What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

Brahms
G Major Violin Sonata, Op. 78
Gidon Kremer & Valery Afanassiev

[Linz]

Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 9 on Period Instruments, Mahler Academy Orchestra; Philipp von Steinaecker

[Bachtoven]

[Karl Henning]

No surprise:

Brahms
A Major Violin Sonata, Op. 100
Gidon Kremer & Valery Afanassiev

[foxandpeng]

Bo Linde 1933–1970-
Orchestral Works Volume III.
Orchestral Works, vol 3
Symphony No.1.
Symphony No.2.
Pensieri sopra un cantico vecchio.

Gävle Symphony Orchestra Petter Sundkvis.
Recorded on October 18th-22nd 2004 (Track 1-4) and August 19th-22nd 2002 (Track 5) in Gevaliasalen (Gävle, Sweden)[/b]

I had the first two volumes, but the third volume was OOP. Qobuz remedied that. So a first.

Bo Linde
Orchestral Works (Volume 3)
Symphony 2
Gävle Symphony Orchestra
Petter Sundkvis

Simply excellent.

[Bachtoven]

Brilliant playing and sound on this DSD64 download.

[Karl Henning]

And, you knew it was coming:

Brahms
d minor Violin Sonata, Op. 108
Gidon Kremer & Valery Afanassiev

[Bachtoven]

Some mind-blowing arrangements and playing with very good sound.

[steve ridgway]

Mahler: Symphony No. 7

Another good experience as with 5 & 6 .

[Que]

[Traverso]

Elizabethan Songs and Consort Music

[Harry]

York Bowen.
Chamber Music.
See back cover for details.
Recording venue Champs Hill Music Room, West Sussex; 11 January 2013 (Phantasy Quintet),
29 April 2013 (Clarinet Sonata), & 30 April and 1 May 2013 (other works).

[Traverso]

Sequentia

CD 2

[Roasted Swan]

I mentioned some time ago a two-fer series from DG under the collective title "Panorama".  In essence two disc collections of popular works by popular composers.  So at first glance in can look like pretty standard stuff which in many ways it is.  But - a bit of a hats off to the content planners at DG/Universal - the programme are of complete works, generous playing times and classic performances.  These quite often appear in Charity shops for pennies so they can be a good way of collecting fine/alternative versions of great music very cheaply.  A case in point was my recent purchase of the Mendelssohn "Panorama" two-fer;



I enjoyed listening to this in my car ofer the weekend a lot.  A few thoughts to offer;

Karajan - Fingal's Cave / Italian Symphony.  What excellent performances!  Vibrant and exciting, tremendously well-played (I'm pretty sure I heard James Galway's flute there too).  Not at all the overly-plush heavy textured reading popular wisdom suggests is all Karajan/BPO ever was
Mutter/Karajan/Violin Concerto - wasn't this Mutter's very 1st disc as a teenager?  She plays superbly - technique, personality, musicality - a lovely performance
Kubelik - complete Midsummer Night's Dream music - another classic reading and just lovely.  Edith Mathis' soprano gorgeous
Academy of St Martins - Octet.  A Phillips recording - just really well played and enjoyable - one of my top 10 chamber pieces always.

So an all-round fine set and great bargain - I'm very happy!

[foxandpeng]

Bo Linde
Orchestral Music Volume 1
Violin Concerto
Petter Sundkvis
Gävle Symphony Orchestra


Another fine work from Bo Linde. One wonders how his developing gifts and contribution may have added to Nordic 20th century classical music, had alcohol and other issues not taken him so early.

[VonStupp]

Gustav Mahler
Des Knaben Wunderhorn

Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo
Thomas Quasthoff, baritone
Berlin PO - Claudio Abbado

Quasthoff must be my favorite baritone from the last few decades. What a voice!

Joshua Rosenblum intimates this recording was the first since 1963 which eschewed duets in Des Knaben Wunderhorn with a preference to individual vocalists singing multiple characterizations in the dialogue songs. Apparently, upon reading, this might be how Mahler wished them to be performed?
VS

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Wagner, Toscanini.

[AnotherSpin]

CD1

[Harry]

McEwen.
String Quartets.
Volume II.
Chilingirian Quartet,
Recorded: 2001, Snape Maltings, Concert Hall, Snape, Suffolk.

As good as Volume I.

[Harry]

Joseph Joachim Raff.
Violin Sonatas.
See back cover for details.
Recorded in 2004, Bayerische Rundfunk München.

Raff is one of my favourite composers from the 19th century, and these Tudor recordings are dear to me. Well performed and recorded.