What are you listening 2 now?

[Que]

Quite enjoying this. Perhaps the clavichord is growing on me, or Spanyi got better, or the music, not sure.. .

I do wonder how many people on the planet got all 40 volumes on disc - that would be quite an investment!

[ritter]

Even as a Stockhausen advocate, I find the Helicopter Quartet more interesting to think about and discuss, rather than to listen to. A few years ago I saw a video version with cameras in each of the four helicopters and on the ground, and enjoyed it. But there were plenty of visuals to complement the sounds.

The reality — in "what are you doing right now" mode — is that you're hearing the sound of the rotor blades, which sort of drown out everything else. It feels a bit like being on a factory tour for half an hour.

(Love the Sibelius.)

-Bruce

As Boulez once said, "the only thing that could make the Helicopter Quartet interesting would be that one of the helicopters crashed or something like that...". 

[ritter]

My basic attitude to Stockhausen has always been
anything good he's done has been done better since then by someone else. Anything not good he's done has also been done since then by someone else, and usually done better.

There was a GMG member when I first joined who adored him and Glenn Gould--James. I rather liked Gould, but I must admit James's rather over the top enthusiasm for KHS made me highly skeptical of KHS.

Oh yes, I remember him. A very rude fellow, and a dogmatic one in his statements.

I understand the feelings you express re. Stockhausen, JBS. But still, there is some magnificent music in his output: Kontra-Punkte, some of the Klavierstücke, Gruppen, some sections of the Licht cycle... In these, it is IMHO easy to understand why he was regarded as such a towering figure of the Darmstadt avant-garde...

[vandermolen]

Cyril Scott: Piano Sonata No.1
Unlike others here I rather like his poetic, rambling, atmospheric, discursive music. This reminds me of the PC No.1 which is a favourite of mine. An odd Lyrita release as the playing time is short and it retails at about £8.00:

[Que]

Gottfried WHO? 

Grünewald was a German opera singer, court composer and a good friend of Graupner and son in law of Johann Philipp Krieger. We don't know him because he pulled a "Graupner act" on us: almost all of his music was burned at his request after he died. Fortunately for us, Graupner's wish did not come true. Grünewald's partitas are not so original in style, but still very nice.

[Papy Oli]

Taneyev - String Quartet No.1 (Carpe Diem Quartet)

Schubert - String Quartet No.9 D.173 (Alban Berg Qt)

Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.2 (Reiner, Chicago SO, Van Cliburn)


Good morning all! 

[Iota]

In belated honour of AS' birthday, though he seems to be one handing out the gifts -

Five Pieces for Orchestra



Then from this:



Drei Volkslieder Op. 49, multilayered a capella songs whose parts seem as natural as seaweed in a current.
Verbundenheit Op.35, No.6 and Dreimal tausend jahre, Op. 50a, which wander into the intoxicating sombre hinterland of AS' later style.

[Florestan]

Oh yes, I remember him. A very rude fellow, and a dogmatic one in his statements.

Pfffff...

[Cato]

Schoenberg: 5 Pieces for Orchestra
Doráti, London Symphony Orchestra

That recording had (has) fantastic sound and a performance to match!

Concerning the Stockhausen Helicopter Quartet, the composer said that the idea for the work had arrived in a dream. 

Whether the expense equals the result...?  An acquired taste, especially considering that the work's length works against any antic glee which might arise at the beginning!

"Hey guys!  Dig this!"  

Some listeners might think that not all dreams should come true!

NP Scelsi: Duo



It strikes me something like this would have gone well with the helicopters .

Scelsi I have not visited for a while: it is high time to listen again!

[Papy Oli]

Rachmaninov
Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini
Reiner / Chicago SO / Rubinstein.

[vandermolen]

Villa-Lobos
Uirapurú - a magical score (new Alto release)

[Traverso]

Bach

It is a pity that Andrew Parrott did not record more Bach cantatas. As far as I know this is his last recording of Bach cantatas and it is a very special one.
It is a reconstruction (Parrott) with music deriving from the Matthew Passion and the Trauer-Ode.I love it, and I treasure this recording.

[prémont]

Oh yes, I remember him [James]. A very rude fellow, and a dogmatic one in his statements.

Yes, rude and provocative. He is one of the very few members here at GMG I have had quarrels with.

[VonStupp]

Heitor Villa-Lobos
Rudepoema
Gênesis
Erosão
Amazonas
Danças Frenética
Dança Dos Mosquitos
Alvorada na Floresta Tropical
Danças Características Africanas
Slovak RSO - Roberto Duarte

In the symphonic poems at least, I hear the specter of Stravinsky, or maybe even Bartok.

Most surprising was the high quality of these Marco Polo recordings, both sonically and performance-wise.
VS

[DavidW]

[brewski]

As Boulez once said, "the only thing that could make the Helicopter Quartet interesting would be that one of the helicopters crashed or something like that...". 

       

(Not to encourage tragedy or loss of life, but that's a very funny comment.)

-Bruce

[brewski]

In belated honour of AS' birthday, though he seems to be one handing out the gifts -

What a lovely sentiment.

-Bruce

[Florestan]

[Todd]

Disc two.

[VonStupp]

Gioachino Rossini
Messa di Milano

Suzanne Mentzer, contralto
Raúl Giménez & Ian Bostridge, tenors
Simone Alaimo, bass

Academy & Chorus of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Neville Marriner

I have some recordings of Rossini's choral music I haven't given much time to, which I hope to rectify.
VS