What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[DavidRoss]

Good morning!  Mahler Symphony No. 3

This symphony has grown on me a great deal over the last 2 or 3 listens.

It was a thorny one for me but in the past couple of years I have finally come to love it and now find it hard to imagine what it was that once put me off.

Good morning to you, too, Ray, and may it be a great day for loving kindness all around!

[karlhenning]

Good morning to you, too, Ray, and may it be a great day for loving kindness all around!

And so say all of us!

[Henk]

Le Sette Chiese
Streets
Eclair de Lune

[Lethevich]

I didn't really understand No.3 (three movements of a similar length followed by a short finale. The third movement marked "Scherzo: Vivo" lumbered and loomed far too much for its tempo marking with the fourth movement offering insufficient resolution), so instead moved onto my favourite Holmboe disc.

[Brahmsian]

Mozart

String Quartet No. 21 in D major, K.575
String Quartet No. 22 in B flat major, K.589
String Quartet No. 23 in F major, K.590



Not the same cover art, but same recording.

[karlhenning]

Mahler
Symphony № 7 (1904-05)
Staatskapelle Berlin
Barenboim

[Brahmsian]

Mahler
Symphony № 7 (1904-05)
Staatskapelle Berlin
Barenboim

Time for another re-visit of Mahler's 7th after I finish listening to the sublime Prussian quartets.

While all of Mahler's symphonies are fairly unique and stand out one from the other, the 7th in particular, is completely unlike any of the other symphonies.  Or so it seems, IMO.

[not edward]

More magical Martin:



A true gem of a disc here.

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Outstanding disc. Braga Santos is such a fantastic composer.

[kishnevi]

CD 2 --Songs by Beethoven, ending with five British folksongs for voice and piano trio.  CD 3 starts with another ten, which is unfortunate, because, to quote the liner notes "a certain indulgence is required for Fischer-Dieskau's optimistic attempts at Scottish and Irish brogue".  Indulgence certainly is required, because the fake brogue is so bad at times that the text can't be understood, although Beethoven's arrangements are strong enough to survive even this.

[AnthonyAthletic]

Today's second listening of this marvellous work, just finished. 

To think I once found little interest in the Messiah.  This is just what I needed, fast and furious.  Too fast sometimes and slowly does it on many of the big solos.

£1.99 brand new in town today...some bargain bin end, eh?  Made me happy.

[Franco]

Hindemith: Complete String Quartets



Enjoying these, as always: #2 in F minor, at present..

[Harry]

Second time around, because its so beautiful.

[Harry]

Orlandus Lassus.

Requiem a 5.
O bone Jesu.
Magnificat, "Praeter rerum seriem".
Alma Redemptoris Mater.
Ave Maria.

Ensemble Cantione Antiqua, London, Bruno Turner.
Members of Collegium Aureum.
Blaserkreis fur Alte Musik Hamburg.
Recorded in 1988. Disc 24 from this fine box.

My criticism of this body of singers still stands. It doesn't matter in what year it is recorded, one gets a solid sound, either very loud or very soft, with little nuance, but sonorous singing, that creates a lot of warmth, but in which I miss the finer sensibilities of the composer. And in this 1988 recording the male alto's are shrill, and the tenors seem to push that extra needless mile that kills the magic of all the works on this CD. Pro Cantione Antiqua is what Alfred Deller was in his time, and we look upon that time with great sympathy, but know through them how to perform better, so in that sense we owe them a bunch of gratitude, but as far as the  performance goes, this is clearly outclassed by most new recordings. I will not return to these recordings often, in fact not at all. This is strictly my own opinion and not meant to start a polemic on the subject. 

[Mirror Image]

Now:





Listening to Stravinsky's Violin Concerto. This is a great performance from Ms. Hahn.

[Franco]

Hindemith: Complete String Quartets



Enjoying these, as always: #2 in F minor, at present..

Continuing with these, #4 was riveting, a major 20th C. sq, IMO - now #7 is beginning. 

[Mirror Image]

Now:





This is an unreal 2-CD set. Szell's mastery of the orchestra is apparent from the opening measures of Symphony No. 7. These are amazing performances.

[Keemun]

Martinu
Symphony No. 1
Thomson
Royal Scottish National Orchestra

[Henk]

Unisono

Highly recommended disc for people who like contemporary music.

[Antoine Marchand]

Franz Schubert - Impromptus
Alexei Lubimov, fortepianos
Instruments: Fortepianos built by Matthias Müller (1810)* & Joseph Schantz (1830)** both restaured and prepared by Edwin Beunk, Enschede, The Netherlands
Zig-Zag Territoires

Works: 4 Impromtus Op. 90 D 899 (1827)* - 4 Impromptus Op. 142 D 935 (1828)**