What are you listening 2 now?

[VonStupp]

Camille Saint-Saëns
Le Déluge, op. 45
Orient and Occident, op. 25
Samson and Delilah, op. 47: Bacchanale

Isabelle Müller-Cant, soprano
Carolin Strecker, alto
Daniel Schreiber, tenor
Philip Niederberger, bass

Figuralchor Stuttgart
Württemberg PO Reutlingen - Alexander Burda

This 'Noah and the Flood' oratorio isn't a new choral masterpiece to set aside the Requiem or Christmas Oratorio from Saint-Saëns, but it is an easy listen. It is most interesting to hear how the composer expands the orchestra from a rather Baroque-sounding string ensemble, albeit with heavily divided strings, to full symphony orchestra as the music progresses.

Of course, The Flood is the musical high point of this piece, although I also rather enjoyed the third part, which is nearly set as an orchestrated song for solo soprano until the very end.

I didn't realize Leon Botstein also made a live recording of this work. I might have opted for it first, despite his recent ties to Epstein. The German orchestra and choir here are decidedly regional sounding, but the tenor and soprano, in particular, rise like cream to the top.
VS

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Lajtha
Symphonie "Les Soli" for String Orchestra, Harp and Percussion, Op. 33
Budapest Chamber Symphony
Simone Fontanelli



A truly remarkable work.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Melartin
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 30
Tampere Philharmonic
Leonid Grin

From this 3-CD set -

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Honegger
La danse des morts, H. 131
Christoph Bantzer, Katherina Müller, Kaja Plessing, Michael Connaire, Stefan Adam
Hamburger Kantorei St. Nikolai, Hamburger Camerata
Matthias Hoffmann-Borggrefe

[JBS]

Camille Saint-Saëns
Le Déluge, op. 45
Orient and Occident, op. 25
Samson and Delilah, op. 47: Bacchanale

Isabelle Müller-Cant, soprano
Carolin Strecker, alto
Daniel Schreiber, tenor
Philip Niederberger, bass

Figuralchor Stuttgart
Württemberg PO Reutlingen - Alexander Burda

This 'Noah and the Flood' oratorio isn't a new choral masterpiece to set aside the Requiem or Christmas Oratorio from Saint-Saëns, but it is an easy listen. It is most interesting to hear how the composer expands the orchestra from a rather Baroque-sounding string ensemble, albeit with heavily divided strings, to full symphony orchestra as the music progresses.

Of course, The Flood is the musical high point of this piece, although I also rather enjoyed the third part, which is nearly set as an orchestrated song for solo soprano until the very end.

I didn't realize Leon Botstein also made a live recording of this work. I might have opted for it first, despite his recent ties to Epstein. The German orchestra and choir here are decidedly regional sounding, but the tenor and soprano, in particular, rise like cream to the top.
VS

So Ms. Müller-Cant can, in fact.

TD
I can't make up my mind whether I like Bruckner or not. The obvious step is to listen to him again, starting here

CD 1 of this

[Mirror Image]

So Ms. Müller-Cant can, in fact.

There's nothing that Isabelle Müller-Cant can't do.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Milhaud
Symphony No. 11, Op. 384 "Romantique"
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Basel
Alun Francis

From this set -



Milhaud's symphonies are fun and have a way of getting under your skin. Most of them contain bi-tonality, which is compositional approach for playing different keys simultaneously. I can think of no other composer before who mastered this musical approach like Milhaud has. Of course, Stravinsky, Debussy et. al. used bi-tonality in their works, but none of them have used it quite like Milhaud.

The CPO set with Alun Francis is the only way to get all of Milhaud's symphonies. Some of these symphonies have been recorded before, but Francis is the only one to have recorded all of them. I kind of wish that Francis recorded the Petites Symphonies (Little Symphonies) for chamber orchestra, but Milhaud himself recorded these works (originally on Vox) and there were several other recordings of them most notably Karl Anton Rickenbacher coupled with the very cool Trois Opéras-Minutes.

[Mirror Image]

NP:

Tansman
Elégie à la mémoire de Darius Milhaud
Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt
Howard Griffiths

[AnotherSpin]

[Philo]

Moszkowski's Boabdil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR52-sabr0Q
Michaels's Musica Larga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVIPtA4YzVE
Segovia's For Carl Sandburg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzwnGoNHgJM
Arlen's Arbeit macht frei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83QSTp8PmyU
Hersch's Symphony No. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXkWDZ-eiDk
Singer's Nine Parables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IAMtMNhJCs
Leman's Sonata for Violin Solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Faen5CPNdcY

[Mirror Image]

Last works for the night:

Martinů
String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2
Zemlinsky Quartet, Kocian Quartet

From these recordings -

[Que]

New issue by Jesse Rodin and his Cut Circle.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/reviews/josquin-missa-l-ami-baudichon

[Philo]

Moszkowski's Boabdil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR52-sabr0Q
Michaels's Musica Larga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVIPtA4YzVE
Segovia's For Carl Sandburg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzwnGoNHgJM
Arlen's Arbeit macht frei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83QSTp8PmyU
Hersch's Symphony No. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXkWDZ-eiDk
Singer's Nine Parables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IAMtMNhJCs
Leman's Sonata for Violin Solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Faen5CPNdcY

All of these pieces were extraordinary, but, for me, the standout was Arlen's Arbeit macht freit followed by Hersch's Symphony No. 1 - both of these works were quite haunting, and they both used repetition in an interesting manner.

Right now, a Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco smorgasbord:
Suite for Guitar Solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsZwDIjcOHs
Capriccio Diabolico for Guitar Solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KezvJVUhgeM
Guitar Concerto No. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJt12W7_gdY
Guitar Concerto No. 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOoTVNILY1M

[Que]

I believe I bookmarked this recording after it was posted by Harry. 

https://www-opusklassiek-nl.translate.goog/cd-recensies/cd-aw/philidor03.htm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=nl&_x_tr_pto=wapp

(Google translation from Dutch)

[Kalevala]

NP:

Janáček
Schluck und Jau
Czech Philharmonic
Mackerras

From this 2-CD set -

I have that set (and other recordings/dvds of Janacek by him...he was a wonderful conductor and such a great proponent of Janacek's music--particularly in the UK)....including his work promoting Czech and Slovak composers.  If you don't already know it, you should read about him [The Dvorak Society for Czech and Slovak composers.  At one point in time, he was the president of it.].    Sorry, but I can't do at least one of the accents without changing languages on my keyboard...urgh!

K

[Harry]

I believe I bookmarked this recording after it was posted by Harry. 

https://www-opusklassiek-nl.translate.goog/cd-recensies/cd-aw/philidor03.htm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=nl&_x_tr_pto=wapp

(Google translation from Dutch)

Correct, and a good one it is!

[Madiel]

Mozart: Cassation in B flat, K.100 (62a) - with the opening March K.62.

Also known as "Serenade no.1" just to confuse things.



It's written at about the same time as the other 2 Cassations (that only ever get called that), but it's larger scale. Two extra movements for starters. What's better than two menuets? THREE menuets!

[Iota]

New issue by Jesse Rodin and his Cut Circle.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/reviews/josquin-missa-l-ami-baudichon

I've recently been enjoying their Josquin Motets et Chansons disc, and thanks to your post above have already dipped in to Missa L'ami Baudichon. Their style seems so distinct, everything seems about pattern, design and clarity, rather than about feeling, or evoking atmosphere. I don't get the same sense of drifting off into some elevated realm that I do in many renaissance recordings, but I must say find their concision and directness both striking and very appealing.

[PaulR]

Aho is such a remarkable composer. One day I'll get a bite on his huge oeuvre.

He is, I need to listen to the Double Bass Concerto because I want to like it more than I have the past as I went to school majoring with the Bass and there are far fewer Bass pieces out there.

Aho: Symphony #7 'Insect'



I enjoyed the 2nd Symphony on this disc a lot too.

[steve ridgway]

Murail - Time And Again

I haven't been listening to Classical for a few months but just got a new music system so I can listen on speakers while doing exercises in the spare bedroom.