What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Todd]

I finished the Penderecki Quartet's take on the Bartok quartets.  Their style works well in the first two, which come across as romantic in an almost Brahmsian sort of way.  The middle quartets lack enough bite and intensity to satisfy, though the Fifth is surprisingly compelling.  (Surprising because of how the prior two sounded.)  The Sixth isn't quite "deep" enough for me.  Good if somewhat odd left/right sound.  Much better sets are available.

[PaulR]

PDQ Bach: Oratorio "The Seasons" S. 1/2 tsp

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Debussy
Danses sacrée et profane
Czech Phil
Karel Patras, harp
Serge Baudo

Sarge, maybe it was you who put this recording on my radar.

And I thank you!  0:)

I wasn't the first but I may have been the second one here to sing the praises of this marvelous CD. Maybe the original will step forward and claim credit. I'd like to thank him again.

Sarge

'Twas I.

Glad to hear both you and Karl enjoyed it!

[RebLem]

In the week ending Saturday, 28 APR 2007, I listened to the following:

1. 10/10 Bach, J.S.: Cantatas 87, 88, 89, 90--Rilling, cond usual suspects--hanssler CD, Vol 28 of CBE.

2 10/10 Bach, J.S.: "Scales from Weimar," 8 Preludes and Fugues, S. 553-560, + a Fugue, S. 579, and a Toccata, Adagio, & Fugue, S. 564, from the Weimar period--Martin Lucker, organist--hanssler CD, Vol. 91 of CBE.

3. 10/10 Haydn, F.J.: Syms 13-21--Dorati, cond. Philharmonia Hungarica--CDs 4 & 5 from 33 CD London set of all the Haydn Syms.

4. 10/9 d'Indy: Piano Trio 2, in the form of a suite, Op. 98 (18:53) |String Quartet 2, Op. 45 (36:54) |String Sextet, Op 92 (20:43)--the Quatuor Prat forms the core of the performers here--Jacques Prat, 1st vn (all 3 works), Thomas Tercieux, 2nd vn (Op. 45 & 92), Christophe Gaugue, viola (Op. 45 & 92), & Emmanuel Gaugue, cello (op.45 & 92), with pianist Kun Woo Paik (Op 98 ), violist Jean Dupouy, & cellist Francois Michel (Op 92)--naive CD. Excellent performances, sound a tad muffled, but not disastrous.

5. 10/10 Granados: 12 Spanish Dances |Study (4:41)--Rosa Torres-Pardo, piano--NAXOS CD--fine works well performed. Sound is just fine, but seems a little more distantly recorded than is usual for Naxos.

6. 10/10 Rozsa: String Quartets, 1 & 2 |Sonata for 2 violins--Flesch Quartet--ASV CD
_________________
"When evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will evolve."--Jello Biafra 
"Crescit sub pondere virtus."--Motto on McCann family crest.

[Que]

A very good morning! 
(or night/day)



Q

[Harry]

The same as Q wished, where ever you are in which timezone, a good day to you.

[Que]

Wonderful!



Q

[rubio]

This morning the Dvorak Cello Concerto by Rostropovich/Talich in relation with the sad loss  - together with the Dvorak Piano Concerto by Frantisek Maxian/Talich. This cello concerto is just marvellous. It is however difficult (or unnessecary) for me to rate it against the Rostropovih/Karajan version. It was my first encounter with the Piano Concerto, and on first listen I don't think it reaces the same level as the Cello Concerto. I found myself losing attetion in the long first movement.

[wintersway]

9 & 10

Good morning/day to all!

[Valentino]

Good morning, noon, afternoon, evening to all.

Beethoven: Piano sonata op. 27/1 (yes, the one published with the "Moonlight"). Pollini plays. What a terrific piece this is! Pollini is just the ticket today. Maybe I have to let Gilels play it afterwards. I like these competitions...

[Sergeant Rock]

Good day, all. It's another insanely sunny and warm day here: August weather in April, brought to us courtesy of global warming. I suspect in a few short years our Rhine beachfront will become as popular as the Riviera for tourists seeking that deep, sexy, pre-cancerous tan.

In the player right now: Rostropovich, Richter, Oistrakh, Karajan and Beethoven. It just oesn't get much better than this.




Sarge

[Que]

In the player right now: Rostropovich, Richter, Oistrakh, Karajan and Beethoven. It just doesn't get much better than this.




Sarge

Maybe this is not the right thread for a discussion, but I can't resist voicing another opinion...
I never got the universal admiration for this one.
But then my taste in Brahms seems not particularly mainstream..

IMO both pieces are, for instance, better served in the same coupling with Fricsay:



Q

[Sergeant Rock]

You may be right, Que. I've never heard it but might prefer it if I did. All I can say is: Szell's Brahms gives me immense pleasure (his piano concertos are my favorites too). Karajan's Beethoven pleases me less: a little tugid and the recording is opaque in tutti passages. But I've owned these performances for 37 years (I have the original LPs too) and they're like children: I love them despite their faults. There is also an extra-musical component that's part of the thrill for me: to have these three Russian legends performing together. If nothing else, that makes this CD special.

I will check out Fricsay, though. I just hope we don't get a flood now from others recommending their favorite versions! Knowing this opinionated crowd, I'd have to buy another dozen CDs...minimum

Sarge

[Que]

I will check out Fricsay, though. I just hope we don't get a flood now from others recommending their favorite versions! Knowing this opinionated crowd, I'd have to buy another dozen CDs...minimum

Sarge

LOL! 

Q

[johnQpublic]

Symphonic Swedes

Norman - Festive Overture (Westerberg/Sterling)
Berwald - Sinfonie serieuse (Goodman/Hyperion)
Fernstrom - Intimate Miniatures (Rajski/BIS)

[Lilas Pastia]

Wonderful!



Q

She strikes a very Callas-like pose ! I'll try to hunt this one down

Another spin to the very peculiar music of Johann Gottfried Eckard. An almost exact contemporary of Haydn, one of the most famed keyboard virtuosos of his time. An autodidact who learned through CPE Bach's treatise on keyboard playing, he wrote in an experimental way. His sonata in f minor qualifies for the strangest piece of music I've heard. The first movement is basically a fantasia on a 2 note ostinato. Another sonata is only 4 minutes long. It starts as a lyrical andantino and twice briefly breaks up in Scarlatti territory with frenzied spanish dancing rythms. The effect is nothing short of hair-raising in its unexpectednesss.  Schoonderwoerd is the superb dutch fortepianist.

[johnQpublic]

Wonderful!



Q

Got that one!!! It's good

[Harry]

9 & 10

Good morning/day to all!

Well to use a common phrase, you chose well!

[Florestan]

Hi, all!

W. A. Mozart

Divertimento for String Trio in E flat major KV 563

Arthur Grumiaux / Georges Janzer / Eva Czako

This is one of the deepest burried gems of Mozart. What a delightful vision of paradise lost, sought for, and found again! Absolutely gorgeous music and performance!

Concerto No.1 for Flute and Orchestra
Concerto No.2 for flute and Orchestra
Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra

James Galway, Marisa Robles
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Sir Neville Mariner

Melancholy playfulness and joyful longing. Paradox? No, just good ol' Wolfferl.

[SonicMan46]

IMO both pieces are, for instance, better served in the same coupling with Fricsay:

 

Q - I've got the one discussed by Sarge, also; but like your comments on the set w/ Fricsay et al - I'm sure this is goin' to stimulate a 'flood' of other responses!  Dave