What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

And Florent Schmitt's Scherzo in memoriam Fauré on that disc is a riot (and as un-Fauréan as you can imagine)...

Good evening, Karl.

Good evening, my friend!

[Karl Henning]

the Duruflé Requiem, is also a gorgeous piece.

It is: a friend of mine conducted it at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP:

Rachmaninov
Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19
Yuli Turovsky, Luba Edlina



I own a few other recordings of the Rachmaninov Cello Sonata, but this one is rather special to my ears. Turkovsky and Edlina make up The Borodin Trio who have recorded many splendid albums for the Chandos label.

[Karl Henning]

And Florent Schmitt's Scherzo in memoriam Fauré on that disc is a riot (and as un-Fauréan as you can imagine)

A most delightful selection for Maiden-Listen Monday!

[Mapman]

Haydn: Quartet Op. 33/6
Festetics

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

And now a little Schubert before dinner:

Fantasie in C major, D. 760
Paul Lewis

From this new acquisition -

[brewski]

Ives: Violin Sonata No. 4 (Curt Thompson / Rodney Waters). First time hearing this duo, and it's been a long time since I saw the score. Years ago I tried to play this piece, with (amusing in retrospect) disastrous results.

Much better to let people like Thompson and Waters do the job.

[JBS]

Winterreise



CD 20 of 21

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Continuing on with the Handel oratorios:

La Resurrezione, HWV 47
Emma Kirkby (soprano), David Thomas (bass), Patrizia Kwella (soprano), Carolyn Watkinson (contralto), Ian Partridge (tenor)
Academy of Ancient Music
Christopher Hogwood

From this set -





About Handel's La Resurrezione:

La Resurrezione was one of Handel's earliest oratorios, and does not belong to the same genre as his later English oratorios. It was composed in Italy where the oratorio was similar in construction to the cantata, and made up of recitatives and arias which were operatic in nature. La Resurrezione premiered on Easter Day in 1708 at the palace of Marchese Ruspoli, a member of the Arcadian Academy and an avid patron of the young Handel. The cast was of the finest singers, the orchestra was large, and Ruspoli provided for three paid rehearsals and hired Arcangelo Corelli to direct. By the time that the young Handel composed La Resurrezione, he was completely at home in Italian genres and idioms, and his writing showed complete mastery of the elegant, euphonious style of melody which dominated vocal music. In addition, he had absorbed Venetian customs of orchestration, and his accompaniments were rich and varied, providing commentary on the main vocal music as well as dialogue with it.

The text for La Resurrezione was written by Carlo Capece, and is a dramatic telling of the story of Easter. The poetry is vivid, expressive, and even melodramatic at times. Lucifer is one of the main characters, and provides, in his robust bass arias and melodically imbued recitatives, almost comic contrast to the soprano Angel, the pious Marys, and the gallant tenor solos of St. John. Lucifer's text settings are especially striking: Handel pays special attention to assonance and long vowel sounds, giving the impression of Lucifer as a truly hissing serpent from hell. The chorus is used only twice, first as a chorus of angels glorifying God at the end of the first part, and then at the very end. However there are other portions of writing that become almost as full as a chorus -- for instance when the full orchestra accompanies an aria or recitative, or when shared arias become full duets. The variety in textures is directly indebted to Italian operatic writing of the time, and Handel excels at it. One of the finest moments in the first part is when Mary Magdalene rejoices that the Lord is risen. Her soprano voice is accompanied by violins in unison with her melody; instrumental ritornellos intervene between sections, but the lightness of her aria prevails, as well as the mood of sanctity.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

[brewski]

After some discussion on Bluesky, watching the opening scene of Elizabeth Maconchy's The Sofa (1957), staged at Sadler's Wells in 2007 by Independent Opera.

From the description by Hubert Culot:

Prince Dominic is a hedonist only concerned by enjoying himself in any way. He flirts with Monique and – to put it bluntly – tries to make love to her; but she resists briefly before succumbing. Enters the Prince's grandmother who is Dominic's only source of wealth, but she also happens to have magical powers. Scandalised by his behaviour she transforms him into a sofa. Only when a couple makes love on top of him will he be released from his constricting condition.

 

[steve ridgway]

Henning: Out In The Sun

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP:

Rachmaninov
Trio élégiaque No. 2 in D minor, Op. 9
The Borodin Trio



One of my favorite Rachmaninov discs. Gorgeous performances.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Last works for the night:

Respighi
Fontane di Roma
Pini di Roma
Feste Romane
New York PO
Sinopoli



 

[hopefullytrusting]

Gotta end on a positive:

Hindemith's Ouvertüre zum "Fliegenden Holländer", wie sie eine schlechte Kurkapelle morgens um 7 am Brunnen vom Blatt spielt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51zBKcRymao

Arnold's A Grand, Grand Festival Overture for three vacuum cleaners, a floor polisher, four rifles and orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bHB3F6o3AY

[Que]

Gombert's complex polyphony is perfectly executed.

[vandermolen]

Arthur Honegger: Symphony No.4
I also like the Dutilleux work:

[vandermolen]

A delightful disc!
NP John Foulds 'April - England':

[Madiel]

Mozart: Piano Concerto no.18 in B flat



Damn. Another reminder of why this sequence of Viennese piano concertos is regarded as some of Mozart's greatest work. This might be my favourite opening movement yet. And it's not as if the remaining movements are lacking in quality.

[Madiel]

Stravinsky

Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Octet



One of my favourite discs in the Netherlands Wind Ensemble box so far (I think I've listened to 13 out of 17).

[Madiel]

The Turina portion of this album (representing an LP from near the end of de Larrocha's Hispavox period)



The music of Turina is perhaps the best discovery I've made from exploring Alicia de Larrocha's output (though I should say I also didn't know Falla's piano works). Of the composers I didn't know at all, Turina is the one that I think is worthy of putting next to Albeniz, Granados and Falla. The music is consistently inventive. He's definitely on my list for further exploration.