What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Brian]

TCHAIKOVSKY | Piano Concerto No 2
Jerome Lowenthal, piano
London Symphony Orchestra
Sergiu Comissiona

CDs like these make me happy to be a MusicWeb critic. 

[Antoine Marchand]

Brahms: The Sextets
Hausmusik London
Signum Records

Tracklisting:

No.1 in Bb major, Op.18
1    Allegro, ma non troppo                   [13:53]
2    Andante, ma moderato                     [9:28]
3    Scherzo: Allegro molto                     [3:00]
4    Rondo: Poco allegretto e grazioso  [10:01]

No.2 in G major, Op.36
5    Allegro non troppo                           [14:43]
6    Scherzo: Allegro non troppo             [7:05]
7    Poco adagio                                     [8:52]
8    Poco allegro                                     [8:37]
      
Total Running Time                                  [75:46]

Monica Huggett      Violin 1 (Sonata No.1)
Violin 2 (Sonata No.2)
Pavlo Beznosiuk    Violin 1 (Sonata No.2)
Violin 2 (Sonata No.1)
Roger Chase    Viola 1
Jeremy Williams    Viola 2
Richard Lester    Cello 1
David Watkin    Cello 2

Excellent HIP performances of these works.

REVIEWS

[Papy Oli]

No kidding!   I realized today why I had only listened to it once before.  Thankfully it was an eMusic download, so I paid very little for it.   

Likewise. Aren't I glad as well... 

[Que]

Q

[Harry]

Tonight for our dinner music - the discs below, recent arrivals:


Boccherini, Luigi - Cello Sonatas w/ Luigi Puxeddu on the Brilliant label - another 4-CD set - just listening to the first disc - 

Dave, this set is also on my list, so if possible, could you give me some comments, in terms of playing, sound, and tempi.
Thanks.

[val]

BRAHMS:  Piano Concerto n. 1                     / Arrau, Concertgebow Orchestra, Haitink

We don't find here the tension of Szell or the poetry and spirituality of Curzon (in special in the Adagio).
This a version of soloist, Haitink being too neutral and routinary. Arrau's sound and style have an intoxicating beauty, and with his eloquence he seems to carry the orchestra and the conductor with him.

One of the great moments of Arrau. In his previous version he was almost as inspired as here and he had a partner at his level, Giulini, lyrical and with his immense phrasings.

[Harry]

Recently released by Brilliant and licensed from NMC, these recordings made in 1995, are wonderful from beginning to end. Well recorded, and it must be said well performed. They do Borodin proud and find a dignity in it, that lets them approach the emotional content quite intensely without going over the top.
Very sparse playing, they concentrate on beauty, and engender the most luscious tones. And they take their time to unfold the music properly.
For me this three far box with all his chamber music is a success.

CD I, String Quartet No 1 in A.
Piano Quintet in C minor.
Moscow String Quartet.
Alexander Mndoiantz. Piano

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Alexander-Borodin-Die-komplette-Kammermusik/hnum/2163327

[Harry]

Antonin Dvorak.
Symphony No. 4 in D minor, opus 13.
Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi.
Recorded on Chandos 1987, by Ralph Couzens.

Let me say beforehand that this Symphony is another favourite with me, especially the gorgeous third movement, "Scherzo, allegro feroce". In this movement the brass of the orchestra shines out in a most favourable way, and in my opinion this orchestra is unique in this. It is well played by all concerned. Also the last movement "Finale, allegro con brio" is a real gem, and it is a showcase for Dvorak's masterly orchestration, in which he is unique, and shares this ability with the greatest of them all, namely Tsjaikovsky. My only quibble with this recording is again the acoustics of the Glasgow Hall, that is less than ideal for this kind of music, and to my ears for most kinds. Couzens doesn't get it right, notwithstanding his ability to make good recordings. I would not want to be without these performances though, tempi right, accents in the right place, and Jarvi's inbred feel for the unique sound world from Dvorak.

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Anton-Dvorak-Symphonie-Nr-4/hnum/5073861

[Harry]

Tsjaikovsky.
Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher, opus 42.
Janine Jansen, Violin.
Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Harding.

Adequate, but not really special. Jansen has a sometimes acidic tone, and is rather flat in her playing. A much overrated violinist in my view. Many less hyped musicians can and do play this much better. This Orchestra plus conductor cannot fry fish in this music, its as flat as a door.

[George]

Great set?

I've only heard a few CDs so far, so it's too early to tell. The Nocturnes are of course lovely, the preludes didn't work nearly as well for me. The Polonaise Fantasie was great. I'll post more thoughts as I work through the set.

[Harry]

G.F. Sances.
Stabat Mater, "Pianto della Madonna".
Carlos Mena, Alto.
Ricerar Consort, Philippe Pierlot.

Carlos Mena has a fine voice, but I am reminded of the disastrous attempts from Rene Jacobs, who assumed he could sing. Those days are luckily far away from us, he is much better at conducting. At a few places Mena gave me a funny feeling, with some unnatural vibrato. Apart from that great music.

[Franco]

There are scanners out there now that can do 12X12 that do not cost thousands of dollars?

Yes.  Mine is a Mustek ScanExpress A3 USB 1200 Pro (12X17) cost less than $200.  No bells and whistles and the software is a bit funky, but it works well.

[Brahmsian]

Recently released by Brilliant and licensed from NMC, these recordings made in 1995, are wonderful from beginning to end. Well recorded, and it must be said well performed. They do Borodin proud and find a dignity in it, that lets them approach the emotional content quite intensely without going over the top.
Very sparse playing, they concentrate on beauty, and engender the most luscious tones. And they take their time to unfold the music properly.
For me this three far box with all his chamber music is a success.

CD I, String Quartet No 1 in A.
Piano Quintet in C minor.
Moscow String Quartet.
Alexander Mndoiantz. Piano

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Alexander-Borodin-Die-komplette-Kammermusik/hnum/2163327

Very nice, Harry! 

[karlhenning]

En francais, a biscuit is a cookie.  What's a biscuit for an Englishman?

If you don't ladle gravy over your biscuit, you aren't in Georgia (e.g.)

[karlhenning]

After this ^ underwhelming Mahler performance . . .

HEY!

[MN Dave]

BRAHMS 2 & 4
Berlin/Karajan

[Brian]

Jarvi's inbred feel for the unique sound world from Dvorak.[/i]

Harry, the English word for a talent that you're born with is "innate," but "inbred" means that your parents were cousins! 

I am jealous of your playlist today. Borodin, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky - great stuff! For the Souvenir d'un lieu cher, I love listening to Vadim Gluzman's recording on BIS, or to Leonid Kogan ... but he is rather special ...

[Lethevich]

No.5


I didn't know Shostakovich could sound this light - this is a very polite performance and brings an odd classical feel to the work that I haven't experienced before. The opening to the finale is almost whimsical - something else I didn't expect I'd ever hear done. It's a nice idea, and works quite well.

[Keemun]

HEY!

WHAT? 
 

I've heard some great Mahler recordings by MTT/San Francisco Symphony, but that was not one of them. 

[karlhenning]

Harry, the English word for a talent that you're born with is "innate," but "inbred" means that your parents were cousins! 

Oh, is that inapplicable to Järvi? () :^)

Thread duty:

Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grapelli (avec le Quintette du Hot Club de France) playing an improvisation upon the tune from the Tchaikovsky Pathétique;  recording from Jan-Feb 1949.