What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Bogey]

On vinyl:

Mozart
Concerto for Keyboard No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
Sviatoslav Richter (Piano)
Kurt Sanderling/National Philharmonic Orchestra
Vox

[Brian]

SIBELIUS | Symphony No 3
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Leif Segerstam

Not sure I understood Sibelius' Fourth. Will need to give it more listens; all I know for now is that, like the First but with less pretension to romanticism, it gave me a feeling of disquiet, of trouble brewing, and rose up to a happy ending only to fall back in defeat. Now it's on to another Sibelius symphony I don't really understand, the Third, which begins in genuine ebullience and good spirits and ends in what seems to be a forced version of the same.

After this, I will have listened to Symphonies 1, 3, 4, 5 (twice), 6, and 7 on New Year's Day 2010. Only the Second remains for tonight!

[George]

Well, my first classical music of the New Year - another new acquisition:

Chopin, F. - Etudes, Op. 10 & 25 + Tois Nouvelles Etudes w/ Juana Zayas; includes her 1983 recording release + a new re-recording from 2005; thus a 2-disc set for the price of one, and in a slim 2-CD jewel box; some excellent comments HERE, if interested - reason for purchase was a superb review in the American Record Guide (Nov/Dec 09 issue) by James Harrington; he concludes "Rarely does a new release of very well-known music jump to the top of my list over established favorites.  This is an exception."

The booklet notes are excellent; comparative timings are given 'side-by-side' for each work performed; the new recording is about 5 minutes longer than the release from '83 - 

I have heard very good things about the earlier set, Dave. Enjoy! 

EDIT: Anyone (bhodges?) know anything about this conductor (Alan Gilbert)?

http://nyphil.org/attend/season/index.cfm?page=eventDetail&eventNum=1796&seasonNum=9

[Marc]

Bach first    Amade at the Église des Billettes, Paris, Mulheisen organ,  Trio Sonata 2, Schübler Chorales, Tocc&F 565, 566, etc.

Looks like the Jacques Amade playing Bach disc is OOP.

I never heard him play, I must admit.
So, my question is: what's your opinion about him as a Bach interpreter?

[Coopmv]

Now playing this recording, but the SACD version ...

[George]

First an exciting Appassionata and now an even more exciting Waldstein.

This guy is great! Full of youthful fire and with a poetic touch to boot.

[mahler10th]

Listening to this...Beethoven with enough balls and not enough bite.

[George]

Listening to this...Beethoven with enough balls and not enough bite.

Who else do you have for the symphonies, John?

[karlhenning]

SIBELIUS | Symphony No 3
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Leif Segerstam

Not sure I understood Sibelius' Fourth. Will need to give it more listens; all I know for now is that, like the First but with less pretension to romanticism, it gave me a feeling of disquiet, of trouble brewing, and rose up to a happy ending only to fall back in defeat. Now it's on to another Sibelius symphony I don't really understand, the Third, which begins in genuine ebullience and good spirits and ends in what seems to be a forced version of the same.

After this, I will have listened to Symphonies 1, 3, 4, 5 (twice), 6, and 7 on New Year's Day 2010. Only the Second remains for tonight!

Very interesting, Brian. And happy new year!

[Coopmv]

Listening to this...Beethoven with enough balls and not enough bite.

I have this set as well.  The interpretation and performance were fairly mainstream.

[CD]

Haydn - Symphonies 43 - 45 (Fischer/Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra)

Lovely!

[Coopmv]

Now playing this SACD ...

[listener]

Looks like the Jacques Amade playing Bach disc is OOP.

I never heard him play, I must admit.
So, my question is: what's your opinion about him as a Bach interpreter?

Tempos a bit on the quick side, the organ is a smaller one with reeds and mixtures on all manuals so the counterpoint can be heard. 4 Stops in the pedal 2@16 ft. so the bass is never  cloudy, and the building is not over-resonant.  Over-bright registration over-all, and a somewhat staccato touch.   Nice display of the organ, using Bach works.  Not bad, I did like his Mendelssohn program on this organ more  (SOCD 66)

[CD]

[Conor71]

Bartók: String Quartet No. 4, Sz 91

[mahler10th]

Who else do you have for the symphonies, John?

Well, I have been busy as hell over the past year...
...Bernstien
Karajan 60's
Karajan 80's
Jochum
Zinman
Gardiner...

I wish Klieber did a complete Beet set. 

[listener]

lighter stuff
Hummel fantasias  incl. Recollections of Paganini  WoO.8, Fantasia on 'Non piu andrai''
and Stephen Jaffe  The Rhythm of the Running Plough, 4 Songs for msop, flute, viola, cello and piano, and a 2-piano sonata
The Hummel works are played on a Bösendorfer.  Nice sound

[Conor71]

Nice!

The String Quartets are pretty interesting listening! - listened through my entire Bartok collection (3 discs!) today and now back onto side 1 of The Quartets disc (SQ No. 1)  .

[Christo]

A mixed bag, played most often, as at this occasion, for the sake of Sulkhan Tsintsadze (1925-91) and his set of Six Quartet Miniatures in the version for string orchestra - served very well by the indefatigable Juha Kangas and his Ostrobothnians.

                               

[pi2000]

Bruckner Symphony 4
Sergiu Celibidache  Sinfonie Orchester der Suddeutischen Rundfunks
Sttutgart 22 11.1966(more likely 9 11. 1973) Arkadia 751.1

My absolute choice for the 4th..