What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Kullervo]

Seems to fit perfectly this bad lightning storm we're having here. Ah, Florida weather...

[Mozart]

Gran nuova, Gran nuova!

[Daverz]

Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Guitar Concerto No. 1 - John Williams/Ormandy on a CBS "2 eye" Lp.

Khatchaturian, Selections from Gayne - Rozhdestvensky/Leningrad on a DG "tulip" Lp in a big box titled "The Great Russian Composers".

[Que]

Good morning (afternoon/night)!



Q

[Que]

Mozart's "toccatas for four hands" played on a most unique instrument (a combo-harpsicord and fortepiano by Andreas Stein) and in a glee and mirthful way by two leading fortepiano/harpsichord virtuosi of our day.

Nice. I really ought to move this one up on my wish list!

Q

[FideLeo]

Good morning (afternoon/night)!



Q

Couperin's writing in the French tenebre tradition (a melismatic style)
is truly spectacular in these works.  I wonder if the recording by Wm
Christie is also worth exploring.   

[stingo]

Nice. I really ought to move this one up on my wish list!

Q

You should - it's a great recording of a very interesting instrument. Staier and Schornsheim really play the heck out of it too.

[Harry]

You should - it's a great recording of a very interesting instrument. Staier and Schornsheim really play the heck out of it too.

All too true!

Goedenmorgen vrienden!

[stingo]

Good morning Harry...

Listening to Villa-Lobos' Solo Guitar music (Norbert Kraft/Naxos) on my old Sennheiser HD545's...

[val]

ALKAN:  Sonatina; Le Festin d'Esope; Barcarolle

The Sonatina is one of Alkan's best works I heard. More disciplined, coherent, and the motives are more personal and captivating.

The Barcarolle is a nice work, not far from Chopin.

Le Festin d'Esopo is, again, Alkan at his worst: tones of notes, mechanical virtuosity.

As usual in this kind of music, Marc André Hamelin is perfect.

[sidoze]

You quick.

couldn't resist when passing HMV yesterday afternoon.   


Bruckner 9 - Asahina / CSO - live '96 -

[Harry]

Sergei Prokofiev.

Sonata No. 3 in A minor, opus 28.
Sonata No. 6 in A major, opus 82.

Dmitri Shostakovich.

Sonate No. 1 opus 12, &  2, opus 61.

Murray McLachlan, Piano. (Prokofiev)
Colin Stone, Piano. (Shostakovich)

Very well recorded, and to my ears very well performed. Both Lachlan & Stone have a inner sense for the drive behind these compositions, and make quite a effort in sustaining the tension throughout. But alas these sonatas, apart from the Scriabin, will not get more running time in my player, I simply dislike the works, and after playing them many times,they are still not my cup of soup.

[wintersway]

Good morning/day to all!

[Black Knight]

Chopin's Etudes, played by Maurizio Pollini. Doesn't get better than that.

[sidoze]

Chopin's Etudes, played by Maurizio Pollini. Doesn't get better than that.

[val]

Mozart

Gran nuova, Gran nuova!

Ys, an amazing interpretation. Kubelik is better than ever.

[Harry]

George Frederick McKay.

Violin Concerto.

Brian Reagin, Violin.
National Radio SO of Ukraine/John McLaughlin Williams.

First of all, and that must be said, this Orchestra is one of the best Naxos has within its reach, to make such gorgeous recordings. Most conductors exploit this to the full, as Williams does. Secondly the engineer, almost always the same one by the name of Andrij Mokrytsky, is a wizard. He knows this venue so good, that hardly ever comes out a bad recording. The only ones I can remember came from the early beginnings, when they were still working with inadequate equipment.
The Violin Concerto is a real marvel, sonorous, very romantic in outlook, and finely scored. Reagin is a fine violin player, and is enjoying himself. I find the music from McKay to be very satisfying, and sometimes even remnants from the Sibelius concerto wander by.

[rubio]

I really liked the atmosphere of Symphony No. 7 - quite dark and beautiful.

[Harry]

McKay.

Suite on Sixteenth Century Hymn Tunes.

National Radio SO of Ukraine/John McLaughlin Williams.

Sweet music, very refined and carefully thought out. Marvelous.

[Black Knight]

What?