What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[mahler10th]

I checked for Domingo's name on the cover, and it's there. Bohm's last recorded version, right? Nothing right or wrong here; the last movement was too slow for my liking. To the extent, it made me turn the radio off.

Thanks.  Oh, I'm not so sure, I think the structure takes well to his tempo even in the fourth movement, making it a most robust and well squeezed interpretation.
(Phew!  I thought I had missed something crucial in it Navneeth, I panicked!)

[Florestan]

Brahms

Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op.11

Charming, delightful and quintessential Brahms. 

[bhodges]

Steve Reich: Violin Phase - I have only heard the recording with Paul Zukovsky playing against a tape of himself, but on YouTube, here is a performance using four violinists--and no electronics.   (One of them, Matt Albert, is the violinist with eighth blackbird.)

--Bruce

[Lethevich]

I've often wondered why that piece wasn't just a duo - surely any additional element of human pliability (that can feasably be performed) would improve the musical qualities of a piece?

Thanks for the link I'm playing it now.

[bhodges]

I've often wondered why that piece wasn't just a duo - surely any additional element of human pliability (that can feasably be performed) would improve the musical qualities of a piece?

Thanks for the link I'm playing it now.

The "human pliability" comment is very interesting, thanks--raises questions about what makes for a successful performance of the piece.

I wonder if (perhaps) the original was done that way so that the live soloist wouldn't have to worry about maintaining the second tempo (i.e., of the tape) and could focus solely on the "phasing in and out" of his/her own part.  By having more than one live performer, all of them have to be very meticulous about speeding up and slowing down.   

A related thought (and nothing against Zukovsky): I suspect a lot of the younger performers today are simply better able to maintain strict metronomic "phasing in and phasing out"--perhaps as a result of playing many other pieces written since Violin Phase emerged. 

Or Choice C: these four violinists just decided, "What the hell, let's just try this as a little stunt." 

--Bruce

[Lethevich]

It sounds like a fun little twist on a musician following a click track - in the instance of Violin Phase, the 'click track' is also an audible part of the piece itself

That Youtube version was really good, it sounded that the players having to work hard to keep up with each other forced a less clinical tone to their playing - it sounded more generous somehow.

[marvinbrown]

Oh...DOH.  But of course.  (And I forgot about all those Wagner boxes.)



--Bruce

  Sarge's (bless him  0:)) Wagner boxes are enough to make every Wagnerian (present company included) green with envy!! 

  marvin

[Daverz]

It's a Symphony No. 7 day.  Think I prefer the Berglund, or maybe I'm just warmed up now.  The dynamic range of the Jansons recording is a bit too much for my living room.



Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 - Silvestri/VPO.  One of the best recordings of this symphony, I think.  After all that Shostakovich, I need to clear my ears with the Lalo Piano Trio No. 3.

[Philoctetes]

[Daverz]

This is the actual cover of the piece I am listening to.  I published the one above as a matter of it being quicker to find.  Is it the same version as your nightmare?  If so, you could enhance my understanding by putting me right, if necessary.   

The recording of 9 in the box is a different, analog version with the quartet of singers Jess Thomas, Karl Ridderbusch, Tatiana Troyanos, Dame Gwyneth Jones, if Amazon is accurate.  It's not as slow as the later digital recording, which has the vocal quartet Jessye Norman, Brigitte Fassbaender, Placido Domingo, Walter Berry.  The analog 9 is available on a DG Double set or an Australian Eloquence CD.

[DavidRoss]

  WOW WOW WOW.....
I can not say that I am severely passionate about Sibelius' symphonies but I am listening for the first time to his tone poems and I have fallen in love with them.  The Oceanides, Finlandia, Night Ride and Sunrise, Pohjola's Daughter and the Lemminkainen Suite have left me breathless!  I much prefer the tone poems to his symphonies.

   Fellow Sibelians would you kindly permit me to make the argument that Sibelius is a far more accomplished composer of tone poems than of symphonies?  If I am not permitted to make this argument would you allow me to argue that Sibelius is the finest composer of tone poems there ever was??  (I have heard Richard Strauss', Tchaikovsky's, and Dvorak's tone/symphonic poems and I must say that Sibelius has got them beat!!

a) Welcome aboard the Sibelius bus, Marvin!
b) His tone poems are first-rate, none better...but so are his symphonies...and his theatre music.

  Ok I shall defer to Sarge! But my God I am addicted to those tone poems!!!!!  I can't stop listening to them!

Just wait till the symphonies click in for you!

  Fellow Sibelians,   I need to hear more of the tone poems so I just ordered these:
Where else do I need to go?

I strongly suggest Mikko Franck's Lemminkäinen Legends/En Saga, Vänskä's En Saga/The Bard/Pohjola's Daughter/Oceanides/Night Ride & Sunrise, Berglund's two disc bargain set of Orchestral Works (including Valjakka's splendid Luonnotar plus Scene with Cranes & significant excerpts from Pelléas et Mélisande and Swanwhite, Saraste's Tempest, Segerstam/Isokoski's Orchestral Songs.  If you're willing to venture away from orchestral music then try Karnéus/Drake's songs with piano...and though the Järvi set you have contains a Tapiola, you might consider Blomstedt or Berglund or Segerstam or Sakari or the bargain priced Decca Maazel coupled with a fine 4th & 7th.

Now playing, a great tone poem not by Sibelius:
[asin]B0000041YX[/asin]

[Opus106]

The recording of 9 in the box is a different, analog version with the quartet of singers Jess Thomas, Karl Ridderbusch, Tatiana Troyanos, Dame Gwyneth Jones, if Amazon is accurate.  It's not as slow as the later digital recording, which has the vocal quartet Jessye Norman, Brigitte Fassbaender, Placido Domingo, Walter Berry.  The analog 9 is available on a DG Double set or an Australian Eloquence CD.

Oh. Couldn't see John's attachment when I replied to his question. My comment applies only to the last recording.

[Philoctetes]

My first ever listen:

[Brian]

[asin]B003QLY5HY[/asin]

Fantastic! A lot of fun stuff.

[Sergeant Rock]

Listening to Beethoven's three op.30 sonatas, Mutter/Orkis




Sarge

[MishaK]

My first ever listen:

I'm actually quite fond of that version. Much warmer than one might expect of Solti.

[mahler10th]

Oh. Couldn't see John's attachment when I replied to his question. My comment applies only to the last recording.

Thank you for helping me sort it out and sorry for the confusion I have caused.

This is on.

[Brian]

What'd you think, Philo?

[The new erato]

[Antoine Marchand]

Here Hogwood, too:


J.S. Bach: Coffee Cantata / Peasant Cantata
Cantatas BWV 211, BWV 212
The Academy of Ancient Music
Christopher Hogwood (direction)
Emma Kirkby, soprano; Rogers Covey-Crump, tenor; David Thomas, bass
L'Oiseau-Lyre
Rec.: Sep. 1986
TT: 52:03