What are you listening 2 now?

[Lisztianwagner]

Franz Liszt
Transcendental Etudes

Pianist: Bertrand Chamayou

[Ian]

As a work it deserves to be better known - it occupies much the same sense of cinematic spectacle as the Roman Trilogy for sure.

Agreed. I'd love to hear the Ormandy version. I can highly recommend the John Neschling / OPRL recordings on BIS. I had a couple of the CDs already but I bought the box set which is wonderful.

[Harry]

Leevi Madetoja.
See back cover for the works on this CD.
Recorded: Helsinki Music Centre, 2012.

It must be said that these performances are superb in every respect. I will in due course also sample the Petri Sakari interpretations on Chandos Collect, but for now I am very pleased. SOTA sound.

[ritter]

A rare outing of Lutoslawski chez ritter:

[Le Buisson Ardent]

I knew this performance from its LP incarnation;



which then made it onto bargain CD....



I'm guessing the Japanese remastered(?) sonics are better than either of those?  In the versions I've heard the CBS/Sony sonics have been surpassed by Chandos/BIS etc

EDIT:  Actually in all fairness - I've just been relistening to the CD Essentials disc and for a 1964 recording it is actually pretty spectacular!!  As a work it deserves to be better known - it occupies much the same sense of cinematic spectacle as the Roman Trilogy for sure.  Does that Japanese version really include 2 versions of some of the Roman Trilogy works?

I haven't heard or own any of the earlier CD incarnations (and certainly not the LP), but this Japanese 2-CD set sounds fantastic to my ears as it has been remastered. There is a great presence and bloom in the fidelity. This 2-CD set contains two recordings of the Roman Trilogy (1957-1961 on disc one and 1968 on disc two). Of course, Ormandy recorded this work a third time in 1974 (I own this Japanese issued CD, too). I think Ormandy's Vetrate di chiesa is a contender for one of the great ones on record. I mean sure there are several other great performances, too, but Ormandy had a special way with Respighi's music that just sweeps you along on this wonderful aural journey.

[Harry]

Vitezlav Novak.
See back cover for the works on this CD.
Recorded:1999, Studio 7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester, UK.

From my past but still unsurpassed in interpretation and superb sound. Novak has always been a guilty pleasure of mine, but a temptation I could never resist. Recommended.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

This is a strong contender for the best complete recordings of Rachmaninoff's piano concertos.

Yes, it's a fine set all-around. Earl Wild is at the top of his game in these performances.

[Le Buisson Ardent]

NP:

Martinu
Viola Sonata, H. 355
Alexander Besa, Petra Besa

[DavidW]

I've started the day with some Mozart symphonies, and now I've moved on to Ives:

[Irons]

did this ever make it to CD?

Possibly not.

https://www.discogs.com/master/810097-Rafael-Fr%C3%BChbeck-De-Burgos-Conducting-The-London-Symphony-Orchestra-Schumann-Mendelssohn-Symphony-No

[Karl Henning]

R. Strauss: Vier Letzte Lieder

Oh yes, it is rather good isn't it?

Yummers!

[Spotted Horses]

NP:

Martinu
Viola Sonata, H. 355
Alexander Besa, Petra Besa

I didn't know Martinu had written a viola sonata. Interesting.

[Brian]

I didn't know Martinu had written a viola sonata. Interesting.

Also on this disc with a similar program (substituting the Rhapsody-Concerto for the six-instrument Chamber Music No. 1):



By coincidence I was also listening to Martinu - the Suite Concertante for violin and orchestra (FPZ, Bamberg, Hrusa, BIS).

[ritter]

Also on this disc with a similar program (substituting the Rhapsody-Concerto for the six-instrument Chamber Music No. 1):



By coincidence I was also listening to Martinu - the Suite Concertante for violin and orchestra (FPZ, Bamberg, Hrusa, BIS).

I find that cover strangely scary!  Certainly doesn't entice me to listen to Martinu (not that I am very predisposed anyway).

[DavidW]

@Brian @Mirror Image I will have to check out those chamber works!  I'm a sucker for all things Martinu chamber music.

[Mandryka]

To some extent in my constant exploration I forget how good things from the past were. I find this live op 58 Chopin sonata from Gilels here  both distinctive and satisfying - and I've not heard it in maybe 15 years.

I know someone who said that he once went into Gilels' dressing room before a concert and found him deep in prayer. He said he always prays before a recital. Maybe that has coloured my perceptions a little somehow.

[Spotted Horses]

Also on this disc with a similar program (substituting the Rhapsody-Concerto for the six-instrument Chamber Music No. 1):



By coincidence I was also listening to Martinu - the Suite Concertante for violin and orchestra (FPZ, Bamberg, Hrusa, BIS).

I'm way ahead of you, I already have that in my presto shopping cart (Flac download) along with the Supraphon disc MI mentioned and a Naxos disc which has the viola sonata along with some other scattershot Martinu chamber music. The supraphon disc has a slight edge over the BIS, in my view because it has that peculiar piece of chamber music, rather than the viola rhapsodie-concerto, of which I already have at least two recordings, including the superb Zimmermann/Conlon on Capriccio.  After quick listening, it seems like the Violin/Viola duo No 2 may become my favorite among the Martinu chamber music featuring Viola.



(We should be on the Martinu thread.)

[Spotted Horses]

I listened to the Second Serenade of Brahms, the same Belohlavek release.



I generally prefer the second serenade, which has more of a mature Brahms feel, but lighter than the symphonic or chamber music. Very nicely performed, although this is not destined to be my favorite Brahms. I vaguely remember being introduced to this music by brilliant recordings from Adrian Boult, decades ago.

Now I am remembering that I never finished my traversal off the Fischer/Budapest Festival Orchestra recordings of the Brahms symphonies. No 4 still to go.

[Spotted Horses]

And just to be clear, I am talking about Ivan Fischer Brahms



Poking around I came across Adam Fischer's Brahms, which has to be the most god-awful thing I have ever heard! (Speaking only for myself, of course.)

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Vítězslava Kaprálová Orchestral Works. Alena Hron and Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava.