What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[MN Dave]

Did you try the symphonies, Dave?

He has symphonies? Sure don't hear about them much.

[AndyD.]

He has symphonies? Sure don't hear about them much.

I love this one:

[MN Dave]

Bah. 

[bhodges]

Aw, no love for Lenny and the Copland Third?  Actually that CD would have been my rec, too, taken from some of his last performances.  You'd probably recognize the ending of the Third: it's the Fanfare for the Common Man.  And Quiet City is lovely--to me sounds exactly like the title implies.

--Bruce

[Marc]

Ludwig van?



Listening right now.

Had not been on a Beethoven trip for some time.
Must be because of the flu that I'm listening to another Beethoven Nine ....



According to my HIP-preferences, I ought to be voting for Herreweghe, but Karajan really blew me away in the first 2 movements (great sound quality, too!), rising my temperature to almost dangerous hights!
But yes, in the Adagio I'd certainly go for Herreweghe .... a slow tempo makes this one too heavy and dark IMHO, although Karajan is very good in making the strings play cantabile indeed.
The Finale should be great again, I expect .... hope I survive it.

[Philoctetes]

Bah. 

He has other symphonies. I enjoy them all.

http://www.youtube.com/v/hUGxdkECKJA

http://www.youtube.com/v/NP3qlpuvANE

http://www.youtube.com/v/mxrc3mNfemU

[Benji]

He has symphonies? Sure don't hear about them much.

He does, and they are awesome each one. The first, Organ Symphony, is what we call in Scotland a pure belter. It's an amazingly colourful and unbelievably confident early work, from Copland when he was studying with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. It definitely has European sensibilities (and I use that word very loosely because it gets a little raucous at times!), but there is no mistaking the beginnings of the distinct Copland voice. I have four recordings - Saint Louis - Slatkin, a live BBCSO recording from the proms, Dallas Symphony - Litton, and NYPO - Bernstein with Edward Power Biggs on the organ - and the Bernstein is a country mile ahead of the competition. The playing is phenomenal - Lenny wrings every last bit of spectacle out of the work and, equally importantly, the organ contribution is powerful. The Saint Louis and Dallas efforts are let down by seemingly timid little organs (I will stand corrected if someone has organ facts to educate me!). The live performance from the proms is a good second place recording (you can get it dirt cheap on Amazon UK - it came free with a mag years back) - benefitting from the almighty Albert Hall organ (even though it pre-dates the 'recent' restoration - how i'd love to hear it now).

The Lenny performance is on this disc, which I can recommend without any reservation whatsoever:



It also has an awesome performance of the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Copland performing the Dance Symphony (another early work and personal favourite). Personally, whatever people say about Copland not being an exceptional conductor, I think Copland's performance of the Dance Symphony is the best i've heard (much better than the more widely touted Dorati performance I reckon).

AND...it also has Lenny and the NYPO doing the Music for the Theatre, which is sleazy and delicious and reminds me of my trip to New York so much for all the right reasons. As does the urban poetry of Quiet City, for different reasons, which Bruce recommends. That is, on most days, my favourite Copland piece.

Oh i'm ranting... apologies. Ben <3 Copland 

[Brian]

Yes--it's darned near incomprehensible that the same fellow who wrote such tortured symphonies and quartets could have produced such lyrical loveliness...as well as the jaunty frivolity of the Jazz Suites and the raucous indignities of Lady MacBeth.  If only I liked all that anguish more, he could well be among my most beloved faves.  As is I respect him more than I love him.

I have immense respect for Shostakovich, but I'm lucky to love him to - for these Preludes and Fugues, for some of those anguished quartets, for the piano quintet, for the piano and cello concertos, for the jazz music and film scores, and for the symphonies 6, 9, 10. As a person I don't have much anguish and torture myself - thank goodness for that! - hope it lasts! - but there are other sides to DSCH that I relate to more closely.


~

Big fan of the Copland Third. I have the really excellent Naxos disc.

[bhodges]

It also has an awesome performance of the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Copland performing the Dance Symphony (another early work and personal favourite). Personally, whatever people say about Copland not being an exceptional conductor, I think Copland's performance of the Dance Symphony is the best i've heard (much better than the more widely touted Dorati performance I reckon).

I used to have the original LP with that performance--loved it!--and (thank you, Internet) found a photo below.  Can't recall feeling it was poorly conducted, but haven't heard it in a very long time.

--Bruce

[George]

Ludwig van?

Hell yeah! 

[Marc]

Hell yeah! 

Right now it's more like Heaven to me .... though hot as hell indeed.

[....]

The Finale should be great again, I expect .... hope I survive it.

Did survive it. Sometimes a bit too distant and pedantic IMO. I believe Herreweghe in this movement, and I respect Von Karajan.
But the Finale is a movement that has got the force to linger on for quite a while, which means that Herreweghe 'wins' on points tonight.

[Subotnick]

I currently own the first 8 symphonies. Giving this instalment a listen for the first time. Loving it so far. Especially the first version of the 5th. I would complete the collection later via eMusic, but they don't appear to have 9, 10 or 11.

[Scarpia]

Had not been on a Beethoven trip for some time.
Must be because of the flu that I'm listening to another Beethoven Nine ....



According to my HIP-preferences, I ought to be voting for Herreweghe, but Karajan really blew me away in the first 2 movements (great sound quality, too!), rising my temperature to almost dangerous hights!
But yes, in the Adagio I'd certainly go for Herreweghe .... a slow tempo makes this one too heavy and dark IMHO, although Karajan is very good in making the strings play cantabile indeed.
The Finale should be great again, I expect .... hope I survive it.

Marvelous performance, and that old Gallaria issue is the best sounding release of it, IMO.  Later there was an SACD release which was supposedly remixed from the master tapes.  Through the magic of digital technology, they made all of the bass go away and created a sound stage in which the BPO sounded like the a flea circus orchestra.

[Brahmsian]

From the library.  Tremendous performances, particularly the 5th.

Shostakovich

Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op.47
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op.54

WDR Sinfonieorchester
Rudolf Barshai
Brilliant Classics

[karlhenning]

From the library:

Shostakovich

Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op.99

Viktoria Mullova
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Andre Previn

Violin Concerto No. 2 in C sharp minor, Op.129

Gidon Kremer, violin
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Seiji Ozawa

Philips

Fantastic!! 

Delighted that you like these, Ray! Top-shelf Shostakovich.

[karlhenning]

Too much honour, I failed in many things.

We all fail, Harry; our affection for you is undimmed.

[karlhenning]

Really, the absurdity of that picture is enough to put me off the recording.  They play Beethoven String Quartets in the yard?

Well, and why not?  Outdoor performance has a long and honorable history.

[Brahmsian]

Delighted that you like these, Ray! Top-shelf Shostakovich.

Indeed!  The Passacaglia in the 1st VC is the cat's ass!!  I am a sucker for a good Passacaglia. 

[AndyD.]

Wagner Die Walküre Act II Scene II (Levine/Met dvd)

For dvds, this is my favorite rendition of Scene II, "Geh!". The only problem I have with it is the overemphasis on the lighter woodwinds, especially during the more dramatic portions. Also, and this probably at least as much a problem with the recorded sound as the conducting, the bass often seems to just drop out.

As blood boiling as much of this performance is, the early part of this scene, between Sieglinde and Siegmund, is arranged really well; it is a profoundly moving experience, minus the blood and guts.

[MN Dave]

Jerry Goldsmith's THE 13TH WARRIOR

Thanks to Ben-G Sarge, methinks.