What are you listening 2 now?

[Traverso]

Mozart

pianoconcertos 22-23 & 3

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Langgaard Miniatures Thursday:

Drapa (On The Death Of Edvard Grieg), BVN 20
Sfinx (Sphinx), BVN 37
Hvidbjerg-Drapa, BVN 343
Danmarks Radio (Radio Denmark), BVN 351   
Res Absurda!?, BVN 354
Danish National SO
Dausgaard

From this sensational set -

[Papy Oli]

Schumann - String Quartet No.1 (Fine Arts Qt)

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Langgaard Miniatures Thursday:

Drapa (On The Death Of Edvard Grieg), BVN 20
Sfinx (Sphinx), BVN 37
Hvidbjerg-Drapa, BVN 343
Danmarks Radio (Radio Denmark), BVN 351   
Res Absurda!?, BVN 354
Danish National SO
Dausgaard

From this sensational set -

My goodness this composer is amazing! The more time I spend with his music, the more I realize just how unjustly his neglect was during his lifetime. Thanks to labels like Dacapo, Chandos and Danacord for resurrecting this masterful composer's music.

[Mirror Image]

Great works both piano quintets, with some sensationally beautiful moments. I've been listening to the Naxos recording of them (Martinu Quartet/Karel Kosarek) quite a bit recently.

Indeed. I have to say I have a slight preference for this Kocian Quartet recording. It's got a bit more edge to it, which I like, especially in Czech music.

[André]

The composer's name suggests the beethovenian era, but David's was a modernist voice in german music (1896-1977). Very interesting works that demand the listener's attention - it's the kind of music where the result is greater than the sum of its parts (themes, orchestration, etc). The listener is not so much led into the music, rather invited to hear with his brains as much as his feelings.

David's symphonies seem to be elaborately built but there is still a lot of raw emotion on display. A bit like some Schoenberg works, where the intellect is sometimes close to smothering the affect. Our own Harry rightly enthused about David's works. He is definitely a very individual modern voice.

[Mandryka]

This has been a known fact for years, which is why it does not always appear in organ editions. They are probably the first organ works I heard. As a young man I had a friend (he lives now in the UK as a Trappist monk)who was a church organist and through him I came into contact with these beautiful works which are not too difficult to play.
The famous Toccata is also a composition that raises doubts that it is from Bach. But if Bach didn't compose it, who did?   

To be honest I've so imprinted on Harald Vogel's pedal clavichord performance that I hadn't noticed that they don't always appear in integrals, in my mind they're domestic pieces for a domestic instrument. In fact, when Harry posted that he was listening to them in the Kooiman et. al. set, I had a sort of double take!

It looks like Benjamin Alard hasn't included them in his complete Bach keyboard recordings, by the way.

As a young man I had a friend (he lives now in the UK as a Trappist monk)

If I were a Trappist monk I would definitely want to live in Rochefort - for spiritual reasons of course.

[Papy Oli]

Schumann - String Quartet No.1 (Fine Arts Qt)

Had to play on No.2 & No.3. Lovely stuff.

[Karl Henning]

Again:

Schumann
Piano Quintet in E^b, Op. 44
Alexander Melnikov
Jerusalem Quartet

And:

CD 7

Il Cimento dell'Armonia e dell'Inventione, Op. 8 N^os. 7—12

[André]

Inevitably when Slatkin conducts english music he seems to get the composer's sound world down pat. Here the LPO's sound has just the right blend of richness, nobility, tangy sweetness and weight of utterance. The recording is likewise rich and spacious, with plenty of air round the orchestra's sections. Slatkin's conducting is patient (a quality in Elgar) and attentive to every nuance. The fast sections of the scherzo proceed smartly and do not lack bite. The all-important bass cushion is always firmly in place though. Missing may be a touch of wildness - Elgar's emotional make up has a touch of the neurotic to it. In the South is given a noble, exciting reading as well. The LPO's horn section whoops like no other.

[listener]

MOSZKOWSKI   Piano Music   vol. 2
Seta Tanyel, piano
a Grande Valse de Concert op. 88 and Fantaisie Impromptu op. 8 are the longer pieces
on this disc    with misc Morçeaux and Études
MARTINŮ:  the 2 Cello Concertos and the Cello Concertino
Rafael Wallfisch, cello     Czech Philharmonic Orch.
Jiří Bélohlávek, cond.

[Sergeant Rock]

Haydn Symphony No. 51 and No. 41, Brüggen conducting the OAE




Sarge

[Mandryka]

An original and for me, very engrossing, interpretation of the 5th quartet. Shostakovich quartet à la Tchaikovsky 6th symphony à la Gergiev on a good day. Almost painful in its outbursts. If they played like this in a concert, it would be quite something.

[Papy Oli]

A first listen : Zemlinksy - Psalms 13 & 23 (Chailly)

[Roasted Swan]

Inevitably when Slatkin conducts english music he seems to get the composer's sound world down pat. Here the LPO's sound has just the right blend of richness, nobility, tangy sweetness and weight of utterance. The recording is likewise rich and spacious, with plenty of air round the orchestra's sections. Slatkin's conducting is patient (a quality in Elgar) and attentive to every nuance. The fast sections of the scherzo proceed smartly and do not lack bite. The all-important bass cushion is always firmly in place though. Missing may be a touch of wildness - Elgar's emotional make up has a touch of the neurotic to it. In the South is given a noble, exciting reading as well. The LPO's horn section whoops like no other.

I agree Slatkin's Elgar is generally very fine.  Oddly his Walton 1 was really not nearly so good and you'd think it'd be a work that he would respond to well.......

[classicalgeek]

Yes, indeed. I hope you continue your exploration of Martinů's music. He has been a composer that has brought me so much joy and, most of all, emotional/intellectual fulfillment. He's certainly one-of-a-kind and if you're going to start a collection of his music, my only suggestion is to stop after the 40th disc as this might be enough.

Like so many composers, I've *casually* heard his music but not taken the time to fully appreciate in-depth. I've always been fascinated by his style. You can tell a work is by Martinů within seconds!

That Aho CD is outstanding. You'll appreciate both concertos' qualities.

I've found the disc on Spotify and queued it up for a listen! Same with the new release Double and Triple Concerto. Aho is a fascinating composer (and quite prolific as well), so I'm looking forward to diving in.

I really like that Naxos Bliss CD. The PC might be a bit 'overblown' but it has some wonderful moments, especially the climax of the opening movement.

The Bliss Piano Concerto definitely had some great moments! It was a first listen for me, so I know I'll return to it - it's quite a substantial work and I have a feeling there's a lot more to it that I didn't hear the first time. There's a full score available on Nkoda which I didn't listen with the first time... I want to do it the second time around.

This is an absolute corker of a recording. Desert island stuff.

I'm not surprised! For as tragically short as his life and career were, Kertesz made some incredible recordings.

Listened to the Koechlin again.



An interesting piece, begins with some solemn music perhaps representing the majesty of the jungle, then a fantasia of widely varying mood, with some chaos, some pompous sounding fugues, a catharsis. An engaging tour de force of orchestral music.

I've enjoyed everything I've heard by Koechlin so far, and Les Bandar-Log is no exception. Definitely one of my major discoveries of 2021!

+1 for Berglund's Bournemouth Kullervo (better than the Helsinki version I think).

Yesterday I purchased off eBay what I thought was Berglund's Bournemouth Kullervo - only it was his Helsinki one! The details weren't shown on the front cover (it was one of the EMI 'Matrix' recordings) and the seller only showed the front cover. Oh well. I'm not terribly familiar with the work, so the disc should still serve its purpose - but I'll definitely keep my eyes out for the Bournemouth recording. It's at least available from Japan (thanks, John!) so I know I can get it that way.

Thread duty:

Berwald
Symphony no. 3 'Symphonie Singuliere'
Malmö Symphony Orchestra
Sixten Ehrling



My favorite Berwald symphony (I'm sure I'm not alone in that opinion), lovingly and expertly played by Ehrling and Malmö. What a gem this piece is! I was particularly struck by the finale, which is in a stormy minor mode till the very end, when it turns to major. Shades of Brahms 3 which it predates by some four decades!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Yesterday I purchased off eBay what I thought was Berglund's Bournemouth Kullervo - only it was his Helsinki one! The details weren't shown on the front cover (it was one of the EMI 'Matrix' recordings) and the seller only showed the front cover. Oh well. I'm not terribly familiar with the work, so the disc should still serve its purpose - but I'll definitely keep my eyes out for the Bournemouth recording. It's at least available from Japan (thanks, John!) so I know I can get it that way.

You might be able to cancel your eBay order if 1) It hasn't shipped yet, and 2)and perhaps if it wasn't a bid?

PD

[classicalgeek]

You might be able to cancel your eBay order if 1) It hasn't shipped yet, and 2)and perhaps if it wasn't a bid?

PD

It's already shipped! And I had already committed to buy it when I realized the recording wasn't the one I was looking for. Fortunately it was inexpensive, and it's still a good recording, even if it's not quite up to his Bournemouth performance.

[Klavier1]

Excellent playing and sound.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

It's already shipped! And I had already committed to buy it when I realized the recording wasn't the one I was looking for. Fortunately it was inexpensive, and it's still a good recording, even if it's not quite up to his Bournemouth performance.

Hope that you enjoy it! 

PD