What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Lethevich]

Really cool music - I hadn't associated the classical period with these large piano exercises, but this integral of 36 fugues by Reicha is wonderful and surprisingly complex at times. Not really able to stand up to the WTC or Shostakovich, they are still inventive and great to listen to.

Edit: np disc 2 of -

[Mirror Image]

Now:





Listening to Symphony No. 3 right now. A beautiful symphony.

[kishnevi]

    

Actually, Bill, I've used a slightly less destructive technique to hang them: tiny nails. The vinyl is stored elsewhere in Discwasher V.R.P. sleeves.

Sarge

I'm just surprised that's there's enough wallspace not covered by shelving to hang even one album cover....

[Lethevich]

As with everything I've heard by this composer, this is excellent. It's an extremely familiar idiom of rugged tonality with considerable charm, but also a reoccuring dark streak as so common with composers of the time.

[Harry]

Cantors at the St Thomas before Bach.
Sebastian Knupfer, Johann Schelle, Johann Kuhnau.

Cantus Colln, Konrad Junghanel.

Well sung, fine compositions, a jewel from the big HM box.

[mc ukrneal]

Monday Morning Memories

I must agree that these (Hubay's Violin Concertos 1&2 on Hyperion) are rich, lush, late romantic violin concertos. I'm not always a fan of the violin as a solo instrument, but this is pretty great stuff, very well played.

Hubay, Jeno (1858-1937) - Violin Concertos Nos. 1/2 + Suite w/ Hagai Shaham & Brabbins; a while back, I picked up the Hyperion disc of the last two violin concertos from BRO and enjoyed tremendously; new arrival - late Romantic orchestral lushness and virtuosic violin writing, as expected from Hubay; could imagine these packaged as a Dyad but both discs are recent recordings! 

 

[Harry]

Wonderful disc, well performed.

[val]

ELGAR:      Violin Concerto                   / Nikolaj Znaider, Staatskapelle Dresden, C. Davis

Even if I don't like much this Concerto, this is a beautiful recording, because of the beauty of the sound of the violinist, the poetry of his phrasing in the Andante and the energy of Colin Davis direction.

[Brian]

[Antoine Marchand]

Beethoven - The Complete Piano Sonatas & Concertos
Claudio Arrau




Disc 2: Piano Sonata No.3 in C, op. 2 No.3; Piano Sonata No.4 in E flat, op. 7 & 6 Piano Variations in F on an Original Theme, op. 34

[George]

With thanks to Bill! 

[Conor71]

I'm in love with her too    In fact she decorates one wall of my music library:




Sarge

Thats awesome Sarge! - cheers for sharing!  

[George]

Thats awesome Sarge! - cheers for sharing!  

As if you are willing to share Miss Chung. 

[Brian]

SHOSTAKOVICH | Festive Overture
Philharmonia
Vladimir Ashkenazy

Man, if they played this every morning when I got up, I would be a freaking superstar. 

[Sergeant Rock]

Bits of the first movement struck me as slightly ponderous and bumpy, and the finale lacked just a dash of humor, but the finale was really well-paced and marvelously clear and the slow movement was just jaw-dropping - it feels huge and monumental. So I'm really glad I listened to Celi's Bavarian Roussel!

Celi's Roussel I haven't heard but his Debussy and Ravel is extraordinary (or extraordinarily boring, depending on your taste--e.g., a twenty minute Bolero  ): slow performances, yes, but exquisite is mood, detail and clarity. "Huge and monumental" perfectly describes his La Mer.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

I have a Thorens, and I find it astonishing that it is so spectacular at spinning a vinyl disc, but is so poorly engineered in the more trivial aspects.   The fact, for instance, that the power comes from an incredibly cheap-looking "wall-wart" transformer, and that the power connection is so loose and unreliable that I after plugging it in I invariably have to jiggle it until it finally makes contact, or that the phono cables never make good ground contact and have to be jiggled to eliminate hum.

Is it a recent Thorens? (Mine is 25 years old.) They once had a reputation for superb build quality....built like a tank. They also repair themselves apparently! After reading your post I took a look at it with the intention of disconnecting it and taking it to the shop. It started spinning again! Sounds fine.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

I see that Wagner gets "top" priority....haha. 

On that side of the room, yes, Wagner rules    But on the opposite side Mahler, Bruckner and Sibelius hold top spot.






Sarge

[jlaurson]

listening to my own 2010 top choices with a sense of smug gratification.
(killing time while stuck at the Humbolt University in Berlin for some interview. Hmpf.)

Best Recordings of 2010 Countdown

# 6
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-recordings-of-2010-6.html

Carter, Zimmermann, Wilms...

[Sergeant Rock]

I'm just surprised that's there's enough wallspace not covered by shelving to hang even one album cover....

I wanted to put an Ikea Billy on that wall (I really need the shelf space) but it's a couple of inches too short so the covers stayed.

Sarge

[Scarpia]

On that side of the room, yes, Wagner rules    But on the opposite side Mahler, Bruckner and Sibelius hold top spot.






Sarge

What's with the colored dots and numbers?