What are you listening 2 now?

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Beethoven

Symphony No.2

London Symphony Orchestra

Nice!

[Harry]

OMG! What is it? Something similar to Celine Dion, perhaps?

MS

https://www.tonhalle-orchester.ch/en/news/potraet-alice-sara-ott/

[AnotherSpin]

[Florestan]

MS

https://www.tonhalle-orchester.ch/en/news/potraet-alice-sara-ott/

Thanks. Just as I thought. Awful.

[Linz]

Hans Rott Symphony, Pastorales Vospriel, Symphony in E major, Radio Symphonieorchester Wien, Dennis Russell Davies

[Que]

[SonicMan46]

Weiss w/ Michel Cardin - finishing up the box today - as stated in my previous post, these 12 CDs contain less than half of Weiss' extant music, so went looking for other recordings and found that Evangelina Mascardi just released a 2-CD set (no duplications with the Cardin box) - did a Spotify listen yesterday and the performance was excellent as expected (however, 2-CD set is NOT cheap at the moment); now I do own her in the JS Bach works (last pic below) which is outstanding (reviews attached for those interested) - Dave



ADDENDUM: For those who want some Weiss recordings but not willing to get a 12-disc box, I also own the singles shown below - in the quote, the sonatas performed are listed with some overlap between Held and Lindberg's first recording (notice the lute used); of course, Robert Barto has made 11 volumes of this lute music for Naxos (listings HERE).

WeissSW Sonatas Performed
Held, Joachim - 1, 7, 44, 61
Lindberg, Jacob - 4, 7, 29, 39, 50
Mascardi, Evangelina - 33, 48, 91, 103

   

[JBS]

Paul Dukas.
Complete solo Piano works.
Tor Espen Aspaas, Piano.
Recorded: 2001, Sofienberg Kirke Oslo, Norway

This must be the first time in my life that I heard Dukas his piano works. Not surprising, for the fact that his piano works are completely forgotten. The Sorcerer's Apprentice we all know, and maybe his Symphony in C, but he is primarily remembered for TSA, and the rest like his solo piano works are neglected. Hearing these works you might come to the conclusion that Dukas was actually a great composer, more so as most think. I am hugely impressed, this I can tell. Brilliant compositions, the work of a great master in fact. Simax made a excellent recording, and Tor Espen Aspaas is well up to the task. This music needs a steady hand and he has it.

Marc-Andre Hamelin recorded the Sonata.

[Florestan]

Marc-Andre Hamelin recorded the Sonata.

Jean Hubeau recorded it all.

[Karl Henning]

Good fun. For me, the standouts were Michael Haydn's Turkish March and "Papa's" March for the Prince of Wales.

[Karl Henning]

Prompted by a query by @Florestan 

[hopefullytrusting]

It is fitting that Beckett's Watt is played by a trombone.

[Karl Henning]

[André]

2 oldies, 2 goldies:

Beethoven, symphony no 3 'Eroica' with the Boston Symphony under Munch. Japan tour, 1960. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiFkmR-9pUQ
Amazing performance, dramatic, triumphant (4th mov.).

The score calls for 3 horns. Munch uses 5. I didn't see if winds had been beefed up, but the 5 horns are clearly visible in the scherzo and finale. Far from skewing the work's balance, it actually puts it in the right perspective. The modern symphony orchestra has twice the number of strings available to ensembles in the 19th century, plus concert halls have twice the volume of princely music rooms of Beethoven's time. What we get is a trenchant, exciting sound. Forget about imprecise chording à la Furtwängler: the BSO slashes through the opening chords like the guillotine in Berlioz' Fantastique. One thing I noticed is that by 1960 the orchestra (all male, all White) was made up of middle-aged to elderly gents. Not a young face in sight. Day and night compared to modern orchestras' roster of players.


//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////




Walter's first commercial account of these symphonies on the Columbia label. He was 80 at the time. Excellent mono sound. Walter's way with Mozart was unique in the way its self-effacement never meant a faceless performance. On the contrary, these are youthful, joyous, energetic performances that scream MOZART. Most conductors are wont to propose their own take on the works, with varying success. Under Walter, Böhm or Klemperer (very different personalities and conducting techniques) you never get the feeling you are being presented with a performance. It's like you get to hear Mozart as it should sound, however different the results sound under these conducting giants.

The feeling that imposes itself when Walter conducts Mozart is the sheer beauty and joy of the music. At the time (1953 for # 40 and and 1956 for #39 and 41) his tempi were quite fast, the music always moving along smartly, but never trying to beat speed records. Textures are warm yet the articulation is always precise. The fugato episode at the end of 41:4 is a case in point, the horns clearly differentiated from the low strings and winds. Walter's later (stereo) recordings with the Columbia Symphony are almost as good. There's a gain in warmth, an added spaciousness but a slight easing of the high spirits heard in these New York performances.

[Lisztianwagner]

Franz Liszt
Années de pèlerinage

Pianist: Daniel Grimwood

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP:

Bach
St Matthew Passion, BWV 244
Ian Bostridge (soloist), Franz-Joseph Selig (soloist), Andreas Scholl (soloist), Sibylla Rubens (soloist), Frits Vanhulle (soloist), Dominik Wörner (soloist), Werner Güra (soloist), Susan Hamilton (soloist), Dietrich Henschel
Collegium Vocale Gent
Philippe Herreweghe



My first-listen to this work (as will be the case for almost all of the Bach I've been listening to or, hopefully, will listen to in the future). Will be interesting to compare this performance with the Suzuki on BIS.

[ritter]

Pierre Boulez's rarely performed Domaines, for solo clarinet and six instrumental groups. Michel Portal (clarinet) and the Ensemble Musique Vivante, conducted by Diego Masson.

[ritter]

NP:

Bach
St Matthew Passion, BWV 244
Ian Bostridge (soloist), Franz-Joseph Selig (soloist), Andreas Scholl (soloist), Sibylla Rubens (soloist), Frits Vanhulle (soloist), Dominik Wörner (soloist), Werner Güra (soloist), Susan Hamilton (soloist), Dietrich Henschel
Collegium Vocale Gent
Philippe Herreweghe



My first-listen to this work (as will be the case for almost all of the Bach I've been listening to or, hopefully, will listen to in the future). Will be interesting to compare this performance with the Suzuki on BIS.

I venture to say that the work itself is far, far more interesting than any interpretative differences there may be between the styles of one conductor or other. You're approaching one of the undisputed masterpieces of Western civilisation in any field of the arts, John. Enjoy it in those terms...

Good evening to you!

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I venture to say that the work itself is far, far more interesting than any interpretative differences there may be between the styles of one conductor or other. Your approaching one of the undisputed masterpieces of Western civilisation in any field of the arts, John. Enjoy it in those terms...

Good evening to you!

Thanks, Rafael. I'm certainly enchanted by this music. And, yes, you're right --- interpretative choices are secondary when the music is this exquisite. Good evening to as well.

[Florestan]

I venture to say that the work itself is far, far more interesting than any interpretative differences there may be between the styles of one conductor or other.

And I venture to say that I strongly disagree. There is no such thing as the work itself. If all the scores of the Matthaeus-Passion, past, present or future, suddenly disappeared without trace for good, the music would still live on by way of recordings. If all the recordings of Matthaeus-Passion, past, present or future, suddenly disappeared without trace for good, the music would be as dead as the dinosaurs, score notwithstanding.