What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Elgarian]

Sibelius - Seventh Symphony. SFSO - Blomstedt.

Because, you know, it's in vogue. 

If it weren't so late, I'd climb back on the bandwagon and join you ... but I'm off to bed, to dream of the hard-won, culminating C.

[Benji]

If it weren't so late, I'd climb back on the bandwagon and join you ... but I'm off to bed, to dream of the hard-won, culminating C.

Hopefully it'll all be revealed in your subconscious. Your sleeping mind can achieve great things! 

[DavidRoss]

After the Sibelius thread I could hardly resist:

Bernstein/NYPO, Sibelius 6th.

[Benji]

From one Finn to another:



Sallinen - Sinfonia III - Helinski Philharmonic - Paavo Berglund.

A powerful and emphatic symphony - one I think more highly of every time I hear it. It strikes me as....I think neurotic is the best word. Themes are fragmented, motifs pop up repeatedly in almost nagging gestures - it's all a little dreamlike, but dark, not nightmarishly so, but rather unsettling. The 2nd movement 'Chaconne' has a good strong theme on the strings, but it is interrupted constantly by one such nagging undercurrent; a back and forth string motif on the double basses (reminds me of the Jaws theme, which may be apt as it's definitely in there to disrupt and unsettle).

Just on the second run-through tonight. I was photo-browsing on Flickr the first time i.e. distracted. I hate to do a favourite work a disservice by treating it like audio-wallpaper so now i'm paying attention! 

[Mirror Image]

I'd have to agree with you there. I have the majority of them and I must say there's not a bad one amongst them.

No, there's really not. My favorite Tubin symphony is the 1st believe it or not. There's something about it, in particular the first movement, that just resonates so strongly with me. The 4th is also highly enjoyable.

[George]

Op. 132 

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Delightful!

[Coopmv]

Listening to Symphony No. 3 right now. So amazing.

I have only listened to CD1 from this set so far ...

[Mirror Image]

I have only listened to CD1 from this set so far ...

This Wand set and the Chailly set are my favorite Bruckner symphony cycles. This is the set that turned me around and made me really love Bruckner's music. Prior to this set, I heard Karajan's and both of Jochum's sets, which the Jochum seems so erratic to me while the Karajan suffered from terrible audio.

[Coopmv]

This Wand set and the Chailly set are my favorite Bruckner symphony cycles. This is the set that turned me around and made me really love Bruckner's music. Prior to this set, I heard Karajan's and both of Jochum's sets, which the Jochum seems so erratic to me while the Karajan suffered from terrible audio.

I also have the sets by Jochum, Karajan and Masur ...

[George]

Op. 132

Andy - In an old book I have on chamber music by Alec Robertson, I found this passage about the Op. 132:

"The slow movement is headed 'Song of thanksgiving to the Deity on recovering from an illness, written in the Lydian mode'. Poor Beethoven, his recovery was all too imperfect. Bartok, in his Third Piano Concerto, wrote a similar slow movement (so similar that the coincidence can be ruled out) when he too had just recovered from an illness; but as with Beethoven, his life was almost over. The frequency with which Bartok comes to mind as one studies these late quartets is a measure of the tremendous influence this music had on him."

[George]

I have only listened to CD1 from this set so far ...

I made it through the first 6, but haven't been motivated to hear more. I love his Beethoven, but his Bruckner does little for me.

[CD]

[Sid]

First few listens to this:



This is the first time I have heard (within living memory) Pollini play. This is a great compendum of C20th piano music. The Stravinsky is optimistic and kind of orchestral. The Prokofiev sounds very difficult to play, not only technically, but in the way the music veers from tenderness to brutality with the bat of an eyelid. The Webern is concise but multi-layered. & the Boulez second sonata is the only work I had heard before to any depth (I have Idil Biret on Naxos). There's much difference between them, they play each movement differently. I particularly like the kind of nocturnal feel that Pollini imparts to the second slow movement. I have enjoyed this disc, and look forward to hearing more from this pianist, as a friend will bring over his cd of the Schubert late sonatas soon...

[George]

I have enjoyed this disc, and look forward to hearing more from this pianist, as a friend will bring over his cd of the Schubert late sonatas soon...

As much as I agree that Pollini is great with the repertoire on that CD you posted, I would urge you to try others for romantic repertoire, as I don't think Pollini's style is well suited to romantic piano works. Have you heard other pianists in Schubert?

[Philoctetes]

As much as I agree that Pollini is great with the repertoire on that CD you posted, I would urge you to try others for romantic repertoire, as I don't think Pollini's style is well suited to romantic piano works. Have you heard other pianists in Schubert?

My opinion is a bit different than George's, but I absolutely love Pollini in Schubert. He has a wonderful ability to hold all of it together. It's very structured and 'steely'. It's exactly the kind of Schubert that I enjoy hearing.

[George]

As much as I agree that Pollini is great with the repertoire on that CD you posted, I would urge you to try others for romantic repertoire, as I don't think Pollini's style is well suited to romantic piano works. Have you heard other pianists in Schubert?

As an example, here's Pollini playing the slow movement of the D 959 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfKcHjbgpts

And here's Grigory Sokolov playing the same - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkXYbVDVyB0

[Scarpia]

As an example, here's Pollini playing the slow movement of the D 959 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfKcHjbgpts

And here's Grigory Sokolov playing the same - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkXYbVDVyB0

I find Pollini utterly spectacular in Schubert, be brings a clarity to the music which prevents Schubert's sentimentality from becoming cloying.   Truly some of my favorite recordings from the piano literature.

[Philoctetes]

As an example, here's Pollini playing the slow movement of the D 959 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfKcHjbgpts

And here's Grigory Sokolov playing the same - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkXYbVDVyB0

Both wonderful. I simply prefer Pollini, in this instance. I do enjoy Kuerti, a lot as well.

[Philoctetes]

I find Pollini utterly spectacular in Schubert, be brings a clarity to the music which prevents Schubert's sentimentality from becoming cloying.   Truly some of my favorite recordings from the piano literature.

It was Pollini who helped me appreciate Schubert's output.