What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Peregrine]

Shostakovich Symphony 5/State Symphony Orchestra/Temirkanov
Russian Revalation

An excellent interp.! Thanks to Drasko for flagging this disc up.

Prokofiev Symphony 3 is up next with Rozhdestvensky conducting...

[johnQpublic]

Schubert - Overture to "Der Spiegelritter" (Huss/Koch)
Brahms - Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79 (Lupu/London)
Goetz - Symphony in F (Albert/cpo)

[Mark]

1st Dec.

so....

Great cover photo.

[Que]

Q

[Lethevich]

I am glad I bought this highly suspect release. Almost certainly pirated, but fortunately the SQ isn't terrible, and from what I've heard of the 4th and especially 6th, they're decent performances too.

The 6th in particular (which is playing atm) I am enjoying a lot. One of my favourite Bruckner symphonies, and this performance is... interesting. The silence before the first theme was gripping as I didn't have a clue what was about to come, both in interp. and sound quality. Tempi are mid to fast throughout the first movement, sometimes slowing a bit, and during the coda and finale really speeding up. I especially enjoy a fast first movement coda in this work (which many conductors do not do), so this is an enjoyable discovery so far. The momentum of the first movement finale really sets up the next movement wonderfully. The imperfect sound quality is more apparent in the adagio, but it's at least pretty clear and well-balanced.

I can give the (claimed) conductors/orchestras if anybody is interested - the set seems very cheap, although I got it for a lower than usual price, which was my reason for buying.

[longears]

Q

They look too damned serious, as if awaiting their turn at the gallows.  Isn't music supposed to be fun? 

[Que]

They look too damned serious, as if awaiting their turn at the gallows.  Isn't music supposed to be fun? 

Luckily they have much more fun playing! 
I guess they are not the kind of "pin-up" musicians en vogue these days...

Q

[longears]

Luckily they have much more fun playing! 

Glad to hear it!
The more I think about it, the more I wonder what marketing "genius" (I know it's an oxymoron!) decided this cover photo would spur sales.  Though it does make me wonder what they're watching.  Film of the horrors of Auschwitz?  The first news reports of the "Shock and Awe" invasion of Iraq?  A Brittney Speers music video?

[Que]

Still think this is a touch on the sweet side, but very much enjoy it nevertheless!

Q

[Lilas Pastia]

A perfect day I would give a lot to be able to hear the 7th freshly again

His symphonic poems and overtures are very major pieces, and alongside his Slavonic Dances (most of these can actually all be bought at once in this cheap set), would cover most of his major non-symphony/concerto orchestral works

It's always chancy to rank works in order of importance/accomplishment, but there's a general consensus that some of Dvorak's tone poems are on the same plane as symphonies 7-9 and the cello concerto. Certainly The Water Goblin, The Noonday Witch and The Wood Dove qualify for that honour (as does the Serenade op 44 for Winds).

On a lower but still very high level are symphonies 5 and 6, The Golden Spinning Wheel, Scherzo Capriccioso, Symphonic Variations, the Czech suite and the ever-engaging violin concerto. Certainly anyone coming fresh to Dvorak should consider some of the non-symphonies or concertos for a neat overview of Dvorak's orchestral mastery.

It took me half a lifetime, but I'm finally coming to Klemperer's magisterial Beethoven (the EMI stereo recordings) and I find myself all the richer from that experience. Not everything in there is wholly satisfying, and there are whole movements where the old maestro's sheer grit and power of persuasion are the only reasons that keep me listening. But there are also many truly illuminating moments where his wizardry in achieving utterly transparent textures within  massive sonorities is awe-inspiring. I've already commented on the 1st and 6th, and concertos 3 and 4 (with Barenboim). Symphonies 2 and 5 were on the menu this week and both contain enough that is riveting and so beethovenian that I'm willing to forgo any considerations of idiomatic conducting or musical correctness. This is confrontational music making where the conductor is obviously not trying to lure or cajole. They are gigantic performances that stride inexorably forward. Most allegros here are decidedly leisurely, but the iron rythmic grip and incredible transparence of the engineering makes one hear so many details that there's actually more musical data for the ears to process than in most performances that adopt Beethoven's correct tempos. This conductor's Beethoven embraces intellectual and aesthetic considerations that elevate the music to a different level. It  demands to be met on its own terms.

[Lethevich]

It's always chancy to rank works in order of importance/accomplishment, but there's a general consensus that some of Dvorak's tone poems are on the same plane as symphonies 7-9 and the cello concerto. Certainly The Water Goblin and The Wood Dove qualify for that honour (as does the Serenade op 44 for Winds).

On a lower but still very high level are symphonies 5 and 6, The Golden Spinning Wheel, Scherzo Capriccioso, Symphonic Variations, the Czech suite and the ever-engaging violin concerto. Certainly anyone coming fresh to Dvorak should consider some of the non-symphonies or concertos for a neat overview of Dvorak's orchestral mastery.

The Wood Dove, Water Goblin and Noon Witch are my favourite three by a small margin. One thing I've noticed is how under-recorded and rarely mentioned The Hero's Song, Op.111 is - it was published (and presumably written) at around the same time as the others, but seems enduringly unpopular.

[Lilas Pastia]

I forgot to mention The Noonday Witch, one of my favourite pieces (I've edited my post accordingly). I've never heard the Hero's Song, but I've seen it referred to as subpar music (in American Record Guide's Dvorak Overview).

[Peregrine]

It took me half a lifetime, but I'm finally coming to Klemperer's magisterial Beethoven (the EMI stereo recordings) and I find myself all the richer from that experience. Not everything in there is wholly satisfying, and there are whole movements where the old maestro's sheer grit and power of persuasion are the only reasons that keep me listening. But there are also many truly illuminating moments where his wizardry in achieving utterly transparent textures within  massive sonorities is awe-inspiring. I've already commented on the 1st and 6th, and concertos 3 and 4 (with Barenboim). Symphonies 2 and 5 were on the menu this week and both contain enough that is riveting and so beethovenian that I'm willing to forgo any considerations of idiomatic conducting or musical correctness. This is confrontational music making where the conductor is obviously not trying to lure or cajole. They are gigantic performances that stride inexorably forward. Most allegros here are decidedly leisurely, but the iron rythmic grip and incredible transparence of the engineering makes one hear so many details that there's actually more musical data for the ears to process than in most performances that adopt Beethoven's correct tempos. This conductor's Beethoven embraces intellectual and aesthetic considerations that elevate the music to a different level. It  demands to be met on its own terms.

Great stuff, liked that!

Klemperer can take some adjustment...

I remember the first time I heard the stereo Eroica and just thought 'No, this is so wrong'! But have grown to really admire that set, do try and hear the original mono recordings - you'll be quite surprised! Klemps' Beethoven sits firmly at the top of the pile for me, along with Furt, Szell and Toscanini.

'It demands to be met on it's own terms' - Most definitely! 

[Peregrine]

Haydn - Op.54
Endellion String Quartet

[Drasko]

I can give the (claimed) conductors/orchestras if anybody is interested - the set seems very cheap, although I got it for a lower than usual price, which was my reason for buying.

Conductors and orchestras are real, the 7th is actually well known (and regarded). I have heard none of them, though single disc with 7th is in my listening pile (been there for months ).
Label is some sort of Membran sub, I think.

[Lethevich]

Conductors and orchestras are real, the 7th is actually well known (and regarded). I have heard none of them, though single disc with 7th is in my listening pile (been there for months ).
Label is some sort of Membran sub, I think.

Thanks I was a bit suspicious about the names (I only recognised Rosbaud) because I couldn't find Hubert Reichert even on the German Wikipedia (usually it's reliable for conductors I haven't heard of) - only music store results. You seem to know everything about this stuff

[Peregrine]

Disc 1, Op.71

[George]

Haydn - Op.54
Endellion String Quartet

Haydn

Op. 17

Tatrai QT

CD 2

[Peregrine]

Haydn

Op. 17

Tatrai QT

CD 2

I've ordered the Tatrai's Op.20 today...

[Bogey]

I've ordered the Tatrai's Op.20 today...

You will not be disappointed.  Here comes the sun....