What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Conor71]

Reger: String Quartet No. 5 In F# Minor, Op. 121
Reger: Clarinet Quintet In A Major, Op. 146

Now listening to the final Disc of this box which I have been exploring most of this week. After taking the time for a few listens this Music has grown on me and this set is a fine addition to my String Quartet collection. I read somewhere that Webern and Schoenberg, etc. were influenced by Reger and knowing this has made his sound world a bit more understandable for me - no tunes to hum in the shower here and stuff but its all beautiful and interesting Music in its own way
As far as the sound and performance - this is an ADD recording from the 60/70's and sounds well good and the performances are great!.

[The new erato]

A similar early morning scene here, further South.

This beautiful set of Lamentations might be right up your alley BTW! The best Alessandro Scarlatti I've encountered since the "La Santissima Trinita" disc by Biondi et al. Recommended at Newolde. The Fanfare review HERE.

Q

And into the wish lists it go. You're a cruel one. I share your love for the  "La Santissima Trinita" dsc; need to dig it out for a listen. Alessandro Scarlatti seems the least well documented of the relatively late baroque masters. (depends on what one mean by masters of course, we need more Stradella, Conti, Caldara etc also......)u

[The new erato]

Reger: String Quartet No. 5 In F# Minor, Op. 121
Reger: Clarinet Quintet In A Major, Op. 146

Now listening to the final Disc of this box which I have been exploring most of this week. After taking the time for a few listens this Music has grown on me and this set is a fine addition to my String Quartet collection. I read somewhere that Webern and Schoenberg, etc. were influenced by Reger and knowing this has made his sound world a bit more understandable for me - no tunes to hum in the shower here and stuff but its all beautiful and interesting Music in its own way
As far as the sound and performance - this is an ADD recording from the 60/70's and sounds well good and the performances are great!.

Reger's chamber music is VERY worthwhile IMO. I played through it all, on 23 discs, 3 years ago, and was pretty impressed by quite a lot of it. In particular I seem to remember the clarinet sonatas as particularly fine.

[The new erato]

This beautiful set of Lamentations might be right up your alley BTW! The best Alessandro Scarlatti I've encountered since the "La Santissima Trinita" disc by Biondi et al. Recommended at Newolde. The Fanfare review HERE.

Q

BTW perusing my Scarlatti section I see I have the Martin Gester/Parlement de Musique partially complete (4 of 6 sections) recording on Opus 111 of the work. Maybe time to break it out.

[springrite]

I am listening to this for the third time in the past 2 days:

Debussy Preludes Book I, Images Book I, Estampes (Arrau)

[Que]

BTW perusing my Scarlatti section I see I have the Martin Gester/Parlement de Musique partially complete (4 of 6 sections) recording on Opus 111 of the work. Maybe time to break it out.

I saw it mentioned in the Fanfare review: 

Four of the six sections were done on Opus 111 by the Parliament de Musique under Martin Gester back in 1993 (rereleased in 2000), and it probably was done as a sort of competition, and it too is a fine recording. This rerelease of the more complete version by the Aurora Ensemble more than supersedes it in effective playing and interpretation, however.

Q

[The new erato]

Bought for a pittance (aoround 4 £ VATfree) at a housecleaning Universal sale at europadisc recently:

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I've always had a soft spot for Hogwood, and this is very fine.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Good morning all. Wow, Erato you left quite a trace of postings behind you, I am so not used to that, but I enjoyed them!

I started this morning with the second of 8 CD'S, containing the Trios for Fortepiano, violin, and violincello, Volume II. HOB 11-14, played by this fabulous "Trio 1790". These performances are somehow so friendly and congenial, that its a welcome guest to my player any time. As far as period instruments go, this is a definitive performance, and well recorded too!

[The new erato]

Now that's Karl's on leave (as I hope it turns out, I miss that bearded, tablecrunching master of cyrillic), somebody's got to step up!

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Now that's Karl's on leave (as I hope it turns out, I miss that bearded, tablecrunching master of cyrillic), somebody's got to step up!

I
He said on twitter to me, that he needed a break, so I guess he will be back!
So step on it "George" don't  be so Lazenby 

[val]

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH:    Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor

Among the harpsichord versions, Andreas Staier is my favorite, using a fast tempo but very expressive. He has, as usual, a perfect sense of the work's architecture.

I don't like much to listen to this work on the piano, but to chose one version it would be the amazing live performance of Youri Egorov in New York (1978).

[listener]

LIGETI  Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet
HINDEMITH   Kleine Kammermusik  op. 24/2
IBERT  Trois Pièces Brèves       JANACEK    Mladi
Vienna Wind Soloists
and then a lot of FAURÉ - the chamber music
String Quartet op.121   - The Loewenguth Quartet
Piano Quartets opp. 15 & 45, Piano Quintets opp.69 &115, Trio in d, op.120
Jacqueline Eymar, piano; Günter Kehr, violin; Bernard Braunholz, cello
with Erich, viola andWerner Neuhaus, violin

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Definitively a Desert Island disc. All fits in this recording. I could play this every day. Glinka is a perfect fore runner for the A minor from Tchaikovsky, which is a musical all time high point for me. The performance is perfect, as is the recording.

[Que]

Q

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

This is one of two Dvorak symphonies boxes I am currently listening to, and they could not be more different, in interpretation and sound. But lets stay with the current box, which is released on Brilliant as a budget box, with licensed recordings from Chandos and EMI. It comes with a booklet of 19 pages with a thorough write up of every symphony, but no pictures as such. A sturdy box holding cardboard sleeves, with a nice picture on it. There is also info of recording date and venue, and the producer and engineer. Just saying, for some folks think that's seems to be very important.
I listened to Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, opus 10, performed by the Scottish National Orchestra, and conducting is Neeme Jarvi. This recording is from Chandos and recorded in the difficult Henry Wood Hall in Glasgow, 1987. the engineer was Ralph Couzens. Now far is it from me to say that RC is a bad engineer, but this hall proved to be a bit of a challenge for him. The sound is very rich, low on detail and you need really good speakers, to keep it from booming. That is not to say that it is a bad recording, for the brass blares out in full glory, and the forefront detail is always audible, and as a whole it is a pleasant recording of which I derived much pleasure. Tempi are well judged, and the orchestra had enough rehearsal time to give us a glowing account of the third, much to be recommended.
All this leads me to say that there exist another budget box, released by Edel Classics, and which I consider one of the best around. Its good to have that one too, for he is less rich in sound but overflowing with detail, you will be surprised how much extra you get with the Staatskapelle Berlin under the baton of Otmar Suitner, in good sound, and wonderful tempi. I am afraid that the booklet  only gives info in general about Dvorak as a composer and his time, and some info about the conductor but that is all. The box is of sturdy make, and the sleeves also. Gives recording dates and venues, and each cardboard sleeve has a different picture from Otmar Suitner, very nice touch that. I will soon continue with this set too.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

From this box CD III.

Frederick Delius.
On the Mountains, Symphonic Poem.
Seven Songs from the Norwegian.
Paa Vidderne-Melodrama.

Royal Liverpool PO, Douglas Bostock.
Jan Lund Tenor.
Peter Hall, Narrator.

Recorded in 2000, By Classico Records, and licensed by Membran Music. (76:18)
All this info can be found either on the cardboard sleeve, or the box.

The recording itself is excellent, lucid well proportioned balance, with a lot of depth, and excellent detail. Jan Lund is a fine Tenor, and his enunciation is up to scratch.  A well rehearsed orchestra follows Bostock faithfully, and takes a second place to the singing when appropriate. I could not say anything about Paa Vidderne, for that composition is not my cup of tea, apart from the Narrator who is very good, and clearly understandable, and brings enough drama to it, if the text demands that, and that is often.

The box and card sleeves  are very sturdy, and one might take issue with the artwork, but that's less important to me, as is the lack of liner notes, for all can be found on internet, in abundance. I really like the Green colours Membran used, they are easy on my eyes. For 10 euro's I can accept all it shortcomings which are precious few.

[Que]

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A unique disc.

Q

[Lisztianwagner]

Pyotr Il'ych Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto
Wiener Philharmoniker
Herbert von Karajan
Anne-Sophie Mutter

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[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

The last time I have listen to this box was in 2009 and 2010, not because it was bad, but I simply forgot it, in this big to listen pile of mine. I stopped at disc V, so there I will continue now.

String Quartet no. 5, opus 92, & No. 15, opus 144.

First of all its well recorded by Chandos in January 2004, Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Suffolk, the engineer was Jonathan Cooper.

The all female Quartet produce a clean and lucid sound, and dig deep into the subject matter in both SQ. Although I must admit they add precious little warmth to the proceedings. Its very straight forward playing. I am not implying that is is a bad interpretation, but simply what I hear, based on a few other interpretations I have. But these performances are adding a lot to my understanding in how many ways there are, to project this music. In that sense I am happy that I got them, when JPC botch up the price to a ridiculous 7 euro's, soon corrected afterwards though.
A sturdy box, comes with a very well written booklet with all info you could possibly want, added some pictures too, 31 pages of excellence. Cd's are enveloped in white sleeves, six of them.

[Sergeant Rock]

Haydn String Quartet F minor op.20/5, Jerusalem Quartet




Sarge