What are you listening to now?

[André]

As operettas go, this one by Imre Kálmán is a bit long - about half an hour longer than, say, Land of Smiles or The Merry Widow, but the production is very well done, with the dialogue bits superimposed on offstage party music and the like. The singing is very good, but I grew tired of Gedda's unsubtle singing - he never sings less than mf and often blusters through Count Tassilo's part.

It doesn't help that the very first sung number belongs to the gipsy girl Manja, graced by Edda Moser's smokin' hot performance - talk about luxury casting! When your play your joker first, the rest per force will appear slightly less interesting. Nonetheless, the music is excellent.

[aligreto]

Langgaard: Antikrist, Prelude, Prologue & Act 1 [Dausgaard]

[Kontrapunctus]

Wonderful playing and sound. I bought the Blu-ray audio version, but it's also available as a standard CD.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I think that's my favourite photo of Shostakovich.

Yes, a great pic, indeed.

[SymphonicAddict]

Langgaard: Antikrist, Prelude, Prologue & Act 1 [Dausgaard]

Nice to see this Antikrist cover art again. There is some terrific music here that doesn't leave indifferent to some, including myself of course 

[SymphonicAddict]

Cello sonata Nr. 3



This set has nothing but praise from me. The performance is top-notch.


Ballade Nr. 4



I hardly ever listen to Chopin. This work reminded me that I was wrong. The Ballade is beautifully poetic and tender.

[Que]

Morning listening:



Q

[Florestan]

This is not late but belated Romanticism --- and all the better for it. 

I was particularly impressed by No. 5 of the Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viiola and Piano: Romanian Melody. I don't know where he found / heard it but it's a typical doina and Bruch's rhythmic and harmonic treatment is very effective in conveying the melancholy, wistful mood.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

#morninglistening to #JacobObrecht
w/@BrabantEnsemble & @SterenceRice on @hyperionrecords / @PIASclassicsUSA

: http://a-fwd.to/kDCIQvz

#MissaGrecorum (Dulce et Grecorum est, pro patria voce)

pardon the pun.

[Traverso]

Brahms

Trio in B,Op,8
Trio in C minor,Op,101

[cilgwyn]

As operettas go, this one by Imre Kálmán is a bit long - about half an hour longer than, say, Land of Smiles or The Merry Widow, but the production is very well done, with the dialogue bits superimposed on offstage party music and the like. The singing is very good, but I grew tired of Gedda's unsubtle singing - he never sings less than mf and often blusters through Count Tassilo's part.

It doesn't help that the very first sung number belongs to the gipsy girl Manja, graced by Edda Moser's smokin' hot performance - talk about luxury casting! When your play your joker first, the rest per force will appear slightly less interesting. Nonetheless, the music is excellent.

A wonderful operetta! I'd swap the glutinously,sentimental Franz Lehár for Emmerich Kálmán,any day! The whole operetta is a glorious confection from start to finish. Unlike Lehár,Kálmán adhered to the true spirit of operetta,which is about escapism and fun. The Merry Widow is,undoubtedly,a ground breaking,masterpiece of the genre and I have a soft spot for The Land of Smiles,which I actually prefer to The Merry Widow, in some ways now. But,Lehár,like Sullivan,yearned to be a 'serious' composer and attempted to make operetta more highbrow,by the utilisation of pretentious plot lines involving Paganini,and even,Goethe,for goodness sake! He even ended up trying to compose an opera (Giuditta). While Puccini,conversely,wanted to compose an operetta (La Rondine)! Lehár certainly was a dab hand at writing hit tunes,though. Teaming up with Richard Tauber certainly helped;and you can't beat the master,himself! I like Gedda,but his approach is too operatic for this repertoire. There is,undoubtedly,a lightness of touch,which does seem to be sorely missing,at times,in this recording. They also,unaccountably, cut a charming childrens chorus!! That said,it is still a good recording,and the best 'complete' (?) recording available,imho.  You also get to hear the sumptuousness of Kalman's,gloriously,intoxicating,orchestration. This is not regarded by true connoisseurs of operetta as one of the greatest masterpieces of the genre,for no good reason! That said,I do agree that Kalman's finale's do feel a bit over extended,at times. (By contrast,The Merry Widow seems not a note too long!) But then,in all fairness,they were created with a stage performance in mind,with all the requisite stage action;not for people listening,in an armchair at home, at home,with their,proverbial,'feet up'!!! I also prefer his 1921 operetta,Die Bajadere,in some ways. The recent Cpo has it's faults,but is still very good (Melodiya's 'complete' 1980 recording,had the requisite lightness of touch,but has sadly,never been issued on cd).

[North Star]

First-listen Friday

Ravel
Gaspard de la nuit
La Valse
Liszt
Ballade in B minor
Prokofiev
Sarcasms
Babayan

[Karl Henning]

First-listen Friday

Ravel
Gaspard de la nuit
La Valse
Liszt
Ballade in B minor
Prokofiev
Sarcasms
Babayan

Looks very nice, Karlo!

Thread Duty

CD 2

[asin]B017UBR61W[/asin]

[North Star]

Looks very nice, Karlo!

It was, too! Good day, Karl!

[pi2000]

Ferras/Karajan  Brahms Violin Concerto
[asin] B000001GJJ[/asin]

[North Star]

First-listen Friday
Reich
Tehillim (1981)
Barbara Borden (S), Tannie Willemstijn (S), Yvonne Benschop (m-S), Ananda Goud (m-S)
Schönberg Ensemble
Percussion Group The Hague
Reinbert de Leeuw
[asin]B000H3095G[/asin]


Holmboe
Chamber Concerto No. 9, Op. 39 (1945-46) for vn, va & orch
Mikkel Futtrup (vn) & Tim Frederiksen (va)
Danish National Chamber Orchestra
Hannu Koivula
[asin]B07B6FP2QN[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

First-listen Friday
Reich
Tehillim (1981)
Barbara Borden (S), Tannie Willemstijn (S), Yvonne Benschop (m-S), Ananda Goud (m-S)
Schönberg Ensemble
Percussion Group The Hague
Reinbert de Leeuw
[asin]B000H3095G[/asin]


Holmboe
Chamber Concerto No. 9, Op. 39 (1945-46) for vn, va & orch
Mikkel Futtrup (vn) & Tim Frederiksen (va)
Danish National Chamber Orchestra
Hannu Koivula
[asin]B07B6FP2QN[/asin]

What did you think?

[North Star]

What did you think?

I enjoyed both works very much. Tehillim is one of my favourites from the Reich set so far, and I've liked all the Holmboe Chamber Concertos a lot.

[king ubu]

excellent!

[Zeus]

New purchases and first listens:

Hindemith: Symphonia Serena, Die Harmonie der Welt
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Herbert Blomstedt
Decca

Hindemith: Works for Violin
Frank Peter Zimmermann, Frankfurt RSO, Paavo Jarvi
BIS

Walton, Hindemith: Cello Concertos
Christian Poltéra, Sao Paolo Symphony Orchestra, Frank Shipway
BIS

also re-listening to Hindemith discs I already have:

Hindemith: Mathis der Maler, Nobilissima Visione, Symphonic Metamorphosis
Sao Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, Neschling
BIS

Hindemith: Sonatas for...
Various Artists
Harmonia Mundi