What are you listening 2 now?

[nico1616]

Mozart string quartet n°20 "Hoffmeister" by the Quartetto Italiano.

[Lisztianwagner]

Richard Strauss
Intermezzo: Four Symphonic Interludes

Andris Nelsons & Boston Symphony Orchestra

Der Rosenkavalier - Suite

Andris Nelsons & Gewandhausorchester Leipzig

[Karl Henning]

Ahoy, Jeffrey! Your unwavering enthusiasm for this piece is (only a mild) puzzle to me. I'll listen again:
Vladimir Ashkenazy leading the Royal Philharmonic.

A. I don't feel as if Ashkenazy does aught especially different to other recordings of the Shostakovich Twelfth Symphony, yet B. I find myself thinking significantly better of the Symphony now.

[foxandpeng]

Lásló Lajtha
Symphony 1
Nicolás Pasquet
Pecs Symphony Orchestra
Naxos

Always delivers. Excellent symphony cycle in my view.

[JBS]

Staying modern but moving north

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 3 in D Minor, 1889 Version (aka 1888/89) Ed. Leopold Nowak
Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg, Ivor Bolton

[Symphonic Addict]

Lloyd: Cello Concerto

It's much better than I remembered. I like its blend of eloquence, quirkiness when needed and uninhibited neo-romanticism. A great piece.

[Symphonic Addict]

Barber: Violin Concerto

The word extraordinary falls short to describe this wonder. If there's a flawless performance of anything, it has to be this.

[André]

Comments in the Opera thread.

[T. D.]

Staying modern but moving north

A few weeks ago I was planning to attend a Steve Beck recital but had to bag it because of a freak snowstorm. 

Listening:

[JBS]

Tonight's listening


I've found this Next Generation Mozart Soloists series to be a nicely done project. It's up to eleven installments now; I presume they intend to do all the concertante works. (They've already covered the two Sinfonia Concertantes and the independent movements for violin and orchestra.)

[Symphonic Addict]

Françaix: Quadruple Concerto, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and orchestra

Such a delicious concerto, where the well-humoured nature of the composer is in full display.




Hanson: Piano Concerto

I need to remind myself to give this composer more attention. Another neo-romantic piece that flows with charm and warmth.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Vaughan Williams Dona nobis pacem

[Symphonic Addict]

Boïeldieu: Harp Concerto (Marisa Robles, Iona Brown, Academy of St Martin in the Fields)

This was simply wonderful. Interesting that after the lively first movement in C major, the next two are in C minor, something little conventional and I think it worked quite well. The main melody of the 3rd movement has a similarity with that of the 3rd movement of Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto.




Zimmermann: Trumpet Concerto 'Nodoby knows the trouble I see'

A one-movement concerto in arc form that goes from a somber introduction, passes through an irresistible and long jazz section and ends in the mood it began. Very cool to say the least.

[T. D.]

Zimmermann: Trumpet Concerto 'Nodoby knows the trouble I see'

A one-movement concerto in arc form that goes from a somber introduction, passes through an irresistible and long jazz section and ends in the mood it began. Very cool to say the least.

I'm very fond of the Cello Concerto. I have only the recording with Siegfried Palm (soloist), Hans Zender (cond).
I was once a major fan of B. A. Zimmermann, though over time I've gotten less enthusiastic about the Darmstadt serialist idiom (which he often employs) and now listen less often.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Last work for the night and this could be a first-listen --- Karlowicz Violin Concerto in A major, Op. 8

[Traverso]

Bach


Vol.2 CD5

[Florestan]

[Iota]

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 12 In D Minor, "The Year 1917"
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ashkenazy

Mention of this symphony and of Ashkenazy's conducting generally prompted a visit to this fine recording Although Ashkenazy is not the crazed pistolero in heightened moments that some tend to, he lacks nothing in dramatic power or intensity. What a knockout coda DSCH comes up with.

[Madiel]

Medtner: Three Improvisations, op.2



These "improvisations" are pretty big pieces, arguably they are skazki before Medtner was using that term. The first one is Medtner's take on the rusalka/water nymph.