What are you listening 2 now?

[pjme]

Last work for the night.

Stravinsky: Les Noces



Apparently a favourite work of Stravinsky himself, and also of Diaghilev. Not staged until 3 years after Pulcinella and 10 years after The Rite of Spring, but it's not hard to hear it was mostly written soon after The Rite.

This is probably only my 2nd listen to it (almost exactly a year after my first), and I have to confess I'm still processing a bit. But there's no doubt the final decision to use pianos and percussion gives the work a very bright and dynamic sound.

I grew up with the Ansermet version (french translation) and later Bernstein. It is as ever such a fascinating and original work.

watching the pianists makes it clear that a certain moment Stravinsky thought of using pianolas...

" Late in life, Stravinsky recalled that he originally intended to use a "super-Sacre" orchestra of 150 musicians, even larger than the massive Rite of Spring. No such draft exists: either he had only thought about the possibility without trying it, or decades later he was misremembering the work's origins. The first two versions, both incomplete, date from 1914-1915 and are scored for two string quintets (one pizzicato, the other arco) and nine winds. Version 3 (1915-1917), the first complete draft, is scored for an idiosyncratic combination of 27 winds and brass, eight strings, harp, piano, harpsichord, and Hungarian cimbalom. Meanwhile, in his other works (Histoire du soldat, Symphonies of Wind Instruments), Stravinsky was already moving toward smaller ensembles and more austere instrumental sonorities as he positioned himself to join the Paris-based movement soon to be dubbed "neoclassicism." In this context, the rich sound-world of Version 3 must suddenly have seemed old-fashioned, and Version 4 of Les noces (1918-1919) is stripped down to two cimbaloms, harmonium, pianola, and percussion (notice the similarity to George Antheil's notorious Ballet mécanique of 1923-1925). But only in the definitive Version 5 (1922-1923) did Stravinsky arrive at the "perfectly homogeneous, perfectly impersonal, and perfectly mechanical" sound of four pianos and four percussionists, in which, crucially, only struck instruments are heard. "

https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/2224/les-noces

[prémont]

Beethoven

"Eroica" Symphony No.3

I cannot emphasize enough what a fine set this is with the symphonies of Beethoven.
As I mentioned earlier, the HIP practice has not gone unnoticed by Jansons and that has led to a stunningly beautiful Beethoven set.
Beethoven comes closer to us, more human and as a result your involvement becomes greater and you walk hand in hand with him as it were when listening to the "Pastoral".
You hear the shepherds singing and it is almost visualized and you experience the joy of creation with Beethoven.
The beautiful thing about these performances is that despite the fact that they are the result of thorough preparation, they still sound like a spontaneous event.
It is more than just beauty it is spiritual testament.

You make it difficult to resist the acquisition of my Beethoven cycle number umptieth..

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

A subsidiary of EMI, Music for Pleasure, re-released during the 1960's many back-catalogue mono recordings. Mostly featuring the Philharmonia in their pomp but not exclusively, the best performance I have heard of Rach2.

I found it on Youtube and it sounds excellent.
Also I listened to this album.

[Irons]

I found it on Youtube and it sounds excellent.
Also I listened to this album.

From the same source. Impressive.

[Harry]

l'Entropia.
See for all details back cover.
Lina Tur Bonet (Violin), Jadran Duncumb (Theorbe).


New Release.

A treasure trove of fine and sometimes unknown composers, expertly performed and superb recorded.
Two impressive musicians, it must be said. They take a free and fresh look at the music, and add a bit of improvisation to them all, but never overstepping the border between perfectly acceptable and grotesque egocentrism. I can safely recommend it to those that are interested in the era of the music.

[Traverso]

You make it difficult to resist the acquisition of my Beethoven cycle number umptieth..

I have no compassion whatsoever.....   19,99€ JPC 60% discount !

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Moving onto the Prokofiev symphonies --- now playing Symphonies Nos. 1-3

[DavidW]

I listened to some early Bach Cantatas from the Suzuki box this weekend.

[Traverso]

Alicia De Larrocha

[Harry]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Complete Symphonies.
No. 1 in E flat major.
Symphony in F major, Fragment.
Symphony No. 4 in D major.
No. 5 in B flat major.
No. 7a in G major, (Alte Lambacher)
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock.
Recorded: 1992, Henry Wood Hall, London.

Pinnock' complete set of the Mozart Symphonies in one of my favourites, and after a while of neglect it proves itself again, in finesse, and scrupulous attention to detail, perfectly judged tempi, and a a well informed insight in the compositions by Mozart. Perfect recording and ditto performances.

[Traverso]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Complete Symphonies.
No. 1 in E flat major.
Symphony in F major, Fragment.
Symphony No. 4 in D major.
No. 5 in B flat major.
No. 7a in G major, (Alte Lambacher)
The English Concert, Trevor Pinnock.
Recorded: 1992, Henry Wood Hall, London.

Pinnock' complete set of the Mozart Symphonies in one of my favourites, and after a while of neglect it proves itself again, in finesse, and scrupulous attention to detail, perfectly judged tempi, and a a well informed insight in the compositions by Mozart. Perfect recording and ditto performances.

Pinnock or Hogwood ?

[Harry]

Pinnock or Hogwood ?

Both, with a slight preference for Hogwood.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I have no compassion whatsoever.....   19,99€ JPC 60% discount !

And a beautiful box with that nice CD box smell.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Continuing on with the Prokofiev symphonies --- now playing Symphonies Nos. 4 & 7

[Traverso]

And a beautiful box with that nice CD box smell.

For all those people who don't know what to do with their lives, this reassuring video.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Mendelssohn Organ Works, Jennifer Bate.

[ritter]

Chamber music for strings by Ernst Krenek (three string trios, three works for unaccompanied cello, and one for solo violin), performed by the Trio Recherche.

[Linz]

Christian Cannabich Symphonies Nos. 47-52
Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia, Uwe Grodd

[Iota]

Stravinsky: Requiem Canticles

Such is the vividness of Stravinsky's ear for instrumental colour, single chords seem to carry immense meaning. And threadbare harmonies conjure up perception of an unlimited vastness. Genius in such naked form is a very transfixing thing.

[Lisztianwagner]

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No.5

Leonard Bernstein & Wiener Philharmoniker