What are you listening 2 now?

[Pohjolas Daughter]

All three works. Carmina Burana is very well known, but not the other 'scenic plays' composed later, in a less melodic, spikier idiom and minimal instrumental contributions. I suspect these really need to be seen as well as heard. On their own they make for a rather primitive,, skeletal musical repast. I know some prefer Catulli Carmina to its more famous predecessor and it's indeed a fascinating work. To me though it's more like being on peeling duty.



Early stereo recordings originally released on Qualiton (Concerto and Summer Evening) and DGG (Háry János). The composer-led Concerto for Orchestra clocks in at 22 1/2minutes while all others do it around 16-17 minutes. A very substantial difference. Maybe a more romantic approach ? I don't know the work well, so I can't make comparisons. Summer Evening is an early work and shows an impressionistic as well as some folk-based influences. Nice, but not a revelation.

The Háry János Suite is conducted by Fricsay and was recorded one year later in the flattering acoustics of the Jesus Christus Kirche, Berlin, where all Karajan recordings of the 1960s were done. The sonic difference is staggering. The Qualitons are serviceable, especially the delicately scored Summer Evening, but the DGG is of demonstration quality. As a performance it has not been bettered.

Nice to hear that there are recordings of Kodaly conducting his own works!  And thank you for your comments on the acoustics of the Jesus Christus Kirche.  I'll keep that in mind when I'm looking at CDs.    By the way, I borrowed a copy of a DG CD of Kodaly with Fricsay.  It doesn't say where they were recorded, but I'm guessing that the Suite is the same recording?  It's listed as stereo, from 1963 and list it as being recorded with the Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin with John Leach on the cymbal.

PD

[Artem]

Enjoyable disk.

[vandermolen]

Khachaturian Symphony No.1 USSR State SO, Composer.
In the absence of Tjeknavorian's LSO recording I've decided that this is the best CD version (in terms of performance and recording):

[vandermolen]

James Cohn
Symphonies 2 & 7
Slovak RSO
Naxos

Roy Harris
Symphonies 3 & 4 'Folk Song Symphony'
Colorado SO
Naxos

I've really quite enjoyed these this morning, after the customary DSCH start to the day. The Cohn symphonies have been really growing on me in the last couple of months, following his recent death, and I'm surprised he isn't mentioned more often. I know he has composed more for TV and films, and isn't one of the big guns, but still.

I should know Harris better, so am poking at him today starting with #3, which is justifiably lauded, and #4, which ... isn't. This isn't so great, huh? I keep looking over my shoulder for a young Doris Day in cowboy boots.

I wish. *coughs*

Interesting post Danny - your Doris Day comment amused me. Unfortunately that isn't IMO a very good performance of Symphony No.3 either. I think that Bernstein's earlier CBS/Sony recording is in a class of its own although I also rather like the much-maligned Jarvi/Detroit version on Chandos. Seeing your post reminded me that I'd spotted the Cohn symphonies in my 'over-flow' pile of CDs in the garden shed/office/man-cave, so I'm listening t the CD again now as I couldn't recall much about it.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Khachaturian. Spartacus, complete ballet music.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Khachaturian Symphony No.1 USSR State SO, Composer.
In the absence of Tjeknavorian's LSO recording I've decided that this is the best CD version (in terms of performance and recording):

Wonderful recording!

[Madiel]

C. Franck, piano trio no.4

[Karl Henning]

Enjoyable disk.

Nice!

[DavidW]

Telemann-- Grand Concertos v. 6.

[André]

Nice to hear that there are recordings of Kodaly conducting his own works!  And thank you for your comments on the acoustics of the Jesus Christus Kirche.  I'll keep that in mind when I'm looking at CDs.    By the way, I borrowed a copy of a DG CD of Kodaly with Fricsay.  It doesn't say where they were recorded, but I'm guessing that the Suite is the same recording?  It's listed as stereo, from 1963 and list it as being recorded with the Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin with John Leach on the cymbal.

PD

Hi, PD  There are 2 recordings of the suite by Fricsay on DG. The first is from 1955 (mono) with the RIAS orchestra. The second was done in november 1961 (released in 1963) with the RSO Berlin. Note that both names apply to the same orchestra (RIAS or RSO, now named the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin), of which Fricsay was the MD. John Leach is rightly credited as the cimbalom player on that recording. The venue is indicated : JC Kirche in Berlin-Dahlem (Dahlem is a borough of Berlin). Like I said its acoustics were among the best, clear, spacious and luminous.  All of DG's Berlin Phil recordings from the stereo era until the mid seventies were made there.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Hi, PD  There are 2 recordings of the suite by Fricsay on DG. The first is from 1955 (mono) with the RIAS orchestra. The second was done in november 1961 (released in 1963) with the RSO Berlin. Note that both names apply to the same orchestra (RIAS or RSO, now named the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin), of which Fricsay was the MD. John Leach is rightly credited as the cimbalom player on that recording. The venue is indicated : JC Kirche in Berlin-Dahlem (Dahlem is a borough of Berlin). Like I said its acoustics were among the best, clear, spacious and luminous.  All of DG's Berlin Phil recordings from the stereo era until the mid seventies were made there.

Thanks, I suspected as much!    As an aside, do you happen to know if the mono recording was also recorded in that same church?

PD

[foxandpeng]

Interesting post Danny - your Doris Day comment amused me. Unfortunately that isn't IMO a very good performance of Symphony No.3 either. I think that Bernstein's earlier CBS/Sony recording is in a class of its own although I also rather like the much-maligned Jarvi/Detroit version on Chandos. Seeing your post reminded me that I'd spotted the Cohn symphonies in my 'over-flow' pile of CDs in the garden shed/office/man-cave, so I'm listening t the CD again now as I couldn't recall much about it.

🙂

Good to know, Jeffrey, thank you. I will look out the Bernstein/Jarvi to get a better handle on the #3, in that case! I hope to slowly acquaint myself far better with Harris alongside other listening projects.

Happy listening with the Cohn. I like him 🙂

Different place for the thread duty...

Giya Kancheli
Liturgy (Mourned by the Wind)
Djansung Khakhidze
Tbilisi SO
Cugate Classics

[Mandryka]

That's a good way to make sense of the A minor!

[Madiel]

Dvorak, 4 Songs op.82

In my last bout of purchases, the one overlap was this work, but I ended up with one in the original German and one in Czech.

Starting with the German version... performed by Czech musicians.

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Friday:

Adès
Living Toys
London Sinfonietta
Markus Stenz

[Madiel]

Dvorak, 4 songs op.82

After the German version by Czech musicians, it's time for the Czech version by Spanish musicians.

And the Spaniards' performance is easily preferable in my opinion.

[Papy Oli]

Earlier on :

Various Schütz tracks from Geistliche ChorMusik, Op. 11 and Il primo libro dei madrigali, Op. 1



Now : JS Bach - Orchestral Suites No.3 & 4 (Musica Antiqua Köln)

[Karl Henning]

Completely off the Henning radar until this week:
https://www.youtube.com/v/Qns_LSfTaKs

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Penderecki
String Quartet No. 3
Molinari



In many respects, I have to say that I prefer Penderecki's chamber music to his more well-known orchestral and choral works.

[SonicMan46]

Hat tip SonicMan:

 

Charm, character and quirkyness typical of CPE.
Excellent performances. It all sounds sooo perfect and easy, we 've come a long way...

They are!!    I found the concerto for two chamuleaus the highlight of that recording.

+1!  Xenia on that period oboe is just great w/ upfront recording and great sound - the other day, I was comparing her to Holliger on the twofer inserted above, granted recordings from the late '60s/early '70s and Holliger is excellent as usual, but the more modern sound and the instrument makes her the choice for me.  Dave