What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[listener]

GLAZUNOV : The Seasons  op. 67    Concert Waltzes - in D op.47, in F op.51
Suisse Romande Orch.  / Ansermet
recorded c. 1967    holds up well, with warm, romantic playing, clear recording.
IBERT Chamber Music collection - (available now in a Brilliant 2-disc set set)
String Quartet, Trio for violin, cello & harp, Entr'acte for flute and guitar, Étude-caprice pour un tombeau de Chopin for solo cello, and other shorter solo and duo pieces.

[Lethevich]

.[asin]B00005Q670[/asin]

It is sad that I don't listen to these pieces enough to have an opinion on this recording :\

Oh deary me. Until just now when I saw this explicit cover image, I seem to have always subconsciously read "Mandarin" in Bartók's title as an alternate word for "mannequin" - presumably influenced by the title of his other ballet the Wooden Prince. How embarrassing

The first time I 'felt' Holmboe's music was with his Symphony No. 7. Because of a recent Holmboe love fest here, I downloaded Symphony No. 10, which I'll listen to when I'm in the mood... But I must say - I have had my difficulties, too. And I'm still not quite sure I'll ever like him as much as, say, RVW, Nielsen, or even Simpson.

That is a shame - mature Holmboe does seem to be a quite ascetic experience, and your comparison with Simpson (often criticised as dry) is enlightening as it makes me realise that if I didn't connect to certain key elements of Holmboe's tonality* I would perhaps feel the same way. As much as Simpson avoids explicit pictorial programmes in his music, the energy more than makes up for this and creates something dynamic and engaging - not entirely as his reputation would suggest. Cosier symphonists like RVW will always remain closest to my heart, though.

*I find his metamorphosing method a great solution to the problems of the difficulties of writing such large statements, but it's mostly his superb writing for individual instruments and their elemental interactions. His slightly pungent brass - almost mimicking chorales in a pointillist manner at times - and woodwinds in particular are wonderful stamps of personality on his works regardless of mood, and often lend his pieces a curious nobility.

I would be interested in whether you and MI respond at all to his 10th chamber concerto (I uploaded it in flac here), which I found wonderfully dynamic, if not propulsive. I can just sense Holmboe feeling tempted to write a storming tune in the 8th movement, then instead deconstructing it into what we have presented here. It's a valid way of doing things and the whole "dissected scherzo" effect is cute.

[Coopmv]

Now playing the following CD, which just arrived from MDT today for a first listen ...

[Mirror Image]

That is a shame - mature Holmboe does seem to be a quite ascetic experience, and your comparison with Simpson (often criticised as dry) is enlightening as it makes me realise that if I didn't connect to certain key elements of Holmboe's tonality* I would perhaps feel the same way. As much as Simpson avoids explicit pictorial programmes in his music, the energy more than makes up for this and creates something dynamic and engaging - not entirely as his reputation would suggest. Cosier symphonists like RVW will always remain closest to my heart, though.

*I find his metamorphosing method a great solution to the problems of the difficulties of writing such large statements, but it's mostly his superb writing for individual instruments and their elemental interactions. His slightly pungent brass - almost mimicking chorales in a pointillist manner at times - and woodwinds in particular are wonderful stamps of personality on his works regardless of mood, and often lend his pieces a curious nobility.

I would be interested in whether you and MI respond at all to his 10th chamber concerto (I uploaded it in flac here), which I found wonderfully dynamic, if not propulsive. I can just sense Holmboe feeling tempted to write a storming tune in the 8th movement, then instead deconstructing it into what we have presented here. It's a valid way of doing things and the whole "dissected scherzo" effect is cute.

I'm just not that connected to Holmboe right now for some reason. I don't feel anything listening to his music like I do when I listen to RVW, Pettersson, Bartok, Ravel, Stravinsky, Part...

Speaking of Part, now listening:

[asin]B00005MNCL[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

Now:

[asin]B00004SH7J[/asin]

Listening to Symphony No. 10. Fun, fun stuff indeed. Loud, brash, cantankerous, but done with some real French polish. I love it.

[Scarpia]

.[asin]B00005Q670[/asin]

It is sad that I don't listen to these pieces enough to have an opinion on this recording :\

I'm always intrigued when I see Chailly/Concertgebouw

Oh deary me. Until just now when I saw this explicit cover image, I seem to have always subconsciously read "Mandarin" in Bartók's title as an alternate word for "mannequin" - presumably influenced by the title of his other ballet the Wooden Prince. How embarrassing

I think the first time I saw the title I thought it referred to an orange (as in the Prokofiev piece).   

That is a shame - mature Holmboe does seem to be a quite ascetic experience, and your comparison with Simpson (often criticised as dry) is enlightening as it makes me realise that if I didn't connect to certain key elements of Holmboe's tonality* I would perhaps feel the same way. As much as Simpson avoids explicit pictorial programmes in his music, the energy more than makes up for this and creates something dynamic and engaging - not entirely as his reputation would suggest. Cosier symphonists like RVW will always remain closest to my heart, though.

*I find his metamorphosing method a great solution to the problems of the difficulties of writing such large statements, but it's mostly his superb writing for individual instruments and their elemental interactions. His slightly pungent brass - almost mimicking chorales in a pointillist manner at times - and woodwinds in particular are wonderful stamps of personality on his works regardless of mood, and often lend his pieces a curious nobility.

I would be interested in whether you and MI respond at all to his 10th chamber concerto (I uploaded it in flac here), which I found wonderfully dynamic, if not propulsive. I can just sense Holmboe feeling tempted to write a storming tune in the 8th movement, then instead deconstructing it into what we have presented here. It's a valid way of doing things and the whole "dissected scherzo" effect is cute.

I've been making my way through Holmboe's symphony cycle, and what I'm noticing is a greater affinity for the early symphonies rather than the laters.  The orchestral textures is a big part of my enjoyment of Holmboe's symphonies so I have not been optimistic that the string quartets would be as appealing to me (and listening to the short excerpts available on Amazon didn't make a positive impression).

[Mirror Image]

I've been making my way through Holmboe's symphony cycle, and what I'm noticing is a greater affinity for the early symphonies rather than the laters.  The orchestral textures is a big part of my enjoyment of Holmboe's symphonies so I have not been optimistic that the string quartets would be as appealing to me (and listening to the short excerpts available on Amazon didn't make a positive impression).

I find more substance in his later output than his earlier. Symphony No. 1 was a complete snoozer. Symphony No. 5 despite its high praise by a fellow GMG member left me bored to tears. His last symphonies (Nos. 11-13) sounded a bit more individual, but still lacked character or should I say a certain kind of punch that I expected from someone who was influenced by Sibelius, Bartok, and Stravinsky. I found Holmboe's rhythms totally uninteresting and found his approach to harmony to also be uninvolving. There are two things that attract me to music: rhythm and harmony. Melody isn't that important to me as not every composer can be a great melodist like Tchaikovsky or Saint-Saens. Anyway, I'm just completely unmoved by Holmboe's music right now, but only time will tell. I'm not going to shut the door completely.

[Lethevich]

I've been making my way through Holmboe's symphony cycle, and what I'm noticing is a greater affinity for the early symphonies rather than the laters.  The orchestral textures is a big part of my enjoyment of Holmboe's symphonies so I have not been optimistic that the string quartets would be as appealing to me (and listening to the short excerpts available on Amazon didn't make a positive impression).

The quartets are definitely more austere than the early-mid symphonies - not sure if it's just the inherent nature of the medium or something else.

[Mirror Image]

Now:

[asin]B00004SH7J[/asin]

Listening to Symphony No. 7. Wonderful music. Unapologetic, bold in the fast sections, lyrical in the slow sections, and transparent orchestration tie up this symphony.

[Scarpia]

The quartets are definitely more austere than the early-mid symphonies - not sure if it's just the inherent nature of the medium or something else.

Too early to draw conclusion, but I think 6 and 7 were the pair that I have enjoyed most so far, I've only listened to two discs worth so far, but I've managed to collect all of the symphony recordings from the BIS series and will wait until I've gotten through them before considering more purchases.

[Mirror Image]

Too early to draw conclusion, but I think 6 and 7 were the pair that I have enjoyed most so far, I've only listened to two discs worth so far, but I've managed to collect all of the symphony recordings from the BIS series and will wait until I've gotten through them before considering more purchases.

Wise decision indeed. Wish I had that kind of mindset, but my OCCDCD (Obsessive-Compulsive CD Collecting Disorder) rears its ugly head way too often. I went ahead and bought the Holmboe set, because 1. it was cheap at the time I bought it and 2. his music came highly regarded from a friend of mine who liked his music (last time I listen to him! ). Anyway, I never regretted any of my purchases. I may have bought some things that I seldom listen to now, but if somebody tells me to go listen to a symphony by so and so, I can go find the disc and give myself a refresher on the music. There's still a lot of music I want to hear, but, right now, there's still so much that I have heard, and liked, that I want to take the time to absorb the music so I have a deeper understanding of it.

[Que]

Q

[Sergeant Rock]

Nielsen, Sinfonia espansiva, Rozhdestvensky



Sarge

[Florestan]

Neal, here's another one for you, in case you don't own it already. 

[mc ukrneal]

Neal, here's another one for you, in case you don't own it already. 

Thanks - that's a new name for me. Yet another forgotten composer from an era I love!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

That is a shame - mature Holmboe does seem to be a quite ascetic experience, and your comparison with Simpson (often criticised as dry) is enlightening as it makes me realise that if I didn't connect to certain key elements of Holmboe's tonality* I would perhaps feel the same way. As much as Simpson avoids explicit pictorial programmes in his music, the energy more than makes up for this and creates something dynamic and engaging - not entirely as his reputation would suggest. Cosier symphonists like RVW will always remain closest to my heart, though.

*I find his metamorphosing method a great solution to the problems of the difficulties of writing such large statements, but it's mostly his superb writing for individual instruments and their elemental interactions. His slightly pungent brass - almost mimicking chorales in a pointillist manner at times - and woodwinds in particular are wonderful stamps of personality on his works regardless of mood, and often lend his pieces a curious nobility.

I would be interested in whether you and MI respond at all to his 10th chamber concerto (I uploaded it in flac here), which I found wonderfully dynamic, if not propulsive. I can just sense Holmboe feeling tempted to write a storming tune in the 8th movement, then instead deconstructing it into what we have presented here. It's a valid way of doing things and the whole "dissected scherzo" effect is cute.

It's funny - I'm an ascetic in life, but in art I like richness, sensuousness, physicality (as expressed in dance or march rhythms). I have always considered Holmboe and Simpson a bit too exclusively masculine. I want the feminine, too. Perhaps that's why Delius and Brian are personally the composers I connect with most. They have steeliness and softness... Thanks for the upload. When that sweet Holmboe mood takes me, I'll listen to both the 10th chamber concerto and the 10th Symphony.


Btw - I like and admire Simpson. But he doesn't inspire love. I can't love a white dwarf or a black hole.

[Sergeant Rock]

I should dig out some Holmboe (don't have much). Maybe later this afternoon. Right now, more Nielsen: the G minor Symphony, Rozh.

Sarge

[Florestan]

Thanks - that's a new name for me. Yet another forgotten composer from an era I love!

He was quite famous in his time and even Wagner admired him.

(Funny enough, a few years ago a fanatic Wagnerite claimed in my presence that Spontini's music bordered on imbecility. I was literally enraged and asked him two things: (1) whether he has heard anything by GS and (2) whether he knew that RW admired and even praised GS. To (1) the answer was in the negative, with the rationale that Belcanto is useless anyway; to (2) the reaction was one of astonished incredulity. My own reaction was to divert the discussion in other fields --- such display of ignorance and bad faith isn't even worth countering.)

This "farsetta per musica in two acts, first performance Carnival 1796, Pallacorda di Firenze, Rome" is absolutely charming. 

[Brian]

I'm listening to the Sibelius Violin Concerto for the first time in ages and ages. I think I've finally found my ideal modern/digital performance - and it's not from the performers I was expecting!

Listening to Symphony No. 10. Fun, fun stuff indeed. Loud, brash, cankerous, but done with some real French polish. I love it.

I believe (I hope) the word you're looking for is cantankerous. 

[Florestan]

I'm listening to the Sibelius Violin Concerto for the first time in ages and ages. I think I've finally found my ideal modern/digital performance - and it's not from the performers I was expecting!

If you were waiting for an invitation to disclose the performers, here you are!