What are you listening 2 now?

[Papy Oli]

Thoughts? How is the sound?

I only knew vaguely of the Sinfonietta beforehand and I have enjoyed this presentation, engrossing as most of the recordings I have gone through in this series. Fresques was a new work to me but again, this caught my attention throughout. Sound was fine on my earbuds, nothing distracting in this area at all.

[Traverso]

Khachaturian


Spartacus  excerpts

[Spotted Horses]

Reconnected with an old friend. Brahms Sextet No 1 (first movement only), Amadeus Quartet+



Splendid.

I can still recall how stunned I was to listen to this music, which was one of my first forays into chamber music beyond string quartets. 

[Brahmsian]

Reconnected with an old friend. Brahms Sextet No 1, Amadeus Quartet+



Splendid.

I can still recall how stunned I was to listen to this music, which was one of my first forays into chamber music beyond string quartets. 

The first String Sextet is an easy Top 5 Brahms chamber work.

[DavidW]

Sibelius
Belshazzar's Feast

That was one of the free downloads from Naxos last month right?  I think I have it sitting on my PC, along with this month's (I selected Delius) but I haven't pushed them on to my thumb drive yet that I use with my streamer.

[DavidW]

Listened to this dark masterpiece:


And then another 9th... for some reason I listen to this symphony far less than other RVW symphonies but everytime I'm like wow!



I have queued up to either listen to Simpson's 11th or 9th, I just haven't decided yet.

[Traverso]

España

Chabrier

[Papy Oli]

That was one of the free downloads from Naxos last month right?  I think I have it sitting on my PC, along with this month's (I selected Delius) but I haven't pushed them on to my thumb drive yet that I use with my streamer.

Yes it was Dave, it's a good one.

I haven't had this month's email yet, bizarrely.

[Lisztianwagner]

Sergei Rachmaninov
Variations on a theme of Chopin

Pianist: Vladimir Ashkenazy

[Traverso]

After some frivolous sounds from Spain, now music with a completely different character.

Mahler 6

I'm waiting for another set of Mahler symphonies with Maazel, I didn't think about having another complete Mahler set.   

Maazel was not satisfied with  the recordings he made with the Wiener Philharmoniker (understandable as an artist who is constantly researching) so he recorded them again with the Philharmoia orchestra.(live) Just because of my curiosity how he changed his view on these works made me decide to buy these recordings. It will probably take a few more weeks before I get them.



This one below is the new purchased set I'm waiting for.

[vers la flamme]

Listened to this dark masterpiece:


And then another 9th... for some reason I listen to this symphony far less than other RVW symphonies but everytime I'm like wow!



I have queued up to either listen to Simpson's 11th or 9th, I just haven't decided yet.

Do the 9th! Make it a 9th day 

[Todd]

Disc one, a collection of century old recordings.  First things first, reports of sonic deficiencies are true.  There is some noise, though it seems tied to overload to me.  Whatever it is, it's there, though not constantly.  Even accounting for that, these are fine overall transfers of acoustic recordings.  (The Marston Kempff set is superior, though.)  Super-persnickety people will not be happy, but it's easy enough to shrug off for me.

The more important thing here is that this offers the opportunity to hear Gieseking playing in his twenties.  How glorious it must have been to hear him in person, because these ancient recordings offer the purest examples of Gieseking's insouciance.  One of the best attributes of his playing is the sense of spontaneity, of carelessness, of whim.  He could play, so why practice?  Pfft.  The Bach glides, the single Schubert Impromptu is the most lithe, least weighed down, yet still perfectly tuneful version I may have heard.  The Debussy; the Brahms; the loosey-goosey Liszt; the zippy and unburdened Chopin pieces, including a light and playful Nocturne Op 9/3 (would that he have laid down a complete set of Etudes!); the Grieg; the Poulenc, when it was still new: all sound fresh as live performances.  Which they are.  Nothing here is reference quality, but that's not why one listens to these types of recordings.

[Papy Oli]

After some frivolous sounds from Spain, now music with a completely different character.

Mahler 6

I'm waiting for another set of Mahler symphonies with Maazel, I didn't think about having another complete Mahler set.   

Maazel was not satisfied with  the recordings he made with the Wiener Philharmoniker (understandable as an artist who is constantly researching) so he recorded them again with the Philharmoia orchestra.(live) Just because of my curiosity how he changed his view on these works made me decide to buy these recordings. It will probably take a few more weeks before I get them.

And when you are done with the Philarmonia, you can move onto his live recordings with the NYP. 

[Karl Henning]

Janacek - Sinfonietta

Ancerl Gold Edition # 24

Cracking!

[Karl Henning]

Composer : Edward Elgar
Recording : The Music Makers (Petrenko - 2019)
Performers : Vasily Petrenko, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir

It's a while since I've listened to this piece, but I always love it, when I do.

[Cato]

Thank you, the recommendation is much appreciated. I'll keep an eye out for this one.

Now playing:



Gustav Mahler: Symphony No.1 in D major. Pierre Boulez, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

A fine performance. The second movement was a standout; it's my least favorite movement in the symphony, but I enjoyed it way more than I usually do this time. I liked Boulez's fast tempi and sharp rhythms.

The sound quality is amazing on that CD!

[Florestan]

Widmann and Varjon.

Don't have this one but the combo is excellent.

[Karl Henning]

TD:

CD 4

8 Études-tableaux, Op. 33
9 Études-tableaux, Op. 39
Vladimir Ashkenazy

Russian Rhapsody for two pianos in e minor, (1891)
Vladimir Ashkenazy & André Previn

Romance in G for piano, four hands (1893)
Vladimir & Vovka Ashkenazy

I'm the first to admit that for "standard rep" Rakhmaninov, the Études-tableaux are not so familiar to me as they might be. I am always ravished by them, though.

[Todd]

Tip top.

[Sergeant Rock]

TD:
"Papa"
Symphony № 99 in E^b, « Le Chat » Hob. I:99
Thos Fey
Heidelbergers

Ah, you remember. I'm still hoping the Cat catches on

Sarge