What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[George]

Nocturnes

Well below the green lemon. 

[Brian]

According to Word, I began writing a MusicWeb review of this CD on August 26. It's December 30 and I've just finished the first draft, which clocks in at 2200 words. Not because it's a hard CD to review (other than to find new ways to say "flawless!") but because it's a hard piece of music to be really insightful about. Good thing for Naxos (and readers) that MusicWeb has already printed two reviews of the CD, so they're not exactly counting on me to be timely!

[Harry]

Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck.
From this box the third cd.


Well my accolades have been massive of all the three sets I have. A word for Que, I know you want to buy them, and cannot longer resist the urge to order them!
The books accompanying the boxes in Holland are exemplary. Very detailed information, about the life of Sweelinck, his music, the music on the disc, with many score examples, and a lucid explanation of the technical background of his music, text of all songs, hard cover, bound, beautiful cover, gorgeous performances, so what are you waiting for.
A loan from the bank?

[Que]

Q you read my mind, just ordered that a few days ago and thought I had a scoop on the forum 
Anything by Staier I must own...........and to have Schornsheim included is icing on the cake

Look at all those beautiful forte pianos lined up...........

Mind: all the pictures are of the one and same instrument!
BTW the real scoop was already a while ago (HERE), but some things defintely deserve a revival of attention! 

LISTENING:



CD5: Louis IV - Concerts et Symphonies pour le Roi

François Couperin (1668-1733): Premier Concert Royal, Deuxième Concert Royal.

Les Folies Françoises, Patrick Cohën-Akenine, violon et direction artistique; Jocelyn Daubigney, flûte; Vincent Robin, hautbois; Philippe Miqueu, basson
Christine Plubeau, basse de viole; Béatrice Martin, clavecin
Enregistré au Salon de Mars du Château de Versailles.

Michel-Richard de Lalande (1657-1726)
Symphonies pour les Soupers du Roi
(extraits du Ballet de la Jeunesse, des Folies de Cardenio et des Fontaines de Versailles)

Jean-Baptiste de Lully fils (1665-1743): Concert Donné au Souper du Roy
Musica Florea; Marek Štryncl, direction.

Live recordings from 2007, Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles.

[jlaurson]

Asger Hamerik
Complete Symphonies
Helsingborg SO
Dausgaard
Dacapo SACDs

Inspired by THIS article, I've had this sent immediately.

... Not because it's a hard CD to review (other than to find new ways to say "flawless!") but because it's a hard piece of music to be really insightful about.

Especially when it is really, really crappy music that masquerades as 'misguided genius'. As if "Kaddish" hadn't been embarrassing enough, Bernstein had to top it with the M(e)ss. Makes you wonder what potion it took to turn the Dr. Henry Jekyll-side of "Candide" and "Trouble" into the Edward Hyde of those pieces. When hearing either of those works, I just feel like bumping Lennie and ask him not to dump his ill-digested regressive emotional petulance and sexual confusion on my doorstep.

[Antoine Marchand]

Mind: all the pictures are of the one and same instrument!
BTW the real scoop was already a while ago (HERE), but some things defintely deserve a revival of attention! 

I know I will be in minority here, but I think that Stein vis-à-vis finally doesn't work out like a single instrument because of the insuperable tonal variety and multiple other differences between a fortepiano and a triple-manual harpsichord. When I listening to this recording, I always have certain feeling of discomfort with those percussive features that the instrument brings to the music: it's like a constant fight between the harpsichord and the fortepiano, where the latter is always in disadvantage. Anyway, a curious experiment.   

[Antoine Marchand]

Brightening a damp and dismal morning with the Cäcilienmesse, one of the shining peaks of this set:

I agree with you, Soapy Molloy. Great performance, especially for the clarity and detail of the different voices (singers & instruments). 

P.S.: Be careful! Harry is online and he really hates these performances. 

[karlhenning]

Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht, Op. 4

I was going to ask, "Sextet or string orchestra?"  But then the image of the cover loaded . . . .

[karlhenning]

According to Word, I began writing a MusicWeb review of this CD on August 26. It's December 30 and I've just finished the first draft, which clocks in at 2200 words. Not because it's a hard CD to review (other than to find new ways to say "flawless!") but because it's a hard piece of music to be really insightful about. Good thing for Naxos (and readers) that MusicWeb has already printed two reviews of the CD, so they're not exactly counting on me to be timely!

Interesting to see that even at this temporal remove, the work is so sharply polarizing.

[DarkAngel]

Mind: all the pictures are of the one and same instrument!
BTW the real scoop was already a while ago (HERE), but some things defintely deserve a revival of attention! 

LISTENING:



CD5: Louis IV - Concerts et Symphonies pour le Roi

François Couperin (1668-1733): Premier Concert Royal, Deuxième Concert Royal.

Les Folies Françoises, Patrick Cohën-Akenine, violon et direction artistique; Jocelyn Daubigney, flûte; Vincent Robin, hautbois; Philippe Miqueu, basson
Christine Plubeau, basse de viole; Béatrice Martin, clavecin
Enregistré au Salon de Mars du Château de Versailles.

Michel-Richard de Lalande (1657-1726)
Symphonies pour les Soupers du Roi
(extraits du Ballet de la Jeunesse, des Folies de Cardenio et des Fontaines de Versailles)

Jean-Baptiste de Lully fils (1665-1743): Concert Donné au Souper du Roy
Musica Florea; Marek Štryncl, direction.

Live recordings from 2007, Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles.

Q ........I should have guessed Bunny was all over this Staier release, have not seen her post for some time hope she is doing well.

Also can I suggest you consider this oversize lavish book that details the palace at Versailles (Amazon used), it is beyond great and the huge finely detailed photos are just incredible, amazing document of french court of the sun king! 

[jlaurson]

Interesting to see that even at this temporal remove, the work is so sharply polarizing.

The M(e)ss, more than any other Bernstein work, always has been.
(I fooled myself into liking it, for a while... there was my 'home-town' connection, after all... and the Nagano recording issued around that time... but eventually I just could not deny my inner, deep seated distaste for that sort of thing. There's a difference between complex and confused.

[Keemun]

For me, Messiaen is a concert hall composer: I hardly listen to his orchestral works at home, but have really liked the live performances I've been to. I also enjoy his solo piano in small doses.

Novi, I can see how Messiaen could be more enjoyable in the concert hall.  This may be the case for me as well, although I don't know that I'll ever hear his music in a concert hall.

~~~~~
Now:

Rachmaninov
Piano Trio No. 2 in D minor, Op. 9 "Trio Elégiaque"
Evgeny Svetlanov, piano
Leonid Kogan, violin
Fedor Luzanov, cello

[karlhenning]

The M(e)ss, more than any other Bernstein work, always has been.
(I fooled myself into liking it, for a while... there was my 'home-town' connection, after all... and the Nagano recording issued around that time... but eventually I just could not deny my inner, deep seated distaste for that sort of thing. There's a difference between complex and confused.

I continue not to have a dog in that race.  But I am also content to continue to stand at the sidelines and watch.

Thread duty:

On the Sansa Fuze player,

Nielsen
Flute Concerto
Saga-drøm

[karlhenning]

On the Sansa Fuze player, again:

Сергей Сергеевич [ Sergei Sergeyevich ]
Sinfonietta in A, Opus 5/48
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Alberto Zedda

[Antoine Marchand]

Well, there are some that I'm not that keen on either, such as the Paukenmesse or Kleine Orgelmesse, where I have other preferences.  But this one really shines, as you say for the clarity and detail of the vocal parts, as also for the beautiful balance of the presentation.

The somewhat slighter Nikolaimesse is also a star turn: simple and affecting, and entirely free from sentimental mannerism.

Rather my own feelings. I have the Hickox's complete mass edition, but I just enjoy some specific performances included there. BTW, lately the "Haydn masses" thread has experimented some revival, you can be interested. 

[karlhenning]

Sibelius
Symphony № 6 in d minor, Opus 104
Wiener Philharmoniker
Maazel

[Bogey]

Henning
Blue Shamrock
Recorded 2009

See link here:

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,92.msg381522/topicseen.html#msg381522

[karlhenning]

Begorrah, daddy-o!

[Opus106]

The third movement of BWV 527, the trio sonata in D minor; Koopman playing the organ at 's-Hertogenbosch (yep, that's the name) Cathedral. Second time in succession... love it!

Oh wait, track change... it's the P&F in E minor, BWV 533, now.

[karlhenning]

Henning
Blue Shamrock
Recorded 2009

See link here:

http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,92.msg381522/topicseen.html#msg381522

Me, too.  This is actually the first I am listening to it since the day of performance . . . .