What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[DavidRoss]

Lately, Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto--comparative listening, Kempff/van Kempen, Fleisher/Szell, Gilels/Szell, and Bronfman/Zinman.  The latter two are tops to my ears, with Kempff let down by sound quality and an overly restrained orchestra.

[listener]

HOLST  The Planets,          Ballet Suite
    CSR S.O,  Adrian Leaper     This was the first recording (so far the only, but I don't need another)I've encountered of the Ballet Suite - runs about 18 min.)
The Planets turned out to be far more engrossing than I remembered on first hearing. 
There's a wonderful evocation of time running out in the Saturn - the Bringer of Old Age movement that I hd never noticed before, clocks slowly running down and chiming erratically.

ADAMS   Grand Pianola Music
REICH    Vermont Counterpoint,  Eight Lines

[Keemun]

Brahms
Piano Concerto No. 2
Emil Gilels, piano
Eugen Jochum
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

[Wanderer]

I did actually give this a not fully attentive initial listen when I first got it . . . and promptly resolved to listen again and better . . . but then the Schoenberg landed, and my listening queue was bent towards more of the modern.  Could almost consider this the proper First Listen!

Alkan
Concerto for piano solo, Opus 39, nos. 8-10
Marc-André Hamelin

The really scary thing about this recording and music being so damned good, is I want to buy more and more Alkan.

Alkan – Concerto for solo piano; Troisième recueil de chants

A man of taste! 
May I suggest you continue with the rest of the op.39, the Grande Sonate or the chamber music.

[Wanderer]

Listening to this...

...during this last week, along with the exquisite Scriabin of Lettberg.

Sooner or later I'll have to give Gade a second chance, as it's the first time I have such a strong reaction against a tonal composer's work. Even Bruckner bored me less than Gade did. 

Bruckner is rather better than Gade. 
Your perseverance is indeed admirable. 

[Florestan]

Bruckner is rather better than Gade. 
Your perseverance is indeed admirable. 

It's strange: I just love Mahler, yet Bruckner doesn't click yet, except for the Fourth. But I don't give up the hope of seeing the light some day.

[Keemun]

It's strange: I just love Mahler, yet Bruckner doesn't click yet, except for the Fourth. But I don't give up the hope of seeing the light some day.

I liked Mahler before I liked Bruckner, and for a while I just didn't "get" Bruckner.  Eventually I had a breakthrough and the rest is, as they say, history.  I'll resist the urge to offer unsolicited recommendations for other Bruckner symphonies; but if you ever want them, I'll be happy to provide them.   

Thread duty:

[DavidRoss]

It's strange: I just love Mahler, yet Bruckner doesn't click yet, except for the Fourth. But I don't give up the hope of seeing the light some day.

A breakthrough for me was the 7th by Karajan (of all people!)--any of the three will do.  I still don't like him as much as Mahler or a few others, and I still think he goes on quite a bit longer than necessary, but I enjoy all the symphonies from the 4th on.

[Keemun]

A breakthrough for me was the 7th by Karajan (of all people!)

Same here. 

[mc ukrneal]

It's strange: I just love Mahler, yet Bruckner doesn't click yet, except for the Fourth. But I don't give up the hope of seeing the light some day.

Hmm, just the opposite for me. Love Bruckner, mixed on Mahler. Although I probably like about half of his symphonies (so don't bail on me yet), it is not the same natural inclination I have for Bruckner (but still working on it). Bruckner came naturally. Had to work on Mahler. Funny how that works...

[Scarpia]

I like Mahler when he doesn't incorporate non-musical stuff in his music.  Enjoy the 1st, enjoy parts of the 2nd and 3rd, excluding vocal movements.  Enjoy the 1st movement of the 4th.  The 5th, 6th and 9th are the best of Mahler, IMO.  The 7th still baffles me, the 8th, I have never managed to listen to at all.

Bruckner I admire almost without exception.  But I can't listen to it at an arbitrary time.  It is music that develops in its own time frame, and you have to be in the right state of mind to absorb it.

[DavidRoss]

[Conor71]

Good morning :

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 16 In G Major, Op. 31/1

[mahler10th]

I have decided to erect a life scale model of the Statue of Liberty in my front room, and to aid me to this end I have chosen to put on Ned Rorem.  Fine job he's doing, I've nearly finished construction. 

[SonicMan46]

Listening to this...along with the exquisite Scriabin of Lettberg.

Hi Tasos - I've gone through this set several times now - just about perfect (if not!) - glad that you are enjoying her as much as I have (and, I think, many others who have bought this superb collection!) - Dave 

[greg]

Feldman- Bass Clarinet and Percussion

this one.... 
Something about this one I really like. It just sounds really detached from any emotion whatsoever, and feels different from anything I've heard before (even compared to other Feldman works). It seems like there is a word I want to use to describe it, but I don't know what it is.

[George]

Pre-ordered this today. It comes out mid-April. 

Amazon Link

[Scarpia]

Listening to this (actually part of the boxed set), and it is AWESOME!    After listening to some of Chailly's Mahler I was starting to doubt the maestro's chops, but this recording is astonishing.  So many details in the music that jump out at you, and such a beautiful sense of drama.  Great!.

[George]

CD 2

[stingo]

TCHAIKOVSKY Capriccio Italien
MUSSORGSKY A Night on Bald Mountain
DUKAS The Sorceror's Apprentice
ENESCO Roumanian Rhapsody No. 1
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Eduardo Mata, conductor

From the early days of the compact disc. The sound is a little sterile but the performances are not. Fine listening.