What are you listening 2 now?

[Brian]

It's not especially important, but still, someone might find it interesting. The music of Joaquín Rodrigo was practically off-limits in the USSR. It wasn't performed, wasn't played on the radio or television, and I don't recall ever seeing a single LP. The reasons aren't entirely clear. Perhaps it was because his music was so closely associated with the years of Franco, against whom the USSR was more or less officially at war in the 1930s. Or perhaps it was simply that Rodrigo's music was too beautiful—so beautiful that anything officially sanctioned by the Communist Party would have looked painfully coarse and ugly beside it. Rather like a Soviet suit next to something quietly impeccable from Savile Row.

This is quite interesting. Especially as they freely allowed American jazz influence. Maybe Rodrigo's folksiness was considered "minor". Strange!

[Florestan]

This is quite interesting. Especially as they freely allowed American jazz influence. Maybe Rodrigo's folksiness was considered "minor". Strange!

Rodrigo didn't leave Spain after the Civil War. 'Nuff said.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Dello Joio: Air Power Suite. Ormandy/Philadelphia.

[AnotherSpin]

This is quite interesting. Especially as they freely allowed American jazz influence. Maybe Rodrigo's folksiness was considered "minor". Strange!

I can only add that probably 95% of the composers discussed here on the forum were virtually unknown in the USSR. The remaining 5%, however, were known to the point of exhaustion.

[Harry]

Ferenc Farkas — Chamber Music, Volume I.
Alla danza ungharese No. 2 (1934); All'antica (1962); Ballade (1963); Folksong Sonatina (1955); Sonata for Cello Solo (1932); Ariosa (1926); Quattro pezzi (1965); Gyümölcskosár ("Fruit Basket", 1946).
Performers: Miklós Perényi (cello), Dénes Várjon (piano), and others
Recorded: 2015, Hungarian Radio, Budapest.
See back cover for details.

From the very first bars, I knew I was in familiar and welcome territory — for I have long admired the music of Ferenc Farkas, and this release only deepens that appreciation. Back when Toccata Classics first began issuing his works, there was still far too little of Farkas's music available. But thanks to their persistent efforts — which deserve high praise — his vibrant, soulful voice is steadily making its way into the wider repertoire. What makes Farkas so compelling is his ability to speak from the heart with clarity and charm. Across this collection of chamber works, mostly focused on the cello, one hears a composer equally fluent in melancholy lyricism, rustic humour, and dance-like elegance. Whether drawing from Hungarian folk idioms or crafting neo-baroque miniatures, there's always a sense of lightness balanced with emotional weight.
Many of these works — like the Sonata for Solo Cello (1932) or the Folksong Sonatina (1955) — highlight Farkas's gift for clarity of line and thematic simplicity, while others such as Ariosa or the delightful "Fruit Basket" suite reveal his playful side. There's a strong narrative quality to the music, full of colour and character, yet always balanced and refined.
And who better to bring this music to life than Miklós Perényi, a cellist of exceptional grace and insight. His tone is fluid, his phrasing natural, and his expressiveness unfailingly sincere. He doesn't just play the notes — he caresses them, gently coaxing out every nuance. Dénes Várjon, a pianist of great distinction, proves to be the perfect partner — together, they spin these works into golden threads of chamber intimacy. The ensemble as a whole performs with a unity of purpose and infectious enthusiasm.
From a sonic perspective, I must mention that I am still in the early stages of breaking in a new front-end system — and while much is yet to bloom, the intimacy and balance of this recording already shine through. In modestly scored music like this, the components are beginning to reveal their promise: the cello sits naturally in the space, there is texture in the strings, and even in this early phase, the performance draws me in as if surrounded by a hush — a silent room where only the music speaks.
This disc, to me, is like a warm blanket on a winter's day — a quiet comfort, full of poetic warmth and understated mastery. For lovers of 20th-century chamber music with folk roots and classical refinement, this is a must-hear. I look forward to Volume II.

[AnotherSpin]

Jan Garbarek
Charlie Haden
Keith Jarrett

Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mladen Gutesha

This was the very first Keith Jarrett album I ever heard, back in the mid-'70s, and the very first one I bought. Still holds up beautifully.

[Irons]

I'm sorry it would have been to long to list all the compositions of the entire set, but it includes various British composers with works inspired by various parts of Britain, from London to Scotland (for example, Elgar's Cockaigne Overture, Holst's Egdon Heath, Bax's Tintagel, RVW's Epilogue from Symphony No. 2, Butterworth 's A Shropshire Lad, etc.). Here' s the actual list:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7998605--the-british-composers-guide-to-britain?srsltid=AfmBOoocgIz7VdN1KVZVFshu-HmFffrGePLxzPzykfK2frbl1hddx0vH

Thanks. The one that had me completely stumped being Richmond. Further complicated by two, one a town I know well and not too far from where I live, and another of the same name in Yorkshire.

[Harry]

The Undiscovered Viola d'amore
Chatham Baroque
(See back cover for full details on composers, works, recording, and performers)

A difficult CD to track down in physical form — but thankfully available on streaming platforms. And how fortunate that is, because this recording is an absolute gem. I've always stood in quiet awe of the viola d'amore, with its radiant tone and resonant warmth. It's an instrument that seems to sing with a voice all its own, producing overtones that gently wrap around the listener. Few instruments move me so easily — and here, that emotional pull is fully present.
Paul Miller, the featured soloist, shows exactly what this instrument can do in the right hands. The 26 Galanteries by Franz Götz (1755–1815) and Josef Fuchs, (dates unknown) demand technical control and focused expression — solo works that test a player's stamina and sense of line. These are not easy pieces to keep afloat, and any slip in bow control can cause them to unravel. But Miller's performance is rock solid and graceful, his bowing sure, with every phrase elegantly shaped. There's a steadiness here that lets the music truly speak.
The program also includes a wonderfully expressive Trio Sonata by Johann David Heinichen, alongside several anonymous works that bring out the full range of the viola d'amore's colors. Each piece contributes to a vivid portrait of the instrument's 18th-century landscape, with textures that are both intimate and emotionally charged.
Chatham Baroque is consistently refined and a attentive, and support with a sensitive continuo support,  that blends beautifully with the solo lines. The recording is strikingly well-balanced, capturing every nuance with just the right acoustic bloom. The subtle reverberation places the listener in a warm, inviting space — you're drawn in rather than kept at arm's length. A true sound bubble, intimate and enveloping. Sonically, this recording verges on state-of-the-art, with a naturalness that flatters the tone of the Viola d'amore while giving space to every small articulation. For lovers of rare string instruments and the quiet elegance of Baroque chamber music, this is a deeply satisfying listen — and for those curious, an ideal introduction to the instrument's beauty.

[Linz]

Richard Strauss Don Juan op. 20
Tili Eulenspiegels Merry Pranks op. 28  Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsteram, Eugen Jochum
Waltz Sequence From Act III of Der Rosenkavalier op. 59
Walz from Schlagobers op. 27
Beriner Phiharmoniker, Eugen Jochum

[Wanderer]

[SonicMan46]

Reicha, Anton (1770-1836) - Chamber Works on the recordings below - own nearly two dozen discs of this Czech 'windy' composer but 12 are in the Westwood box of his 24 Wind Quintets - coming up soon (and likely into the next few days -  )  Dave

   

[Brian]

First listens to these three pieces. No. 1 is very much like Dvorak and Suk, with simpler melodies than the great Dvorak, but certainly the same folksy charm. There's no real slow movement.

No. 2 starts with a melody that, after just a few seconds, I identified as a probable fugue. Sure enough, the first of two movements is an 11-minute slow fugue, marked "largo misterioso"; it's not really mysterious, but more like a romantic rendering of the kind of reverent melodies one finds in Bach. (Novak said it describes "blissful peace in the embrace of Nature.") The even longer second movement has a free-form format; it represents city life and begins with heroic, "struggle" music, then has a scherzo with an obsessive one-two rhythm. The fugal music returns and the music winds down toward calm and bliss again. The peaceful ending does involve some high notes where the Stamic violinist is not totally firm on intonation. A totally original structure to match an interesting programmatic idea. Perhaps it could have been a little bit shorter, but it is overall more satisfying and surprising than No. 1.

No. 3 was sketched in the 1920s but then finally written in 1938. The booklet note writer detects anxious anticipation of the Nazi invasion. But the first movement is generally quite outgoing and energetic. There are moments that remind me of Eastern European folk music, but not many. This first movement "falls apart" in a very interesting way at the end - the coda might be my favorite music on the disc.

Then comes the angst, in the form of a 15-minute final movement "lento doloroso." There's a little bit of dissonance - adjacent notes, like rubbing something the wrong way and feeling the friction. Midway through, the cello begins a passacaglia on which the other three instruments build increasingly passionate, distressed, urgent variations, leading to a claustrophobic climax. The ending turns at the very last moment to major key. All in all, this is a little bit like a reverse structure of Beethoven Op. 111: ebullient opening, slow tragedy.

Interesting quartets. I think No. 2 would be my favorite but I think the latter two especially will benefit from additional listens.

[Mandryka]

Listening to Suzuki play BWV 664 - I must say, I can see why some of the people in Bach's congregation were nonplussed by the music, it's so complicated. I don't think it really resembles anything before.  And the one after, BWV 665 is astonishing too. Bach takes no prisoners.

[Mandryka]

Rodrigo didn't leave Spain after the Civil War. 'Nuff said.

Is that really a photo of you? It's a good look.

[Brian]

I don't think I'd the music from Fate before, except maybe a 4-5 minute excerpt. Wowza! Janacek's brain just kept spilling out more and more great stuff! It's like he had an "ideas" switch permanently flipped to "on"!

[Wanderer]

[Florestan]

Is that really a photo of you? It's a good look.

Very Kaiserlich-und-Koeniglich, ain't it?

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 6 in A Major, 1881 Version. Ed. Robert Haas
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Georg Tintner

[Wanderer]

[ritter]

First listen to Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's early music for piano. Very impressed. I understand why Alfredo Casella spoke so highly, in his memoirs I segreti della giara, of Il raggio verde, op. 9.

CD 2 of this set:


Very much looking forward to listening to the songs on CD1 (also from his early years in Italy).