What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Que]

CD 4 (out of 5): Matthew Locke (c. 1622-1677), Consort of Fower Parts. Two Duos for 2 bass viols.

Quotes from Giordano Bruno's comments on Amazon - full review HERE.

"Amongst the finest of the gamba composers was Matthew Locke, still somewhat remembered in England for his anthems and voluntaries. This CD of Locke's Consort in Fower (4) Parts is one of the glories of pre-Civil War English music. Heartfelt, stately, melancholy, Locke's consort suites are the musical equivalent of John Donne's Meditations or Shakespeare's sonnets. If your experience of Renaissance music has been limited to Susato branles and a few lute songs, you'll be astonished by the sophistication of Locke's harmony and counterpoint. There are also moments of flare and bravura, but the general mood of the music is more philosophical than lusty.

(...)There are at least three recordings of the Consort of Fower Parts, including one by Jordi Savall with Hesperion XX. (...) but the FRETWORK performance beats Hesperion XX's in expressiveness and beauty of timbre."

Good morning.

Q

PS This set is still a very good bargain on Amazon .

[Florestan]

Hello everyone!

Anton Bruckner

Symphony no. 1 in C minor

Eugen Jochum / Staatskapelle Dresden

Since I never really warmed to Bruckner, I'm going to spin this entire cycle in chronological order.

Sonically speaking, this is a superb recording, with crystal-clear sound and a perfect balance in the orchestra.

The music itself... well, it still doesn't click as I would like. To me it sounds like a massive wave that keeps changing its appearance in terms of melody, rythm, timbre and tempo but nevertheless carries on forward, forward, forward. Some great moments here and there and a terrific Scherzo, but the general impression is that the only thing that keeps the whole stuff together is the momentum that carries on and on.

I would appreciate any hints that might help me in this difficult journey I have embarked upon.  0:)

[Harry]

Hello everyone!

Anton Bruckner

Symphony no. 1 in C minor

Eugen Jochum / Staatskapelle Dresden

Since I never really warmed to Bruckner, I'm going to spin this entire cycle in chronological order.

Sonically speaking, this is a superb recording, with crystal-clear sound and a perfect balance in the orchestra.

The music itself... well, it still doesn't click as I would like. To me it sounds like a massive wave that keeps changing its appearance in terms of melody, rythm, timbre and tempo but nevertheless carries on forward, forward, forward. Some great moments here and there and a terrific Scherzo, but the general impression is that the only thing that keeps the whole stuff together is the momentum that carries on and on.

I would appreciate any hints that might help me in this difficult journey I have embarked upon.  0:)

You already see the structure, eventually you will hear the inner lines, and then the details come out, which will make the music much more than only waves of sound.
Its a question of perseverance really, if it is not love at first sight.
But then, I tried it with Wagner, and it still doesn't work for me.

[George]

The music itself... well, it still doesn't click as I would like. To me it sounds like a massive wave that keeps changing its appearance in terms of melody, rythm, timbre and tempo but nevertheless carries on forward, forward, forward. Some great moments here and there and a terrific Scherzo, but the general impression is that the only thing that keeps the whole stuff together is the momentum that carries on and on.

I would appreciate any hints that might help me in this difficult journey I have embarked upon.  0:)

Hi Florestan,
I am no Bruckner expert, but I can share some things from my experience.
I would say three things:

1. Continue to listen, but without trying. Just let the music wash over you.

2. Don't think of it as listening to Bruckner, simply listen. I have almost missed out on some great interpretations simply because I had a mental picture of how a given work/composer should sound.

3. Bruckner in the hands of another conductor can be a very different thing. I heard that Jochum set and liked most of it, but hearing Celibidache's Bruckner (the incomplete EMI set) it was love at first sight. For me, it is a profound musical experience that every classical music fan should experience at least once. People tend to love of hate his Bruckner. If you can, check some of this set out of your local library.

[DavidW]

My thought is that it's symphony #1, not the best by far.  A few listens will give you a taste for Bruckner's style and then it's best to move on.

[Florestan]

Thank you folks for your ideas. I'll keep moving on and updating my findings.

[DavidW]

Nielsen's flute concerto, but his clarinet concerto is simply sublime. 0:)  The Blomstedt 2fer is turning out to be an excellent purchase.

So that's my listening besides Telemann, Frescobaldi, Bach etc

[karlhenning]

Now playing this SACD, which arrived early last week ...

Say something of this, if you please.

[karlhenning]

Nielsen's flute concerto, but his clarinet concerto is simply sublime.

Won't surprise you, but the Clarinet Concerto was the first Nielsen I ever experienced, and that got the hook in me but good.

[karlhenning]

Thread duty:

Дмитри Дмитриевич
Rule, Brittania!, Opus 28

[DavidW]

Won't surprise you, but the Clarinet Concerto was the first Nielsen I ever experienced, and that got the hook in me but good.

I imagine you listening to it, as president of some big bank and you're like "that's it!  I must quit and explore a life of writing music as fine as this!!"

[Coopmv]

Say something of this, if you please.

Very serene and inspirational French baroque music sung by a small vocal ensemble that has an out-of-the-world feel to it ...

[Dr. Dread]

mendelssohn chung dutoit

[Franco]

I Puritani, opera
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
with Ricardo Cassinelli, Heather Begg, Beverly Sills, Richard van Allan, Louis Quilico, Paul Plishka, Nicolai Gedda
Conducted by Julius Rudel

[Harry]

Franz Schubert.
Complete Piano Sonatas, Volume V.
E major D 157.
C major D 297.
G major D 894.

Michael Endres, Piano.

Underestimated by many, and few may find the genius in these performances. I did!

[Coopmv]

Now playing CD2 from this set, a very delightful set even though it is monaural ...

[ChamberNut]

I would appreciate any hints that might help me in this difficult journey I have embarked upon.  0:)

Florestan, some great suggestions already have been made.  To this, I'll add something that worked for me when I was first getting into Bruckner: Listening to the inner movements (Adagio/Scherzo) to start.

[Brünnhilde ewig]

Codaly wrote more than just the Harry Janos Suite! For a lively morning music I am listening to his Dances of Galantha played by the Budapest PO under Rico Saccani.

I could also watch it on YouTube, but the sound is better on my CD:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7QKVj1QTlc

[Henk]

[Coopmv]

How do you like this set?  I bought mine a few months ago.