What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Sergeant Rock]

Now listening to Vaughan Williams box Symphonies (Haitink). Nearly finished with symphony no. 2. First time I've ever liked it and I hear so many details this time. I am happy with this purchase after spending so much time deciding (thanks Sarge and all you Haitink supporters)! Though, I am going very slowly through it..
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Glad you're enjoying the Dutchman's Vaughan Williams so far. Haitink's "London" is the one I play the least though...and I don't know why. When I want to hear it, I tend to go for Thomson or Hickox or Barbirolli. In fact, I have no memory of Haitink's performance. I'll have to play it soon.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Hmm, I've yet to listen to the Thomson, Sarge. Heck, I still have to get organized enough to revisit Job . . . busy times, though really, that's the good thing.

[Sergeant Rock]

Hmm, I've yet to listen to the Thomson, Sarge.

I can empathize. I have nothing to do 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and yet I still can't find enough time to listen to all the music I want to hear.

Sarge

[Sadko]

Just landed:

Debussy

La Mer, Nocturnes, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

The Cleveland Orchestra
Vladimir Ashkenazy



Recently I heard "Dialogue du vent et de la mer" from this recording played on the radio, and I liked how it evoked clear visual images, let's see how it is with full concentration and within the whole work.

[Ataraxia]

I have nothing to do 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...

That's the life for me!!! 

[Karl Henning]

 Quote from: Sadko on Today at 09:52:22 AM

Just landed:

Debussy

La Mer, Nocturnes, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

The Cleveland Orchestra
Vladimir Ashkenazy

>

Recently I heard "Dialogue du vent et de la mer" from this recording played on the radio, and I liked how it evoked clear visual images, let's see how it is with full concentration and within the whole work.

 
Please report, when you may!  As a rule, I'm not crazy about Ashkenazy as a conductor; but when I've enjoyed his conducting best, it was the Clevelanders playing.

[TheGSMoeller]

What a coincidence, Claude helped me relax last night before bedtime, I do have the Ashkenazy disc and it's very good, but last night it was...

[mc ukrneal]

One of my favorite piano discs...

[Karl Henning]

Oh, one of mine, as well . . . I've got it with a reissue cover.

[Karl Henning]

“Papa”

Disc 6

Sonata in C, Hob.XVI:21
Sonata in E, Hob.XVI:22
Sonata in F, Hob.XVI:23
Sonata in D, Hob.XVI:24
Tom Beghin

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[Sadko]

Quote from: Sadko on Today at 09:52:22 AM

Just landed:

Debussy

La Mer, Nocturnes, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

The Cleveland Orchestra
Vladimir Ashkenazy

>

Recently I heard "Dialogue du vent et de la mer" from this recording played on the radio, and I liked how it evoked clear visual images, let's see how it is with full concentration and within the whole work.

 
Please report, when you may!  As a rule, I'm not crazy about Ashkenazy as a conductor; but when I've enjoyed his conducting best, it was the Clevelanders playing.

"I'm not crazy about Ashkenazy as a conductor" - Yes, I agree, and I found it confirmed again here. Not bad, but also not great for me, I'll stick to Martinon and Boulez.

[Karl Henning]

Good to know, thanks!

[Ataraxia]

As a conductor, he makes a great pianist. 

[Opus106]

He wasn't quite [booming voice] Beethoven [/booming voice] when he wrote it, but this Op. 3 serenade is simply delightful. Mozart's definitely present, especially in the variations last penultimate movement that's playing now, but why should that hinder the listening of beautiful music?

[Karl Henning]

 Quote from: MN Dave on Today at 10:48:26 AM

As a conductor, he makes a great pianist. 

 
Change that to cellist, and I've thought the same of Slava many a time and oft : )

[TheGSMoeller]

One of my favorite piano discs...

Oh, one of mine, as well . . . I've got it with a reissue cover.

Nice to hear, we have great taste.

...Not bad, but also not great for me, I'll stick to Martinon and Boulez.

Absolutely. 

[Ataraxia]

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[Karl Henning]

Mmm, nice outfit, especially for that rep, Dave.

[not edward]

Boom!

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Even at basically 37 minutes of useful content (sorry, DG, two fragments from symphonies doesn't count), this is a superb disc. Blacher's once-popular(ish) Paganini Variations sounds fabulous here with huge dynamic range and a so appropriate swagger in the brass, while the two movements of what is perhaps Hartmann's magnum opus go from the agonized Expressionism of the first movement to the explosive, unstoppable momentum of the fugal finale. Fricsay and his band are on fire here--it's hard for me to imagine anyone matching this performance.

Then for a complete change of pace, a wide-ranging mix of Norgard both early and new:

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It's a well-made collection, with mature works and earlier post-Holmboe/Sibelius ones placed so as to avoid any predictability. (It still amuses me that the Bartok movement of Tributes sounds so like Lutoslawski, though.)

[TheGSMoeller]

Quote from: MN Dave on Today at 10:48:26 AM

As a conductor, he makes a great pianist. 

 
Change that to cellist, and I've thought the same of Slava many a time and oft : )

What about Barenboim? Conductor or pianist?