What are you listening 2 now?

[Todd]

For a quarter century, this recording has served as my reference in Schulhoff's string quartets.  Now, it's starting in on its second quarter century of duty.

[prémont]

I have the second(?) one [am thinking that he recorded it four times, but I could be wrong].  In any event, I really enjoy it!

K

There are two complete commercial recordings [Bijlsma Bach suites] (1979 and 1992) as I wrote above and one unpublished complete take from 1998 which Mandryka wrote of above. And suites 1 and 5 exist in a video release (Euro Arts). That's all.

[SimonNZ]

13,14,15,16

[Symphonic Addict]

Brilliant music + Stupendous playing and conducting + Phenomenal recording + Great cover art = Excellent product.

Seriously, very impressed by these performances. The Symphony in E-flat is a coruscating, bold, spectacular creation. It has to be a favorite of mine. A most desirable piece to hear live.




Kabelác: Cello Sonata

More stunning music. I don't remember listening to this piece before, and it blew me away. What a taut, forceful, relentless work. It receives an exemplary rendition by Jan Vogler and Robert Kolinsky.

[Linz]

João Lourenço Rebelo Vesper Psalms And Lamentations, Huelgas-Ensemble, Paul Van Nevel
A Secret Labyrinth CD15

[foxandpeng]

I'm envious of your listening capabilities!   

K

Cheers, PD. K. Whoever 😁

[foxandpeng]

That critic then turned his attention to Pettersson and was never heard from again...

Hehe. PETTERSSOOOON!!

[JBS]

There are two complete commercial recordings [Bijlsma Bach suites] (1979 and 1992) as I wrote above and one unpublished complete take from 1998 which Mandryka wrote of above. And suites 1 and 5 exist in a video release (Euro Arts). That's all.

Did you ever read this?

This edition contains all 6 Suites for violoncello by J.S. Bach. It is a combination and revision of earlier Bach, the Fencing Master (1998), its revision Droppings (2015), and Bach and the Happy Few (2014). Three hundred years of opinions of lesser men - always lesser men than Bach - have made it impossible to read what it says in the wonderfully clear quill-pen texts of Anna Magdalena Bach. String music used to be a world of its own, full of idiosyncrasies like up- and down bow, crossing of strings, open string-notes, separate or slurred notes, playing near or far from the bridge, double stops with different lengths and tones with vibrato, with accents, or special diction in the middle. Nowadays, preconceived ideas of people, who do not even play a string-instrument themselves, often are directing our bow-arms. My books about these works should not be necessary at all for anybody, but they are one of the few ways to re-discover some of the lost charm of the 6 Suites ˆ Violoncello senza Basso.

So reads the Amazon blurb. I presume it's just quoting the author.

[Mandryka]

Did you ever read this?

So reads the Amazon blurb. I presume it's just quoting the author.

There's some discussion about it here. I haven't seen the book, what I've always wondered is whether any of Bylsma's recordings follow the Anna Magdalena phrasing.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Vladigerov: Orchestral Works Vol. 2. Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Vladigerov.

[prémont]

Did you ever read this?

So reads the Amazon blurb. I presume it's just quoting the author.

I've certainly heard of the book, but I don't plan to read it. My preference is listening to the interpretation.

[Todd]

[prémont]

There's some discussion about it here. I haven't seen the book, what I've always wondered is whether any of Bylsma's recordings follow the Anna Magdalena phrasing.

A project I hope to realize, if I get the time and energy, is to compare the AM Bach score with various recordings, including those by Bijlsma. Photocopies of this score and other important original manuscripts (Kelner e.g.) are accessible at IMSLP.

[brewski]

Schoenberg: Friede auf Erden (WDR Rundfunkchor, conducted by Nicolas Fink / video direction by Martina Paff). Gorgeous singing, and I like the video component, done in black and white. And though this was created for World Peace Day in 2019, "peace on earth" isn't a bad message anytime.

-Bruce

[NumberSix]

Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos
Alfred Brendel
Marriner, Academy of St Martin in the Fields

[foxandpeng]

Robert Still
The Four String Quartets
Villiers Quartet
Naxos

Never heard Still's music, but despite a feeling that he is looking backwards rather than forwards at first, this is enjoyable and tuneful music, which evolves.

[brewski]

Watching a very fine recital, live from the University of South Carolina, with violinist Ari Streisfeld (formerly of the JACK Quartet) and pianist Phillip Bush. Have never heard anything on the program except the Lutosławski.

Bacewicz: Partita for Violin and Piano
Laura Schwendinger: Sonata for solo violin
Bacewicz: Sonata no. 2 for solo Violin
Lutosławski: Partita for Violin and Piano (1984)

-Bruce

[DavidW]

Watching a very fine recital, live from the University of South Carolina, with violinist Ari Streisfeld (formerly of the JACK Quartet) and pianist Phillip Bush. Have never heard anything on the program except the Lutosławski.

Bacewicz: Partita for Violin and Piano
Laura Schwendinger: Sonata for solo violin
Bacewicz: Sonata no. 2 for solo Violin
Lutosławski: Partita for Violin and Piano (1984)

-Bruce

I would have gone to that had it not been a weekday. Sounds like a great program.

[brewski]

I would have gone to that had it not been a weekday. Sounds like a great program.

Yes, it is! In his remarks, Streisfeld said he'd wanted to do the Lutosławski for a long time, but waited to form a program around it that made sense. Mentioned Bach, of course, leading into these composers who have also written sonatas and partitas for the instrument.

PS, I had no idea until tonight that USC offers so many streams. Now subscribed, and hope to catch some others.

-Bruce

[André]

Piano concerto, violin concerto, Young Apollo (for piano, string quartet and orchestra).

The PC can be dispensed with. It's a pleasant enough work, but quite unoriginal - therefore un-Britten like. The movements are Toccata, Waltz, Impromptu, and March. It sounds more like a suite for piano and orchestra than a traditional concerto. Live performance with Leif Ove Andsnes, the City of Birmingham orchestra under Paavo Järvi.

The VC is something else, a bona fide 20th Century masterpiece. It is (sounds) fiendishly difficult to play, especially in the first movement. The concluding passacaglia is a superb piece. It is played quite magnificently by Ida Haendel, whose stratospheric top range is utterly unreal in its purity and bewitching beauty. I compared it right after with the Zimmermann-Honeck performance and was not as impressed. The balance of the solo instrument may be a factor. Zimmermann's violin sounds small-scale, almost as if played by the concertmaster surrounded by the rest of the orchestra instead of standing front and centre in front of us. Their recording is more recent (2009 vs Haendel-Berglund's 1977), but it's not necessarily a plus, especially since the orchestra sounds almost overwhelming compared to the soloist. It may be a more natural balance (?) but the ear is better served by the older recording's more forward placement of the solo violin.

Young Apollo is quite a fun piece. It's short, tuneful and would make a nice encore for a concert pianist. I'm sure the first desks of the string section would love to play it from within the orchestra's ranks.