What are you listening 2 now?

[brewski]

Since tomorrow is going to be busy with friends from out of town, observing an annual tradition today, with Ives The Fourth of July (1912), the most vivid evocation ever of the holiday. Of many fine versions available, I still adore this one, with Michael Tilson Thomas and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

-Bruce

[Iota]

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a 'Les Adieux'

Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano, Graf from around 1819)


I'm not always keen on period pianos, but this performance for me, is an example of where they really shine.
Its virtues are immediately apparent, even in the opening three chords, where a bareness, a quality of fragility in the sound, unattainable on modern pianos, seems so completely apt to the moment. And such 'a consummation devoutly to be wished' between instrument and expressive purpose, never really lets up from then on. There seem so many more micro events and shades within the music, whether it's rattling along or more intimate, greatly enriching it.
No doubt this also has a lot to do with Brautigam, who comes out of it smelling of roses as well as the Graf. And now he's got me interested I'll be exploring more of the set to see if my affection could widen, rather than being just another one-off.
   

[Bachtoven]

[Linz]

Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 1, 0p.39, Symphony No. 2, Op.43, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Paavo Berglund

[Karl Henning]

First listen to:
Karl Weigl
Symphony No.5

Thomas Sanderling & Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin

Interesting.

[SonicMan46]

Hummel, Johann (1778-1837) - Piano Sonatas w/ Antonio Pompa-Baldi in the 3 volumes below - includes the six opus works, as in the listing, plus Sonatas 7-9 WoO and not any other catalog; these are newer recordings (2009-19) vs. Ian Hobson (1986), a long time in my collection; he only does the opus works, but the sound and performances are excellent from both pianists.  Also, on fortepiano is Mastroprimiano, 3 discs from Brilliant, again with only the opus numbered sonatas.  Dave

Johann Hummel's KB Sonatas (Source)
No. 1, C Major - Op. 2a No. 3
No. 2, Ef Major - Op. 13
No. 3, F minor - Op. 20
No. 4, C Major - Op. 38
No. 5, F# minor - Op. 81
No. 6, E Major - Op. 106
  Works Not in any catalogue
No. 7, G Major
No. 8, Af Major
No. 9, C Major

   

   

[Lisztianwagner]

Johannes Brahms
Symphony No.4

Carlos Kleiber & Wiener Philharmoniker

[Mapman]

Maiden-Listen Monday!
Walthew: A Short Quintet (for clarinet and strings)
Siegenthaler; Leipzig

A nice quintet!

[Todd]

[Linz]

Bruckner Symphony No. 5 in B Flat Major, 1878 Version Ed. Robert Haas, Günter Wand, NDR Sinfonieorcester

[vandermolen]

Cyril Scott: Cello Concerto (1937)

[Spotted Horses]

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a 'Les Adieux'

Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano, Graf from around 1819)


I'm not always keen on period pianos, but this performance for me, is an example of where they really shine.
Its virtues are immediately apparent, even in the opening three chords, where a bareness, a quality of fragility in the sound, unattainable on modern pianos, seems so completely apt to the moment. And such 'a consummation devoutly to be wished' between instrument and expressive purpose, never really lets up from then on. There seem so many more micro events and shades within the music, whether it's rattling along or more intimate, greatly enriching it.
No doubt this also has a lot to do with Brautigam, who comes out of it smelling of roses as well as the Graf. And now he's got me interested I'll be exploring more of the set to see if my affection could widen, rather than being just another one-off.
   

 Listened to this set of sonatas from start to finish and I found it consistently brilliant.

[vandermolen]

Maiden-Listen Monday!
Walthew: A Short Quintet (for clarinet and strings)
Siegenthaler; Leipzig

A nice quintet!

Nice cover image too!

[Todd]

FFG's Chopin.  Finally.  It's sort of a mixed bag, though mixed at a very high level.  FFG plays very well, of course, but his Chopin does not rise to the same stratospheric qualitative highs as his Brahms and Beethoven, or even to his Debussy and Murail.  The selected Nocturnes are knockouts, the Ballades high caliber, the Fantaisie as well.  Really, the lesser works for me are the selected Etudes, the Op 58 Sonata, and the two Waltzes, kinda, sorta.  FFG just doesn't deliver Chopin playing that sounds enough like what I typically prefer.  It's like he wanted to out-Cortot Cortot in making some of the music sound quintessentially French.  The Etudes are sometimes just blurred blobs of music.  The Waltzes have some of that, but it doesn't sound unpleasant.  So, from a playing standpoint, it's a bit mixed.

Sonically, it is nearly miraculous.  FFG uses a 1905 Pleyel, and to my ears, grands from the first quarter or so of the 20th Century sound best of all, more or less irrespective of maker.  The middle and high registers sound colorful and decay nicely, resulting in a bright but not obnoxious sound.  (Would that FFG had used this or a similar instrument for his Debussy!)  Whatever slight misgivings I have about interpretations fade to oblivion as the gorgeous sounds flood my ears.  The instrument forced a change in technique, so that may account for the interpretive approach, but taken as a well-recorded whole, the sonic plusses combined with the still formidable interpretive plusses, reduced by the interpretive minuses still yields an exceptional listening experience.  I will return to this set. 

[VonStupp]

Franz Liszt
Faust Symphony

Kenneth Riegel, tenor
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
Boston SO - Leonard Bernstein

Last for today. Taking the girls to fireworks at 10pm or so tonight.
VS

[JBS]

Another order from Presto landed today. First up

Paging @Florestan

The comparison to Mozart is very appropriate here. These concertos are equal to WAM's violin concertos (composed at almost the same time), or possibly even better, especially in the slow movements.

[Symphonic Addict]

Wirén: Symphony No. 2

This symphony is nothing but good spirits. Sounds like Sibelius with more joie de vivre.

[Symphonic Addict]

Janáček: Amarus - Cantata for soloists, chorus and orchestra (performers here)

[JBS]

Now another new one with some early Mozart


With this particular CD, "Piano Concerto" is not accurate.

K 175 and K 336 are performed with an organ as the solo instrument (the liner notes detail reasons to think K 175 was composed for and originally performed on organ). The Nannerl Notebook movement (with orchestral parts supplied by Levin) and the three K107 concertos (the set adapted from sonatas of J C Bach) use harpsichord.

The cover is again taken from a work by Klee.

[Symphonic Addict]

Weigl: String Quartets 2 (with viola d'amore) and 4

After two very fine string quartets 1 and 5, these two left me a little underwhelmed, above all the No. 2, but I firmly believe it has to do with the playing which is rather subpar. The No. 4 sounds much more promising, though. It's a shame because this is the only CD recording of both works. On the right hands these quartets should shine much better.