What are you listening 2 now?

[Mirror Image]

Debussy

As with most music,I'm very careful not to listen too much to a piece and kill the wonder in dull making repetition andI'm glad to say that I can now welcome this music.

The first time I heard the Debussy pianomusic I had the instinct feeling that it surely was music from the age that the autocar was invented.
It was a young pianist from the former Yugoslavia and I listened to the roaring sounds that made a new world of sound audible to me.
It was in a library where she played and I was  there, coincidently,   on a Saturday afternoon

Préludes  (Livre 1 & 2)

Without a doubt, for me, one of the great masterpieces in the piano repertoire.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Khachaturian
Three Concert Arias
Hasmik Hatsagortsian, soprano
Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Loris Tjeknavorian



This is such a fantastic piece ---- quite somber for Khachaturian, but his unmistakable style is still fully intact.

[SonicMan46]

Bortkiewicz, Sergei (1877-1952) - Piano Works w/ Jouni Somero - from a Spotify playlist of all 9 volumes - been listening for a few days and now on the fifth volume; list of his compositions HERE, mostly for piano (except for several symphonies, handful of piano concertos, and some chamber pieces).  The music is varied and reminiscent of many other composers of the 19th/early 20th centuries; often Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Grieg are mentioned - attached are reviews from Fanfare of four volumes with rather dismissive comments about the composing being derivative, although Somero's playing is complimented; but MusicWeb has reviewed all volumes and is quite positive about the quality of the compositions and of course the performances - I'm greatly favoring the latter opinions! -   

At present, I own the 2-disc set w/ Stephen Coombs on a Hyperion Dyad, but of course much is missing that I've enjoyed on the Spotify playlist - since I have the streaming option which sounds quite good on my den speakers, I probably will 'sit tight' for the moment.  Dave

[Karl Henning]

As I catch up on my listening, I am mildly surprised (and I fear our Bruce may perhaps even be shocked) that I have not yet listened through this entire box

CD 1:

Bartók
A kékszakállú herceg vára, Op. 11
Ildikö Komlósi, Judith
Kolos Kovács, Bluebeard
RCO
Iván Fischer
6 Jan 1990

[kyjo]

Martinu: Symphony No. 2
Pärt: Symphony No. 3

Two amazing symphonies. The Pärt is unquestionably his best symphony, with great parts for the brass and the timpani. It's much better than I remembered. I feel a sort of "visionary" element on it that strikes me very much.

+1 for the Pärt. It's unquestionably one of my favorite works of his - I found his 4th Symphony, for example, to be a total bore. One can sense him putting his own "spin" on the Nordic symphonic tradition in the 3rd Symphony.

[Traverso]

Without a doubt, for me, one of the great masterpieces in the piano repertoire.

We are lucky that there are so many masterpieces but these Préludes are exciting to listen to.I sing along with some musical lines ( sotto voce) and and at moments I Can't sit still.

[bhodges]

As I catch up on my listening, I am mildly surprised (and I fear our Bruce may perhaps even be shocked) that I have not yet listened through this entire box

CD 1:

Bartók
A kékszakállú herceg vára, Op. 11
Ildikö Komlósi, Judith
Kolos Kovács, Bluebeard
NOS/RNW
Iván Fischer
6 Jan 1990

When confronted with a generous box like this, you don't want to overdose on the contents! I often set recordings aside, enjoying the anticipation.

(Hope you enjoyed the Bartók. Haven't heard it in awhile, but recall it ranking up there.)

--Bruce

[Mirror Image]

We are lucky that there are so many masterpieces but these Préludes are exciting to listen to.I sing along with some musical lines ( sotto voce) and and at moments I Can't sit still.

Yes, there many great performances of this work. I especially like Jacobs, Kocsis and Sasaki.

[kyjo]

FAO Harry
This is a marvellous disc. The sound seemed to leap out of the speakers - one of the best recordings I have heard and I am listening on a system not nearly as high-powered as your own system. Performances are of great urgency. The Bliss is a work which I've increasingly come to enjoy recently and this is the best performance I have heard.

+1

[kyjo]

Moeran - String quartet No.2

A sublime work. His SQ no. 1 is also great.

[Karl Henning]

When confronted with a generous box like this, you don't want to overdose on the contents! I often set recordings aside, enjoying the anticipation.

(Hope you enjoyed the Bartók. Haven't heard it in awhile, but recall it ranking up there.)

--Bruce

Good thinking. Aye, 'tis a beaut!

[Karl Henning]

As I catch up on my listening, I am mildly surprised (and I fear our Bruce may perhaps even be shocked) that I have not yet listened through this entire box

CD 1:

Bartók
A kékszakállú herceg vára, Op. 11
Ildikö Komlósi, Judith
Kolos Kovács, Bluebeard
NOS/RNW
Iván Fischer
6 Jan 1990

No idea who serves as Prologue ....

[Karl Henning]

No idea who serves as Prologue ....

I was inattentive ... 'tis Kolos Kovács

[André]

This Berlin Phil performance is quite something. Horenstein took them to distant shores and they came back with wondrous tales to tell. I'll compare it with another M5 by Horenstein (LSO 1958) tonight or tomorrow.

[Justice Roberts]

Gorgeous, Dry Brett. You'll dig it. Unfortunately, I had to buy it as a download because the original CD is too expensive (a Japan-only reissue on CD). But you can get it on Qobuz for $4.99 I think.

I will look for the recording. Thank you!

Now playing two Piano Concertos of great contrast:

Khachaturian
Piano Concerto in D-flat major
Dora Serviarian-Kuhn, piano
Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Loris Tjeknavorian

Ifukube
Ritmica Ostinata
Reiko Yamada, piano
Tochigi-ken Symphony Orchestra
Masaaki Hayakawa

How is Ifukube's music? How about competency of Tochigi Orch.?
Ifukube composed numerous movie music, including one for Godzilla.

Without a doubt, for me, one of the great masterpieces in the piano repertoire.

I have a disc of orchestration pieces done by Kocsis somewhere. Must find the disc.

[aligreto]

This Berlin Phil performance is quite something. Horenstein took them to distant shores and they came back with wondrous tales to tell. I'll compare it with another M5 by Horenstein (LSO 1958) tonight or tomorrow.

That must be wonderful. Horenstein was one of my favourite Mahlerians but I do not have him in M5 for some reason.

[Mirror Image]

I will look for the recording. Thank you!


How is Ifukube's music? How about competency of Tochigi Orch.?
Ifukube composed numerous movie music, including one for Godzilla.


I have a disc of orchestration pieces done by Kocsis somewhere. Must find the disc.

I'm not too familiar with Ifukube's music aside from the Ritmica Ostinata. I do have a number of Ifukube recordings (not film scores), but I haven't listened to any of them in ages --- I should dig them out. It seems the Ritmica Ostinata is the only work I return to with any frequency. The orchestra plays fine (by my ears), but I've never heard any of their other recordings, but in this work, they hold their own rather well. If you don't know this work, check out this performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teuCUiimUds

[Karl Henning]

Dvořák
String Quartet № 3 in D, B. 18
Stamitz Quartet

[Mirror Image]

Playing this yet again:

Dvořák
Gypsy Songs, Op. 55
Genia Kühmeier (soprano), Christoph Berner (piano)

[vers la flamme]

Alfred Schnittke: Passacaglia. Leif Segerstam, Malmö Symphony Orchestra

What a brilliant work. Much better than I remembered it being.