What are you listening 2 now?

[Toni Bernet]

Anton Bruckner (1824–1896): Sanctus and Benedictus from Mass No. 3 in F  (1867–68)

Bruckner once said that he had 'grown up with church music'. His main musical goal became increasingly focused on composing symphonies. To this end, he wanted to move to Vienna to professionally complete what he had begun with his earlier symphonies in the music city of Vienna. His Catholic religiosity had a formative influence on both his church music and his symphonies, which does not mean that Bruckner was uncritically pious. After all, Bruckner also read and reviewed David Friedrich Strauss' book 'The Life of Jesus, Critically Revised' (first published in 1835-36) 'calmly and objectively' (cf. Rüdiger Görner, Bruckner. Der Anarch in der Musik, p. 340). Bruckner experienced severe psychological crises, which even his faith could not easily alleviate.

In the spring of 1867, he received a commission from the Vienna Court Orchestra to write a new mass. In the summer of 1867, following a mental breakdown, he had to undergo hydrotherapy in Bad Kreuzen. After his recovery, he began work on the mass.

More and a listening companion cf.
https://www.discoveringsacredmusic.ch/19th-century/bruckner

[Linz]

Georg Philipp Telemann The Grand Concertos for Mixed Instruments, Vol. 5
La Stagione Frankfurt, Michael Schneider

[JBS]

The first CD of this


As CD 5 of this

[hopefullytrusting]

Moving on to another genre with Sullivan: the String Quartet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9KsUb8GzsE

As with the two prior works, it is clear he is a master, in fact, I don't think I've heard three compositions in a row, largely selected at random, that were woven so tight, and you could hear a clear, distinctive voice that linked all of them together. Out of the three, this is easily the most successful, and it is also the most exciting and vigorous. Yes, it drops into languidity, but that is the nature of pretty much all work in which the violin dominates (outside of the masters of the hall like Joachim, Paginini, Saint-Lubin, and so forth) - the violin, for me, is a tired instrument.

Sullivan is also a mastery of melody, but what I like about Sullivan's work is that they don't feel like they can be placed in time - they aren't classical, they aren't romantic, they aren't modern - they are somewhere in there, but not attached to any school, as far as I can tell. Like Elgar, for example, feels romantic, but Sullivan - dare I say it - feels "American", lol - I know, I know, but that flatness of tone seems almost unmistakable. I think he and Piston would have been buds (another master of orchestration).

The recording is excellent, so no complaints there, and the playing is also excellent, although, that seems the norm when it comes to most recordings. The cover is a banger, but that has nothing to do with Sullivan, I suspect.

I will also admit that is one of the first pieces that ends in the tonic that didn't bother me at all, in fact, I liked it.

High recommend.

[Que]

[Madiel]

Falla

Three dances from The Three-Cornered Hat
Suite from El amor brujo (let me just mix my languages here)



Side B of the original LP.

I definitely need to go listen to the full versions... I own a recording of The Three-Cornered Hat at least but don't know it that well.

[Que]

A newish recording (2023) by Belgian harpsichordist Julien Wolfs, which would easily escape attention since the tiny Belgian label FLORA is not on the radar of many reviewers.

I'm really impressed, which not easy in such an ultra competitive field. The well considered performance starts off very graceful, and steadily builds up in energy and expressiveness. The harpsichord "built after German models" sounds perfect for the job and is recorded in SOTA.

IMO a must-hear for Goldberg fans....

https://www.labelflora.be/p/johann-sebastian-bach-variations-goldberg-bwv-988-julien-wolfs-clavecin/

[Madiel]

Tubin: Symphony no.2 in B minor, Legendary



Currently I think it's just a little more focused than Symphony no.1, and all the better for it.

[Madiel]

More orchestral Tubin from a similar time period as the 2nd symphony (though that's not always certain).

Toccata (1937)
Sinfonietta on Estonian Motifs (BIS says 1940, one page of the Tubin society website says sometime in the 1930s instead, and stylistically it does sound early)



There are another 2 works from this period that I'll need to stream as they're on BIS albums I don't yet have, but that might be for another evening.

[Que]

.

I've decided to go through my organ recital discs. This one was a surprise. I didn't know I had it, probably some bargain I picked up some time... *

This was recorded in 1991 in the Chiesa di Sant'Antonio in Villa di Tirano, Lombardy. Played on a cute sounding organ built 1792-1794 by Giovan Battista Ettori (couldn't find a picture).

PS *I got this in 2014 and listened to it once...

[Madiel]

Beethoven: Violin sonata in A major, op.12/2



That opening must be one of the most fun things in Beethoven.

[Madiel]

Dvorak: Slavonic Rhapsody no.3 in A flat



I'm certainly happy with my (very cheap) purchase of this disc.

[prémont]

A newish recording (2023) by Belgian harpsichordist Julien Wolfs, which would easily escape attention since the tiny Belgian label FLORA is not on the radar of many reviewers.

I'm really impressed, which not easy in such an ultra competitive field. The well considered performance starts off very graceful, and steadily builds up in energy and expressiveness. The harpsichord "built after German models" sounds perfect for the job and is recorded in SOTA.

IMO a must-hear for Goldberg fans....

https://www.labelflora.be/p/johann-sebastian-bach-variations-goldberg-bwv-988-julien-wolfs-clavecin/

Thanks for mentioning this  , it had escaped my attention. Julian Wolfs also made a Froberger recording which I shall purchase in the same breath.

[Mandryka]

A newish recording (2023) by Belgian harpsichordist Julien Wolfs, which would easily escape attention since the tiny Belgian label FLORA is not on the radar of many reviewers.

I'm really impressed, which not easy in such an ultra competitive field. The well considered performance starts off very graceful, and steadily builds up in energy and expressiveness. The harpsichord "built after German models" sounds perfect for the job and is recorded in SOTA.

IMO a must-hear for Goldberg fans....

https://www.labelflora.be/p/johann-sebastian-bach-variations-goldberg-bwv-988-julien-wolfs-clavecin/

When I read that I thought it would be hard to find, but no

https://open.spotify.com/album/6c6LIjae0ghRuJoHW8FnEZ

[Mandryka]

Thanks for mentioning this  , it had escaped my attention. Julian Wolfs also made a Froberger recording which I shall purchase in the same breath.

https://open.spotify.com/album/05kKaGpx8UlPyxHZx8h56H

[Todd]

D894.

[AnotherSpin]

A newish recording (2023) by Belgian harpsichordist Julien Wolfs, which would easily escape attention since the tiny Belgian label FLORA is not on the radar of many reviewers.

I'm really impressed, which not easy in such an ultra competitive field. The well considered performance starts off very graceful, and steadily builds up in energy and expressiveness. The harpsichord "built after German models" sounds perfect for the job and is recorded in SOTA.

IMO a must-hear for Goldberg fans....

https://www.labelflora.be/p/johann-sebastian-bach-variations-goldberg-bwv-988-julien-wolfs-clavecin/

Listening already in Qobuz.

[vandermolen]

Tubin: Symphony no.2 in B minor, Legendary



Currently I think it's just a little more focused than Symphony no.1, and all the better for it.

Yes, a great work! Very exciting. First CD I ever owned. I bought it before I owned a CD player!

[vandermolen]

Grechaninov: Symphony No.3 (Chandos CD)
The cantata is rather moving as well - a nice discovery.

[Harry]

Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959)
Complete Works For Cello And Piano.
Vilém Vlček Cello. Lorenzo Ventapane in Naples between 1830 and 1850.
Denis Linnik Piano.
Recorded at the Grosser Saal, Musik-Akademie, Basel, 2024 and 2025.

The readings are technically flawless, highly committed and emphatically beautiful in sound. This is well done, indeed very well done, and it puts the works in the best possible light - also thanks to the flawless sound quality of the album. Musically and technically, there is absolutely nothing to be said against this Martinů. So if you are considering this music, I would heartily recommend it. Two CD's full of musical bliss.