What are you listening 2 now?

Started by Gurn Blanston, September 23, 2019, 05:45:22 AM

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KeithE, Linz, Madiel and 15 Guests are viewing this topic.

Cato

Just a wild, fun piece!


"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Symphonic Addict

Bacewicz: Her two cello concertos

Highly contrasting pieces, being the 1st CC in her neoclassical, piquant style; whereas the 2nd CC has a dark hue proper of her late period. Good use of the percussion in the latter. They were entertaining, but not top-drawer Bacewicz. 

The current annihilation of a people on this planet (you know which one it is) is the most documented and at the same time the most preposterously denied.

André



This concert performance hails from St-Florian Basilica, June 1982. The sound is excellent. Microphones were probably closer to the players than what appears to be the case in the Ballot set, also recorded in St-Florian (big, spacious but hugely reverberant).

A later performance (September '82) with the same forces in Tokyo has been issued on the Altus label. The Tokyo performance is excellent but seems at least one size smaller than the St-Florian one. Was jet lag a factor in the tamer response of the Bambergers and Jochum in Tokyo ? From the very beginning in the St-Florian performance execution is sharper, the conducting more fired up and the conception much more dramatic. The timpani throughout pound and rage (literally), showing a degree of involvement that clearly has its source on the podium. The huge release at the end of the mighty coda is cunningly held up for maximum effect.

This version is one of a trio of performances I'd keep for the desert island. It used to be available as a free download on the Abruckner.com web site.

Conrad Veidt fan

The Brahms Piano Quintet in F Minor - transcription/reduction for two pianos.  Brahms is the M-A-N.  He had CHOPS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo3lGN-c6AI




Brian

Quote from: Cato on July 29, 2024, 03:37:35 PMJust a wild, fun piece!


I love the rhythmically complex timpani and bass drum duet in the development section! Have loved it since I first heard it at age 13 or 14.

AnotherSpin

Quote from: André on July 29, 2024, 04:47:58 PM

This concert performance hails from St-Florian Basilica, June 1982. The sound is excellent. Microphones were probably closer to the players than what appears to be the case in the Ballot set, also recorded in St-Florian (big, spacious but hugely reverberant).

A later performance (September '82) with the same forces in Tokyo has been issued on the Altus label. The Tokyo performance is excellent but seems at least one size smaller than the St-Florian one. Was jet lag a factor in the tamer response of the Bambergers and Jochum in Tokyo ? From the very beginning in the St-Florian performance execution is sharper, the conducting more fired up and the conception much more dramatic. The timpani throughout pound and rage (literally), showing a degree of involvement that clearly has its source on the podium. The huge release at the end of the mighty coda is cunningly held up for maximum effect.

This version is one of a trio of performances I'd keep for the desert island. It used to be available as a free download on the Abruckner.com web site.

Excellent performance! Thank you for the lead.

Harry

See all info on front and back cover.

Alexander Utendal & Philippus de Monte.
Eight Motets.



Utendal's early death led not only to a limited oeuvre, but also to a restrained reception in his and more recent times. He still stands in the shadow of his two compatriots de Monte and Lassus. Anyways, how well he succeeded in combining the perfect ratio of Dutch polyphony and emotion, is shown in this fine interpretation. The recording is detailed and has an appropriate amount of reverb, but the textures sound somewhat muddy, especially when the volume goes up.  This said Utendal as a composer is to good to pass by.
"adding beauty to ugliness as a countermeasure to evil and destruction" that is my aim!

Harry

#114147
Jean Sibelius.
Complete Piano Quartets.
See back cover for details.
Recorded April 2003, at Järvenpää Hall Helsinki, Finland.


Sibelius wrote charming chamber music, which is perfectly captured in this recording, in SOTA sound. As an interpretation this can hardly be bettered. Lightweight it may be, but fine music nevertheless. Written between the years 1883-1891, so his early period. None of these works are written for the combination of instruments that one would normally expect for a Piano Quartet, but that is a great part of the fun. Never heard it before, so a discovery much liked.
"adding beauty to ugliness as a countermeasure to evil and destruction" that is my aim!

vandermolen

Quote from: Harry on July 29, 2024, 06:07:28 AMGranville Bantock.
Orchestral works.
See back cover for details.
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vernon Handley.
Recorded in All Hallows, Gospel Oak, on 6, 7 August 1992


Absolutely gorgeous. SOTA recording.
I agree! One of the very best Bantock CDs
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

A nice rousing start to the day!
'At the Tabard Inn' by Sir George Dyson
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Harry

#114150
Affetuoso.
Oboe Sonatas 1700-1750.
See back cover for details.
CD 1 recorded at St. Stefanuskerk, Melsen Belgium,  October 1978.
CD 2 Recorded at «l'Eglise Protestante de Bruxelles, Chapelle Royale, February 1980.


Superb performances and excellent sound, these concertos will give almost all pleasure. Dombrecht is a accomplished Oboe player whom I much admire. He is accompanied by Wieland Kuijken, and Robert Kohnen, both in their own right pillars of authentic strength. :)
I noticed much to my dismay, that the TVO reviewers who post primarily on Qobuz,  display an aptitude in writing negative things about music and performers. And often it is as senseless as stupid. Very annoying!
"adding beauty to ugliness as a countermeasure to evil and destruction" that is my aim!

Selig

Quote from: prémont on July 29, 2024, 12:05:15 PMBut in 1985 varying the repeats in Bach's suites was not yet a common practice.

It's a later development than I realized! So when would you say it became common practice?

Traverso

Beethoven

Sonata 1-2 & 3


Todd

The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Harry

British Light Music Classics.
Volume 2.
See back cover for details.


To be honest, you can wake me up for this any time. A treasure trove of British Light Music, and sometimes not so light as suggested, which is a fine thing too. Excellent performances and ditto sound, and as a bonus much unknown music, what is there more to wish as more?
"adding beauty to ugliness as a countermeasure to evil and destruction" that is my aim!

prémont

#114155
Quote from: Selig on July 30, 2024, 02:05:34 AMIt's a later development than I realized! So when would you say it became common practice?

I am referring, of course, to recordings, although I haven't compiled any statistics. From the many recordings I've listened to, it seems that only a few artists varied the repetitions in recordings before around 1990, and then only subtly, except perhaps for Koopman, who was among the first to adopt this practice. Leonhardt introduced subtle variations in his relatively early recordings of Bach suites, but in his later recordings for EMI he completely omits the repeats.

Probably harpsichordists from the Dutch school began varying the repeats somewhat earlier during live performances, but I cannot confirm this as I have not heard them in person.
Reality trumps our fantasy far beyond imagination.

Roasted Swan

Quote from: Harry on July 30, 2024, 04:43:38 AMBritish Light Music Classics.
Volume 2.
See back cover for details.


To be honest, you can wake me up for this any time. A treasure trove of British Light Music, and sometimes not so light as suggested, which is a fine thing too. Excellent performances and ditto sound, and as a bonus much unknown music, what is there more to wish as more?

That is an exceptionally fine programme.  I love all of this music but I so wish there could be a better description than "light".  Somehow that conjures up inconsequential, slight, unimportant.  Of course this is not music to move mountains but goodness me it is so well crafted, beautifully written and just a joy to hear and play.

Every track here is a gem but all the more treasureable for the less-well known names it includes.  Arthur Wood is really only known any more (and then only in the UK) for his Barwick Green and then because it is the theme tune to the longest running BBC Radio drama "The Archers".  But the rest of that suite - "From My Native Hearth" is just as good if not better.  In fact Arthur Wood generally deserves to be much better known.  Unfortunately all the Naxos/ASV light music collections were funded/paid for by outside sources - usually relatives of the composers involved.  So no rich relative, no recordings.

In the UK several of the pieces on this disc were Radio/TV themes - Haydn Wood's Horseguards, Binge's Sailing By for starters.  But the general standard here of the music is very high indeed.  The truth is when this music is played - either live or from recordings the response is always very positive.  The hard thing is finding the funding to do it often if ever.

Harry

Quote from: Roasted Swan on July 30, 2024, 05:18:36 AMThat is an exceptionally fine programme.  I love all of this music but I so wish there could be a better description than "light".  Somehow that conjures up inconsequential, slight, unimportant.  Of course this is not music to move mountains but goodness me it is so well crafted, beautifully written and just a joy to hear and play.

Every track here is a gem but all the more treasureable for the less-well known names it includes.  Arthur Wood is really only known any more (and then only in the UK) for his Barwick Green and then because it is the theme tune to the longest running BBC Radio drama "The Archers".  But the rest of that suite - "From My Native Hearth" is just as good if not better.  In fact Arthur Wood generally deserves to be much better known.  Unfortunately all the Naxos/ASV light music collections were funded/paid for by outside sources - usually relatives of the composers involved.  So no rich relative, no recordings.

In the UK several of the pieces on this disc were Radio/TV themes - Haydn Wood's Horseguards, Binge's Sailing By for starters.  But the general standard here of the music is very high indeed.  The truth is when this music is played - either live or from recordings the response is always very positive.  The hard thing is finding the funding to do it often if ever.

Well written, and I totally agree.
"adding beauty to ugliness as a countermeasure to evil and destruction" that is my aim!

Madiel

In departure from my usual practice, the whole of this album with only brief breaks.



Partly because it's been sitting in the bought pile for about a year and a half. Partly because I know all the works already (though I'm much more familiar with the Faure than with the Poulenc). I bought it because I thought it was the best version I found of Faure's Mirages. As good as that is, I think the performance of L'Horizon Chimérique is even more rewarding. Partly that's because Mirages is such difficult music, especially the first 2 songs where the poems are literally about boredom and ennui.

But Oliemans absolutely knows how to sing Faure. As far as I can tell he's pretty good at Poulenc too. And Martineau certainly is, as he's the pianist in the 5-volume set of the complete Poulenc songs that I bought, and in fact Oliemans is one of the singers he uses there. Plus I already have another Faure album with Martineau as accompanist. This was always going to be a solid bet.
Every single post on the forum is unnecessary. Including the ones that are interesting or useful.

vandermolen

Quote from: Harry on July 30, 2024, 04:43:38 AMBritish Light Music Classics.
Volume 2.
See back cover for details.


To be honest, you can wake me up for this any time. A treasure trove of British Light Music, and sometimes not so light as suggested, which is a fine thing too. Excellent performances and ditto sound, and as a bonus much unknown music, what is there more to wish as more?
A nice collection. I prefer Benjamin Frankel's 'light music' and film scores to his concert music.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).