What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[listener]

ALBENIZCantos de España      Iberia      Navarra
Alicia de Larrocha, piano

[eyeresist]

PENDERECKI conducting his Symphony No. 2 on EMI.

I've nothing against the "new consonance" on principle, but this is weirdly anachronistic. It sounds like something by Liszt! I imagine a swifter version with less vibrato in the strings would sound more modern. I assume this is the approach Wit took, but haven't heard that recording so don't know how far he went in "rehabilitating" this work.

EDIT: It seems Wit's version is about the same length as the composer's. However, there is a performance conducted by Kasprzyk which looks to be almost 5 minutes shorter.

[KeithW]

Presto seems to have the lowest regular prices on Dutton, so I am hoping they will have a Dutton sale one of these days. I have a number of them I'd like, including the newest Edward German disc just released.

I have a few Dutton recordings and bought almost all directly from the label - they offer great bargains from time to time. Worth watching.

[North Star]

Prokofiev
Piano Sonatas
Matti Raekallio
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[Lisztianwagner]

Sergei Prokofiev
Piano Concerto No.1

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[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

A constant reminder that even such companies as BIS occasionally bugger up recordings, must be this set with the music of Niels W Gade. Its good, but at the same time the recording is cramped and muffled. No air, or not air enough around the desks. Performance wise I have nothing to complain, because Jarvi makes a good case out of the symphonies, no doubt about it. Added to the 5th Symphony in D minor, opus 25 is Roland Pontinen on the piano, so its in fact a piano concerto in disguise. Its well orchestrated with many a sweet melody passing by, and some Mendelssohnian references. It did not linger in my ears, it came in quickly and went quickly. I really do not like the piano in this work. It sounds like a Symphony and a piano sonata, patched together. No bad, but in my ears not his best Symphony.

[Lisztianwagner]

Sergei Prokofiev
Piano Concerto No.1

I'm sorry I have to stop Ashkenazy's performance....today would be Karajan's birthday, one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century (maybe the greatest one), and my absolute favourite

So, now:
Sergei Prokofiev
Symphony No.1
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[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

The 6th Symphony by Niels Gade is altogether a different kind of work as the 5th. Its far better conceived, and orchestrated, much more care has gone into it. The second movement "andante sostenuto"  and fourth movement "Andantino quasi allegretto" are very beautiful. In the Andantino there is some gorgeous writing for Brass, and a drive thoroughly Mendelssohnian. Gade never made it into a original composer, his sound and ideas were always fed by his revered master, which is in itself no problem, but you will always hear that, regardless. I enjoy them anyway. 

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

violin Concerto in D minor, opus 56.

The only Violin concerto Gade wrote, in my favourite key, and I like this one very much. Its a carefree, happy composition, that doesn't set a foot wrong. Anton Kontra delivers a good performance, clean and unspoiled. In this case the Malmo SO, conducted by Paavo Jarvi. The orchestra sounds a bit on the boomy side, but the violin is placed perfectly. The fifth CD with The Crusaders, a vocal work, is not to my taste, after a few minutes I became claustrophobic in my ears, so I really had to abort it. Very personally though.

[Lisztianwagner]

Antonin Dvorak
Slavonic Dances

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Asger Hamerik's Symphonies are a great joy to me. Orchestrated in such a way, that they constantly throw you from surprise to elation. Symphony no. 3 in E major, opus 33 "Symphonie Lyrique" begins with a truly majestic Largo, that blossoms into a fiery Allegro molto vivace, with many a fine melody, and forceful argument, and slips into a Allegro grazioso as gently as a breeze. The whole work has many places with such fine orchestration, that it takes my breath away, such is his excellence that compared with another favourite composer of mine, Atterberg, he stands equally well. The same surge of deeply felt melodies and very economically written notes. Never too much or to little. The performance and sound are exemplary.

[Karl Henning]

Gesualdo
Tenebrae Responsories for Maundy Thursday
Psalm 50 (Miserere)
A Sei Voci

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[KeithW]

The birthday and the season

Karajan/Bach Mass in B minor

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[springrite]

To be listened to at airports and on planes during my two day lecture trip starting tomorrow:

Brahms Cello Sonatas and Schumann Fantastucke, op 73 (Pergamenschikow, Vogt)
Robert Simpson Quartet #1 and #4 (Delme)
Salonen Piano Concerto, Helix, Dichotomie
Prokofiev PC 1 and 3 (Graffman, Szell)
Brian Music from the Operas
Domingo sing Caruso

AND
A 35 minute CD of the legendary chick Hearns doing Lakers game
(The mustard came off the hotdog... Puts him in the popcorn machine... This game is in the refrigirator, the door's closed, the light is out, the butter's getting hard, the eggs' getting cold, and the jello is jiggling!)

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

In the same vein as the third Symphony, the Fourth starts, In c major, opus 35, "Symphonie Majestueuse", solemn and with a royal turn. It is so well written that never a complaint comes over my lips. All movements exceeds expectations, and the fourth movement "Maestoso e solenne" which its march like motifs has me rocking on my chair. what better compliment? He is a original, for his works are incomparable, a master in his own rights.

[madaboutmahler]

Just back from:

[asin]B000009CMV[/asin]
Die Walkure - Act 1

Absolutely beautiful music! There was such an incredibly beautiful short romantic melodic motif I really loved, extremely gorgeous! And the opening was thrilling too.
Just had enough time for the first act of Die Walkure today, shall continue with the second act tommorow! Looking forward to it!

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

I came to the last Symphony in this box, No 9 in E minor, opus 95, "From the new world". And a big surprise it was, for this is the best recorded and performed work in this box, magnificently done by the Oslo PO, under Mariss Jansons. Its easy to understand why this work is so popular, just by hearing the gorgeous second movement, lasting here about 13 minutes, and surely the very best Dvorak you can get. Jansons makes it a feast, with just the right amount of pulling and holding back, carefully handling the dynamics, and keep open textures by means of that. His tempi are swift but never too fast. His interpretation of the 8th has a certain coolness, and the 9th is not entirely free of that, but he generates enough warmth, to render this sentiment almost obsolete. Recommended!

[Lisztianwagner]

Absolutely beautiful music! There was such an incredibly beautiful short romantic melodic motif I really loved, extremely gorgeous! And the opening was thrilling too.

Glad you enjoyed the first act, Daniel The Vorspiel is one of the most powerful and impressive examples of storm I've ever listened to, agree it's absolutely thrilling. Honestly, there's not a single note of the Ring I don't consider incredibly beautiful, but just to know, what motif are you talking about?

[madaboutmahler]

Glad you enjoyed the first act, Daniel The Vorspiel is one of the most powerful and impressive examples of storm I've ever listened to, agree it's absolutely thrilling. Honestly, there's not a single note of the Ring I don't consider incredibly beautiful, but just to know, what motif are you talking about?

Yes... it certainly was a thrilling storm!
hmmm... how to describe it... if I remember correctly, it is introduced by the oboe not long after the beggining of the second scene... It is used frequently after that, always with very beautiful harmonies...
The next time I listen to it, please remind me to give you the time on the recording that it appears!

[classicalgeek]

Started off the morning with some Mozart, from one of Barry Tuckwell's numerous traverals of the Horn Concertos:

W.A. Mozart
Horn concerto no. 4 in E-flat major, K 495   
Barry Tuckwell, horn; English CO



Now up, classic Copland.  Few do it better than Lenny and the New York Phil:

Aaron Copland   
Billy the Kid: suite
Leonard Bernstein; New York Philharmonic