What are you listening 2 now?

[Traverso]

Messiaen

Harawi

Rachel Yakar Soprano
Yvonne Loriod piano

[aligreto]

Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 [Ashkenazy]





Lyricism, drama and intensity abound from the opening bars of this presentation. This first movement should be presented with a powerful and intense presence and this recording does not fail in that regard. It is big, bold and expansive and yet it is sensitive and gentle when appropriate. There is also a wonderfully menacing element in this performance which is augmented via a terrific build up of tension. Intensity, however, is the name of the day here. This performance of the second movement is almost an exercise in the dissipation of energy. It is powerfully electrically charged and is quite exhilarating and intense. The third, slow movement opens with a swell of lyrical music. The theme is hauntingly beautiful and must be one of the most attractive of all Classical Music melodies. It is glorious in its effusion and presentation here; nothing is left behind by the musicians in this performance. It is wonderfully powerful and expressive; magnificent in every regard. The final movement is a flurry of activity, excitement and drama. It is really well driven here and the levels of both drama and excitement are very high. The orchestral textures are rich and deep. Amazing stuff!

[Mirror Image]

Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 [Ashkenazy]





Lyricism, drama and intensity abound from the opening bars of this presentation. This first movement should be presented with a powerful and intense presence and this recording does not fail in that regard. It is big, bold and expansive and yet it is sensitive and gentle when appropriate. There is also a wonderfully menacing element in this performance which is augmented via a terrific build up of tension. Intensity, however, is the name of the day here. This performance of the second movement is almost an exercise in the dissipation of energy. It is powerfully electrically charged and is quite exhilarating and intense. The third, slow movement opens with a swell of lyrical music. The theme is hauntingly beautiful and must be one of the most attractive of all Classical Music melodies. It is glorious in its effusion and presentation here; nothing is left behind by the musicians in this performance. It is wonderfully powerful and expressive; magnificent in every regard. The final movement is a flurry of activity, excitement and drama. It is really well driven here and the levels of both drama and excitement are very high. The orchestral textures are rich and deep. Amazing stuff!

Certainly one of the best performances I've heard of this symphony. Everything just sounds right and the emotion that Ashkenazy projects to the listener is certainly front and center. Great sound quality, too.

[Mirror Image]

NP: Scriabin Piano Sonatas Nos. 1-3 (Lettberg)



Truly a magnificent set.

[Linz]

Stanford's Stabat Mater, Bible Songs and Te Deum Laudamus from this CD

[bhodges]

Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 (Vänskä / Minnesota, live from New Year's Eve) - Worth a revisit!

https://mnorch.vhx.tv/featured-category/videos/a-new-years-celebration

--Bruce

[foxandpeng]

Claude Baker
The Glass Bead Game
St Louis Symphony
Leonard Slatkin
Naxos

Fraught and nervy. In church. And then not.

[The new erato]

Superb music.

[aligreto]

Certainly one of the best performances I've heard of this symphony. Everything just sounds right and the emotion that Ashkenazy projects to the listener is certainly front and center. Great sound quality, too.

Agreed; it is an excellent performance.

[aligreto]

Stanford's Stabat Mater, Bible Songs and Te Deum Laudamus from this CD

Although I do not own it, I have come across that Stanford CD before and I have always wondered about it. If you have the time I would be interested in your thoughts on it overall.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Wagner: Preludes, overtures, etc. Igor Markevitch.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

NP: Scriabin Piano Sonatas Nos. 1-3 (Lettberg)



Truly a magnificent set.

Yes. I misplaced the dvd disc in the box!

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Big fan of Jeux, as well, to be sure. The contingency is remote (as Jeeves would say) but if forced to choose, I'd have to go with Ibéria even over Jeux.

Any opinion on the Columbia recording by Lenny?
Very good if not one of the best recordings?

[Karl Henning]

Superb music.

Love that disc!

[Karl Henning]

Any opinion on the Columbia recording by Lenny?
Very good if not one of the best recordings?

I should happily revisit it!

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Ravel
Violin Sonata in G major
Ibragimova / Tiberghien

[VonStupp]

PI Tchaikovsky
Symphony 2 in c minor 'Little Russian', op. 17
Chicago SO - Claudio Abbado (rec. 1985)

Whipping winds after a hefty amount of snow accumulating since Christmas has afforded me some extra listening time today.

Abbado's very short time with Chicago was a good one, and this Tchaik 2 is muscular to the hilt. I find the 2nd a bit overly twee in general, so I don't mind a little of Chicago's 80's-Era fire at all.

VS

[North Star]

Shostakovich & Weinberg
String Quartets nos. 1-3
Emerson SQ & Quatuor Danel



Sibelius
En Saga, Op. 9 (1892 - original version)
The Wood-Nymph, Op. 15 (1894-1895)
The Dryad, Op. 45, No. 1 (1910)
Dance Intermezzo, Op. 45, No.2 (1907)
Pohjola's Daughter, Op. 49 (1906)
Night Ride And Sunrise, Op. 55 (1908)
Sinfonia Lahti
Osmo Vänskä

[Spotted Horses]

Horses - the little Scherzo is my favorite orchestral Lalo.

The Scherzo is indeed a little gem. Similar in mood to the final divertimento.



Andretta takes it too fast, in my opinion. All of the interesting syncopation tends to get lost in the hall reverberation.

Ansermet takes is significantly slower and, contrary to what you might expect on that bases, produces a more lively performance.

[Linz]

Although I do not own it, I have come across that Stanford CD before and I have always wondered about it. If you have the time I would be interested in your thoughts on it overall.

It is on spotify if you want to hear it I found it quite well done.  Although in Bible Songs the Organ could easily dround out the soloist at times