What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[SonicMan46]

Antonin & Pavel Vranicky.  Sextets for Flute, Oboe and String Quartet.
Jana Brozkova, Oboe.  Jiri Valek, Flute.  Stamic Quartet.

[asin]B0001NPU56[/asin] 

Harry - own & also recommend the Wranitzky disc (how many different ways is his name spelled?) - 

Haydn, Joseph - Cello Concertos in period performances w/ a favorite cellist in the lead role - pic added above & excellent - 

[not edward]

[asin]B00066FAB2[/asin]

Probably at least Fiftieth-Listen Friday for this one; for me it's as close to perfect a Ninth as I ever expect to hear.

[mahler10th]

[asin]B00066FAB2[/asin]
Probably at least Fiftieth-Listen Friday for this one; for me it's as close to perfect a Ninth as I ever expect to hear.

Wow, thats quite an assertion.  I must hear that.

Thread Duty:  Nothing.  Al Jazeera is on...

[not edward]

Wow, thats quite an assertion.  I must hear that.

It's probably only the canonical Ninth for people who find that a superficially non-interventionist reading packs a stronger emotional wallop than more interventionist conductors. What I find completely in tune with my view of the work is the ability to solve the balance problem of the work (in many performances I know, I find the first movement overshadows the rest of the work*); the very natural tempi and phrasing; the ferocious attacks in the two central movements combined with the way that the oasis of calm in the 3rd movement so perfectly prefigures the tempo of the 4th; and of course the absolutely glorious playing of the Czech Phil that illuminates so many passages.

*The most extreme example I can think of is CSO/Boulez, where I find the first movement so shattering and the rest so comparatively uninvolved that it feels almost like an afterthought.

[Sid]

Bartok
Piano Sonata (1926)
Kathryn Selby, piano
Self published cd (recorded by ABC Classic FM)
Coupled with Beethoven's Pathetique and Chopin's 3rd sonata

Boulez
Piano Sonatas 1 (1946), 2 (1948) & 3 (1957-8)
Idil Biret, piano
Naxos

I enjoyed listening to & comparing the Bartok & Boulez sonatas. Bartok's solo piano sonata was his only work in the genre. It is perhaps his greatest piano work. In it, you can hear the use of tone clusters. He also used the 12 note system, but in a "tonal" way. The quiet and somewhat eerie slow middle movement reminded me a bit of the Boulez, but Bartok's melody was more flowing, whereas Boulez's was more fragmented. It's great to hear all of the Boulez piano sonatas played with much brilliance and flair by Idil Biret. All three are quite different works, if you listen closely. The 1st has a nocturnal feel for me. Like the colours of Debussy reduced to a thousand shades of grey, in monochrome. The 2nd is claimed by some to be the most significant piano sonatas since Beethoven's Hammerklavier. Whether you agree with that or not, this is a work that stretches the possibilities of the traditional sonata in a thousand different directions. The 3rd and final of Boulez's sonatas is the most fragmentary of the lot, apparently it is still not finished. The movements can be played in any order that the pianist wishes. When listening to this music, I try to focus on the dynamics rather than the fragmentary melodies. I find it much easier to 'read' them this way. I really like both of these pianists, they did justice to the composer's works, imo...

[Brahmsian]

Another First Listen Friday from the library.  For both works and composer!!  Fantastic stuff, too, and it sounds familiar.

Bazzini

Works for Violin and Piano

Chloe Hanslip - violin
Caspar Frantz - piano
Naxos

[DavidRoss]

I'm trying to do the math . . . .

Now playing--an island of sanity in a world gone mad:

[asin]B000038I8P[/asin]

[val]

CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH:         3 Cello Concertos         
/ Anner Bylsma, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Leonhardt

The Concerto in A major is a masterpiece. The Largo con sordini is one of the most impressive inspirations of C.P.E. BACH.
The interpretation of Bylsma and Leonhardt is just perfect.

[abidoful]

Bartok
Piano Sonata (1926)
Kathryn Selby, piano
Self published cd (recorded by ABC Classic FM)
Coupled with Beethoven's Pathetique and Chopin's 3rd sonata

Boulez
Piano Sonatas 1 (1946), 2 (1948) & 3 (1957-8)
Idil Biret, piano
Naxos

It's great to hear all of the Boulez piano sonatas played with much brilliance and flair by Idil Biret.

I've played the First Boulez sonata and unfortunately in Biret's performance there's  some mistakes. So, I prefer Aimard or Jumppanen.

[Sadko]

Schumann: Dichterliebe, Georgi Vinogradov singing, pianist unknown.

[ASIN]B0000023OI[/ASIN]

A very nice restoration from Preiser Records, the cover is awful though.

[Rinaldo]

[asin]B0000057EZ[/asin]
A tad too brisk, innit? But I'm loving the sound of that orchestra.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Miloslav Kabeláč - Symphony no. 7, op. 52

I heard the 4th Symphony back in 2001 or so, conducted by Belohlavek. It impressed me enough that the next day, I went out and bought the only available recording.

And yeah, that Gould "Consort of Musicke" album is one of his best 

[Que]

Now playing--an island of sanity in a world gone mad:

[asin]B000038I8P[/asin]

David, that looks like a period piano?

Q

[Antoine Marchand]

David, that looks like a period piano?

Q

You're all a hunter, Q!

Piano Bechstein, 1897.

[Que]

You're all a hunter, Q!

Piano Bechstein, 1897.

Seems Debussy was very fond of the instrument!

Composer Claude Debussy highly prized Bechstein pianos and made the statement, "Piano music should only be written for the Bechstein."

Seems that Planes' complete Debussy has been reissued cheaply:

[asin]B0027YUK84[/asin]

Could anyone fill me in on the instruments used on the other discs - all on the Bechstein?

Q

[Antoine Marchand]

J.S. Bach - Complete Organ Works
19-CD set



CD17:

Concertos for 2, 3 and 4 organs BWV 1060, 1061, 1062, 1064, 1065
Marie-Claire Alain – Bruno Morin – Frédéric Rivoal – Olivier Vernet
Collegium Baroque (sur instruments anciens / on period instruments )
1er violon / 1st violin & direction : Nicolas Mazzoleni

[Que]

J.S. Bach - Complete Organ Works
19-CD set



CD17:

Concertos for 2, 3 and 4 organs BWV 1060, 1061, 1062, 1064, 1065
Marie-Claire Alain – Bruno Morin – Frédéric Rivoal – Olivier Vernet
Collegium Baroque (sur instruments anciens / on period instruments )
1er violon / 1st violin & direction : Nicolas Mazzoleni

I've sampled that set, after it had been discussed on the Bach organ thread. I'm not taking the bait: that's some flashy, glitsy Bach playing... Don't get my wrong: I like swift playing and some dash, but this did not strike the right cord with me.

After sampling some more Vernet I found that his artistic strength actually lies with post-Baroque repertoire!

Q

[Antoine Marchand]

Could anyone fill me in on the instruments used on the other discs - all on the Bechstein?

No, it's the only disc played on a Bechstein, although he also plays a piano Blüthner from 1902 (Suite Bergamasque, Deux Arabesques, Children's Corner, Images Books I & II). The other two discs are played on a piano Steinway (Images inédites, Danse bohémienne, Rêverie, Mazurka, Valse romantique, Ballade slave, Danse [Tarentelle styrienne], Nocturne en Ré bémol majeur, Pour le piano) and on a piano without indication of builder (Douze Études Books I & II, ... d'un cahier d'esquisses..., Masques, L'isle joyeuse].

[Sergeant Rock]

Listening to Beethoven piano sonatas #7 op.10/3, #8 op.13 (Pollini), and #9 op.14/1 (Gould)



Sarge

[Antoine Marchand]

I've sampled that set, after it had been discussed on the Bach organ thread. I'm not taking the bait: that's some flashy, glitsy Bach playing... Don't get my wrong: I like swift playing and some dash, but this did not strike the right cord with me.

After sampling some more Vernet I found that his artistic strength actually lies with post-Baroque repertoire!

Q

Well, if I am totally honest, I didn't purchase this set totally convinced about its merits and, at some extent, my opinion was similar to yours.

Why then I bought it? Well, the guy is a disciple of M-C Alain, some choral preludes sounded attractive to me, this disc of concertos for several organs...

But today when I have listened to just three (now four) discs, I would say that it's an extraordinary set, both artistically and acoustically (the recorded sound is really superb). Excellent interpretations, with a notorious sense of exploration and adventure, beautiful organs and, IMO, a totally Baroque approach. So far (I repeat, only four discs listened to) some great, great performances...

I wouldn't trust on those samples, Q.