What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

Started by Maciek, April 06, 2007, 02:22:49 AM

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TheGSMoeller

Rameau!
[asin]B000U7V9F8[/asin]

Sid

@ leon - i love liszt, and dr howard's an excellent interpreter of this guy, imo. dr howard came down here to sydney on an "whirlwind" tour, he did some masterclasses, public lectures and performances at sydney conservatorium. all free of charge. i went to the lecture and recital after. this guy is a fountain of knowledge on liszt & many other relevant things. he was one of "our own," i think he was born in melbourne but has been based in the uk for yonks. he played some more obscure works, and talked about the connections between liszt and composers from earlier times, his own time, and how he impacted on music until today and beyond. i reviewed his concert on that thread, i meant to put something more detailed on my blog about the lecture, but i've had no time. i found his playing not too top heavy or flamboyant, generally restrained, understated, nuanced, but when he "let it all out" with a big crescendo/climax or something, it really "hit" me, with huge impact. again, this is another guy who's on my "backburner" to get on disc. amazing fellow in all ways.

Brahmsian

Mozart

Horn Concertos 1-4


Jacek Muryk, horn
Amadeus Chamber Orchestra of Polish Radio
Agnieszka Duczmal, conducting

Naxos

***Haven't listened to these wonderful gems in a long time.  They sound awesome, as always!!   :)

[asin]B000SKJQRU[/asin]

Sid

STANFORD
- Requiem - soprano, mezzo, tenor, bass, choir & orch.
- Suite from "The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan" (Opera)
Irish soloists/RTE Phil. Choir/RTE National SO of Ireland
Adrian Leaper (with Colman Pearce in suite only), cond.
(Naxos - 2 disc set)

i bought this a year ago & have liked it ever since. it's the only recording i have of this composer. getting into this choral/vocal area - eg. with works like handel's "messiah," vivaldi's "gloria," faure's "requiem," mozart's "great mass in c," in the live format, and most recently haydn's "the creation" which probably made the hugest impact on me - i have come to appreicate stanford's requiem even more. like brahms, he probably wasn't a high voltage innovator like say beethoven, liszt or wagner were, but stanford's unique vision and "vibe" is unmistakably there in every bar, every note. it might not be technical (i don't know) but more philosophical or a "head space" kind of attitude thing. he was really an all-rounder and musical polymath in many ways, but his real passions lay in the choral realm. the choral harmonies in this work are just "to die for," totally out of this world, but not top-heavy like in some other requiems. it's hard to compare, but i hear some of verdi's italian warmth and flair in there, as well as mendelssohn's lyricism and understatement in how stanford writes for the orchestra. it's very subtle, but just as powerful as something more overtly dramatic (not much bombast here, he draws on the cymbals only once in the whole 80 minute piece). there are so many moments of genius here, it'd take me all day to go into it in detail as i'd like to. highlights for me are the "lacrimosa" in the fourth section "sequence - dies irae." stanford puts across the "vibe" of this valley of tears from which no departed souls ever return with such sensitivity and accuteness, it's depth is just unfathomable. many questions in this five minute section - eg. what lies after that valley of tears when we die? is there eternal life or just a void, nothing? another part is in the following section "offertorium" - the text speaks to us the living entrusting the souls of our departed loved ones to the care of god, in a "good" space, but it's beyond our reach. is this more in our minds, are we just kidding ourselves that this space actually exists? anyhow, the music of this short part is comforting and soothing beyond words. this requiem was written in memory of lord leighton, a great british painter who was not only a professional colleague but also a dear friend of the irish composer. no wonder, that even though stanford was of the protestant faith, this work setting the latin text from catholic sacred rites does away with these meaningless barriers. it's totally heartfelt, genuine, there is no hint of religious dogma of any kind in there. the forces are massive, but it's so intimate that it could have been written for only one instrument, like australian composer peter sculthorpe's "requiem for solo cello" which was also in memory of a dear departed freind of his. this is the only recording, done 70 years after the man's death. it's great that naxos has kind of gone "out on a limb" to put this work down on disc, my heartfelt commendations to them. like stanford, they are a label of little or no "********" - they are committed to putting out music, many things like this that deserve to be heard.

the "filler" here on the second disc is no less unique, but it's an orchestral selection/suite from one of the man's many operas that haven't seen the light of day for like 100 years. this work was premiered in germany. i particularly like how stanford uses the double basses and other lower string instruments in the ballet sections. like a famous part i remember in beethoven's 5th symphony, he gives these instruments, which are often relegated to the background, a huge "star turn." the song "there's a bower of roses" comes across as having the intimacy of art-song, it's more like that, not much like grand opera. for most of the song, the soprano sings accompanied by a harp, the irish national instrument.

in a word, this set is "awesome." yes, a cliche, but here it's use is highly warranted, imo...

[asin]B00030B9B6[/asin]

not edward

Ginastera's cello concerti.

[asin]B004TWOWX6[/asin]

These works seem expressively direct than Ginastera's other concerti, but certainly have plenty meat on their bones. I foresee a few listens to this disc in the next week or two.
"I don't at all mind actively disliking a piece of contemporary music, but in order to feel happy about it I must consciously understand why I dislike it. Otherwise it remains in my mind as unfinished business."
-- Aaron Copland, The Pleasures of Music

Mirror Image

Now:

[asin]B000787WYC[/asin]

This is my fourth or fifth time listening to this recording. Great stuff.

TheGSMoeller

Prokofiev - The Prodigal Son
[asin]B001BXN8CM[/asin]

Mirror Image

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on June 02, 2011, 07:25:12 PM
Prokofiev - The Prodigal Son
[asin]B001BXN8CM[/asin]

A wonderful recording. I own the whole series plus the symphonies set. Jarvi is great in Prokofiev.

TheGSMoeller

Quote from: Mirror Image on June 02, 2011, 07:32:52 PM
A wonderful recording. I own the whole series plus the symphonies set. Jarvi is great in Prokofiev.

Agreed...going through Koechlin recordings now deciding which ones to try first, leaning towards Le Docteur Fabricius based on samples alone.

Mirror Image

Quote from: TheGSMoeller on June 02, 2011, 07:38:24 PM
Agreed...going through Koechlin recordings now deciding which ones to try first, leaning towards Le Docteur Fabricius based on samples alone.

That would be an excellent choice. You really can't go wrong with that recording. The performances are fantastic. The music, of course, is incredible. It would be a great introduction, so would the Holliger-led disc with La course de printemps and Le buisson ardent.

TheGSMoeller

And found Zinman's Jungle Book CD, getting both discs for starters, very excited!! Thanks again MI.

Mirror Image

#86611
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on June 02, 2011, 07:48:40 PM
And found Zinman's Jungle Book CD, getting both discs for starters, very excited!! Thanks again MI.

YES!!!! Awesome man! Can't wait to hear your impressions of the music.

Special note: To get better familiar with Koechlin's style, please checkout this Wikipedia article, it's pretty well written and gives you some background on the composer as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Koechlin

listener

another GUILMANT disc
includes the March on "Lift up ye gates", Offertory on "O Filii", Cantilène Pastorale, 8 other tracks
Charles Callahan, Aeolian-Skinner organ Church of the Epiphany, Washington, DC
and a Latin-American "pops" disc from Naxos
includes GALINDO Sones de Mariachi, HALFFTER Festive Overture,  MONCAYO Huapango,
REVUELTAS Sensemayá,   VILLA-LOBOS El Trencito (from Bachianas 2), + 5 more
Festival Orchestra of Mexico    Enrique Bátiz, cond.
LISZT 13 songs, including the 3 Petrarch Sonnets
Margaret Price, sop.,  Cyprien Katsaris, piano
"Keep your hand on the throttle and your eye on the rail as you walk through life's pathway."

mc ukrneal

Listening to this to start my Friday:
[asin]B0018D89BU[/asin]
Light, airy, happy. Wonderful way to start the day. This is the sort of music that when it is over, you say....ahhhhh (in that relaxed, happy way). Well played by Jando.
Be kind to your fellow posters!!

The new erato

Quote from: Sid on June 02, 2011, 05:28:18 PM
@ member new erato's comments on stockhausen "mantra" album (naxos) -

i can see where you're coming from, stockhausen occupied a kind of "oddball" niche. but he had a wide range within it. i've not heard that work, but would be interested to hear that recording. the combination of two pianos and electronics seems pretty unique to me. as you say, maybe you weren't in the right mood with all that pressure on you from work? of course, as in all things, there's no "right or wrong" here, it's all "shades of grey." i have enoyed some of stockhausen's chance-based electronic things - for ancient synthesisers, shortwave radios, bamboo flutes (titled japan, wach, spiral) - this guy knew "wierdish" combinations, alright. i've got them on the same set with the percussion solo "zyklus" - a classic in it's field - and also the chamber work "tierkreis" based on the 12 signs of the zodiac. it's very theatrical if you see it live, costumes are worn, players move around the stage, a lot of fun. i've heard "stimmung" once, and it was absorbing in some ways. i've heard the "helicopter quartet" but it's too wierdish for me, too "out there." but judging from the other things i have heard, i have no doubt i'll enjoy "mantra" at some level. we must judge the man on his best works, not his "stunts." that naxos album is on my "backburner" but so are many things, and now i'm more occupied with older music, not c20th/21st. but i will come to "mantra" at some point in the future...

Yes, but this simplyeweren't weird enough, just some very basic piano sounds and very occasiomal and uimaginative, use of electronisc......

Que



Only arrived at disc 5 of 9, I already love this set. My countryman Sweelinck turns out to be a major composer. :o I'm somewhat embaressed to find that out only now. :-[ On the other hand for me Sweelinck  comes, being at the treashold between Renaissance and Baroque, at a perfect time for me. Having absorped the Baroque and now exploring more early organ music, as well as Renaissance in general.

Anyway, I have more picures of beautiful organs! :) Bert Matter is playing the Bader organ (1643 of the St.Walburgiskerk in Zutphen, Netherlands, and Vincent van Laar is playing the Schnitger organ (1687) of the St.Ludgerikerkirche in Norden, Ostfriesland, Germany.



Q

Sid

#86616
Quote from: The new erato on June 02, 2011, 11:23:22 PM
Yes, but this simplyeweren't weird enough, just some very basic piano sounds and very occasiomal and uimaginative, use of electronisc......

i know what you mean. some of the chance-based electronic works by stockhausen i mentioned above did come off at first to me like, wtf??? but then i just realised it's kind of "chill out" music, although the man himself apparently didn't like this kind of association with the "ambient" realm. maybe as some germans are, he was taking himself a bit too seriously?  :o anyway, i played it once when i was at my family's place, and they actually liked it, they liked it's kind of "environmental" "soundscape" kind of vibe. if you take it in this kind of more "laid back" approach, it's kind of mundane or seemingly random/uneventful nature might not jump out at you as much as you've described.

but of course, i'm talking about those different, slightly earlier electronic works. i believe "mantra" has much more elements of formal control. i think with this work, he returned to control, away from the john cage philosophies. i'm interested in it because i come from another "angle" - although my "first love" was classical, i also dip into things like techno on occassion, especially when i want to take my mind of things to do with the more "intellectual" side of classical appreciation, if you get my drift. how i take things on this varies day by day, i kind of go with the flow of where my "mental" vibes take me, nothing is set in stone with me, i'm all "up in the air"...

Quote from: ~ Que ~ on June 02, 2011, 11:40:50 PM
Only arrived at disc 5 of 9, I already love this set. My countryman Sweelinck turns out to be a major composer. :o I'm somewhat embaressed to find that out only now. :-[ On the other hand for me Sweelinck  comes, being at the treashold between Renaissance and Baroque, at a perfect time for me. Having absorped the Baroque and now exploring more early organ music, as well as Renaissance in general.

Anyway, I have more picures of beautiful organs! :) Bert Matter is playing the Bader organ (1643 of the St.Walburgiskerk in Zutphen, Netherlands, and Vincent van Laar is playing the Schnitger organ (1687) of the St.Ludgerikerkirche in Norden, Ostfriesland, Germany.

beautiful pictures, i love organs, they are magnificent, not only in sound, but they are truly sculptural works of art in themselves, even without the musical aspect.

i'm interested in maybe getting one or two sweenlick cd's, not a humungous set like yours above, just some good selection of the man's stuff. i don't remember hearing his music, but i know he was a very significant organist/composer of the time, and had much bearing on what guys did later in this area. if you can recommend me something here (are the naxos albums fairly good?), reply to me on this thread, or better still send me a short pm if you can. i'd appreciate your input, this guy has been on my "backburner" for years. yes, you are exactly right, the guy is pretty obscure, even organists i've mentioned his name to, either people i know, or after organ recitals here in sydney, they only seem to know of him, they are not familiar with the actual music in even say 15 per cent as you are. it's a pity, because from what i've read, the guy was a huge figure in the organ realm, beyond the confines of his town/country/geographical base...

Willoughby earl of Itacarius

Quote from: ~ Que ~ on June 02, 2011, 11:40:50 PM


Only arrived at disc 5 of 9, I already love this set. My countryman Sweelinck turns out to be a major composer. :o I'm somewhat embaressed to find that out only now. :-[ On the other hand for me Sweelinck  comes, being at the treashold between Renaissance and Baroque, at a perfect time for me. Having absorped the Baroque and now exploring more early organ music, as well as Renaissance in general.

Anyway, I have more picures of beautiful organs! :) Bert Matter is playing the Bader organ (1643 of the St.Walburgiskerk in Zutphen, Netherlands, and Vincent van Laar is playing the Schnitger organ (1687) of the St.Ludgerikerkirche in Norden, Ostfriesland, Germany.



Q

When I bought this set on release, I sounded its praises lavishly on GMG, many times, and I remember distinctly that no one was interested at all. Now that the set is dead cheap on JPC, everybody is all a glow for it.
That's why I personally think its time to reassess my being on GMG, for obviously writing about music, sharing, and no reactions at all, does not make it anything more as a general blog.

The new erato

Quote from: Harry on June 03, 2011, 12:03:33 AM
When I bought this set on release, I sounded its praises lavishly on GMG, many times, and I remember distinctly that no one was interested at all. Now that the set is dead cheap on JPC, everybody is all a glow for it.
That's why I personally think its time to reassess my being on GMG, for obviously writing about music, sharing, and no reactions at all, does not make it anything more as a general blog.
You buy so many recordings that you cannot expect the board to keep up with you. Enjoy that somebody has seen the light and don't sulk that they're late to the party. We're all awash in recommendations for music, movies, concerts, books, to the extemt that most of us are hard pressed for time and/or money. And some of us even occasionally have to work for a living.

mc ukrneal

Quote from: Harry on June 03, 2011, 12:03:33 AM
When I bought this set on release, I sounded its praises lavishly on GMG, many times, and I remember distinctly that no one was interested at all. Now that the set is dead cheap on JPC, everybody is all a glow for it.
That's why I personally think its time to reassess my being on GMG, for obviously writing about music, sharing, and no reactions at all, does not make it anything more as a general blog.
Harry - I don't always write when someone has posted, but I often will put something on my wish list for later consideration. I rarely buy ANYTHING when it first comes out, but appreciate those who do and provide some independent feedback.  The other problem I have is that I often forget who first brought it to my attention. Having said that, I can say that I have several works that you listened to (German (edward, not the country) piano music, Fuchs sonatas, and I am sure several others). I cannot remember if it was you, but I also have Danzi on CPO waiting for a listen (I also have some recs from Sarge, Lethe, Florestan and others waiting in the wings as well). I think Tyberg is another one I bought on your rec as well (but have not yet listened).

I know from my personal experience that when I post something no one has or has heard (yet), there is little feedback. I think that is because no one is yet familiar with it or owns it. I also know from experience that I often wait for money reasons. Many releases take longer to get to the US (released in US first) and on top of that I usually wait for a good price. Thus, there is a lag between their appearance here and my purchase. Throw in that it sometimes takes me months to get them ripped, and well, there is often a delay.

Then there are some that wait a while. That Ries overture disc (on CPO), for example - I'll get it eventually (whenever I make my next jpc purchase), and I remember you first posted about it. In any case, I am always grateful to you and others that post their listening experiences here. My musical horizons have expanded because of it.
Be kind to your fellow posters!!