What are you listening to now?

[aligreto]

Great to see an old Ace of Clubs LP!

Yes indeed, a stalworth of many an old vinyl collection. 

[aligreto]

Mozart: Piano Sonata K457 [Klien]


   

[SymphonicAddict]

In Memoriam x 2

Both compositions are masterpieces. Two of my favorite works by Bax.

[Madiel]

May indeed be that the work doesn't do it for you.  May be that this was the groundbreaking recording, and (good as it may well be—I've not heard this one) it does not benefit from earlier efforts.

At some point, and if (of course) you feel that it is worth the fresh go, you might try the NY Woodwind Quintet/Craft recording on Naxos, which I fine clean and exciting.

My own preference (I know it was not requested, and probably isn't desired) is for this recording, probably the fastest one:


The Wind Quintet is pretty tricky to get right.  It's difficult to play well, and I know many people who otherwise enjoy Schoenberg's music who find it exhausting.  Personally, I'm a sucker for quartal harmony...

Noted, thank you. I believe the Naxos/Craft one is on Deezer, not sure about the other. Possible background music while preparing dinner tonight...

[SymphonicAddict]

Russian Easter Festival Overture

This is a powerful rendition of arguably my favorite overture ever. The woofer gave some great sonic explosions.

[André]

From youtube, Symphonies 1, 2 and 4 by Brahms performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Ormandy. Nos 1 and 4 are from the Sony (Columbia) commercial discs, and no 2 is a live performance from 1953. Never heard such beautifully gauged and expressive portamenti in the 2nd symphony - just awesome. As for the slow movement of no 1, it ends with the most meltingly beautiful horn solo one can hear this side of Heaven (courtesy of Mason Jones, principal hornist from 1947 to 1978). The 4th is a powerful performance devoid of histrionics or exaggerations. Just what's needed in this work.

Why, oh why isn't Sony/RCA reissuing Ormandy's Beethoven and Brahms recordings in its white box series ?

[SymphonicAddict]

Kullervo

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Russian Easter Festival Overture

This is a powerful rendition of arguably my favorite overture ever. The woofer gave some great sonic explosions.

Whoa! I've been on the hunt for a great Russian Easter Festival Overture for some time. Youtubed it...purchased! Thanks!

EDIT: Speaking of great overtures, Smetana's The Bartered Bride overture is another fave:


https://www.youtube.com/v/4hLtLN87I90

[listener]

Horowitz playimg SCHUMANN:
op.  7   Toccata in C   op. 18   Arabeske in C   op. 20   Humoreske in B-flat
op. 16   Kreisleriana   op. 22 * Sonata 2:  Presto Passionatoop. 15   Kinderszenen  op.111   Fantasiestücke
op. 12 * Fantasiestücke: Traumeswirren    Concerto sans Orchestre (Sonata in f)
Novellette in F

recordings from 1933 to 1987, Kinderszenen live with a chorus of coughers

[Que]

Morning listening:

[asin]B000NY1F4I[/asin]
I'm every time surprised by how good this stuff is... 


Q

[Traverso]

Purcell's London

   
   
   
Sonata No 1 in D[5'12]Gottfried Keller (d before 25 November 1704)
Divisions on a ground in D minor[3'54]Nicola Matteis (d1695)      
Pavan and Galliard in C[6'12]Thomas Baltzar (c1630-1663)      
Chaconne a 4 in G major[4'35]John Blow (1649-1708)         
The Judgment of Paris or the Prize MusicJohn Eccles (1668-1735)
Symphony for Mercury: Andante – Allegro – Adagio – Allegro[6'08]
Sonata in D 'con concertino'[6'50]Anonymous - Baroque
Suite from the play The Twin Rivals[16'16]William Croft (1678-1727)
Cibell in C Z678[1'11]Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

[San Antone]

Ropartz is a recent discovery.  The jury is still out.

[Florestan]

[Madiel]

Schoenberg, Wind Quintet, take two.

[asin]B0015DM3EM[/asin]
Is it an improvement on take one? Yes, probably. A little more flow, a little more character and sharpness. There is a bit more distinction between the first 2 movements as a result.

Or maybe I'm just adapting on a second exposure.

Either way, I would still happily shorten those first two movements in particular, or condense them into something about half the combined length. Do you really need a sonata-form movement in 12-tone music anyway?

But keep the rondo. The rondo makes sense to me.

[Madiel]

Decided I might as well do some more Schoenberg.

Op.27 - 4 pieces for chorus, the last is accompanied by clarinet, mandolin, violin, and cello.

https://www.youtube.com/v/m-RyAWjziT8

Actually liked that quite a lot, which surprises me because I haven't been a fan of most of the solo songs. The choral interplay is more to my taste I guess. And the texture of the last piece is really unusual and interesting.

Op.28 - 3 Satires, also for chorus, the last (and by far the longest) accompanied by viola, cello and piano.

[asin]B0034JV616[/asin]
Also good. Not quite as appealing (at least not in this recording) but still very listenable.

[North Star]

Tobias Hume
The First Part of Ayres - Captain Humes Musicall Humors (1605)
Susanne Heinrich, viola da gamba
[asin]B0034JV6I4[/asin]

[Traverso]

The King's Musick

A very attractive and well played selection of music from the time of Henri VIII,hard to find alas.



Earlier today,

Bach  CD 5

[André]

The sound for this 1939 Amsterdam recording is better than I expected. The interpretation OTOH is decidedly more mainstream than I would have thought. Past the outrageously pulled introductory phrase, complete with an eye-popping ritard, there's nothing particularly extravagant to mention. Certainly, the 1939 Philadelphia Shostakovich 5th under Stokowski I heard last week was much more willful than this, with slithering portamenti galore in the first and third movements - and high fever intensity to make one blanch.

[Mahlerian]

Yesterday's and today's listening:

Fleurs de Vertus
Ferrara Ensemble
[asin]B00SBVHEY0[/asin]

Stravinsky: Symphony in C
Philharmonia Orchestra, cond. Craft
[asin]B001LKLKNY[/asin]

Sessions: Piano Sonata No. 3
Barry David Salwen
[asin]B000001SER[/asin]

Stravinsky: Symphony in C
London Symphony Orchestra, cond. Tilson Thomas
[asin]B0000028XJ[/asin]

Picked up scores of the Stravinsky symphony and the Sessions sonata yesterday, so I can have very close listens.  Great stuff; there are lots of wonderful details in both that I'm hearing attentively for the first time.

[André]

Live 1940 performance. An OMG interpretation. The brass has a few flubs, but this is searing stuff.