What are you listening 2 now?

[ritter]

In the exhibition on Falla's El retablo de Maese Pedro I visited today, I learned that the first performance open to the public (after a concert performance in Seville in March and a private staged performance in the Princesse de Polignac's in June) was on November 13th, 1923, at Jean Wiéner's concert series at the Salle des Agriculteurs in Paris.

The programme included Darius Milhaud's Chamber Symphony No.6 (billed simply as "Sixième Symphonie" — the composer had not yet composed his first symphony for "full" orchestra) and his Études for piano and orchestra. The playbill also mentioned that Wiéner would play Bach's "Concerto in F" (I presume it was BWV 1056).

Well, I've decided to reproduce the programme chez ritter today...

Milhaud's Chamber Symphony 6 - Capella Cracoviensis, Karl Anton Rickenbacher (cond.)


The Études - Michael Korstick (pf), SWR Radio Orchestra Kaiserslautern, Alun Francis (cond.)


Bach's Concerto for Keyboard in F minor, BWV 1056 - Celiny Chailley-Richez (pf), L'Association des Concerts de Chambre de Paris, Georges Enesco (cond.)


And El retablo... in my favourite version of the work, that of Pedro de Freitas Branco for Hispavox in 1961, with the Orquesta de Conciertos de Madrid, Teresa Tourné (sop.), Renato Cesari (bar.) and Pedro Lavirgen (ten.).

[Roasted Swan]

Earlier this morning on German Radio (WDR3) - live :

"100 Jahre Radio" LIVE vom MDR Benefizkonzert des Bundespräsidenten

Pavel Haas
Radio-Ouvertüre op. 11
für Orchester, Männerquartett und Rezitation

cracking set that!

[brewski]

This doesn't happen often (for my sanity), but in a few hours I'm returning for a second hearing of the Bruckner Sixth with Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and the Philadelphia Orchestra, after last night's superb concert. (The orchestra offers $15 "rush" tickets—a great deal since the seats are excellent.) And I get to hear Haydn's Horn Concerto again, too, with principal Jennifer Montone. Amazingly, the orchestra has never performed it until now.

My rationale: after returning on a high from last night's concert, what do I have to do today that would be a good reason not to go? Answer: nothing. 

Then tonight, a friend who is out of town gifted me two tickets to the Curtis [Institute] Symphony Orchestra, in an all-Richard Strauss program conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, with excerpts from Ariadne auf Naxos and Der Rosenkavalier, plus the Alpine Symphony. And conductor Micah Gleason will begin with the "Dance of the Seven Veils" from Salome.

A more-than-decent day.

-Bruce

[brewski]

Well, I've decided to reproduce the programme chez ritter today...

I love doing that! And the wealth of available recordings makes that possible, in most cases.

-Bruce

[Steinway D]

Hamelin brings out every nuance in this gorgeous music, with a beautiful cover to match.

[Mandryka]

I think you do have a point on the harmonic tension. I'll give the Hilliard a go as well.

I went back to Call of the Phoenix today -- I think it is a really exceptional, outstanding, CD. In an austere slightly grisly way.

[Harry]

Simone Molinaro, (1565-1615)
Intavolatura di Liuto.
Fantasie; Canzoni; Balli.
Giovanni Battista della Gostena, (1558-1593)
Works for Lute.
Paul O'Dette, Lute.
Recorded in 2001, at the Le Domaine Forget, Francoys Bernier concert Hall, St. Irénée, Cite Charlevoix Québec, Canada.

Paul O'Dette recorded not only works by Molinaro but also fantasies by his teacher Giovanni Gostena, which Molinero had included in his own lute book as homage. O'Dette lets the music flow, the ease of playing, makes it a pleasure to listen too. Low output in volume, but the sound is quite good.

[Mandryka]

Hamelin brings out every nuance in this gorgeous music, with a beautiful cover to match.

Hello, and welcome here!

I've only listened to the Barcarolles, for no good reason other than that music seems to have caught my imagination most at the moment. They are colourful and fluid, coherent performances. What Hamelin does is wonderful.

Sometimes I feel that it doesn't have the kind of shimmering gossamer quality that the new transfer of Thyssens-Valentin reveals in her performance of the music, and which I love. But I'm being churlish and unfair maybe - some of it could even be due to recording quality.

Where I'd say he is totally brilliant is in expressiveness - a kind of elusive yearning and sadness in, for example, the last half dozen or so barcarolles especially.

And another thing. The Hyperion engineers have done him a great service here, they've pulled out all the stops - as has no doubt his piano technician. 

In truth I'm still getting to know the recording, so I'm glad you reminded me of it.

[Steinway D]

Quatuor Ébène turns in another great performance. I have yet to hear a disappointing recording from them. The audio quality is excellent.

[Mapman]

Haydn: String Quartet in Eb Major, Op. 17/3
Festetics

Another quartet that begins with variations, these Andante grazioso. More beautiful playing by the Festetics quartet.

[Mapman]

Happy Birthday to Liszt!
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody #2
Mehta: Israel Philharmonic

The numbering of these is a bit confusing. This is #2 in the piano version, and listed as #2 on this CD, but apparently the orchestral version was originally published as #4. This is the well-known Hungarian Rhapsody, and is a lot of fun!

[AnotherSpin]

[Lisztianwagner]

For Liszt's birthday today:

Franz Liszt
Hungarian Rhapsodies No.15, 16, 17, 18 & 19

Pianist: Michele Campanella

[Karl Henning]

Tempest fugit. Here's my meditation for Sunday.

Great use of this number in Everyone Says I Love You.

[Steinway D]

I really like this entire series with its excellent playing and audio, especially on the SACD layer.

[prémont]

Tempest fugit

??

Tempus fugit?

[Mandryka]

??

Tempus fugit?

I've got Storm Babet on my mind!

[Irons]

Rubbra: Sonata for Cello and Piano.



An inventive piece especially the finale.

[Linz]

Franz Liszt Alfred Cortot Sonate in B minor, Au bord d'une source, La Leggierezza, St Francis of Paula Walking on the Waves, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 and 11, Spring [Wiosnal] Chpin-Liszt, The Ring [Pierscien] Chpin-Liszt, Rigoletto Concert Paraphrase

[SimonNZ]

On the radio:

Copland's Cabfare For The Common Man