What are you listening 2 now?

[aligreto]

Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 [Perlman/Ashkenazy]





The music in the opening movement is passionate and it is attacked quite expressively by these two musicians. They do not ever get out of control, however, and everything is wonderfully balanced and finely expressed. The slow movement is also wonderfully expressive. It is emotionally laden, achingly so, at times. The playing and the approach to the music is beyond reproach. The third movement is a fine contrast in every way. It is light and bright and the piano line here reflects this wonderfully. The tone and mood in the final movement is both contemplative and buoyant. It is played both ardently, assertively and in an animated way when called for.

This album is a thoroughly engaging presentation of all of this music.

[aligreto]

Bach cantatas bwv 22-23, 127 and 159.  In particular the bass aria in bwv 159 is sublime.  I think even people that are not fans of Bach would love it!

JS Bach Cantatas + Gardiner = Sublime 

[aligreto]

Thanks for your thoughts - this morning I went on Spotify looking for Pascal Monteilhet (now I already own other recordings by him and greatly enjoy) - the Bach Cello Suites 1,2,3 were available for a listen (first disc below) - the performance, instrument and sound were excellent (about to listen again to Smith doing the same ones for a comparison) - Monteilhet of course did Suites 4,5,6 as posted by Fergus - well I've ordered both CDs, used copies from the Amazon MP and from eBay - total about $22 - for the plucked Suites I might just pull Monteilhet out before Smith in the future (or alternate -  ) - Dave

 

Good for you, Dave.
The Smith vs. Monteilhet is an interesting one in this music. 

[Karl Henning]

Fergus, you remind me that it has been a while:

Brahms
G Major Violin Sonata, Op. 78 № 1
Gidon Kremer & Valery Afanassiev

[Karl Henning]

Fergus, you remind me that it has been a while:

Brahms
G Major Violin Sonata, Op. 78 № 1
Gidon Kremer & Valery Afanassiev

Oh! That exquisite Adagio.

[Traverso]

Johann Sebastian Bach.

"Das Wohltemperierte Clavier"

CD III.
BWV 870-881.

Davitt Moroney, plays on a Harpsichord by, John Phillips, 1980.

My ongoing journey in the sound world of WTC. Getting further in this cycle, spurs my conclusion that this version demands to be listened at, and gives you a clear insight in what Bach might have meant. What made me bowl over was the clear diction in the Prelude BWV 871 in C minor, so very precise, and the effects so well dosed, that the following Prelude BWV 872 in C sharp major, cooked my meal to perfection. a wow escaped me, which made my wife asked the question, wow what? And she sat down to listen, and said wow. She has a professional musical background playing the piano for a long time, until that became impossible, so her opinion settled me comfortably in my musings. A recommended WTC from us.

Well, despite the reinforcements you put in, it doesn't change my opinion of these Moroney recordings, luckily I wasn't as brusque in my assessment as you who simply dismissed the Bach cantatas with Koopman as renditions that just gave you a headache.

[SonicMan46]

Good for you, Dave.
The Smith vs. Monteilhet is an interesting one in this music. 

Hi Fergus and others - short bios below on Hopkinson Smith & Pascal Monteilhet - appears the latter was a student under Smith in Basel, Switzerland at the Schola Cantorum - when my two Pascal Suite CDs arrive, I'll probably own just under a dozen discs of these two excellent performers.  Dave

Hopkinson Smith (1946-) born in New York is a musicologist , lutenist and guitarist, specializing in the Baroque directory . He has lived in Basel, Switzerland for a long time. After studying musicology at Harvard University , he studied with Emilio Pujol and Eugen Dombois. He took part in the creation of the ensemble Hespèrion XX, which led to a collaboration of about ten years with Jordi Savall . After that he devoted himself mainly to the solo repertoire for lute , theorbo and baroque guitar.

Hopkinson Smith had as pupils Rolf Lislevand , Edin Karamazov , Yasunori Imamura , Pascal Monteilhet and Miguel Serdoura. He has given concerts and masterclasses in Europe, Asia, Australia and America. In Basel, he taught at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis until his retirement in 2020.

His 2000 recording of the JS Bach sonatas and partitas for solo violin, adapted for Baroque lute, has been called "perhaps the best you can buy of these works - on any instrument" by Gramophone magazine. (Source)

Pascal Monteilhet - in 1982, he became the first French lutenist to graduate from the Schola Cantorum in Basel . After a 2-year career break (1983-1984), he played with the greatest Baroque conductors: Fabio Biondi, Christophe Coin, Gérard Lesne, Marc Minkowski, Philippe Pierlot and Christophe Rousset . He has been a permanent member of the Il Seminario Musicale ensemble since its creation. In 1995, he created his own ensemble Les Libertins and, in 1996, he founded the ensemble Les Basses Réunies with other musicians he had previously worked with in the ensemble Il Seminario Musicale (the harpsichordist Blandine Rannou , the double bassist Richard Myron and Bruno Cocset on bass violin).

Pascal Monteilhet plays on a 1978 theorbo , a copy of a 1638 theorbo by Venetian luthier Matteo Sellas. He has taught the lute since 1991 at the CNR in Paris and since 1994 at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris. (Source)

[vers la flamme]

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.10 in F-sharp major, Derek Cooke edition. Riccardo Chailly, Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

First listen to this recording. So far so good.

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No. 4 'Romantic' Herbert von Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker

[Traverso]

Bach

   Sinfonia Zur Kantate ,,Ich Hatte Viel Bekümmernis" BWV 21
   Konzert c-Moll BWV 1060
   Adagio Aus Der Sinfonia Des Oster-Oratoriums ,,Kommt, Eilet Und Laufet" BWV 249
        Sinfonia Zur Kantate ,,Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" BWV 12
        Konzert d-Moll BWV 1059

[aligreto]

Ireland: Orchestral Poem [Hickox]





This is my first time to hear this work.
I like the lyrical, expansive yet somewhat yearning, wistful and even disconcerting tone and atmosphere of this work. I particularly like the orchestration as I find it to be very successful in expressing the correct mood of the work. Ireland makes good use of every section of the orchestra.

[aligreto]

Fergus, you remind me that it has been a while:

Brahms
G Major Violin Sonata, Op. 78 № 1
Gidon Kremer & Valery Afanassiev

Absolutely wonderful music, Karl! I am sure that you enjoyed it.

[aligreto]

Hi Fergus and others - short bios below on Hopkinson Smith & Pascal Monteilhet - appears the latter was a student under Smith in Basel, Switzerland at the Schola Cantorum - when my two Pascal Suite CDs arrive, I'll probably own just under a dozen discs of these two excellent performers.  Dave

I did not know that, Dave. Thank you for the information. In my humble opinion this is a case of the student surpassing the teacher 

[Karl Henning]

Absolutely wonderful music, Karl! I am sure that you enjoyed it.

I always find Brahms rewarding.

[Lisztianwagner]

Arnold Schoenberg
String Quartet in D major

Alexander Zemlinsky
String Quartet No.2

[Karl Henning]

Arnold Schoenberg
String Quartet in D major

Alexander Zemlinsky
String Quartet No.2

Love this box!

[Traverso]

Love this box!

+1

[Spotted Horses]

+1

+2

[Lisztianwagner]

Love this box!

+1

+2

I couldn't agree more, it's outstanding and it includes the best performances of Zemlinsky's Quartets, in my opinion.

[Linz]

Mahler Symphony No. 1 'Titan' with Bernard Haitink and The Concertgebouw Orchestra