What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Que]

What a great series this is - one would almost forget to appreciate the way it should, being spoilt by the sheer quantity, quality of execution offered at a bargain price and issued at amazing speed!   And what a wonderful, interesting and enjoyable composer Clementi was - as becomes all the more apparent during the (chronological) progressing of the series.

Q

[Bulldog]

Haydn-Hummel-Neruda - Trumpet Concertos w/ Niklas Eklund - I've not listened to my older recording of these works in ages, so this new arrival was a welcome one!  Eklund plays the valved trumpet with polish and gusto - also have a disc on the way w/ a 'keyed trumpet' - 

Koechlin, Charles - Piano Quintet & SQ No.3 w/ Antigone Quartet - went on a Koechlin binge a few years ago; this disc was on the wish list for a while - if you're a fan of his music another excellent offering - 

 

I like Koechlin's music, so thanks for the heads-up.  I wasn't aware of this disc, and the cover is also appealing.

[Sadko]

I'm not a devoted Richter fan myself, but his Schumann is very special indeed IMO.

Q

I listenend to it yesterday, and found it sort of as I expected, not working for me, too unromantic I guess. To be more specific I had to listen again (which I will).

I liked his Brahms better (though not ideal either), I guess because Brahms allows more for an unromantic approach. I like Richter very differently in his performances, some I find mesmerizing, others not working at all. I love him e. g. in the following two:

Haydn: Sonatas, live (Decca)

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and

Händel: Keyboard suites alternating with Gavrilov (Vols. 1+2)

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Funnily though the nice idea of having the two pianists together neutralises their virtues for me, I only like these recordings when I listen to Gavrilov and Richter separately.

Now listening to CD #1, Brahms: Sonatas 1+2

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[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

This music leads you in a world of magic! Ciurliones is a painter, in his music, and in the actual painting of pictures, which won him many prices in his lifetime, and much praise. And so deserves his music, albeit the musical world thought otherwise. He evokes in his music images, closely akin to, Fibich, Novak or Suk. The complexity of the scoring is amazing, throughout all desks. The dynamics are well judged by Domarkas. Without this tight control on this, a blurred density would destroy the message indeed. The orchestra plays at its technical limits, and the recording doesn't help them in any way, its serviceable at its best. Still I am glad to have it at all. I would say a top orchestra is needed here, and than the result would be phenomenal.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

In the first movement you hear Mahler clearly emerge, especially through the emphasis on the strings, which is rather fascinating. But not only Mahler, a re fashioned Bruckner stands out firmly, by some phenomenal writing for the brass, and that's not overstated.  Also the second movement lets you hear some Mahler, albeit with the clear flavour of Tyberg himself. And here again some very fine scoring for the wood winds.
The third movement of this Symphony is devastatingly beautiful, evoking Sibelius at large, but what a unique voice emerges out of the mix, its quite remarkable.  In this truly, you will hear why this is called a master work, for that my dear friends it is! Take my word for it! Arriving at the fourth movement, you hear Dukas as the primary source, but again Tyberg transforms it into a unique mix of writing, that took my breath away, more than once. I think this is essential listening. This orchestra performed this work for the first time, and really, I cannot imagine a better performance as this, neither a better recording. The brass of this orchestra is truly amazing.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Leo Delibes.

Coppelia. (Ballet)

National PO, Richard Bonynge.

As expected, this is a top notch performance and recording, I enjoyed this journey immensely. Eyes closed I saw the choreography clearly, knowing every move of it, and I came out of the music in a pleasant trance.
Ballet and the music of the Strauss family, have a lot in common, just listen to the last four movements, especially the Galop final, or La discorde et la guerre. Yummy I so love ballet music.

[Sadko]

This music leads you in a world of magic! Ciurliones is a painter, in his music, and in the actual painting of pictures, which won him many prices in his lifetime, and much praise. And so deserves his music, albeit the musical world thought otherwise. He evokes in his music images, closely akin to, Fibich, Novak or Suk. The complexity of the scoring is amazing, throughout all desks. The dynamics are well judged by Domarkas. Without this tight control on this, a blurred density would destroy the message indeed. The orchestra plays at its technical limits, and the recording doesn't help them in any way, its serviceable at its best. Still I am glad to have it at all. I would say a top orchestra is needed here, and than the result would be phenomenal.

Sounds interesting, I know only his piano music with Lahusen, which I (partly) find also remarkable.

I often think so too, when I listen to a lesser known work, what top players could make of it.

[springrite]

Yummy I so love ballet music.

You wouldn't be Harry Ilyich if you didn't!


Now listening:

Beethoven Hammerklavier & Op.111 (Gulda)

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

You wouldn't be Harry Ilyich if you didn't!


Now listening:

Beethoven Hammerklavier & Op.111 (Gulda)

[Antoine Marchand]

Well, operettas and ballet music are two of your notorious superstitions, dear Harry IIyich. 

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD5 - Piano Concerto No. 2 and Piano Concerto No. 1 by Tchaikovsky from this set for a first listen ...

[listener]

CHAUSSON Concerto op. 21 for violin, piano and string quartet
John Corigliano, violin;  Ralph Votapek, piano
BEETHOVEN "Symphony" orchestration of String Quartet op.18/4;  Lieder from op. 52  arr. Sengel
7 Variations on "Kind, willst du ruhig schlafen" from Winter's Das unterbrochene Opferfest  WoO. 75
Munich ensembles      Günther Weiß, leader
MARTINU   Istar  3 Suites
Brno State Philharmonic Orch.     Jiři Waldhans, cond.

[bhodges]

Schumann: Piano Trios Nos. 1 and 3 (The Benvenue Fortepiano Trio) - Very good results, performing these pieces on period instruments.

--Bruce

[DavidRoss]

And it's not even Sunday!

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[Brian]

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[Coopmv]

Now playing CD18 - Highlight from Bach SJP from this set for a first listen ...



This CD is the same as the following CD.

[Sadko]

Rodion Shchedrin: The Dead Souls (Temirkanov)



I like this "green" series, and there are few more nice recordings in it.

[Coopmv]

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Brian,  This must be the first time I see you playing something baroque ...   

[Coopmv]

And it's not even Sunday!

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I like the Blomstedt and SFO combo, one of the top American orchestras at the time.  This CD is now on my shopping list ... 

[Antoine Marchand]

Having listened to two times the complete Tafelmusik by the Freiburger Barockorchester, I can report this is a thoroughly rewarding set. I would really like to have some time to do some comparative listening, but unfortunately it is not possible. I especially liked what I would call an "old taste", a sort of old HIP sobriety and fervour, mixed with some generous doses of flexibility and spontaneity. It is like that old version by Brüggen and his Concerto Amsterdam, but wisely corrected. IMO, one of the great achievements of the Freiburgers, not always one of my preferred Baroque ensembles. Highly recommended!