What are you listening 2 now?

[Que]

Q

[vandermolen]

Early morning listening.
Miaskovsky Cello Sonata 2 from this fine new release.
Even my wife (working in the same room as me) is enjoying this:

[vandermolen]

First exposure (finally) to Durufle's Requiem.

Hope you enjoyed it - I think that it's a great work.

[Que]

[pjme]

Saturday - quite chilly but sunny. Coffee, newspaper, croissant +



Holst : Seven part songs



Atterberg, de Frumerie etc;

[Christo]

Coffee at Saturday morning + 

[Irons]

Bax: The Garden of Fand.

Handley is superb in The Garden of Fand, a seascape perfectly captured. Big thumbs up for "In the Faery Hills" too, Debussy seems to be an influence and the piece is no worse for that. I have a problem with "November Woods" as the urgent Thomson recording has left such an imprint that everything else to my ears comes over tame and slow. If lost in Handley and Boult's woods I would be worried. In Thomson's I would be worried and scared.

[Papy Oli]

Coffee at Saturday morning + 

Not a British composer I remember exploring. I'll add it to the streaming list, thank you.

[Papy Oli]

Bax: The Garden of Fand.

Handley is superb in The Garden of Fand, a seascape perfectly captured. Big thumbs up for "In the Faery Hills" too, Debussy seems to be an influence and the piece is no worse for that. I have a problem with "November Woods" as the urgent Thomson recording has left such an imprint that everything else to my ears comes over tame and slow. If lost in Handley and Boult's woods I would be worried. In Thomson's I would be worried and scared.

My two favourite tone poems to date.

I never looked closely enough before ordering the Orchestral works Vol.2/3/4/5. Had always assumed that what was on the older Tone Poems Vol.1 & 2 would be part of the Orchestral Works series but that is not the case, is it ? It is mostly Thomson on one and Handley on the other. I'll need to stream Handley again to see if i need another duplication (got the Boult already too)   0:)

[Christo]

Not a British composer I remember exploring. I'll add it to the streaming list, thank you.

The Third Symphony, 'Westmorland', is a moving, very personal work. Recommended.

[Que]

Q

[Roasted Swan]

My two favourite tone poems to date.

I never looked closely enough before ordering the Orchestral works Vol.2/3/4/5. Had always assumed that what was on the older Tone Poems Vol.1 & 2 would be part of the Orchestral Works series but that is not the case, is it ? It is mostly Thomson on one and Handley on the other. I'll need to stream Handley again to see if i need another duplication (got the Boult already too)   0:)

I always felt that the two volumes of Tone Poems that Thomson did in Ulster alongside his Symphony No.4 (which originally included Tintagel as the filler) were his best Bax discs and indeed some of Chandos' finest bar none.  Both interpretatively and as engineering I find those earlier discs simply superb.  You are right - Thomson's "Woods" are a more threatening tormented experience than Handley and certainly Boult.  As much as I admire Boult in so much repertoire I find his Bax lacking impulsiveness....  You are right - the Thomson recordings were remastered as part of the "Bax Orchestral Works" series differently (usually more generously) coupled than originally.  The Handley Symphonies & Tone Poems post-date that remastering and were completely new recordings.

In reply to a different post - that Armstrong-Gibbs disc is well worth exploring.  The Symphony very poignant as a memorial to his son who was killed in the war.  Probably the finest Armstrong-Gibbs disc there is.  His chamber music is lovely but the bulk of his other writing does not explore such emotional depths.....

[Traverso]

Beethoven

Missa Solemnis

[Papy Oli]

I always felt that the two volumes of Tone Poems that Thomson did in Ulster alongside his Symphony No.4 (which originally included Tintagel as the filler) were his best Bax discs and indeed some of Chandos' finest bar none.  Both interpretatively and as engineering I find those earlier discs simply superb.  You are right - Thomson's "Woods" are a more threatening tormented experience than Handley and certainly Boult.  As much as I admire Boult in so much repertoire I find his Bax lacking impulsiveness....  You are right - the Thomson recordings were remastered as part of the "Bax Orchestral Works" series differently (usually more generously) coupled than originally.  The Handley Symphonies & Tone Poems post-date that remastering and were completely new recordings.

In reply to a different post - that Armstrong-Gibbs disc is well worth exploring.  The Symphony very poignant as a memorial to his son who was killed in the war.  Probably the finest Armstrong-Gibbs disc there is.  His chamber music is lovely but the bulk of his other writing does not explore such emotional depths.....

Thank you for the clarifications RS.

I have not listened to the Handley cycle yet. So far, I have been happy with my made-up cycle (Lyrita 1/7 - Lyrita 2/5 - Lloyd Jones 3 and 6 - and that Thomson 4/Tintagel) but i'll have to make time to try Handley's too.

Just to add to the fun and the confusion, I am sampling a couple more Bax Chandos CD's at the moment...



Sounds like I'll have to listen to Gibbs sooner rather than later !

[Papy Oli]

The Third Symphony, 'Westmorland', is a moving, very personal work. Recommended.

thank you, added to the queue 

[Todd]

[Biffo]

Purcell: The Indian Queen - Soloists, Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists directed by John Eliot Gardiner

[JBS]

Sibelius
Symphony no 1 in e minor Op 39
Karelia Overture Op 10
Karelia Suite Op 11
Finlandia Op 26
J-P Saraste/Finnish RSO

[Traverso]

Prae BACH torius

[Maestro267]

Joubert: Symphony No. 1
London PO/Handley

Mathias: Symphony No. 2
BBC Welsh SO/Mathias