What are you listening 2 now?

[Maestro267]

Beethoven: Piano Trio No. 2 in G major
Barenboim/Zukerman/du Pré

[vandermolen]

And a work that deserves to be better known! Dona Nobis Pacem is my favorite Vaughan Williams work so far, especially Reconciliation. I recall enjoying that performance when I streamed it.

DNP has been well-served on disc. There are many fine performances on CD.

[classicalgeek]

Arnell's 7th is one of his weakest I think. However, I have the highest opinion of symphonies 3 and 5 in particular, as I do of Bate's 3rd and 4th symphonies.

So far, I've only heard Arnell's Second Symphony and the Piano Concerto; I found the music pleasant, but that's about it. I'll see if I can find his Third and Fifth Symphonies on Qobuz and give them a listen. I was more impressed with Bate, who showed some inventiveness and originality.

Pounds the table! Love Atterberg's suites, above all the Barocco. Your Respighi comparison is quite apt (esp. to works like the Ancient Airs and Dances). Regarding his string quartets, this excellent CPO recording is more convincing:

I'm majorly impressed with Atterberg, Kyle! I'll check out the String Quartet disc you mention, cpo is on the major streaming services so it should be available.

TD: Over the weekend:

Schumann
Symphony no. 1
Symphony no. 2
Staatskapelle Berlin
Daniel Barenboim



I had a mixed reaction to Barenboim's Schumann: on one hand, it is stunningly played, there's a real sense of excitement that can be lacking in these pieces, and he keeps them moving. On the other, I found them a bit mannered, pushing the tempo here, holding back there... and Barenboim's grunting and groaning are a little much sometimes! On the whole, though, these are really fine performances.

Dutilleux
Metaboles
Orchestre de Paris
Paavo Jarvi

Timbres, espace, movement
Orchestre National de France
Mstislav Rostropovich



Dutilleux didn't make much of an impression on me when I first listened some years ago - but now I find him endlessly fascinating! The harmonic language is dissonant but never unpleasant to the ears; he can write the most hushed and beautiful passages (especially for the strings) and the most lively and rhythmic package with equal effectiveness; and his orchestration is absolutely brilliant! His percussion in particular writing is masterful. I'll definitely be listening to more Dutilleux!

Janacek
Glagolitic Mass
various soloists and choir
Rafael Kubelik



An intense, edge-of-your-seat performance that captures Janacek's unique style of composition perfectly. It's also very well-sung, both by choir and soloists; Ernst Haefliger stands out. I wouldn't want to be without the Czech Philharmonic in at least one performance (I have Ancerl), but Kubelik's Glagolitic Mass is one of the very best.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Moussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition [Uninsky]





Some that know me here may need a cardiologist when they read that I prefer the original solo piano version to the orchestrated version, and I started listening to the orchestrated versions originally. 

The cover art is hip and cool. I prefer the piano version too.

[Mirror Image]

First-Listen Monday

Ogawa
Symphony, "Japanese Castle"
Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
Yuzo Toyama



Wowzers!!! This is an exhilarating piece! Love it. This piece would be great alongside Adams' Harmonielehre. Highly rhythmic.

[Maestro267]

Dutilleux: Métaboles
Orchestre de Paris/P. Järvi

Birtwistle: Earth Dances
Ensemble Modern/Boulez

[Symphonic Addict]

Oh yes, you must hear all of Atterberg's symphonies, even the rather less compelling vocal 9th (and including the Sinfonia for Strings)! Each symphony is an absolute gem, filled with gorgeous and memorable melodies, evocative orchestration, and a sweeping sense of narrative. One of my favorite symphonic cycles by anyone, but of course I'm sounding like a broken record to most GMGers at this point.

I don't consider that you sound like that, unlike other member(s) here. 

[Symphonic Addict]

I wonder did she realise that she was about to be immortalised when she posed for that painting?

Surely she didn't, but hopefully she has enjoyed fame in her lifetime. 

[Mirror Image]

Paging Cesar...you must hear Ogawa's Symphony, "Japanese Castle"!

[Symphonic Addict]

Paging Cesar...you must hear Ogawa's Symphony, "Japanese Castle"!

Just noticed your post, John. Thanks for the tip! I adore rhythmic and vital works.

[Mirror Image]

Just noticed your post, John. Thanks for the tip! I adore rhythmic and vital works.

The use of traditional Japanese instruments also adds to the exoticism of this piece. You'll dig it.

[SonicMan46]

Heinichen, Johann (1683-1729) - Dresden Concerti & Other Works w/ the performers on the cover art - despite dying young at 46 years from tuberculosis, he was quite prolific (composition LIST) but not much more available of his instrumental works on Amazon USA, my interest - Dave

Johann David Heinichen was a German Baroque composer and music theorist who brought the musical genius of Venice to the court of Augustus II the Strong in Dresden. After he died, Heinichen's music attracted little attention for many years. (Source)

   

[Symphonic Addict]

The use of traditional Japanese instruments also adds to the exoticism of this piece. You'll dig it.

Even better. Sounds like something I need to hear. Thank you, John.

[Mirror Image]

Even better. Sounds like something I need to hear. Thank you, John.

My pleasure.

[Linz]

Bruckner 4 Asahina

[Linz]

Another 4th in HD

[ritter]

Earlier this afternoon:


None of the three composers represented here is a household name, but Franco Margola (1908_1972) was absolutely unknown to me until now. His Piano Trio from 1935 sounds rather late romantic and (despite the composer being a student of Alfredo Casella) is not in the prevailing neo-classical idiom of 1930s Italy. Perhaps an earlier admiration by Margola for Ildebrando Pizzetti can still be felt in this piece. Still, there are some welcome playful moments in the last of the three movements, vigoroso con fuoco. Be that as it may, this is an attractive, solidly composed piece, and it makes me want to explore his output further (his complete piano music is available on 3 CDs on Tactus, and there's another CD of chamber music on the same label).

Ghedini is better known, but the Due intermezzi presented here didn't leave much of an impression (I find his Concerto dell'albatro that I relistened to the other day, much more attractive —despite the oddity of a reciter reading sections from Moby Dick in Italian translation, which might make the work unpalatable to non-Italian speakers—).

Finally, I had listened to a Vittorio Rieti CD on the NewWorld Records label many years ago, after seeing his name in a book on Stravinsky IIRC. That CD (which I should revisit) didn't leave much of an impression, and neither, I'm afraid, did the late (1972) Piano Trio (written for the Beaux Arts Trio) on the CD at hand. TBH, the work seemed to be over in a whim, before I could get hold of any musical ideas in it.

Performances seemed first-rate to me (not that I have anything to compare the to), but at ca. 48 minutes, this CD doesn't offer that much value. Surely another obscure 20th century Italian composer wrote a piano trio that could have complemented the programme.

And after that:


I had listened Maderna's Third Oboe Concerto some days ago (in the Holliger / Gielen recording), but went for the whole set of three today in this more recent traversal with Fabian Mendel as soloist and the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra —a band Maderna himself had often conducted—, led by Michael Stern. Boy, are these works superb! The gradual departure from the strict(ish) procedures if the First Concerto from 1962 to the free(ish) techniques of the Third from 1973  (Maderna's last completed work) is very interesting —this IMHO parallels the same development of Boulez's music in those years— and as Dominy Clements points out in his review in MusicWeb International, the three pieces work wonderfully in succession, becoming almost a grand "Symphony for Oboe and Orchestra". I find myself again saying "beautiful performances of beautiful music". 


EDIT:

And now, Harrison Birtwistle in memoriam...

[aligreto]

Mahler: Rückert-Lieder [Urmana/Boulez]





This is very fine music making. I like Urmana's voice and she delivers these songs well. The orchestral accompaniments under Boulez are also quite fine and very sympathetic to the music and the voice.

[aligreto]

The cover art is hip and cool.

Yes, it is another one that is very graphic.
That is the cover art from an old 10" vinyl so it is not today or yesterday that it was designed. 

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

First-Listen Monday

Ogawa
Symphony, "Japanese Castle"
Japan Philharmonic Orchestra
Yuzo Toyama



Wowzers!!! This is an exhilarating piece! Love it. This piece would be great alongside Adams' Harmonielehre. Highly rhythmic.

Colorful music with Koto harp, Shakuhachi flute, Shamisen banjo, etc. It reminds me of Akira Kurosawa's movies.