What are you listening 2 now?

[Traverso]

Bach

[ritter]

Gianluca Cascioli plays 20th and 21st century Italian music.

[hopefullytrusting]

Relistens (seeing if I want to purchase):

Dutilleux's L'arbre des
Dutilleux's Mystere
Elling's Symphony 1
Elling's Symphony 2

[Harry]

American Quintets.
See back cover for details.
Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective.
Recording venue: Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk, 2020.

I did not play the Barber piece, for obvious reasons.
Both Quintets by Beach and Price are excellent examples to showcase their talents. The Beach piece has this dreamy character of music by Brahms, very passionate, in maybe a bit to large soundstage adopted by Chandos. That makes this release not wholly commendable, for this acoustic lacks intimacy, to loud in the fast movements, and not enough in the slow movements. That means correcting the volume on a movement basis. I love Price very much too, but the "Juba" (Third movement) which is her trademark, is a bit over the top, and the novelty has worn off, after hearing this in many of her compositions. Still, if you in for a big sound, to big basically for Quintets, that this is the answer to your prayers.

[Den glemte sønnen]

No, I have not heard of this conductor!  Thank you for the recommendation!

He apparently specialized in Bruckner, Richard Strauss, and Wagner.

Born in 1935, he died 16 years ago with a good number of recordings in his legacy.

YouTube offers various examples:

Bruckner's Third Symphony

Beethoven's Third Symphony

Brahms' Fourth Symphony

Yes, indeed, but Wakasugi was also a dedicated Mahlerian --- this is a cycle he did for Fontec of Symphonies Nos. 1-9 and the Das Lied von der Erde:





I bought this box set several years ago --- it's fantastic!

[pianococo90]

Werner Heider
Clarinet Quintet

[Traverso]

Vivaldi

L'Estro Armonico Op.3 1-9

[Harry]

The Musical Treasures of Leufsta Bruk II.
See back cover for details.
Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble.
Recorded: 2010/2011.

A mix of composers delivering some quality compositions, many of them not that often recorded, and a pleasure for ones ears. Excellent sound and performance. Many musical surprises in store....

[hopefullytrusting]

Relistens (seeing if I want to purchase):

Dutilleux's L'arbre des
Dutilleux's Mystere
Elling's Symphony 1
Elling's Symphony 2

This is the exact kind of program I'd love to see (but no one would pay for).

Dutilleux's harmonic spectralism and Elling's romantic nationalism.

Perfectly balanced.

[Iota]

No, I have not heard of this conductor!  Thank you for the recommendation!

He apparently specialized in Bruckner, Richard Strauss, and Wagner.

Born in 1935, he died 16 years ago with a good number of recordings in his legacy.

YouTube offers various examples:

Bruckner's Third Symphony

I haven't heard of the conductor either, but I certainly like what I've heard of that Bruckner 3 so far.

[Traverso]

Mozart

[VonStupp]

George Lloyd
Symphony 4 'The Arctic'
John Socman: Overture
Albany SO - George Lloyd

Breaking into Lloyd's middle symphonies.
VS

[Traverso]

Bach

 Disc 23

[Spotted Horses]

Szmanowski, Symphony No 4 for piano and orchestra. Kupiec-Steffens



Yesterday it was the same work, also with Kupiec, on Koch conducted by Judd. I find the piece more engaging this time, maybe I like the recording better, maybe because I'm more familiar with it today.

There is another recording feature Louis Lortie, and I am a fan of Lortie.

[Iota]

I haven't heard of the conductor either [Hiroshi Wakasugi], but I certainly like what I've heard of that Bruckner 3 so far.

Thanks to the combined talents of maestros Bruckner and Wakasugi, I changed the course of my afternoon and ended up listening to that until its conclusion. What a glorious work it is, and Wakasugi judges details big and small to perfection, greatly enjoyed! Excellent recommendation, @Den glemte sønnen!

[Karl Henning]

[Iota]

Bach: Ich lasse dich nicht, BWV 157



Funeral music. The opening duet has these gorgeous, aching suspensions in it, especially the ones sung by tenor Christoph Genz.

Fine call, @Madiel, my second fruitful GMG lead of the day, exquisite! Agree with what you say, and I also found the bass vocal line bobbing along on the current of wonderful music in the penultimate Recitative and Aria, particularly lovely. 

[ritter]

Maurizio Pollini plays Franz Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor, plus late piano pieces.

[VonStupp]

Samuel Barber
Medea
A Hand of Bridge
BMOP - Gil Rose

What a nine-minute romp of an opera A Hand of Bridge is! A little inappropriate for young listeners, but I am not sure how hard they were listening; my wife on the other hand...

I snuck in Medea while I had a chance too; there is something about Barber's ballet music I really enjoy.
VS

[André]

Last work of the night --- Bruckner's 7th with Hiroshi Wakasugi conducting the NHK SO from this Japan issued set:



I wonder if @André or @Cato know this set? It's excellent and gets my full recommendation. I went through it when I received it, but I've slowly been revisiting some of the performances and they're even better than the first-time I heard them (if that was possible).

Never encountered this set, unfortunately. Japanese conductors seem to have an abiding fascination with Bruckner's symphonies.


Currently listening to his Eroica. It's excellent. Tempi are perfectly judged, weight and tension in perfect balance.