. Discoveries of the obscure as well as evidently obvious facts continue unabated and my ignorance of the subject matter appears to half every few years–and yet seems infinite. Writing about music means that pitfalls are lurking left and right. If I assume my current comprehension and expertise to be 'common knowledge', I ignore that 'uninformed curiosity' from which I continuously evolve and which the potential reader shares in various degrees: the writing becomes difficult or meaningless, drowning in jargon and references not shared. But assuming no or very little exposure to the topics at hand might patronize readers or lack that trace of challenge that makes a topic more involving.

Humility—in the sense of 'knowing one's level' (Latin: humus = earth) rather than 'meek' or 'modest'—is the key to useful writing. Confidence in one's own combination of ignorance and knowledge will prevent from straining to impress the fellow critics. Without that confidence and the desire to shine among the fellow idiots savants, jargon inevitably rears its ugly head. This is why so many reviews strike as terribly erudite—few of them are—and so very useless, because they are essentially written to withstand the judicious assessment of fellow critics. Ineffective writing is made worse when learned language masks sheer opinion, straining to make reviews appears as criticism.

(continued at Classical WETA)

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD7, the last CD from this set - Martha Argerich and Claudio Abbado with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra - Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3 ...

[Franco]

Asturiana - Songs from Spain and Argentina
Kim Kashkashian, Robert Levin

[Daverz]

Franck, Symphony in D minor - Monteux/CSO (Hybrid SACD CD layer)

I never get tired of this blowsy old warhorse.  The recording sounds as good or better than anything being made today, apart from the more limited dynamic range, but then the dynamic range it does have is ideal for my living room.

[Florestan]

Franz Liszt

Soirees musicales (Rossini-Liszt) S 424

Leslie Howard

[Que]

 

Q

[Wanderer]

Holmboe: Symphony No.3 (Aarhus SO/Arwel Hughes).

Good morning, everyone! 

[Harry]

I am having a very good time with the cd's I ordered from JPC, the K 617 recordings, every one of them a winner.
This is one of them.

[Harry]

Another gem, way of the beaten track, but not less interesting. A beautiful HIP performance.
What a happy coincidence this cd.
Recommended.

[Harry]

Franz Lehar.
Operetta in three acts.
Recorded in 1954 in Munich.
Libretto by Ludwig Herzer & Fritz Beda-Lohner.
Complete recording.

A absolute gem of a operetta, really enjoying this one. So much better as the highlights I have on a CPO disc, although a modern recording, it cannot stand in the shadow of this 1954 recording.

[Harry]

Holmboe: Symphony No.3 (Aarhus SO/Arwel Hughes).

Good morning, everyone! 

Good morning Tasos, hope you are well.

[Harry]

The last one of my new aquired K 617 discs. And again a beautiful one.

[Harry]

Franz Lehar.
"Paganini"
Operetta.
Libretto: Paul Knepler & Bela Jenbach.

Soloists: Anneliese Rothenberger, Friedrich Lenz, Nicola Gedda, Horst Sachtleben, Gerd Dieberitz, Hans Zednik, Olivera Miljakovic, Benno Kusche, Erich Wagner.

Ulf Hoelscher, Solo Violin. Ferenc Kiss, Orchestral solo.
Choir Bayerischen Staatsoper Munchen, Wolfgang Baumgart.
Bayerischen SO, Willi Boskovsky.
Recorded in 1977.

Another highlight in this box.

[George]

George, good evening.  Is this Rosalyn Tureck's CD any good?

I enjoyed it. It's live, FWIW.

[George]

Now playing CD6 from this set - Martha Argerich and Jorg Faerber with the Wurttemberg Chamber Orchestra - Shostakovich and Haydn Piano Concertos ...

I listened to the superb Dutoit Tchaikovsky PC 1 this morning! 

TGIF, my friends! 

[ChamberNut]

TGIF!  Good morning George! 

[George]

Now playing CD7, the last CD from this set - Martha Argerich and Claudio Abbado with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra - Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3 ...

How did you enjoy the set? Any highlights? I've only heard a few disks so far.

[George]

TGIF!  Good morning George! 

Good morning!!!

(didn't recognize you this morning)