What are you listening 2 now?

[Brian]

That's also a very well designed program!

-
TD:

Gian Carlo Menotti's Piano Concerto, from the Cluytens big box set, with pianist Youri Boukoff. Unfortunately the piece's themes, superficially jazzy, now sound like Old Hollywood cheesy sentiment rather than serious concert music.

[Roasted Swan]

In the rerun. What a fantastic recording and performance this is. Alert and dynamic, detailed playing by a fantastic orchestra

Classic Chandos/Ulster disc.  A shame they don't record there any more.......

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Khachaturian Violin Concerto in D minor

[Harry]

In the rerun, for the uptenth time, cannot even remember how often I have listen to this fantastic performance. If you want us to stay friends, you must love like and adore this disc too        

[JBS]

For thirty years now, people have been swooning at the mere mention of Jordi Savall — breathless voices, eyes rolling heavenward, as if he's some kind of saint. And all this time, I've felt like a guest at someone else's party. He just doesn't move me. There's something about it all that feels a bit put-on, a bit overrated. But hey, that's just me — I get that others hear something I don't

Part of his reputation probably stems from the fact that most of his earlier recordings was music that wasn't performed much. Now that's he working in a more heavily populated field, he doesn't stand out so much.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Bax Spring Fire

[VonStupp]

FJ Haydn
Symphony 43 in E-flat Major 'Mercury'
Symphony 44 in E minor 'Trauer'
Symphony 45 in F-sharp minor 'Abshied'
Austro-Hungarian HO - Ádám Fischer

The meatiest volume so far, no doubt aided by the Stürm und Dräng symphonies.
VS

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

I think I am going to transition from his vocal and choral music to his instrumental works. I am also traversing Haydn's symphonies and some of Alfvén's music as well. With work and family going on at a fever pitch during May, time for listening is inconsistent, so it is slow going at the moment.
VS

FWIW, Britten's SQs (esp. the Nos. 1-3) are some of my favorite chamber works from any composer. His Cello Sonata and Cello Suites are also right up there. Exquisite stuff. Enjoy your continued traversal!

[Spotted Horses]

Weinberg's 6th string quartet didn't really resonate with me. Maybe Weinberg fatigue.

Turned to Bacewicz's final string quartet, which she did not publish or assign a number. I'm not sure why, a very attractive, witty work in Bacewicz's late "weird" style.

[Karl Henning]

Part of his reputation probably stems from the fact that most of his earlier recordings was music that wasn't performed much. Now that's he working in a more heavily populated field, he doesn't stand out so much.

Not an uncommon trajectory for Early Music artists. They reach what they feel is a Saturation Point with the old lit, and "creep modern."

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Sibelius The Oceanides, Op. 73

[ritter]

For thirty years now, people have been swooning at the mere mention of Jordi Savall — breathless voices, eyes rolling heavenward, as if he's some kind of saint. And all this time, I've felt like a guest at someone else's party. He just doesn't move me. There's something about it all that feels a bit put-on, a bit overrated. But hey, that's just me — I get that others hear something I don't

Part of his reputation probably stems from the fact that most of his earlier recordings was music that wasn't performed much. Now that's he working in a more heavily populated field, he doesn't stand out so much.

I've only seen Savall live once, conducting Monteverdi's L'Orfeo here in Madrid at the Teatro Real,in a staging by Gilbert Deflo, and it was a very enjoyable night at the opera (but that was a quarter of a century ago). I do enjoy some of his recordings (e,g., the Monteverdi Vespers), but do not share his approach to renaissance and early baroque secular Spanish music. There's invariably a lot of percussion and such "Spanish" touches. One would get the impression that the music heard at the Royal Spanish court was no different from what would be played in some gypsy camp in the outskirts of Seville. 

He's not an artist I have much interest in...

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Bloch Poems of the Sea

[Que]

[Karl Henning]

Now playing Sibelius The Oceanides, Op. 73

One of my fave Sibelius discs!

TD:

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Bloch Violin Concerto

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

One of my fave Sibelius discs!

That makes two us, my friend! Gorgeous performances.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Now playing Enescu Vox maris, Op. 31

[Lisztianwagner]

Jean-Philippe Rameau
Suite 'Castor et Pollux'

Henry Purcell
3 Fantasies

Frans Brüggen & Orchestra of the 18th Century

[VonStupp]

FWIW, Britten's SQs (esp. the Nos. 1-3) are some of my favorite chamber works from any composer. His Cello Sonata and Cello Suites are also right up there. Exquisite stuff. Enjoy your continued traversal!

I shall indeed. I've known Britten since I was a chorister, perhaps my first 'modern' composer. Yet, his music for instruments and instrumental ensembles have remained elusive for me.

VS

From this afternoon:



Hugo Alfvén
Bergakungen
Swedish RSO - Evgeny Svetlanov

A colorful, fantastical ballet score. It must be well liked, for I have seen it on GMG quite a bit.
VS