What are you listening 2 now?

[prémont]

Cera v Vartolo v Bonizzoni in Frescobaldi Bk 2 Toccata 1, I can't find Lester's - I have found a Toccata Prima but I don't think it's this one from Bk 2.

Cera sounds very polished and beautiful; I like Bonizzoni - the harpsichord timbre and the style - exciting playing. Vartolo's great strength is that he knows how to play the silences. The silences elevate the music into something much more poetic  than a virtuoso keyboard showpiece.

I think Lester has recorded the complete Toccate e partite d'intavolature libro I and libro II - toccata prima from libro II included, but even if I own the booklets it's difficult to find out because the works aren't released in the original order of the libri but scattered seemingly unsystematically on the CDs.

I agree with you about Vartolo and Bonizzoni. Cera has been on my shelf for more than a year, but I haven't heard it yet - too much else to listen to. Concerning Lester there is something noble and distinguished about his playing - very English but never-the-less it adds an interesting perspective to the music. This is also true of his Fiori Musicali. As to Loreggian I think I hear more than simple routine, while I agree that Aymes feels a bit earthbound.

[aligreto]

Parry: Symphony No. 5 [Bamert]





The music in the first movement is wonderfully expansive. The scoring is rich but not over lush and the music is very engaging. As the movement progresses it settles into a richly lyrical work with a plenitude of turbulence, drama and tension in there.
The music in the second, slow movement is also very lyrical and it has a somewhat poignant and dark hued aspect to it which I find to be rather engaging. The dramatic and tension levels are also evident in passages here where the intensity levels can be heightened.
The third movement is a considerable contrast to what has preceded it. The tone is lighter and the tempo is increased. It is exciting but a certain air of tension pervades the movement but it does not overshadow proceedings to any great extent.
The final movement opens with a theme played on solo violin that is both poignant and longing in nature. That is then taken up by the body of the strings and then by the tutti. The music is developed into a very fine expansive and lyrical passage with some fine scoring for the wind sections. Once again, there is plenty of drama and tension on show and the ebb and flow of the intensity levels is very fine. Bamert does a good job here. He guides the movement, and the work, to a very fine conclusion.
This is a very fine work that is given a very fine presentation here. 

[aligreto]

Haydn - Missa in angustiis "Nelson Mass", Hob.XXII:11

Hungarian Radio and Television Chorus
Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia
Bela Drahos
NAXOS 8.554416

It's been so long since I listened to this the last time (20 years?). I like this recording a lot. Nice solid sound and performance!

I do not know that particular performance but there is a lot of very good music in Haydn's Masses.

[aligreto]

A great disc!

+1

[DavidW]

Based upon some recent discussions:

[vandermolen]

Parry: Symphony No. 5 [Bamert]





The music in the first movement is wonderfully expansive. The scoring is rich but not over lush and the music is very engaging. As the movement progresses it settles into a richly lyrical work with a plenitude of turbulence, drama and tension in there.
The music in the second, slow movement is also very lyrical and it has a somewhat poignant and dark hued aspect to it which I find to be rather engaging. The dramatic and tension levels are also evident in passages here where the intensity levels can be heightened.
The third movement is a considerable contrast to what has preceded it. The tone is lighter and the tempo is increased. It is exciting but a certain air of tension pervades the movement but it does not overshadow proceedings to any great extent.
The final movement opens with a theme played on solo violin that is both poignant and longing in nature. That is then taken up by the body of the strings and then by the tutti. The music is developed into a very fine expansive and lyrical passage with some fine scoring for the wind sections. Once again, there is plenty of drama and tension on show and the ebb and flow of the intensity levels is very fine. Bamert does a good job here. He guides the movement, and the work, to a very fine conclusion.
This is a very fine work that is given a very fine presentation here. 

Nice review Fergus - it is my favourite Parry Symphony.

[vandermolen]

Based upon some recent discussions:

Two fine discs and, in both cases, my favourite symphonies by each composer.

[vandermolen]

NYM Cello Sonata No.2:

[foxandpeng]

Based upon some recent discussions:

Ooh, nice choices.

[Mandryka]

I think Lester has recorded the complete Toccate e partite d'intavolature libro I and libro II - toccata prima from libro II included, but even if I own the booklets it's difficult to find out because the works aren't released in the original order of the libri but scattered seemingly unsystematically on the CDs.

I agree with you about Vartolo and Bonizzoni. Cera has been on my shelf for more than a year, but I haven't heard it yet - too much else to listen to. Concerning Lester there is something noble and distinguished about his playing - very English but never-the-less it adds an interesting perspective to the music. This is also true of his Fiori Musicali. As to Loreggian I think I hear more than simple routine, while I agree that Aymes feels a bit earthbound.

There are two Toccata Primas on CD 1. I guess one of them is book 2!

One thing I want to understand is whether BK 2 was a fundamental change in Frescobaldi's understanding of Toccata, or whether it is more of the same sort of thing that we hear in Bk 1.

I think Lester's book is a tremendous thing, I'm enjoying it a lot. I haven't heard the Fiori Musicale more than once but I was very impressed.

[foxandpeng]

Peter Maxwell Davies
Symphony 1
Maxwell Davies
BBC Philharmonic
Naxos

Change of pace towards one of Britain's more enigmatic symphonists. I appreciate he is an acquired taste, but after lots of patience and close listening, I wouldn't be without him. I find his sound world and uniqueness completely compelling, and this primal, shifting, seascape with all of its dark unpredictability and chaos, immensely fascinating.

[San Antone]

Scarlatti : Keyboard Sonatas
Enrico Baiano

[Mapman]

Martinů: Serenade #1 & Serenade #5
Prague Chamber Orchestra

These are not among the more interesting Martinů works that I have heard. I did like the last two movements of #5 a bit more, though. The final movement of #5 uses some ideas similar to those in Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. This is not one of Supraphon's better recordings, either, as the sound is a bit harsh and unnatural.

[aligreto]

Barry: Schott & Sons, Mainz [Richardson/Hillier]

[aligreto]

Nice review Fergus - it is my favourite Parry Symphony.

Cheers, Jeffrey. I can understand why it is your favourite.

[Todd]

The third iteration of the Prazak pretty much matches the second iteration of the ensemble.  A/Bs in these quartets will be needed.

[Keemun]

Hovhaness - Cello Concerto (Janos Starker, cello / Dennis Russell Davies / Seattle Symphony Orchestra)



Prompted by the earlier discussion of Hovhaness.  This work is really enjoyable.  

[San Antone]

Mozart : String Quintets
Grumiaux | Gerecz | Janzer | Leseur | Czako

D Major, K. 593

[Mapman]

Prokofiev: Symphony #5
Rattle: CBSO

Not the best. The low brass are under-powered, especially at the end of the 1st movement. (But it's a fun symphony, and I'm glad that I listened again!)

[Karl Henning]

Prokofiev: Symphony #5
Rattle: CBSO

Not the best. The low brass are under-powered, especially at the end of the 1st movement. (But it's a fun symphony, and I'm glad that I listened again!)

Love the Fifth! Always have. Too bad that it's less than Rattle's best. I still remember, as if it were yesterday the Stravinsky recordings he made in Birmingham. His was the first complete Firebird I ever heard.