What are you listening to now?

[Que]

First-listen Thursday
Saint-Saëns
Chamber music
The Nash Ensemble
[asin]B00095L8X4[/asin]

A really great set.... 

Q

[North Star]

A really great set.... 

Q

First impression certainly indicates that.

[Florestan]

A really great set.... 

Q

Undoubtedly. See my post on the last page. 

[mc ukrneal]

Have them, listened to them, love them. 



Should I really get yet another version?

I doubt it. The Naxos are excellent, but I've heard great things about that one too.

[Brian]

My new reference "Concerto for Orchestra"

[Maestro267]

Scharwenka: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
Tanyel (piano)/Radio Philharmonie Hannover des NDR/Strugala

Lovely slow movement.

[aligreto]

Finishing my first run through of the Nash Ensemble Mozart String Quintet set with K 614....





For me the Nash Ensemble play with elegance and poise. Their tempi are always well judged. Interestingly I find the performances to be exquisite if impersonal [not emotional] yet very engaging. K516 and K593 are particular favourites of mine.

[aligreto]

Indeed. There are, however, a number of performances of this masterpiece that I don't enjoy. This is a difficult symphony to get right IMHO and I think the performance that comes closest is Bernstein's. Other favorites besides Blomstedt and Bernstein: Oramo, Chung, Gilbert, and Kubelik.

I must admit to not having heard any of those other than Blomstedt 
My own particular favourite version of those that I have is probably that by Kondrashin.

[Kontrapunctus]

These performances are technically very clean, but I don't detect a lot of personality in his playing, a common problem with many young musicians. Very well recorded--he's practically in my listening room!

[Brian]

First listen to this new one:

[Dee Sharp]

Obrecht: Missa Maria Zart. Phillips/Tallis Scholars. Replenishing. Excellent performance as usual from the Tallis Scholars.

[TheGSMoeller]

Steve Reich

Music For Mallet Instruments, Voices And Organ -Reich & Musicians
Six Pianos - Reich & Musicians

[asin]B000066I9C[/asin]

[Madiel]

Brahms Symphony No.1 again, this time for breakfast.

[Todd]

The Ensari & Schuch duo's first release.  The disc opens with a jumbled, incomplete set of Brahms' waltzes and Hindemith's eight waltzes in a well-judged mix and order that blends together nicely.  Next are two world premieres by Turkish composer Ozkan Manav (that's two sets of world premiere recordings by Turkish composers so far this year for me), and stylistically, they are very different.  More vital than the waltzes, and blending folk music and modernist tendencies expertly, Ensari and Schuch deliver.  The disc ends with the piano version of Rite, and even this duo can't make it as exciting as the proper version.  That written, some of the playing is absolutely fantastic, with hyper-virtuosic flourishes adding some oomph.  Sound is somewhat distant, but still quite good.  Now, when will the duo record some Schubert or Bartok?

[Kontrapunctus]

I think this is still the one to beat.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Fantastic disc. The eighth is a knockout.

[Karl Henning]

I think this is still the one to beat.

It's not a horse race    (least of all, with Mozart).

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[Karl Henning]

Symphony No. 2 [Dausgaard]....



I like the way that the opening flurry transforms into the grand, sweeping theme. The musical language of the first movement is very engaging. There is a quiet, pensive passage just before the halfway mark which I think is very powerful. The beautiful second movement flows like a gentle summer breeze. The joyful, spirited music of the final movement is enhanced by the commentary of the soprano. A very fine work with wonderful, colourful orchestration throughout.

Thanks for reminding me to listen to this again!

[Karl Henning]

And thanks to cilgwyn for the reminder, also, to listen again to:

Piston
Symphony No. 2
BSO
MTT

[André]

Some Elgar (Enigma), Delius, Rossini/Respighi, Dohnanyi and Ibert.



A friend lent me that boxed set. I think I'm gonna buy it.

The Enigma Variations are disarmingly natural in flow and characterization. The sonics are astoundingly good (1959 vintage). I thought I knew that work inside out. This has more 'inside' than most performances. An unexpected stunner.

The Delius performances are magical. Also available in the big Delius EMI collection.

Elgar, Delius and Vaughan-Williams are three giants of a very different ilk, but they stand together at the top of the Brit podium. Sargent, like Barbirolli, championed all three. Beecham didn't care for Elgar, while Boult didn't touch Delius.