What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Coopmv]

Now playing Handel Trio Sonatas, another CD received from MDT last week.

[Benji]

Vaughan Williams - Oboe Concerto and Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus (Hallé - Barbirolli)

Two serene, idyllic and utterly beautiful works by RVW, sensitively played by the Hallé under Glorious John. A perfect record to unwind on a sunday night.

These are top-drawer Vaughan Williams works IMO, and really should be much better known than they are. I defy anyone to not fall in love with the dreamy oboe concerto, which occupies the same space as the equally ravishing 5th Symphony.

[Lethevich]

Number 7 from this (1979)

Possibly a dumb question, but is that Pentatone/Davis disc the same performance as the famous Philips one (licenced in some way)?

[Coopmv]

Possibly a dumb question, but is that Pentatone/Davis disc the same performance as the famous Philips one (licenced in some way)?

PentaTone was a spin-off from Philips.  Many of the PentaTone titles are indeed licensed from Philips ...

[imperfection]

Good choice, especially the overtures!

PS: Love the signature message, too!



Now listening: Beethoven Overtures (Klemperer)

Thank you, on both counts! 

[RussellG]

PentaTone was a spin-off from Philips.  Many of the PentaTone titles are indeed licensed from Philips ...

Wasn't PentaTone setup by disgruntled ex-recording or mastering engineers from Philips?

AFAIK there is only one late 70's Sibelius cycle by Davis/Boston, so they must be the same recordings.

[Jay F]

PentaTone was a spin-off from Philips.  Many of the PentaTone titles are indeed licensed from Philips ...

Two excellent labels, IMO.

[Coopmv]

Wasn't PentaTone setup by disgruntled ex-recording or mastering engineers from Philips?

AFAIK there is only one late 70's Sibelius cycle by Davis/Boston, so they must be the same recordings.

Absolutely not.  Otherwise, how would it have been granted licensing rights to those recordings made in the 70's from Philips.  Philips the record label, not to be confused with the electronics company, was a division of Polygram, which was itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Philips.  Then Polygram was sold to Vivendi of France.  Then Vivendi bought Universal Studio and in the process got itself overloaded in debt and needed some bailout to avoid bankruptcy (sounds familiar?).  Somehow GE/NBC got involved and bought a 40% stake of this entity.  I think PentaTone was split off from Philips, the record company around the time of these upheavals.

Without reading up on all these corporate financial transactions, this is all I can remember.

[Coopmv]

More baroque, now playing another CD that arrived from MDT last week ...

[Brian]

CHOPIN | Four Ballades
Artur Rubinstein, 1959

From the "Chopin Collection," 11 discs of Rubinstein I snagged for $25. This is my first listen to the set.

[imperfection]

Grandiose. Exuberant.

[Coopmv]

Back to Annie Fischer, now playing disc 5 of her Beethoven Piano Sonatas set ...

[Coopmv]

CHOPIN | Four Ballades
Artur Rubinstein, 1959

From the "Chopin Collection," 11 discs of Rubinstein I snagged for $25. This is my first listen to the set.

This is an excellent set.  I bought mine 2 months ago.

[Sean]

The double piano version of the Rach Symphonic dances.

[mahler10th]

Just before I go out, the first Symphony...
I like this, but feel it needs a WIDER and BIGGER approach than Tortelier brings...somethings missing.

[Peregrine]

[ezodisy]

I find that set a bit of a mixed bag. I bought it to get a set of the ballades with a bit of steel in them, but didn't actually like them all that much when I listened to them. This steeliness works better for the Sonata 2, but then there's the op. 49 parts of which are just a little too robust - there's a bit (the codetta?) where he's so damn bouncy it's like a barn dance . The Rach 3 is pretty amazing, but it's missing the last bit . Such a pity.

Yeah I agree about the Ballades, not a particular favourite of mine at all. I think Steve E. at RMCR likes them a lot though. Like me you got the defective Disky set with the missing Rach 3 part, which definitely is a shame because the performance is outstanding. Apparently they later fixed the problem and some sets are complete.

Im listening to Chopins PC 2 - Pollini 1965 I think

[val]

DUTILLEUX:   Timbres, Espace, Mouvement / Symphonie 1    / Lyon Orchestra, Baudo

Timbres, espace, mouvement is one of Dutilleux supreme masterpieces. Excepting Bartok, no composer has such a magic inspiration regarding the night.
The Symphony has a very personal orchestration but, in my opinion, it is not at the same level of the 2nd or "Timbres, espace mouvement".

A good interpretation of Baudo, with an orchestra of remarkable quality.

[Sean]

Hello val, you still there eh? Dutilleux is overrated like the rest of his generation, but we can agree to disagree.

I'm listening to a Mozart octet wind serenade, which you'll be advised is music.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Hello val, you still there eh? Dutilleux is overrated like the rest of his generation, but we can agree to disagree.

I just have never gotten the Dutilleux bug, despite trying. He always comes across as a more-style-than-substance type of composer.

Metaboles is a nice piece, though.