What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Harry]

Koppel Symphony 3-4  Thanks for the tip

Hi Robert!

Koppel, well yes yet another good composer huh!

[not edward]

Superlative performances.

[Haffner]

Berlioz "Le Carnaval Romain et Symphonie Fantastique" (Mackerras and the Royal Philharmonic)

Just finished this newly-acquired performance. Performance-wise, this is quite good, but the recording itself is way too trebly. The bass on this recording seems to often be suffocated by the piercing highs.

[Steve]

More Bach today...

[Harry]

Woldemar Bargiel.

Complete pianotrios Volume II.

Trio for Pianoforte, Violin, and Violoncello opus 6, in F major.

Trio Parnassus.

Worthy of the likes of Brahms. Boy what a fine piece of music this is. The very thunderous opening Adagio-allegro energico, has me on the edge of my seat, and the lovely Scherzo soon has me mesmerized completely, not to forget the Andante sostenuto, with a serenity that makes silence in music audible. To find such a treasure amongst the big pile of cd's in my room, makes it all worthwhile. I am a happy man in this respect.

[Robert]

Hi Robert!

Koppel, well yes yet another good composer huh!

The third for sure. I like it better than the fourth...Im listening to it again.....I think I will spend part of the day with him....I have access to all his symphonies on this site....

[rubio]

Kozena and her beautiful voice. Especially I liked the Gluck songs.

[George]

Superlative performances.

Oh, yes, these are great! 

[Harry]

Ethel Smyth.

SQ in E minor.
SQ in /e major, opus 1.

Mannheimer Streichquartett.
Joachim Griesheimer, 2 nd Cello.

My friends we forgot a lady, to be precise a "Dame" so very English. That are no manners! We forgot what we have to do, and left her in the cold. Well that happens quite often you will say. Maybe. But in this case that is so unjustified, that although I am one of the gentlemen that overlooked her,it breaks my heart. How is that possible, a unknown lady that breaks your heart. I say, listen to the E minor quartet and you will know. How on earth is it possible that such genius is overlooked? Because she is a woman? That may well be, if even Brahms despite his Clara loathed female composers, and with him a lot more. If you say Ethel Smyth, you say beauty, beauty of tone and form and classical grasp, almost into perfection. We can not afford to not know her, her compositions make that impossible you hear. The beauty and masterful E minor quartet is a marvel from beginning to end, and after hearing it three times in a row, I would gently push it sky high into the altar of heavenly beauty. That said thereafter comes the E major Quintet, and she does the same trick again and gains as many laurels as before. Blimey, its amazing. Next will be her Orchestral works!
The Manheimers play gorgeous, and aided by a warm recording.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Pic-Lib-BIG/Smyth-Ethel-01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Smyth-Ethel.htm&h=704&w=535&sz=52&hl=nl&start=2&sig2=36FzTPeGEGu4JLZ2MhArlA&tbnid=CS4CTZft8AtvhM:&tbnh=140&tbnw=106&ei=GRUpRqKAHpPC0gSBtdjzDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DEthel%2BSmyth%26svnum%3D50%26hl%3Dnl%26lr%3Dlang_nl%26newwindow%3D1%26sa%3DN

[Daidalos]

Mozart
Serenade in C minor, K388
The English Concert Winds

[rubio]

I borrowed this CD from the library, and what an excellent Chopin disc it is! It includes my favourite set of Ballades that I've heard so far. For sure I will buy it  .

[wintersway]

[George]

I borrowed this CD from the library, and what an excellent Chopin disc it is! It includes my favourite set of Ballades that I've heard so far. For sure I will buy it  .

We agree again, Rubio! They are my very favorite set of Ballades as well!!

You have exceptional taste. 

[Florestan]

Excelent music & performance.

[Michel]

Coming to the end of Solti's Rheingold. Certainly Solti's best Ring opera.

To be followed by Scriabin's Piano Sonatas, with emphasis on his third.

[Valentino]

More Bach today...

I recently bought Schiff's Well Tempered, and I find them very satisfactory. Listened to Book I earlier today.

[Harry]

Excelent music & performance.

Of course it is Andrei!

[Harry]

I recently bought Schiff's Well Tempered, and I find them very satisfactory. Listened to Book I earlier today.

Ever heard it on a Harpsichord?

[Maciek]

I didn't post anything here for some time, so here's an update :

For the past two or three days I have been listening to this LP recording of Moniuszko's Straszny dwór (The Haunted Manor). I listened to each of the 4 LPs 3 or 4 times so it took a while:

Poznań Opera/Walerian Bierdiajew

Today morning I also listened (several times) to the first track of the first CD in this set:

The piece I listened to over and over was Marian Borkowski's Selection for 5 for chamber ensemble, featuring the amazing "singing" (the piece is very modern) of Jadwiga Gadulanka. Spellbinding!

And later I listened twice to this excellent disc (should it go to the non-classical listening thread? I don't know):

George & Ira Gershwin: Standards & Gems (Nonesuch)

And the lineup for the last hour or so has been:
Stanisław Wiechowicz - Kasia. Suite for string orchestra and 2 clarinets (Kitowski, Skórski, POR/Straszyński)
Tadeusz Paciorkiewicz - Sonata for viola and piano (Artur Paciorkiewicz, Maciej Paderewski)
Andrzej Kurylewicz - songs to words by Norwid and Krasiński (Wanda Warska)
Andrzej Kopeć - Dzieci
Bartosz Kowalski-Banasiewicz - Wojtyliana (this and the previous one: long list of unknown performers)
Feliks Janiewicz - Divertimento for string orchestra (POK/Jerzy Maksymiuk)

[greg]

How do you like the Quintet, Greg?

actually, i thought it was some of the most boring Schoenberg I've ever heard.
but i will give it a little credit- in some parts it actually did capture my attention, but i had to listen to it a certain way