What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Conor71]

Mahler: Symphony No. 3 In D Minor

[Marc]

[.....]
J.S. Bach as played by Helmut Walcha.

Toccata and Fugue, for organ in D minor, BWV 565 (BC J37)

Trio Sonata for organ No. 1 in E flat major, BWV 525 (BC J1)

Sei gegrüsset, Jesu gütig, chorale partita for organ, BWV 768 (BC K96)

Prelude and Fugue, for organ in E flat major ("St. Anne;" Clavier-Übung III/26), BWV 552 (BC J16)

6 Schübler Chorales BWV 645-650

Clear recording and excellent performances!  The last Schübler-Chorale is especially impressive.

Yes, not only the recording is clear, but so is Walcha's playing. Showing us mortals the eternal value of the polyphonic lines of mr. Bach!

In general, I slightly prefer Walcha's performances of chorales. In the non-liturgical works he sometimes tends to 'begin again' with the fugues to build towards another climax again (though not on this disc ), but I prefer it when the tension remains after the conclusion of prelude, fantasia, whatever. I must admit however, that if there is one organist who is able to remain that tension whilst 'calming down' .... it must be Helmut Walcha!

[Harry]

Felix Weingartner.
Violin Concerto opus 52, in G major.
Laurent Albrecht Breuninger, Violin.
SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern, Alun Francis.
Recorded 2007.

This is so beautiful, and so well played, a work of great art!

[Bulldog]

These performances are introverted, deliberate, concentrated, defiantly slow-paced, but even so, IMO, full of inner musicality... Excellent liner notes too. I have fully enjoyed the entire 2-CD set.

J.S. Bach: The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080
Sergio Vartolo (harpsichord) and Maddalena Vartolo (harpsichord)
2 CDs, Naxos
2009

I totally agree.  Vartolo is a wonderful Bach performer.  I especially enjoy how he brings out the severity and darkness of the Art of Fugue; as a result, the uplifting Bach passages are a compelling contrast.  Too many performers minimize the work's severity.

[Opus106]

This is quite a programme! I believe it will be my first time listening to the Op. 142.

Franz Schubert
Unfinished "String Quartet No. 12" in C minor, D. 703
     Quartettsatz
     Incomplete second movement - Andanate

Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 14 in F-sharp major, Op. 142

Franz Schubert
String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810

Emerson String Quartet

Live|18 Nov. 2008
Wigmore Hall, London



Either Mr. Drucker or Mr. Selzer is occasionally going off the rails, it seems to me.  That was in the first movement. Since this is my first listen of the andante, I cannot comment on their staying on rails here.



I really need to get to grips with the difference between the Quote and Modify buttons. 

[Marc]

Thanks to Cato ....

Helmut Walcha plays Bach!
Right now he's playing a swift and fearless Andante (first movement) of the Trio Sonata in D minor, BWV 527.

[SonicMan46]

Faure, Gabriel - Piano Quintets w/ Ortiz on Naxos - this performance & recording has received just fabulous, numerous, and consistently excellent reviews (listing on Naxos HERE); now, my favorite for years has been the recording w/ the Quintetto Faure di Roma (now in the Brilliant Box of Faure's chamber works, I believe).

Will do some 'comparison' listening in the office this afternoon - 

[Harry]

Felix Weingartner.
Symphony in E major, D 729, arranged by Felix Weingartner.
SWR Rundfunkorchester Kaiserslautern, Alun Francis.

A very interesting reworking of this beautiful Symphony by Franz Schubert, delicately done, with sensible additions to the original score.
Well recorded and performed.

[Harry]

Faure, Gabriel - Piano Quintets w/ Ortiz on Naxos - this performance & recording has received just fabulous, numerous, and consistently excellent reviews (listing on Naxos HERE); now, my favorite for years has been the recording w/ the Quintetto Faure di Roma (now in the Brilliant Box of Faure's chamber works, I believe).

Will do some 'comparison' listening in the office this afternoon - 

The Naxos recording is one of my favourites Dave, it is very well performed.

[Brian]

BEETHOVEN | Piano Concerto No 4
Leon Fleisher
Cleveland Orchestra
George Szell

Today's gonna be a good day!

[pi2000]

Beethoven / Berg / Paganini: Violin Concertos
Philippe Hirshhorn (violin)
a very special artist

Enescu-Mendelssohn
warmly recommended!!

[Brahmsian]

An all Prokofiev day!

Symphony No. 2 in D minor, Op.40

Neeme Jarvi
Scottish National Orchestra
Chandos

String Quartet No. 1 in B minor, Op.50
String Quartet No. 2 in F major, Op.92

Aurora String Quartet

Sonata in C major for cello and piano, Op.119

Michael Grebanier, cello
Janet Guggenheim, piano
Naxos

[Harry]

Franz Mittler.
String Quartets No. 1 in F major and No. 3 in D minor.
Hugo Wolf Quartet.

If these SQ are anything to go by, I am for one hooked on this music, and his style of composing. He was a prolific composer, and yet there are few recordings of his music, I could only find two on CPO.
Never I heard in my life such music, so uniquely scored, played with such vigour, recorded with such excellence.
I am quite overtaken by it, and still very much under its influence.

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Franz-Mittler-Streichquartette-Nr-1-3/hnum/7785119

[listener]

Bach: Ton Koopman at Weingarten 
Handel oratorio Athalia  Frankfurt on original instruments, a'=415   I don't have perfect pitch so this will be no bother.    I'd compare it to Mendelssohn's, but I've not seen a recording of that.   No "War March of the Priests" listed in the Handel

[Harry]

Forqueray.
Complete Harpsichord works. CD I.
Played on a Goujon-Swanen and a Ruckers Taskin Harpsichord, by Yannick Le Gaillard.
Recorded in 1982

This is wonderful playing, on gorgeous sounding instruments. I never heard of this musician, but by what I hear, he puts in a gentleness and playfulness in the music, without avoiding bolder statements when asked for. It certainly fits Forqueray to the letter, and he music shines quite brightly in the hands of Gaillard.
Recommended.

[Brian]

STRAUSS | Tod und Verklarung, Also Sprach Zarathustra
Staatskapelle Dresden
Herbert Blomstedt

Recordings like these make reviewing easy ... and unnecessary. Spectacular playing captured in great '80s Denon sound.

[The new erato]

Albéniz: Rapsodia Española
Montsalvatge: Concerto Breve for Piano & Orchestra
Surinach: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1973)
Turina: Rapsodia sinfonica

Very fine playing, immensely interesting music and great sound!

[Brahmsian]

An all Prokofiev day!
Sonata in C major for cello and piano, Op.119

Michael Grebanier, cello
Janet Guggenheim, piano
Naxos

I think I've mentioned this before, but I'll mention it again.  The sound of the cello on this recording is absolutely fantastic! 

[Cato]

Okay, so I was thinking: perhaps it is time for me to tour my own collection from beginning to end!   

Cato's Curious Collection of CD's!   

I will attempt to listen to at least one per day: Mrs. Cato cannot be around for most of these!

Day 4:

Balakirev: Symphonies I and II, Tamara, Russia, Overture On Three Russian Themes



I find the First Symphony with its dramatic Andante (3rd mvmt.) stronger than the Second, which still has its moments.  The notes compare the Second to the Sibelius Third.

The other works are quite fine, coming from the folkloric school of the 19th Century. Tamara you would find more interesting than the other two, but is it a better work than Rimsky's Sheherazade?   

Thus claim the liner notes by a certain Edward Garden, Balakirev expert!   0:)

[SonicMan46]

The Naxos recording is one of my favourites Dave, it is very well performed.  RE:  Faure - Piano Quintets w/ Ortiz

Harry - just about finished w/ my comparison of this new recording (2007) w/ my older one (1985) mentioned in the previous post - both discs offer superlative performances and sound, despite the age of the latter - can't even say which one I prefer, and those who love Faure's chamber works would be please w/ either one; the Naxos is cheap and the Quintetto di Roma is also inexpensive (in a Brilliant box!) - Dave