What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[offbeat]

oh this looks too good to resist - only know Moerans Symphony which i love-hope this is as good - Moeran was bit of an eccentric i believe !

[offbeat]

Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3 In A Minor, Op. 44

Over time this is my fav Rachmaninov symphony - wats yr verdict of the recording ?

[Conor71]

Over time this is my fav Rachmaninov symphony - wats yr verdict of the recording ?

Its a good recording I think - I used to have the Jansons Symphonies too which were also good but this one has better sound.
For fave Symphonies mine is the 2nd and the Isle of the Dead on that disc is excellent as well .

[CD]

Aulis Sallinen - Symphonies 4 and 5, etc (Depriest/Malmo)

[Lethevich]

Another listen to this composer, and once again I am unsatisfied. The music is pleasant, but it has no personality. It masterfully skims between the milder reaches of various idioms, not enough to be polystylistic or postmodern, but there is no joy in listening to this music, only a desire for it to be over with...

oh this looks too good to resist - only know Moerans Symphony which i love-hope this is as good - Moeran was bit of an eccentric i believe !

Chandos have repackaged several of their Moeran recordings in very attractive mid-priced reissues, which I very much have my eye on:



I like the concerto disc a lot, and I cannot help comparing the music to Delius, as that composer also wrote concerti for the same instruments, but I need more listens to contrast them properly.

[CD]

[CD]

[listener]

Britten, Shostakovich   Cello and Piano Sonatas,  Prokofiev Ballade

Theodore Kirchner   16 Preludes op. 9  Frülingsgruß op.56, Adagio quasi una fantasia op.12

[Cato]

Luke Ottevanger's Piano Sonata in absentia II.

Highly recommended for those who would like to hear something in a mystical, meditative vein!   0:)

http://www.mediafire.com/?mniud5nyznd

[CD]

[Lilas Pastia]

Corey, you're on a roll  . I can vouch for some of the composers you've listened to lately, if in different interpretations or works. I experienced diminishing returns with Hoddinott after starting with this excellent Lyrita disc. But he is definitely a voice to be heard. As is Kokkonas - his 4th symphony is an important work. Englund's is an elusive voice, at once ruminative and sweetly lyrical. I just happen not to know these particular symphonies, so please comment on them!

Never heard a note of Nordgren, methink. What do you make of him?

[Brian]

I had REALLY low expectations for this CD. Two unknown performers without biographical listings in the booklet, a so-so program, on the record label which issues Naxos rejects, priced (new) for $2.99. And yet it is outstanding. Surprisingly excellent sound (certainly far better than most Naxos recordings from the early 1990s) married to fantastic performances. The two-piano arrangement of the Rakoczy March is a ten-minute tour de force of great piano playing. Order this while you can, piano lovers. Pleasant surprise doesn't even begin to describe it!

EDIT: Well, crap. The CD is defective. It stopped playing in the middle of track 8. This is a bummer.

[Lilas Pastia]

Well, that may be just a copy defect. I have a few of those Amadis issues, never had any problem. Even a Mozart Requiem worthy of anyone's attention, so there!

What's on the disc's program, BTW ?

[Brian]

Well, that may be just a copy defect. I have a few of those Amadis issues, never had any problem. Even a Mozart Requiem worthy of anyone's attention, so there!

What's on the disc's program, BTW ?

Yes, this is my fourth or fifth Amadis disc and no other trouble before. Might have to investigate that Mozart Requiem!

Wagner - Die Meistersinger Prelude (in a surprisingly enjoyable transcription that captures a lot of the score)
Schubert - Fantasy in F minor (first time I've ever heard this)
Brahms - Haydn Variations for Two Pianos
Liszt - Rakoczy March for Two Pianos
Brahms - six of the Hungarian Dances (of which the last three are damaged...)

[listener]

Leoncavallo:  EDIPO RE
mono recording of a live performance, maybe a broadcast?.  One mic. quite close to the prompter's box.    One act, libretto in Italian only, no recording details.

[jlaurson]

R.Strauss Eine Alpensinfonie Bernard Haitink / LSO LSO Live SACD Not available outside of Japan yet?

R.Strauss Eine Alpensinfonie and the work by Strauss most mispronounced by English speakers: Til Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche Semyon Bychkov, WDR SO Cologne PROFIL Haenssler  SACD German link UK link

Some really gutsy playing from the LSO... trombones that go all out. Quite raunchy for a Haitink recording.
Now listening to Bychkov and his "Heldenleben Orchestra".

[val]

BRAHMS:      Piano Concerto n. 2                    / Arrau, Concertgebow Orchestra, Haitink

Slow, sometimes eloquent, Arrau doesn't seem as inspired as in the First Concerto. And Haitink lacks of energy. The best moment of this CD is the 3rd movement, Andante.

[CD]

Corey, you're on a roll  . I can vouch for some of the composers you've listened to lately, if in different interpretations or works. I experienced diminishing returns with Hoddinott after starting with this excellent Lyrita disc. But he is definitely a voice to be heard. As is Kokkonas - his 4th symphony is an important work. Englund's is an elusive voice, at once ruminative and sweetly lyrical. I just happen not to know these particular symphonies, so please comment on them!

Never heard a note of Nordgren, methink. What do you make of him?

Some quick notes I jotted down (Not very insightful, I'm afraid!):

Lepo Sumera - Symphonies 1-3 (too movie-ish for me)

Henryk Górecki - Symphony No. 3 (a nice first movement but mostly boring)

Alois Hába - Nonets, string quartets, etc. (somewhat interesting but was expecting something a little wilder)

Vagn Holmboe - Symphonies 8 and 9 (really great, even on first listen. Will have to devote some time to this composer)

Eduard Tubin - Symphonies 4 and 7 (The 4th is one of the few things that I've absolutely fallen in love with on first hearing. Incredibly lyrical and has a Sibelian sense of logic and drive. The 7th was impressive also.)

Kalevi Aho - Symphonies 2 and 7 (mostly forgettable)

Ib Nørholm - Symphonies 6 and 8 (very impressive, will have to hear more)

Poul Ruders - Solar Trilogy (Huuugely orchestrated pieces — reminds me of Nørgård's wilder works from the 80s and 90s. Will have to hear more)

Robert Simpson - Symphonies 3 and 5 (The fifth was especially exciting. Reminds me of a more modernist Nielsen)

Valentin Silvestrov - Symphony No. 5 (Shamelessly pretty, but definitely kept my attention unlike Górecki's 3rd. This is one of the few things I would feel comfortable recommending to someone who thinks they don't like classical music that I myself would also enjoy.)

Alun Hoddinott - Symphonies 2, 3 and 5 (seemed kind of note-spinny, don't have any real recollection. Probably won't investigate further unless someone recommends otherwise.)

Aulis Sallinen - Symphonies 4 and 5 (I didn't really notice the 4th but the 5th is very dramatic. Will have to listen again.)

I thought the Englund symphonies were gorgeous. The Nordgren were also very interesting — dark and brooding.

[Harry]

I played both of these two far offerings from Virgin, and it exceeds all my expectations.

[Que]

Q