What are you listening 2 now?

[vandermolen]

Stanford: Irish Rhapsody No.4.



Stanford on his own turf shows him in the best possible light. I enjoyed the 4th Rhapsody immensely, so much so, I have ordered the Chandos double CD of the six Irish Rhapsodies with Handley.

That's my favourite work by Stanford and that's a very fine performance of it. You'll enjoy the Handley set Lol.

[Tsaraslondon]

Pletnev's excellent complete Cinderella, coupled to Summer Night, a suite of music from his opera Betrothal in a Monastery.

[Florestan]

No. 3 "Polish"

This is more a symphonic suite than a symphony proper and contains many interesting ideas right from the start. It mostly lacks the trademark Tchaikovskyan tunes, though, except for the lovely second mvt Alla tedesca. The Tchaikovskyan mood, otoh, is present in spades.



Not as good as the symphonies but enjoyable nevertheless. Imo the best work is the tone poem The Cedar and The Palm.



Disc 8:

Quartet for Flute, Guitar, Viola and Cello in G major, D 96 by Franz Schubert
Performer:  Bruno Pasquier (Viola), Michel Debost (Flute), Oscar Ghiglia (Guitar), Paul Boufil (Cello)

Sonata for Arpeggione in A minor, D 821 by Franz Schubert
Performer:  Gérard Caussé (Viola), Francois-René Duchable (Piano)

Schubert. 'Nuff said.

[Mandryka]

Unbelievably cool Satieesque radiant music.

[Que]

Morning listening:

[asin]B07NR8Q9QN[/asin]
Q

[Papy Oli]

Good morning all,
Continuing my traversal of the long-elusive Sibelius symphonies.
Sibelius 5, still with Blomstedt this morning.

[Harry]

From the SEON box, CD 59 & 60

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.
Sonatas, Rondos & Fantasias.
Gustav Leonhardt, Harpsichord, Fortepiano & Clavichord.

A delightful set and a kaleidoscopic performance, in which all the qualities of Bach's music, and Leonhardt's art are combined in a successful interpretation.
Interesting instruments, and an up to date sound. Very enjoyable.

[Madiel]

I decided it's a song night. First up, finishing off this album with the last half dozen songs:



I've listened to 3 of the 4 albums I purchased from this series now. It's taken me a very long time and I'm still ambivalent, much as I'm ambivalent about Schubert in general. I can't help wondering at times whether it's just pot luck that I've got some Schubert unsuited to my tastes (as opposed to, say, lucking out and getting Faure perfectly suited to my tastes).

But I really have to go back and listen to these albums again with less reading. Because Fassbaender does some really rather good things, and if I confine myself to reading the lyrics and translations it's actually pretty good (I really do need to do this when first listening to things at least, and more often than not for most songs).

The thing is, I now have a near pathological aversion to Graham Johnson's awful, long-winded, didactic, far-too-full-of-his-own-opinions liner notes. There are some interesting nuggets in there, but I'm now beginning to realise it's just not worth how his writing is what puts me off picking up these albums more often, not the actual performances!

[Karl Henning]

I remembered that Friday is VIERNE's day so it's his
Organ Symphonies 3 & 6
Bernard Maathieu,  organ of the Église Saint-Sebastien, Nancy
and a collection of choral muic  by KRENEK
RIAS-Kammerchor

"Viernedredi"?

[prémont]

"Viernedredi"?

Only every seventh year in average.

[Florestan]

I'm ambivalent about Schubert in general.

Ouch! 

The thing is, I now have a near pathological aversion to Graham Johnson's awful, long-winded, didactic, far-too-full-of-his-own-opinions liner notes.

Stop reading them and get straight to the music then. 

[Madiel]

Ouch! 

My enjoyment generally correlates to the size of the D number.

Also, we may have established that Andras Schiff has been getting in the way in the piano music.

Whereas, for example, I think this is one of the greatest things ever:

[aligreto]

Music of the Troubadours -





Jaufre Rudel: Lanquan li jorn [Ensemble Unicorn/Oni Wytars]

This is quite an extensive piece at 17:31 minutes long. It tells a tragic tale and the music is suitably atmospheric and evocative and forlorn and intense in tone and mood. The female vocal is powerful, haunting, passionate and plaintive. The flavour of the music is heavily Turkish/Arabic. This is an excellent performance from all concerned.

[Madiel]

Back to thread duty:

Schumann's last song cycle, the Queen Maria Stuart poems op.135. Gorgeous singing from Juliane Banse.



And very short liner notes in the box set. 

[Madiel]

Brahms, 3 vocal quartets, op.31



I think there are going to be a lot of good things in this set.

[Florestan]

we may have established that Andras Schiff has been getting in the way in the piano music.

Yeah, I forgot about that. 

[Harry]

From the SEON box, CD 61.

Franz Joseph Haydn.
String Quartets, opus 20 Nos. 2 & 4.

Quartetto Esterhazy Amsterdam.

Quite excellent performances, and a fine recording.

[vers la flamme]

Henri Dutilleux: Métaboles, Mystère de l'Instant. Paavo Järvi, Orchestre de Paris; Paul Sacher, Collegium Musicum Zürich.

Loving this box set so far. Would recommend to anyone interested in Dutilleux. It contains the bulk of his complete works, and is really cheap.

[aligreto]

Early Venetian Lute Music: Music by Vincenzo Capirola [Wilson]





Recercar quinto
Canto bello
La villanella
O mia cieca e dura sorte
Che farala che dirala

[staxomega]

Alkan played on a 1865 Pleyel.

How are the performances?