What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Christo]

Good morning all!

Nice weather here, unexpectedly so, and therefore time for some sunny pieces from the North. Especially for the sake of a small piece by recently `discovered' Norwegian composer Ludvig Irgens-Jensen (1894-1969), his 'Bol's Song' in the orchestral version (taken from his Partita Sinfonica).

Apart from the Irgens-Jensen and some well-known pieces by Saeverud, Valen, Tveitt and Halvorsen, the happiest 'fresh discovery' is the jolly Little Overture Op. 11 by a composer I had never heard of before: Oystein Sommerfeldt (1919-1994).

Bjarte Engeset conducting the Iceland SO in the second installment of his series of Norwegian Classical Favourites for Naxos:

                 
                                            (Now waiting for Que to downsize this image) 

[Que]

(Now waiting for Que to downsize this image) 

Morning to all! Beautifull sunny weather at this spot on the globe.

Q

[Subotnick]

Morning!

I started the day with something subdued, seeing as I woke @ 5:40AM, 3 hours before I intended!

[Christo]

Morning!

I started the day with something subdued, seeing as I woke @ 5:40AM, 3 hours before I intended!

THE question being, of course: where did you find this (rather rare) Estonian Melodiya LP? 
Great to see it here! 

[Que]

Disc 7: trios nos. 46 - 52.

Progressing through the set I have found the pieces of increasing musical profundity - notably from disc 5 onwards. 

Q

[Subotnick]

THE question being, of course: where did you find this (rather rare) Estonian Melodiya LP? 
Great to see it here! 

I'm not American, but can I plead The 5th?

0:)

[Christo]

I'm not American, but can I plead The 5th?

0:) 

Well, sshhhht then, but you could tell us in conficence ! 

(Are the MI5's operations into Soviet occupied Estonia really still that top secret?)   

[Subotnick]

 

Still feeling delicate. This disc suits my mood to a tee and is simply sublime!

[val]

DEBUSSY:   Preludes, Book 1 & 2 / Estampes

SCHUMANN:  Kreisleriana; Papillons;  2 Noveletten

/ Yuri Egorov


Egorov's interpretations of Debussy are not very personal. The Estampes are good and some of the Preludes - La Cathédrale Engloutie, very clear, without the usual massive effects - but in general there is an excessive uniformity.

Egorov was much better in Schumann. The Kreisleriana shows a very good sense of contrasts. The Papillons are full of enthusiasm. But the best is the interpretion of two Novelettes, powerful, the best I heard since Yves Nat.

Anyway, I feel that Egorov has been overrated. He recorded the best version of the Bunte Blätter, but that isn't enough to justify the fact that some people made him a sort of a legend.

[karlhenning]

Mozart
Pf Cto № 25 in C, K.503

[Harry]

I have written quite a bit about this CD, and read all the negative accusations of him being a new age composer. Needless to say, that I think it is totally pissing beside the pot. I have never read a coherent definition of what New Age really is, apart from being a label put on some music. For me its either you like the music, or you dislike it, period. No need to write extensive monologues about it.
For me Hovhaness is music for the soul to dream away in. Most of the time well composed, and thought out.
The compositions on this cd, charms the stars out of me, and that generally goes for all the works I have of him. Hovhaness is simply a entity to undergo. Take him as he is, and you will be rewarded thousandfold. The recording is superb, as are the performances.

[George]

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3 / Michelangeli, Giulini

Morning all! 

[ChamberNut]

Good morning everyone! 

Franck

String Quartet in D major
Fitzwilliam Qt.

Violin Sonata in A major
Pierre Amoyal, violin
Pascal Roge, piano

Decca

[mahler10th]

Survived with 60 other discs out of a possible...1,200 + bona-fide CD's and MP3 format discs.

Haitink was once one of my least favourite conductors as a result of his VW cycle, which I thought was not well portrayed by him...but what nonsense, Haitink's prowess with Mahler, R Strauss, et al, his big sound and acoustic acuity is second to none.  He's become one of my favourite conductors for sure.

[The new erato]

I'm not American, but can I plead The 5th?

0:)

No you can't. Off to Guantanamo!

[ChamberNut]

Haitink was once one of my least favourite conductors as a result of his VW cycle, which I thought was not well portrayed by him...but what nonsense, Haitink's prowess with Mahler, R Strauss, et al, his big sound and acoustic acuity is second to none.  He's become one of my favourite conductors for sure.

I eventually got the Kempe/Staatskapelle Dresden set of R. Strauss' Orchestral Works, but I did sample this Haitink set and thought it was excellent! 

[Coopmv]

I've never understood the majors obsession with taking over smaller labels just to strangle their activity and business. If it were to eliminate competition they should have learnt their lesson; there's always new ones ready to pop up, if it were to generate business, why stop them from releasing discs and maintaining their a strong identity?

Most acquisitions of small companies by large companies end in failure.  Many of these mega corporations, mainly European and American, have never learned their lessons ... 

[Dundonnell]

Good morning all!

Nice weather here, unexpectedly so, and therefore time for some sunny pieces from the North. Especially for the sake of a small piece by recently `discovered' Norwegian composer Ludvig Irgens-Jensen (1894-1969), his 'Bol's Song' in the orchestral version (taken from his Partita Sinfonica).

Apart from the Irgens-Jensen and some well-known pieces by Saeverud, Valen, Tveitt and Halvorsen, the happiest 'fresh discovery' is the jolly Little Overture Op. 11 by a composer I had never heard of before: Oystein Sommerfeldt (1919-1994).

Bjarte Engeset conducting the Iceland SO in the second installment of his series of Norwegian Classical Favourites for Naxos:

                 
                                            (Now waiting for Que to downsize this image) 

Sommerfeldt wrote a symphony, Johan, called Sinfonia 'La Betulla' which is in a collection of his music on an Aurora cd. Pleasant enough but certainly not the equal of Irgens Jensen!

[Harry]

Let me indulge in lighter fare, with a high melodic content, and the capacity to raise your spirits.
This one will do, I am sure.....

Franz Lehar.
"Das Land des Lachlens".
Romatic operetta in three acts.
Libretto, Ludwig Herzer & Fritz Beda-Lohner, after Victor Leon.
Dialogue version, Ralf Eger.

Camilla Nylund-Lisa.
Julia Bauer-Mi.
Piotr Beczala-Prince Sou-Chang.
Alexander Kaimbacher- Count Gustav von Pottenstein.
Alfred Berg-Count Lichtenfels/Tschang.
Henry Raudales-Solo Violin.
Choir des Bayerischen Rundfunk & Muncher Rundfunkorchester, Ulf Schirmer.

It is well performed, but I could have easily done without Nylund, she being far from the light coloratura soprano that is needed. Instead a fat vibrato laden voice, that skins you alive.
For the rest I'd say fabulous.

[springrite]

Let me indulge in lighter fare, with a high melodic content, and the capacity to raise your spirits.
This one will do, I am sure.....

Franz Lehar.
"Das Land des Lachlens".
Romatic operetta in three acts.
Libretto, Ludwig Herzer & Fritz Beda-Lohner, after Victor Leon.
Dialogue version, Ralf Eger.

Camilla Nylund-Lisa.
Julia Bauer-Mi.
Piotr Beczala-Prince Sou-Chang.
Alexander Kaimbacher- Count Gustav von Pottenstein.
Alfred Berg-Count Lichtenfels/Tschang.
Henry Raudales-Solo Violin.
Choir des Bayerischen Rundfunk & Muncher Rundfunkorchester, Ulf Schirmer.

It is well performed, but I could have easily done without Nylund, she being far from the light coloratura soprano that is needed. Instead a fat vibrato laden voice, that skins you alive.
For the rest I'd say fabulous.

If you can do a good Lisa or Mi, we can do a mini house performance of it. I do a mean Prince Sou-Chang -- only in English, though.


Now listening: Sonatas for solo cello by Ligeti, Crumb (Haimovitz)