What are you listening 2 now?

[ritter]

Staying (musically speaking) in America this evening. Moving from Ives to Elliott Carter, with his ballet The Minotaur (conducted by Gerard Schwarz), the Piano Sonata (Paul Jacobs), and two of the Three Poems by Robert Frost (Jan DeGaetani and Gilbert Kalisch).

[Linz]

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, 1890 Version. Ed. Leopold Nowak
Münchner Philharmoniker, Sergiù Celibidache

[Todd]

1.

[Karl Henning]

Enjoying this. h/t to @Roasted Swan

[Karl Henning]

Enjoying this. h/t to @Roasted Swan

I had, erm, forgotten Debussy's Ariettes oubliées. Nor ever knew of the Images oubliées.

[Symphonic Addict]

Nystroem: Sinfonia Tramontana (Symphony No. 6)
Stanford: Symphony No. 6 in E-flat major

[Traverso]

This reminds me of what the great Russian mathematician Sofya Kovalevskaya once said about mathematics (quoted from memory, having read it many moons ago in E.T. Bell's Men of Mathematics): "It's so refreshing to immerse oneself in a world from which the I is completely absent".

In other words, the individual is only on the surface; perhaps looming in the distance is the unfathomable realization of being part of something greater

[JBS]

I had, erm, forgotten Debussy's Ariettes oubliées. Nor ever knew of the Images oubliées.

They aren't called oublieés for nothing.

I admit that, while I assume I've heard them at some point, since I have two Complete Debussy sets, I myself remember nothing of them.

TD
CD 3 of this

Music for four hands, one piano.
Oublieé might apply to the MacDowell and Beach. At the very least I've never heard of these works (except the Barber of course).

Edward McDowell
Three Poems Op 20
Moon Pictures Op 21
Hamlet and Ophelia Op 22
Amy Beach
Three Movements
Summer Dreams Op 47
Samuel Barber
Souvenirs Op 28

The hands in this recording belong to Emma Abbate and Julian Perkins

[Symphonic Addict]

Nystroem: Sinfonia Tramontana (Symphony No. 6)
Stanford: Symphony No. 6 in E-flat major

As far as Swedish composers go, Nystroem is one of the most undervalued I reckon. His 6th Symphony is a powerful, very serious work that somehow brings Holmboe to my mind, albeit its structure and writing doesn't sound as rigid as the Dane did in his works.

Stanford 6th is definitely an important work in the British literature. It feels more exuberant and less Brahmsian than others of his.

Now:

Schulhoff: Symphony No. 6 'Symphony of Freedom'
Koppel: Symphony No. 6 'Sinfonia breve'

In spite of its overtly socialist-realist character, the Schulhoff is quite entertaining and celebratory in mood.

The Koppel follows the tradition of Nielsen, loaded with propulsive energy and mischievous gestures which I find very effective.

[Mister Sharpe]

A Fairy-Tale before bedtime. One of my favorite album covers (on LP).  And no, I haven't heard Bělohlávek's redo of this work on Chandos yet.

[Linz]

Claude Debussy Nocturnes
Images for Orchestra
Jeux (Poème dansé)
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Charles Dutoit

[JBS]

A Fairy-Tale before bedtime. One of my favorite album covers (on LP).  And no, I haven't heard Bělohlávek's redo of this work on Chandos yet.

That is an excellent cover.

TD

[hopefullytrusting]

Winding down with Scriabin's Piano Sonata No. 2 played by Jingshi Zhao: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM4zVEeOSGM

This feels so unlike what you imagine Scriabin to be - Scriabin the mystic, Scriabin the provocateur - Scriabin the devil, and then there is this - so gentle, soft, tender - you can feel the fingers lift off the keys, as if caressing, as it stretches out the sound until all that is heard is grace. This feels like Chopin and Debussy mixed together but without the angularity of "imperfection." Each of the notes here is right, each of the sounds is right, and nothing goes astray - even the dynamics, a place where Scriabin normally experiments - is just right. This is the kind of sonata that is a soft pillow - you just settle in, and the music just plays as you fade to black. It is a comforting blanket, and it is the perfect length for this kind of piece because you want to be lulled to sleep, peacefully.

The playing is superb, as is the sound of the piano and the room. That is all excellent, but, in truth, that is sort of what is expected as it is 2025 - phones can record in 4K.

My one complaint, and it is the complaint I level at nearly all tonal music, is the ending on the tonic - it is played out, at least for me.

All in all, this is an exceptional recording of the sonata, and I would highly recommend it.

[steve ridgway]

Stockhausen - Mikrophonie I

The dark side of the gong .

[Symphonic Addict]

The last two sixths today: Hartmann and Hanson

These sixths take the prize effortlessly. I do remember being impacted by the Hartmann previously, but not as much as it occurred today. You know, when a piece of music manages to elicit frequent smiles on me is because it contains brilliant ideas (it did quite often), but to claim that this symphony has them I wouldn't being fair only by saying that. THIS IS EXTRAORDINARILY IMPRESSIVE!!! I mean, wow! From the very opening one is taken to another realm, one that is baleful, haunting, powerfully atmospheric; the harmonies and the use of the orchestra are nothing short of spectacular and effective throughout that first movement. And then the second movement... how intensely stirring! This is not an ordinary toccata, this IS THE toccata, one tautly constructed, contrapuntal and pulverizing to the hilt. The percussion, especially the timpani, steal the show; the latter provide muscle and tension in a way that I simply love. Coruscating in a very high degree. This performance of Kubelik conducting the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks is an unquestioned winner in all respects.

The Hanson shares some features with the Hartmann. It's certainly one of his most modernistic symphonies, a piece that also reveals humanity and vulnerability in the slow movements/sections (the symphony comprises five movements in total). The way it blends the exciting, gritty, with the soulful, is marvelous. I think it could be his symphonic masterpiece, one that shows his distinctive style and integrates many compelling elements.

[steve ridgway]

Szymanowski - Violin Concerto No. 2

[steve ridgway]

Xenakis - Embellie for solo viola.

I can imagine it being very hard to stick to the score at those points where it seems a tune might break out .

[steve ridgway]

Scelsi - Pranam II

[steve ridgway]

Birtwistle - Ritual Fragment

[steve ridgway]

Eimert - Klangstudie II

1950s electronic music .