What are you listening 2 now?

[Linz]

William Walton Symphony No.1 in B flat minor, Philharmonia Orchestra; Louis Frémaux
Violin Concerto in B minor, Salvatore Accardo violin, London Symphony Orchestra, Richard Hickox

[VonStupp]

Benjamin Britten
Simple Symphony, op. 4
String Quartet in F
String Quartet in D
Three Divertimenti
Phantasy in F minor
Miniature Suite
Quartettino
Rhapsody
Emperor Quartet

I wasn't really interested in hearing Britten's main quartets from the Emperor Quartet yet. Instead, a host of early works piqued my interest, spread across two volumes.
VS

[Symphonic Addict]

Three stark, threatening symphonies, evoking sinister and gelid atmospheres. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Powerful stuff.

[Symphonic Addict]

Respighi: Piano Sonata in F minor, P. 16 and Piano Sonata in A minor, P. 4b

Despite being written in an overtly romantic fashion that is not distinctive of his style, these are very charming and eloquent pieces.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Revisiting the Carter Cello Sonata

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Revisiting Feldman's Neither:



This performance is most definitely more to my taste than the earlier recording on the Hat Hut label. The soprano here (Petra Hoffmann) has a more pleasing timbre. The orchestral accompaniment is also excellent.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

Benjamin Britten
Simple Symphony, op. 4
String Quartet in F
String Quartet in D
Three Divertimenti
Phantasy in F minor
Miniature Suite
Quartettino
Rhapsody
Emperor Quartet

I wasn't really interested in hearing Britten's main quartets from the Emperor Quartet. Instead, a host of early works piqued my interest, spread across two volumes.
VS

This entire Britten series with the Emperor Quartet is excellent.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Lubomír Brabec, guitar.

[Symphonic Addict]

Martinu: Half-Time and La bagarre

I don't remember having listened to these two works before, and wow, is this music exciting and fun as hell! The more I plunge myself into his vast music catalogue, the more impressed I get.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP: Schubert Four Impromptus, D. 899

From this set -



If the only music I had was this Schubert Uchida box set in my collection, I'd die a happy man.

[AnotherSpin]

Messiaen: Oiseaux exotiques, La Bouscarle, Réveil des oiseaux
Yvonne Loriod, Václav Neumann, Czech Philharmonic

Most likely, that was the first Messiaen LP I ever bought, early '80s, I'd say. What I still remember is the sheer freshness of it, the strangeness, the sense of wonder. It sounded like absolutely nothing else, and I loved it from the very first listen.

All the more striking, really, when you consider the kind of music we were being force-fed back then - Soviet officialdom at full blast. Listing the composers would be a bit of a waste of time, especially here, where their names still get dutifully dusted off and paraded around by the stalwarts of Party-approved art. Loyal to the last note, bless them.

I came across some images of the original LP on Discogs. I probably haven't held it in my hands for a good few decades.

[Der lächelnde Schatten]

NP: Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67

[AnotherSpin]

[Roasted Swan]

Martinu: Half-Time and La bagarre

I don't remember having listened to these two works before, and wow, is this music exciting and fun as hell! The more I plunge myself into his vast music catalogue, the more impressed I get.

I have to say I am not as great a Martinu fan as many on this forum. However this is a great disc - I love all the comically po-faced "jazz" works.  Real wit I think.

[Spotted Horses]

Having reached Melartin Symphony No 5 in the Grin cycle, I have my first opportunity to experience different performances. I listened to the recording of the fifth symphony made by Rasilainen on cpo



I come to this recording with generally high expectations because Rasilainen is generally my favorite from cpo's stable of obscure music conductors. Listening to the first three movements I had the impression that Grin was a bit more to my liking, possibly due to recorded audio that was a bit more enveloping, compared with the more brightly lit detailed cpo audio. But Rasilainen really won me over in the finale, which has a persistently contrapuntal/fugal texture. The clarity of the low brass writing in the cpo recording was impressive. In the end, I am happy with both Rasilainen and Grin's performances.

[Que]

A new album by Les Alizés. I quite like their Ciconia album.



PS This reminds me that Le Mirror de Musique with Baptiste Romain also just recorded an album with songs by Gilles Binchois, which I have to give listen.

[Harry]

Antonio Vivaldi.
Complete Cello Concertos
2 CD'S.
Ophelie Gaillard, Cello.
Pulcinella Orchestra.
Recorded in 2005, a 'l Ircam, Paris.

To ignore yet another complete recording of Vivaldi's cello concertos would in this case be unwise. This is a remastered recording, and it has now a HiRes level. It sounds clean and pure. Gaillard's instrument a Cello by Francesco Goffriller. Udine 1737, sounds like a dream, full bodied and sonorous, and her bowing is excellently balanced. It is played without all kinds of embellishments added by some performers, Tempi are a tad slower as I would like, but her agility is beyond doubt. For me it's lively enough, and the poise is absolute exemplary. It restores my sanity, much needed in the present turmoil on our planet. So she is not pulling her strings like Harnoy, but therefore you get equilibrium a plenty. The Pulcinella orchestra follows her closely. SOTA sound.

[pjme]

Jaro se otvirà (Spring has broken -1975), for male chorus and violin by Zdnek Lukas.

A cycle of five songs  written by Zdeněk Lukáš (1928-2007) to Czech folk poetry.

"Jaro se otvírá" ("Spring is coming")
"Když kvete bez, at' i víno kvete" ("When the lilac blooms, so do the grapes" )
"Proto jsem si housle koupil" ("That's why I bought a violin" )
"Rosičko je pěkna bílá" ("The little dew is pretty and white")
"Májko, májko zelená" ("Maypole, green maypole")

[Harry]

Zu Gast im Blauen Haus. Built in the 1760s, the so-called "Blue House" is one of the most beautiful late Baroque palaces in Basel.
See for info back cover.
Der Musikalische Garten,
Recorded: 2015, Church of the Holy Pantaleon, SO, Schweiz.

The album Zum Gast im blauen Haus presents a richly varied and elegantly curated program that highlights the charm and expressive depth of late Baroque and early Classical chamber music. Featuring works by Stamitz, Johann Christian Bach, Sammartini, Fils, Conti, and Pugnani, the recording offers a delightful and insightful exploration of the trio sonata form in its stylistic evolution.
Der Musikalische Garten—a period ensemble with an increasingly distinguished discography—delivers these pieces with a refined sensibility and compelling vitality. The program includes Stamitz's Trio in A major and Trio Sonata in G major, Johann Christian Bach's radiant Sonata Notturna a Tre in D major, and two trios by Sammartini in D and A major, which reveal the Italianate lyricism and fluidity that influenced early Classical idioms. Works by lesser-known but no less engaging composers such as Anton Fils (Trio in D major), Francesco Conti (Trio in G minor), and Gaetano Pugnani (Trio Sonata in E-flat major) add depth and color to the recording. The performances are historically informed yet emotionally immediate. Played on period instruments, the sound is warm, articulate, and ideally suited to the repertoire. Tempi are sensitively chosen and executed with a natural sense of phrasing and movement. The ensemble's interplay is notably tight and intuitive, allowing for both structural clarity and expressive nuance. The acoustics and engineering—courtesy of Raumklang's state-of-the-art production—capture every subtle gesture with stunning presence. This is a recording where technical finesse meets inspired artistry. The musicians' command of style, texture, and expression is consistently impressive, making Zum Gast im blauen Haus both intellectually satisfying and deeply enjoyable. It is, without reservation, a standout release that deserves serious attention from aficionados of historical performance and chamber music alike.
Highly recommended.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Tournier: Works for solo Harp.  Chantal Mathieu.