What are you listening to now?

[Malx]

Harrison Birtwistle, Earth Dances & Panic - Ensemble Modern Orchestra, Pierre Boulez & BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Davis.

I really like 'Panic' in part because of the adverse reaction it received at its premiere at the Last Night of the Proms in 1995.
As much as I like the Proms and think it a wonderful celebration of music, which still has the ability to draw new listeners to Classical Music with concerts showcasing world class musicians at reasonable prices, I just can't bring myself to condone the faintly jingoistic elements of the Last Night. Just my opinion.

[kyjo]

Penderecki: Kosmogonia
Soloists, Warsaw Philharmonic Choir
Warsaw PO/Wit

Ginastera: Cello Concerto No. 2
Kosower (cello)/Bamberg SO/Zagrosek

Ives: Symphony No. 4
Cleveland Chorus
Cleveland Orchestra/C. Dohnányi, Ling

I generally love Ginastera's music, but I can't say I was too enthused by his Cello Concerto no. 2 (I haven't heard no. 1). I found it to be interesting for the first five minutes or so, but after that it just seemed to recycle the same psychedelic, atonal "jungle noises" ( ) over and over. As far as Ginastera's later works go, I find his Glosses sobre temes de Pau Casals, for instance, to be a much more interesting work. Maybe I just need to give the concerto another go (I listened to the Santiago Cañón Valencia performance on YT). What are your thoughts on the work?

[vandermolen]

Harrison Birtwistle, Earth Dances & Panic - Ensemble Modern Orchestra, Pierre Boulez & BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Davis.

I really like 'Panic' in part because of the adverse reaction it received at it's premier at the Last Night of the Proms in 1995.
As much as I like the Proms and think it a wonderful celebration of music, which still has the ability to draw new listeners to Classical Music with concerts showcasing world class musicians at reasonable prices, I just can't bring myself to condone the faintly jingoistic elements of the Last Night. Just my opinion.

Totally agree with you.

[kyjo]

Listening to Daniil Trifonov's new Piano Quintet--world premiere on MediciTV. Very powerful piece.

https://www.medici.tv/en/concerts/world-premiere-daniil-trifonov-quintet-piano-and-strings/?utm_source=Mainlist

Interesting - thanks for bringing this to our attention. I've heard Trifonov's Piano Concerto (in E flat minor  ), which, although enjoyable and accessible, struck me as having very little structural integrity and being somewhat of a rehash of Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. His Piano Quintet may very well be better!

[Sergeant Rock]

Holst The Planets, the composer conducting the LSO (1926)




Sarge

[Kontrapunctus]

Interesting - thanks for bringing this to our attention. I've heard Trifonov's Piano Concerto (in E flat minor  ), which, although enjoyable and accessible, struck me as having very little structural integrity and being somewhat of a rehash of Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev. His Piano Quintet may very well be better!

I saw Trifonov play his Concerto with Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orch last year--the visual spectacle of him lunging all across the keyboard made up for some lack of structure! I agree--his new Quintet seems better in that respect.

[SymphonicAddict]

A work of vast proportions. Despite its length (82 min), the work could maintain the structure and held my attention. At first I thought it was going to be dull and diffuse, but it never happened. Bruckner is clearly his main influence. Perhaps the 1st movement could go faster, that would give more dynamism and allure. All in all, it was very good.

[prémont]

Hey, Papy. I'm pleased to see you call the music Richter's WTC because, according to some of our HIPsters, that isn't Bach 

Sarge

It is at least more RIchter than Bach. You hear lots of Richter, but if you listen carefully you may be fortunate to hear a little Bach.

[kyjo]

Bloch - Evocations:

[asin]B00006B1S2[/asin]

What a wonderful and, indeed, evocative work! Bloch is a magnificent orchestrator, and he can create the dramatic, often angry mood of the second movement and the glittering, spring-like mood of the redemptive third movement with equal effectiveness.


Vaughan Williams - Violin Sonata:

[asin]B0000241EK[/asin]

While it's not quite as "craggy" or dramatic as another late chamber work of his, the masterly 2nd String Quartet, it still contains some darker, more agitated moments to dispel the pastoral lyricism. I was particularly taken by the almost demonic energy of the central scherzo (appropriately marked furioso), which has parallels with some of his symphonic scherzi.


Damase - Sonata for Cello and Harp:

[asin]B002PXO14G[/asin]

In this recent-ish (2002) work, Damase explores the colorful and sometimes unusual timbral possibilities of a cello/harp duo with his typical Gallic lyricism and wit.


Bax - Northern Ballad no. 2:

[asin]B0015SRLWQ[/asin]

A vivid performance and recording of this darkly atmospheric work. You can really feel the cold wind of the northern forests in this work!


Dvořák - Symphony no. 8:

[asin]B00K7VL7MC[/asin]

After listening to so much unfamiliar and obscure music, it's always nice for me to come back to some of my first classical loves - Dvořák's 8th is one of them (it was the first non-abridged standard orchestral work I played). Needless to say, it's such a gorgeous and exhilarating work, having unforgettable melodies and near-perfect construction. And my hometown band's performance under Manfred Honeck is wonderfully alive and imaginative, drawing the maximum amount of character and atmosphere from this great score.

[Mahlerian]

Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F
Vienna Philharmonic, cond. Bernstein
[asin]B073VFGBFX[/asin]

[Zeus]

Couperin: Les Muses Naissantes
Emmanuelle De Negri / La Chambre Claire / Brice Sailly
Ricercar

[asin] B07894ZL2M[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

Elgar
Symphony No. 1 in A^b, Op.55
London Phil
Solti

[kyjo]

Daugherty - Metropolis Symphony:

[asin]B002JIBC80[/asin]

This was a bit more dissonant and "sound effects"-heavy than I was anticipating, though parts of it were quite fun. My favorite (and the most easily accessible) movement was the finale, Red Cape Tango, which, despite a rather overdone use of the Dies Irae, is a really entertaining movement which could easily stand alone as a separate work.


Torke - Ash:

[asin]B000004CVR[/asin]

Very interesting stuff - the best way I can describe it is a "minimalist Beethoven"! That may not sound very appealing, but it works, for the most part. Torke uses a classical-sized orchestra and harmonic progressions alongside minimalistic repetitions, which creates a sort of "time-warp" effect.


Respighi - Concerto in modo misolidio:

[asin]B003X859P2[/asin]

I must say I was a bit disappointed with this work, being a Respighi fan. I very much agree with Amazon reviewer J Scott Morrison, who says "...the concerto, while it has many beautiful moments, tends to be discursive, even unfocused at times, and occasionally emptily bombastic. Its thirty-eight minutes seem too long for its rhapsodic content. However, the performance by pianist Olli Mustonen and the Finnish Radio Orchestra under Sakari Oramo is all one could ask."


Bliss - Oboe Quintet:

[asin]B00008ZZ2S[/asin]

A work which, although generally reflective and pastoral in mood, contains some tart, piquant (but often beautiful) harmonies that give it a distinctly different feel than the music of RVW or Finzi, for example.


Bridge - Enter Spring:

[asin]B0002BXO3W[/asin]

A vibrantly colorful evocation of the arrival of springtime. An Amazon reviewer described the music on this disc as "Delius on steroids" and I'd have to say that's pretty accurate! 

[SymphonicAddict]

Respighi - Concerto in modo misolidio:

[asin]B003X859P2[/asin]

I must say I was a bit disappointed with this work, being a Respighi fan. I very much agree with Amazon reviewer J Scott Morrison, who says "...the concerto, while it has many beautiful moments, tends to be discursive, even unfocused at times, and occasionally emptily bombastic. Its thirty-eight minutes seem too long for its rhapsodic content. However, the performance by pianist Olli Mustonen and the Finnish Radio Orchestra under Sakari Oramo is all one could ask."

This is not the Respighi I like either. If my memory serves, the 1st movement is the best.

[pi2000]

Ann Hallenberg, Graun, Britannico, "Mi paventi il figlio indegno"
from this CD
[asin]B010RQBFVO[/asin]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-ML8vD7LtI

[vandermolen]

Holst The Planets, the composer conducting the LSO (1926)




Sarge

I think that's the best transfer of those classic recordings. What did you think of Holst's performance of The Planets Suite Sarge?

[vandermolen]

A work of vast proportions. Despite its length (82 min), the work could maintain the structure and held my attention. At first I thought it was going to be dull and diffuse, but it never happened. Bruckner is clearly his main influence. Perhaps the 1st movement could go faster, that would give more dynamism and allure. All in all, it was very good.

I wasn't aware of this release - must investigate as I like Symphony 2.

[Mandryka]

I like the organ very much, Flentrop at Duke University USA.

[vandermolen]

Bloch - Evocations:

[asin]B00006B1S2[/asin]

What a wonderful and, indeed, evocative work! Bloch is a magnificent orchestrator, and he can create the dramatic, often angry mood of the second movement and the glittering, spring-like mood of the redemptive third movement with equal effectiveness.


Vaughan Williams - Violin Sonata:

[asin]B0000241EK[/asin]

While it's not quite as "craggy" or dramatic as another late chamber work of his, the masterly 2nd String Quartet, it still contains some darker, more agitated moments to dispel the pastoral lyricism. I was particularly taken by the almost demonic energy of the central scherzo (appropriately marked furioso), which has parallels with some of his symphonic scherzi.


Damase - Sonata for Cello and Harp:

[asin]B002PXO14G[/asin]

In this recent-ish (2002) work, Damase explores the colorful and sometimes unusual timbral possibilities of a cello/harp duo with his typical Gallic lyricism and wit.


Bax - Northern Ballad no. 2:

[asin]B0015SRLWQ[/asin]

A vivid performance and recording of this darkly atmospheric work. You can really feel the cold wind of the northern forests in this work!


Dvořák - Symphony no. 8:

[asin]B00K7VL7MC[/asin]

After listening to so much unfamiliar and obscure music, it's always nice for me to come back to some of my first classical loves - Dvořák's 8th is one of them (it was the first non-abridged standard orchestral work I played). Needless to say, it's such a gorgeous and exhilarating work, having unforgettable melodies and near-perfect construction. And my hometown band's performance under Manfred Honeck is wonderfully alive and imaginative, drawing the maximum amount of character and atmosphere from this great score.

I guessed that this was your post Kyle when I saw the CD covers before your name! I love the BIS Bloch release and the Bax of course and the late, craggy VW Violin Sonata - my favourite of his chamber work. With Respighi's Modo Misolidio Concerto I do like 'the big tune' which is still in my head now even though I haven't heard it for a while. Frank Bridge's The Sea, Enter Soring and Oration are all masterpieces in my opinion. Bliss's lovely Oboe Quintet is also my favourite of his chamber works.

[Florestan]

Chopin and Schumann meet milonga and huella at a rancho in the the middle of the pampa then all four go for a drink in a Buenos Aires tango parlor, paying attention to everything they see and hear along the road.



In the vein of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies or Brahms' Hungarian Dances but with a twist: the violin adds an extra dimension to the pervasive melancholy-cum-frenzy mood.