What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Opus106]

Wang playing Scriabin

We're good as long as it's not the other way 'round.

[secondwind]

Gorecki, Symphony No. 3.  David Zinman conducting the London Sinfonetta with Dawn Upshaw.  Wondering why I have never heard it before.

[Conor71]

A change from my recent diet of chamber music/solo piano works:
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 In Eb Major, WAB 104, "Romantic"  0:)

[not edward]

The hilariously titled Legend of the Smoke from Potato Fires is nifty. This whole disc in fact is a winner, despite the obscurity of the works in question. I had misgivings initially, as I am used to 20th century cantatas being quite academic and pointless works (see Nielsen's ones composed commissioned for things like plumber's unions, not that I have heard them) - but these three are quite sweet.

My hand's been hovering over the 'buy' button on this one for a while. I suspect you've just tipped it towards clicking.

Recently acquired from the mythical lands of Yurp:



Other than the forces required, I don't understand why there's almost no recordings extant of Aeneas. Fortunately it's a Martinon reiussue to the rescue (and coupled with a very fine Bacchus et Ariane).

And from the equally mythical lands of 20 St. Joseph Street:




I bought these discs pretty much as soon as I came to Canada after hearing Ligeti on BBC Radio 3 making a geographically inaccurate (but in my opinion musically dead-on) reference to Vivier as the greatest French composer of his generation. Siddartha is a wildly ambitious orchestral debut for a young man in his mid-20s; Shiraz and Lonely Child continue the rapid stylistic development that was cut short by his early death.

But perhaps the interesting thing here to me is that the other composers on these discs, while arguably overshadowed by Vivier, are far from unworthy companions. Anglophone Canada can sometimes feel a bit of a musical desert, but if so, Montréal's quite the oasis.

[Brahmsian]

Brahms: String Quartet in A minor, Op. 51, #2
Emerson Quartet

Hi Franco,

I'm interested in your impressions on the Emerson SQ recordings of Brahms' string quartets, and the piano quintet.

Thanks! 

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

The hilariously titled Legend of the Smoke from Potato Fires is nifty. This whole disc in fact is a winner, despite the obscurity of the works in question. I had misgivings initially, as I am used to 20th century cantatas being quite academic and pointless works (see Nielsen's ones composed commissioned for things like plumber's unions, not that I have heard them) - but these three are quite sweet.

I dig the companion disc by the same forces (Pavel Kuhn & his choir), doing 3 other Martinu cantatas, including the touching (if somewhat confusing) Mount of Three Lights and the apocalyptic (though subdued) Prophecy of Isaiah. Put together, they would make a fine Duo. Are you listening, Supraphon?

[Antoine Marchand]

Johannes Brahms - String Quartets Op. 51
New Budapest Quartet
András Kiss, Ferenc Balogh, violin
László Barsony, viola
Károly Botvay, cello
Recorded on 25-27 February 1992
Duration 66:58
Hyperion

Probably the most disappointing interpretations of the whole set: under-articulated and understated performances, built over long "embellished" phrases without uncomfortable edges or dark corners.   

[Franco]

Hi Franco,

I'm interested in your impressions on the Emerson SQ recordings of Brahms' string quartets, and the piano quintet.

Thanks! 

Well, I really like the Emerson in the Brahms works (I certainly like them better in Brahms than in Haydn), and since these are some of my favorite works I have several versions of them.  The Julliard is probably my favorite in the quartets; but overall I'd have to say the Emersons are reliable in all of the works - and this box of all the string chamber music is one I treasure. 

[Brahmsian]

Johannes Brahms - String Quartets Op. 51
New Budapest Quartet
András Kiss, Ferenc Balogh, violin
László Barsony, viola
Károly Botvay, cello
Recorded on 25-27 February 1992
Duration 66:58
Hyperion

Probably the most disappointing interpretations of the whole set: under-articulated and understated performances, built over long "embellished" phrases without uncomfortable edges or dark corners.   

Ha!  Yes, comforting should be a performance criterion for Brahms' Wiegenlied, but not suited the Op.51. 

[Brahmsian]

Well, I really like the Emerson in the Brahms works (I certainly like them better in Brahms than in Haydn), and since these are some of my favorite works I have several versions of them.  The Julliard is probably my favorite in the quartets; but overall I'd have to say the Emersons are reliable in all of the works - and this box of all the string chamber music is one I treasure.

Thanks Franco.  Am I understanding you correctly, that the Emerson box includes the string quintets as well?

[Antoine Marchand]

Ha!  Yes, comforting should be a performance criterion for Brahms' Wiegenlied, but not suited the Op.51. 

I certainly agree.

[Scarpia]

Thanks Franco.  Am I understanding you correctly, that the Emerson box includes the string quintets as well?

Piano Quintet

[Franco]

Thanks Franco.  Am I understanding you correctly, that the Emerson box includes the string quintets as well?

It contains the F Minor Quintet, with Leon Fleisher - actually, I was just listening to the Amadeus Quartet compete box (a great set as well, IMO) and momentarily got them confused.   I also have the Emerson on the Clarinet Quintet (Shifrin), but that is a different CD.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Antoine Marchand]

Weird: Don without activity for 5 days, Q during 4 days. Are the GMGers being abducted? 

[Renfield]

Symphony No. 3. Surprisingly radiant, more than I remembered! And I liked it to begin with.

Edit: The recording, I mean.

[Opus106]

Symphony No. 3. Surprisingly radiant, more than I remembered! And I liked it to begin with.

Edit: The recording, I mean.

How does the More sound? I believe Sibelius composed that when he considered his quantity of output to be inadequate.

Thread Duty: Rachmaninoff | Piano Trio in D minor | Borodin Trio

(And all of a sudden Firefox (en-US with en-GB dictionary) tells me that Rachmaninoff is wrong. )

[Scarpia]

How does the More sound? I believe Sibelius composed that when he considered his quantity of output to be inadequate.

I have no idea what that means.

[Opus106]

I have no idea what that means.

It means that you have to look at that cover closely.

[George]

We're good as long as it's not the other way 'round.

Even Allegro Staccatto? 

[listener]

lp'sJohn LEWIS Original Sin     Ballet score
    cross-over jazz score sounds like Ravel and others now and then, maybe, not something I'll look further for.
J.S. BACH   Toccata & Fugue in d, T&F in F, Prelude & Fugue in e, Passacaglia
      Heinz Wunderlich,  St. Jacobi Church, Hamburg      Schnitger organ
BEETHOVEN  via LISZT  Symphony no. 7   BACH via BUSONI  Chaconne     Ronald Smith, piano    Microphone placement seems to be very much towards the left hand (i.e. bass-heavy) giving some rather unusual aspects to the Beethoven not usually noted (not present?) in the orchestral version.
SATIE:   Parade, Geneviève de Brabant, Relâche
       Luxembourg RAdio O.    Roland Douatte, cond.