What are you listening 2 now?

[Symphonic Addict]

Definitely the extinct Timpani label recorded some very unusual repertoire worthy of attention, being this programme devoted to Henri Rabaud (1873-1949) an example of that. Églogue and La Procession nocturne contain the light-weight part of the disc, very evocative and understated music. The Symphony No. 2 in E minor (it's got a startling opening with the horns, reminding me of some biblical epic a la Bloch), on the other hand, balances with music of a more imposing, dramatic, somber aspect. The front cover aptly "illustrates" the mood of the outer movements I reckon: gothic, dark-coloured, highly atmospheric; the inner movements provide an attractive contrast with peaceful and fantasy-like music respectively. The orchestra and the conductor may not be widely known, but they play these works more than confidently.

I wish there was a recording of his Symphony No. 1 as well.

[Symphonic Addict]

Paul Graener (1872-1944) is one of those obscure german composers that form the backbone of the CPO catalogue. The label has 3 discs of his music, all good. Graener's music is tonally and rythmically conservative, sounding like a german Fauré, with wafts of Grieg and Delius thrown in. Totally lovely stuff.

Another admirer of this composer here. The Symphony 'Schmied-Schmerz' and his two set of variations (Variationen über ein russisches Volkslied and Variationen über Prinz Eugen) are the highlights of his orchestral music IMO.

[Symphonic Addict]

First listen to these works.
CD 1
Concerto No 1 in b Flat minor Opus 32 Scharw.125 (1876)
Concerto No 2 in c minor Opus 56 Scharw.126 (1881)

Just noticed Scharwenka used minor keys for all four of his piano concertos.

Some of the best piano concertos from the 19th century (and the beginning of the 20th century).

To the bolded text: other composers who also did that were Rachmaninov and Medtner.

[vandermolen]

Imants Kalnins: Symphony No.6 (2001)

[DavidW]

Ah! Thanks. I'm glad you like it. This music has been one of my greatest discoveries ever.

Yes I've listened to his sacred music off and on but not all of it. Having a "box set" to go through is pretty swell.

Thread duty:

[Iota]

Recently finished listening to the Lucchesini complete Beethoven cycle and it's been an amazing trip. I guess it's inevitable that if you record a cycle of such substance and breadth you'll bring something that's unique to you to it, but Lucchesini for me took that to a new level. Sonatas just leapt off the page, sounding so freshly inked, so new and so full of life, communicating depths and character I'd never heard before. Suffice it to say I felt on his wavelength and in a way I've not felt with anyone else.
There were naturally some more ordinary moments. To just name a couple of the well-known ones, the Pathétique remained rather stubbornly on the page for me (but that may just be over familiarity) and the  final movement in the whole cycle (Op.111) didn't quite tow me out to space in the way that others have, though the first movement is excellent. But overall the sort of cycle that enriches one's world and I'm exceedingly glad of its existence.

[JBS]

From the Warner RVW set
Epithalamion
Riders To The Sea


A somewhat odd coupling, but EMI did it previously as an individual CD

[Wanderer]

I listened to the final CD of the set this morning. They are indeed very good music.

All four CD covers in the series use art by Schiele.

TD

First listen to these works.
CD 1
Concerto No 1 in b Flat minor Opus 32 Scharw.125 (1876)
Concerto No 2 in c minor Opus 56 Scharw.126 (1881)

Just noticed Scharwenka used minor keys for all four of his piano concertos.

The wind from the outer edge of Hurricane Helene (30mph according to my weather app) adds a bit more than the usual outside noise.

Scharwenka's piano concerti are favourite works, especially the impressive Fourth, and these performances by Markovich are excellent. If you like the works, you may also want to listen to the renditions of the First Concerto by Hamelin and of the Fourth Concerto by Stephen Hough, both on the Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series. Poizat has also recorded a very good version of the Fourth Concerto on Naxos.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Yes - indeed.
I never heard the van de Wiele /Dervaux version of Concert champêtre. I should investigate the version with piano again - there's an old one (1970) with Gillels and more recently Stephano Bollani and Mark Babbington recorded it aswell.

As for piano performance of Concert champêtre, I like the performance by Mr. Poulenc himself. He is a great pianist while the orchestra fires.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ljQfa9uW2QfbLgC0_Hrk8j2-1sELW2t6Q&si=ala0lrwWKxFQ6iYo

[Iota]

A very beautiful and evocative Schiele painting! It, albeit privately owned, is on permanent loan to the Austrian National Gallery in Vienna, but is not usually exhibited to the public. It was, however, part of the 2018 jubilee Schiele exhibition, marking the 100th anniversary of his death, at the Leopold Museum, where I had the opportunity to see it in person. The actual colour of the water is a mesmerizing dark blue, not almost black as that photograph suggests.

Indeed, an extraordinary painting! How great to have seen the original.

[Linz]

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Keyboard Music, Vol. 4
Keyboard Sonata in B-Flat Major, Wq. 62/1, H. 2
Keyboard Sonata in G Major, Wq. 62/2, H. 20
Keyboard Sonata in G Minor, Wq. 65/11, H. 2
Keyboard Sonata in F Major, Wq. 65/1, H. 3
Keyboard Sonata in A Major, Wq. 65/10, H. 19
Keyboard Sonata in G Major, Wq. 65/6, H. 15
Miklos Spanyi

[SonicMan46]

Taneyev, Sergei (1856-1915) - Trios from the recordings below; according to the website source, Taneyev wrote 5 'Trios', one being w/ piano; 3 'string trios' are on the Leopold disc while 4 are in the Taneyev box (see the * and + indicators) - BUT all 5 are on both recordings.  Dave

P.S. just saw the attached 4-disc Naxos box of Taneyev's Orchestral Works - pricey but any comments appreciated!  Thanks.

 

Chamber and instrumental music (Source)
String Trio in D major (1879/1880)*+
Choral varié in A major for organ (1894?)
String Quintet No. 1 in G for 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos, Op. 14 (1900-1901)
String Quintet No. 2 in C for 2 violins, 2 violas and cello, Op. 16 (1904)
Piano Quartet in E major, Op. 20 (1906)
String Trio in D for 2 violins and viola, Op. 21 (1907)*
Piano Trio in D for violin, cello and piano, Op. 22 (1908)*
Prelude and Fugue for piano in G♯ minor, Op. 29 (1910)
Prelude in F major (1894-1895)
Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 30 (1911)
String Trio in E♭ major for violin, viola and viola-tenore, Op. 31 (1911)*+
Violin Sonata in A minor (1911)
String Trio in B minor (1913)+
* Complete Chamber Box   + Leopold String Trio

[Symphonic Addict]

Brun: Symphony No. 4 in E major

[Karl Henning]

I don't know the meaning of this expression. Good? Bad? Mediocre? 

It's a horticulturally dubious pun for "sublime."

[Todd]

Greatness.

[Linz]

Eduard Franck Orchestral Works, Wurttembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Ola Rudner

[Symphonic Addict]

Mozart: String Quartets 1-4

Early Mozart offers a lot of good entertainment. These quartets are so delightful.

[DavidW]

Mozart String Quartets K 499 "Hoffmeister" and K 575 from the Mozart Edition, but here is the artwork from Nimbus where the recording was originally released:

[Cato]

Scharwenka's piano concerti are favourite works, especially the impressive Fourth, and these performances by Markovich are excellent. If you like the works, you may also want to listen to the renditions of the First Concerto by Hamelin and of the Fourth Concerto by Stephen Hough, both on the Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series. Poizat has also recorded a very good version of the Fourth Concerto on Naxos.

Many moons ago (late 1960's ?) Michael Ponti performed one of the Scharwenka piano concertos and other works on a VOX record.

I recall it was a BIG concerto, and Michael Ponti was the pianist for the job!

I found this on YouTube: it says 1971.  So I must be thinking of some other recording from the late 1960's.

[Cato]

P.S. just saw the attached 4-disc Naxos box of Taneyev's Orchestral Works - pricey but any comments appreciated!  Thanks.

 

Those works are all marvelous: I find the performances very expressive!