What are you listening 2 now?

[SonicMan46]

Bach JS - Goldberg Variations - but not on a keyboard, i.e. transcriptions for other instrument(s) - I have about 8 recordings of these works, half on a keyboard of some type and the others shown below - I enjoy transcriptions of Bach's music to strings in particular, such as guitar or mandolin - I know others likely prefer Papa's original intentions (although I don't know how he would have felt hearing the music on alternate instruments?).  Dave

     

[Bachtoven]

[Bachtoven]

Bach JS - Goldberg Variations - but not on a keyboard, i.e. transcriptions for other instrument(s) - I have about 8 recordings of these works, half on a keyboard of some type and the others shown below - I enjoy transcriptions of Bach's music to strings in particular, such as guitar or mandolin - I know others likely prefer Papa's original intentions (although I don't know how he would have felt hearing the music on alternate instruments?).  Dave

     

There are far too many notes and independent lines for a single guitarist to play it. I've heard a few, but not the one posted above, and all had to omit some voices and play it at half the normal keyboard tempos. A guitar trio or quartet could make it work. Kurt Rodamer made it work by overdubbing with 3 guitars, but isn't that "cheating"?   

[SonicMan46]

There are far too many notes and independent lines for a single guitarist to play it. I've heard a few, but not the one posted above, and all had to omit some voices and play it at half the normal keyboard tempos. A guitar trio or quartet could make it work. Kurt Rodamer made it work by overdubbing with 3 guitars, but isn't that "cheating"?   

Well, maybe if one thinks that there are 'too many' to begin with (kinda like Joseph 2nd's comment to Mozart in Amadeus), may make the experience more pleasant and relaxing -      But I still enjoy these 'alternate' recordings even understanding the constraints, etc.  Dave 

[Karl Henning]

An inaugural listen

Poulenc
Gloria, FP 177

A work, it turns out, whose première Munch conducted in Boston.

[Bachtoven]

Well, maybe if one thinks that there are 'too many' to begin with (kinda like Joseph 2nd's comment to Mozart in Amadeus), may make the experience more pleasant and relaxing -      But I still enjoy these 'alternate' recordings even understanding the constraints, etc.  Dave 

I sampled a few variations on Qobuz--had to turn it off as he clips so many notes and I can hear the technical strain at nearly every turn (I've played classical guitar for 45 years...) I'm glad that you enjoy it--that's all that matters.

[Karl Henning]

CD 7

LvB
Symphony № 5 in c minor, Op. 67

Carl Maria von Weber
Euryanthe—Overture

Richard Wagner
Lohengrin—Preludes to Acts I & III

Richard Strauss
Der Rosenkavalier Suite, Op. 59

[SonicMan46]

I sampled a few variations on Qobuz--had to turn it off as he clips so many notes and I can hear the technical strain at nearly every turn (I've played classical guitar for 45 years...) I'm glad that you enjoy it--that's all that matters.

+1 - thanks - will take a re-listen (maybe I wasn't paying attention -  )  - Dave

[Karl Henning]

Poulenc: Sinfonietta (Frankfurt Radio Symphony / Alain Altinoglu, conductor) - From a January 13 concert (which also included Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings) comes this sparkling performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8ust-LTLqo

--Bruce

I'm in!

[Mirror Image]

An inaugural listen

Poulenc
Gloria, FP 177

A work, it turns out, whose première Munch conducted in Boston.

Lovely, Karl. One of my favorites from Poulenc. His choral works are exquisite, IMHO.

[Mirror Image]

The Albéniz Iberia listening project ensues...

Now playing:

Iberia, Book II
Miguel Baselga, piano

Iberia, Book II (orch. Carlos Suriñach / Enrique Fernández Arbós)
Cincinnati SO
López-Cobos

From these recordings -

[Mirror Image]

Lovely. All of these works are exquisite.

[classicalgeek]

Wow, you took the Bloch thread seriously! Good to see you've enjoyed the marathon. All of these works show Bloch like a multifaceted figure.

His other chamber music and even his opera Macbeth contains glorious music too (I haven't heard that opera, though).

I really wanted to get to know Bloch! I still have several selections left on the playlist I created, and I'm sure I'll go back and listen to certain selections again. I didn't get a chance to listen yesterday, and over the weekend my listening took a slight detour.

Night of the Blochheads



Bloch: Violin Concerto

Listening to this after a long while, the only problem I have is that the modal harmonies bring to mind the Hekawi tribe more than ancient Israel.  But that's more a comment of the hours of garbage TV I consumed as a kid.  Otherwise, it's a beautiful concerto.  I've not heard of this conductor before or since, but he gets the Ukrainian orchestra to commit and the sonics are fabulous.

By the way, the Lees is a barn-burner of a concerto, but I think the only connection between the composers is that they were both Jewish and worked in the US.

The Bloch Violin Concerto, in this recording, is on my playlist. I might have to listen to the Lees concerto too!

TD: Over the weekend

Mahler
Symphony no. 7
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
James Levine



I remember really liking this when I first listened to it years ago, and it didn't disappoint. The star, of course, is the Chicago Symphony - they sound incredible! The only movement that didn't quite click was the central Scherzo, which for me downplayed the "spooky" and grotesque elements.

Ives
Symphony no. 2
New York Philharmonic
Leonard Bernstein



My second listen to this, and I enjoyed it even more this time around. This time I was moved by the beauty of the third movement - Ives at his most heartfelt; as gorgeous as parts of the First String Quartet and Third Violin Sonata. Excellent sound quality, and of course the New York Phil sounds amazing.

And finally, a comparative listen to three Brahms Fours:

Philharmonia Orchestra
Otto Klemperer

Staatskapelle Dresden
Kurt Sanderling

Vienna Philharmonic
Leonard Bernstein

      
I wasn't that impressed with Klemperer's reading - maybe it's the orchestra? Not the best solo woodwinds, and I would have liked a little more horn and trumpet where appropriate; interpretively it was solid if unspectacular. Sanderling was better in terms of orchestral playing, although again I could have used more brass. And he made some odd tempo choices - like slowing down in the coda to the finale, when it's actually marked Piu Allegro. Bernstein was the most to my liking, though not without its flaws. The woodwinds sounded great, and it had the brass- (especially horn-) forward orchestral texture I like in Brahms. But again there were some strange tempo shifts - like slowing waaaay down for the second theme of the second movement, and the whole finale was slow and heavy-handed (though this did leave room for Bernstein to push the tempo in the closing pages of the symphony.) I have at least three more Brahms Fours in my collection - Munch/Boston, Jochum/London Phil, and Mackerras/Scottish Chamber Orchestra; I need to revisit those.

[SimonNZ]

on the radio:

the slow movement from Dvorak's New World symphony with English lyrics and sung by Bryn Terfel

[Linz]

Bruckner 7 with Sir Colin Davis Where he thought better than Bruckner he would correct the top heaviness of the Symphony By reversing the 2 and 3rd movements

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Schulhoff
String Quartet No. 1
Petersen Quartett



Why these two SQs from Schulhoff aren't in the string quartet repertoire is beyond me. They're both masterpieces of the genre. As vigorous and inventive as Janáček's or Bartók's SQs.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Casella
La giara Suite, Op. 41bis
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
Christian Benda

[foxandpeng]

Bruckner 7 with Sir Colin Davis Where he thought better than Bruckner he would correct the top heaviness of the Symphony By reversing the 2 and 3rd movements

*facepalm*

[Mandryka]

Philip Glass's Six Scenes from 'Les Enfants Terribles' 
    Maki Namekawa and Dennis Russell Davies (pianos)

Enjoyable bit of fluffy fun!

Well worth trying the opera. I think it's one of the very best things Glass did. Cocteau seems to have brought out the best in him, all the Cocteau operas he wrote seem to me summits of American minimalism.

[Karl Henning]

CD 3

LvB

Coriolan Ov. Op. 62
Triple Concerto, Op. 56
Josef Suk, vn
Josef Chuchro, vc
Jan Panenka, pf
Symphony № 2 in D, Op. 36