What are you listening 2 now?

[Selig]

First impressions are positive. I may have to check out her Bauyn programme next.

[AnotherSpin]

Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie
Seiji Ozawa, Berliner Philharmoniker

[Christo]

Will hear this piece by Khatsatur Avetissian (Avetisyan, Avetisian, etc.) live, a concert on the theme of the Silk Road, in the rather beautiful 1891 Buitensociëteit in the even more wonderful medieval (pre Hanseatic) town of Zutphen, 15 February. And also:

• Nino Rota: Concerto per archi
• Sultan Abdülaziz: Gondol Şarkısı
• Ulvi Cemal Erkin: Sinfonietta
• Khachatur Avetisyan: Tsaghkats Baleni & Im Yegheg
• Alexander Arutiunian: Concerto for violin and string orchestra
• Erzerumi Shoror (Armenian traditional)
• Fikret Amirov: Nizami Symphony
• Zhou Long: Song of the Ch'in

[Que]

Starting with the 3rd Book. A timely reminder of its marvels, quite distinct from the previous books.

[Madiel]

Back in April I didn't have time to get to the final disc of this set, of "historical recordings" (I had a flight to catch...)



The first thing on here is a series of extracts from Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov (the Rimsky-Korsakov version which is what everyone was using then), featuring Feodor Chaliapin. There's actually 4 distinct recordings here, from 1931, 1926, 1931 and 1928.

These are the oldest recordings I've ever entered into my collection. And they don't sound bad. But neither are they earth-shattering. Nothing can make that much of an impact through the sound, and the singers (including Chaliapin) come across as a little bit wobbly without all the benefits of recording stuff over and over until it's perfect.

And of course, no libretto in this box.

Still, it's nice to have something that really does date back to the era of the Ballets Russes.

[ChamberNut]

Back in April I didn't have time to get to the final disc of this set, of "historical recordings" (I had a flight to catch...)



The first thing on here is a series of extracts from Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov (the Rimsky-Korsakov version which is what everyone was using then), featuring Feodor Chaliapin. There's actually 4 distinct recordings here, from 1931, 1926, 1931 and 1928.

These are the oldest recordings I've ever entered into my collection. And they don't sound bad. But neither are they earth-shattering. Nothing can make that much of an impact through the sound, and the singers (including Chaliapin) come across as a little bit wobbly without all the benefits of recording stuff over and over until it's perfect.

And of course, no libretto in this box.

Still, it's nice to have something that really does date back to the era of the Ballets Russes.

An overall highly rewarding and enjoyable set. Just finished my first full traversal through it. Glad I got it.

[Madiel]

The Rodrigo dances, and then the Esplá sonata, he's a new name to me.



I think these are both works she didn't record again later (unlike most of what's on this collection). The Esplá work in particular was pretty recent music at the time of the recording (apparently composed 1949, recorded 1956), and I like it quite a bit.

[Madiel]

An overall highly rewarding and enjoyable set. Just finished my first full traversal through it. Glad I got it.

Oh, the set as a whole is something I'm very happy with. Even if it doesn't include absolutely everything, it includes a heck of a lot. And I'm totally fascinated by the Ballets Russes. As mentioned by me far too many times, I've seen some of the original sets and costumes and it's an experience I treasure.

[Harry]

Michel Corrette.
6 Concerts comiques.
Ensemble Stradivaria, Daniel Cuiller.
Recorded:1995, Prieuré de Vivoin, (Sarthe)


French popular songs that were hits around the middle 18th century inspired the composition of these entertaining and gracefully witty concertos - typically light-hearted products of the French Rococo. Lots of fun, and well recorded and performed. A few item have also a jolly singer, but I skipped them, naturally.

[Traverso]

Bach

The coming two months I want to listen to all the cantatas from this set. I have considered buying the Suzuki set but have decided against it. Despite all its shortcomings, this set remains my first choice and the Koopman as an excellent second choice.




 

[ChamberNut]

Now listening to this fine disc of Taneyev chamber music.

The string trios in E flat major, in B minor and D major.

[Harry]

Benjamin Britten.

Violin concerto, Op 15 (1938–9, revised 1950, 1958 and 1965).
Double Concerto in B minor (1932) for violin, viola and orchestra (edited by Colin Matthews).
Lachrymae (1950, orchestrated 1976) Reflections on a song of Dowland for viola and orchestra, Op 48a.
See for details back cover.
Recorded in City Halls, Candleriggs, Glasgow, on 12 & 13 January 2011

My recording to go for the Violin concerto. The whole disc is a gem, well recorded and performed.

[ChamberNut]

And now for more Taneyev music. Disc of Violin Sonata and piano music. Much of the piano music are world premiere recordings.

Hat tip to @Bachtoven for nudging me to listen to Taneyev's piano music.

[Harry]

Lowell Liebermann.
Piano concertos, No.1 & 2.
Six pieces from Album for the Young Op 43-
Stephen Hough, Piano.
BBC Scottish SO, Lowell Liebermann.
Recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee, on 17 & 18 January 1997

Stephen Hough plays this music with total commitment, tremendous panache, and stunning virtuosity. Libermann is for me an unknown composer, but one that is very interesting. His works are at once accessible and challenging at the same time. The borders of tonality are never stretched, and there is a strange luminosity covering the music, an inward spirituality. SOTA recording.

[Traverso]

Matteo Da Perugia

Secular Works



part of this box

[Vox Maris]

NP:

Dvořák
The Water Goblin, 107
Czech PO
Mackerras

[Harry]

William Walton.

Symphony No. 1 & 2.
Siesta.
See for details back cover.

This performance is phenomenal, and the sound really SOTA, and I mean so impressive that it blew me out of my socks. As an interpretation it is very high on my list, for I never heard it like this. A whole new Walton emerged!
Siesta was a piece I never heard before but it enters my book with a full 5 stars.

[Vox Maris]

Now playing some back-to-back Elgar works:

Introduction and Allegro, Op. 47
Falstaff, Op. 68
Nursery Suite
LPO
Boult

From this set -

[Vox Maris]

Wonderful. I've heard it live three or four times over the years, the last time this autumn in Utrecht. In the end, I found Howells' Hymnus Paradisi -- which I never heard performed live, because Howells is hardly a name in the traditionally more Central European and French music-oriented Netherlands -- an even more impressive "successor" to Fauré's Requiem. 

Just as I have also come to greatly appreciate Saint-Saëns' contemporary Requiem.

I could never never get on with Howells' music. To me, to use a similar quote from Pierre Boulez (but his quote was attributed to Shostakovich), sounds like a third or fourth pressing of Vaughan Williams.

The Saint-Saëns Requiem, however, is a wonderful work, but I'm a huge fan of this composer's music, so this could be my own personal bias rearing its head.

[Traverso]

Claude Vivier