What are you listening 2 now?

[kyjo]

Now playing:
Pehr Henrik Nordgren
Symphony No.7
Intense, searching, visionary, memorable with a generally austere atmosphere - I think that you might like it Harry if you don't already know it:

My favorite of the Nordgren CDs I've heard. The 7th and 8th symphonies are indeed quite dark and austere but never oppressive or depressing and have enough splashes of orchestral color to keep the attention. Comparisons might be drawn with Pettersson, Aho, or even Malcolm Arnold's later works.

[kyjo]

Richard Wetz: Symphony No.3 in B-flat major, op.48. Erich Peter, Symphonisches Orchester Berlin

My admiration for this composer grows with each successive listen. Wetz was a very, very fine composer, unjustly maligned, in my opinion. This recording—the first recording of any of his symphonies, I think—is excellent! The CPO recording is perhaps sharper (it's quicker too), but this one has a real sense of occasion to it. I don't know anything at all about the conductor, the orchestra, or the label—if anyone knows anything about any of them, I'd love to know. I suspect it was an East German production.

The 2nd strikes me as by far the most successful and enjoyable of his three symphonies, though that's just me! I was rather disappointed by the 1st and 3rd.

[kyjo]

Wow. Forgot how wonderful these are.

+1 One of my favorite Bach CDs! Simply joyous music-making.

[kyjo]

Sinding: Symphony No. 2
Villa-Lobos: Symphony No. 6
Langgaard: Symphony No. 16

Of these three works, the Villa-Lobos is the best piece by far, what a compelling symphony. The Sinding is nice but lacks memorability. The Langgaard has passages that sound akin to Richard Strauss's style.

I agree that the Sinding 2nd isn't terribly memorable, though it's still a thoroughly enjoyable and sumptuous listen, especially in such a fine performance and sound. His 1st Symphony, though, is a real "corker" of a work, full of swashbuckling drama and, yes, great tunes. It's rather like a "sequel" to Dvorak's 7th!

I do have positive memories of Villa-Lobos' 6th - must give it another spin sometime soon.

[kyjo]

Kalabis: Symphony No. 2 Sinfonia Pacis
Still: Symphony No. 2 Song of a New Race

Both engrossing works in assertive performances. It was particularly a great opportunity to rediscover the Still. Very cool.

Pounds the table! The Kalabis deserves to stand amongst the greatest symphonies of the latter half of the 20th century, IMO. Powerful stuff!

[kyjo]

Chaminade: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2/ Trio Parnassus

Beautiful music!

[Todd]

[Pohjolas Daughter]

That's a lovely set! 

Here,  listened to Prokofiev's String Quartet No. 2.  Loved the Kabardinian folk influences throughout it.   With the Pavel Haas Quartet on Supraphon.

PD

[pjme]

+1 One of my favorite Bach CDs! Simply joyous music-making.

Simply joyous music-making. I agree.
But...for me Bach (and co) on the piano sounds too polished, too glittery.

[vandermolen]

Glad that your CD finally arrived.

Sound details aside, did you prefer one performance over the other?
Am I the only one who really wants to pick up and move that pitcher away from the edge of the table?  But, seriously, I'd love to get some more Martinu.  Enjoy!

PD

Ah, I see what you mean about the pitcher PD 

Interesting question about 'Mystery of Time' which I'd thought about earlier.
I'm pleased to have both versions. Ivanovic's is by far the better recording but there is something about the old Ancerl version which is very special - I think that this is especially true towards the end of 'Mystery of Time' where the music loses momentum and slows down (signifying time coming to an end?) I find this section to be very poignant, but more so in Ancerl's older recording where I feel that there is a greater contrast to what has come before. Still, both versions, in their different ways, are excellent.

[Traverso]

Vaughan Williams


Symphony No.5

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Prokofiev Sy 4. Kitajenko/Koln.  Nice and sharp.

[SonicMan46]

Mendelssohn, Felix - String Quartets w/ the Pacifica Quartet; also own the 4-disc set of the Emerson Quartet who add the Octet by doubling their parts; also a CD ROM video of them doing the latter performance.  Dave

 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Martinu's cello sonatas with two of my favorites:  Janos Starker and Rudolf Firkusny.  On RCA

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Magnus Lindberg's Sculpture.

PD

[Karl Henning]

Finishing off this tonight with the last two CDs


After the Beatitudes, the choral Mass, and this, I have to admit Franck's choral music did nothing for me.

Nice enough but not on the level of other French composers like Berlioz.

I'd say Franck's strengths lie in his orchestral and chamber music, closely followed by the organ and piano music.

ETA
Checking on the contents of the Warner set, I'd say that despite Warner's use of first tier performers, this Brilliant set is preferable because it gives a much wider selection of Franck's output.
[But the two four-CD sets on Fuga Libera beat it in terms of quality of performance.]

I appreciate your report!

[Karl Henning]

Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky

Yelena Obraztsova (mezzo soprano)/London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado

Classic!

[Karl Henning]

Kabelac: 'Mystery of Time'
This finally arrived (yesterday) and I'm thrilled to have a modern recording of this magnificent work. So much more of the orchestral detail can be heard here compared to the fine old Supraphon version:

Sweet!

[Karl Henning]

Martinu's cello sonatas with two of my favorites:  Janos Starker and Rudolf Firkusny.  On RCA

PD

Superb!

[VonStupp]

Modest Mussorgsky
Dream of the Peasant Gritzko (orch. Shebalin)
Galitsin's Journey from Khovanshchina (orch. Rimsky-Korsakov)
Introduction to Khovanshchina (orch. Rimsky-Korsakov)
Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel)

Clayton Brainerd, baritone
New Jersey SO - Zdeněk Mácal

VS