What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[kishnevi]

It's curious, George. I searched that set among my discs because the last Friday I saw a new version of the piano trios (Ma/Ax/Perlman). I was tempted; but during the weekend I recalled one of your old posts, about to enjoy what we have... 

I have it; given the performers, you'd expect something better than what was actually produced.   If you want another performance, try Trio Wanderer on Harmonia Mundi.

BTW, for those of us in the US, Great Performances (PBS) Live from Lincoln Center is showing M-A-P performing the trios this week (Wednesday on my local PBS station) so those in the US will be able to judge (and I suppose DVR) for themselves.

[Coopmv]

Musical Offering, BWV 1079 from this set.
Hans-Peter Weber cor anglais - Robert Dohn flute - Geog Baynow violin
Martin Galling harpsichord - Mischa Frey cello - Michael Meyer viola
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
Karl Münchinger

Containing a 3 & 6 part ricecar (fugue), a trio sonata, together with 10 scholarly canons, lavishly bound and presented to the king as a Musical Offering, can be seen as a sophisticated calling card - Bach flexing his musical & intellectual muscles with, perhaps, half an eye on a possible royal appointment [...]

The Musical Offering is one of the great contrapuntal masterpieces from Bach's late years, and together with The Art of Fugue seems the epitome of pure music, beyond such constraints as programme or social function.

It is unlikely that Bach ever intended this study in canonic technique to be performed as a whole, yet the omnipresence of the royal theme has led many writers to look for further unifying factors. The work is certainly rich in symbolism for those minded to ponder it further. The 10 shorter canons represent the "law" (the rule of canon) while the term "ricercar" (one of whose meaning is "to search out with diligence") also appears in an acrostic on the wrapper to the 6-part ricercar and the short canons "Regis lussu Cantio Et Reliqua Canonica Arte Resoluta" (At the king's command, the song [i.e. the six-part fugue] and the remainder resolved with canonic art). The whole work serves as a reminder of the links, in Baroque thought, between earthly & heavenly power, with the royal theme exercised according to the external rule (canon). - Mark Audus

I have this set with an excellent old-school performance IMO.

[Scarpia]

Hummel, Johann N. - Piano Trios - Complete (2 CDs) w/ Trio Parnassus - 

For whatever reason, this Hummel is considerably cheaper at mdt

[Christo]

Shostakovich, Symphony No. 10, Haitink, London Philharmonic (Decca).  Can't my finger on what's wrong with it, but this recording left me relatively unmoved.

As so often, with Haitink 

Now playing the epic (wartime) First Symphony (1940) by Eugene Goossens

                   

[Harry]

A number of new arrivals in the mail today, including a composer NEW to me:

Graupner, Christoph (1683-1760) - a Bach contemporary - actually offered the Leipzig job before JS Bach accepted; CDs below include a 'small' sampling of his prolific output - wind concertos, symphonies, and overtures; according to the liner notes of the first disc shown, he composed 115 symphonies, 80 overtures, 50 concertos, and over 1400 'sacred cantatas'!  And that's not ALL - if interested, checkout THIS SITE, and go to his GWV search to see 'how much' be did write - pretty amazing - he's likely up there w/ Bach & Telemann regarding 'prolificality' (may have just invented that word?) - 

 

The Graupner disc on MDG is most excellent, have a few of them releases by this company. My listening notes some two years ago where ecstatic. Sampling them this morning made me listen to them all over again.

[jlaurson]

G.F. Handel
Mezzo Soprano Arias
M.E.Cencic (counter tenor)
Virgin

what a great counter tenor! none of that 'i'm a baritone but my pants are too tight' quality.

[Christo]

Now playing: the Second (1944) - even more a wartime piece than the First. From the same box:

                                 

[Harry]

From this sensational big box of yummies....




Adolphe Adam's fine ballet, "Le Cosaire" performed by The English Chamber Orchestra, Richard Bonynge.

Just sheer delight.

[Papy Oli]

good evening all



Mozart - symph. No.38

[listener]

ARNE    4  Symphonies     Samuel WESLEY  Symphony in D
     Bournemouth Sinfonietta               Kenneth Montgomery
RÓZSA Violin Concerto      SPOHR Violin Concerto 8, op. 47    TSCHAIKOWSKY Sérénade Mélancholique
    Jascha Heifetz             various orchestras
VILLA-LOBOS    MÔMOPRECÓCE      BACHIANAS BRASILEIRAS 3
    Christina Ortiz, piano       New Philharmonia O.      Ashkenazy

[Brian]

[pi2000]

Silvestri conducts Enescu's Chamber Symphony op33 from this 2le CD set.Still the best performance of this opus!
Enescu died some 55 years ago during the night 4 to 5 may 1955.Perhaps his last photo(with best friend..) is below

[Lethevich]

I love QM's commitment to the early quartets - it would've been so easy to throw on the Quartettsatz as a coupling, but instead the less familiar no.9 is on offer

So far the playing is as exceptional as usual - with a little more depth in the recording than their previous Schubert disc making the group sound fuller bodied.

[mc ukrneal]

From this sensational big box of yummies....

Adolphe Adam's fine ballet, "Le Cosaire" performed by The English Chamber Orchestra, Richard Bonynge.

Just sheer delight.

Glad you are still enjoying these. Corsaire is only currently available in this box (as far as I know) and I have been hoping they would re-release at a budget price. Not sure that will happen with the release of this box, but maybe one day.

In general though, Adam is one of those composers that few know, but most like, when they hear his wonderful music.

[DarkAngel]

From this sensational big box of yummies....




Adolphe Adam's fine ballet, "Le Cosaire" performed by The English Chamber Orchestra, Richard Bonynge.

Just sheer delight.

Indeed, consider getting the ballet DVD itself.......
We need more input at the "ballet on dvd" thread in opera & vocal section, so much great stuff almost no one talks about here

[Bulldog]

Indeed, consider getting the ballet DVD itself.......
We need more input at the "ballet on dvd" thread in opera & vocal section, so much great stuff almost no one talks about here

There you go.  I didn't even know there was a "ballet on dvd" thread. 

[SonicMan46]

Some new arrivals below:

Bach, JS - Goldberg Variations w/ Ragna Schirmer on piano - just one listen so far & beautiful - will replace my other 'piano' disc of these works; I'll be happy w/ this one for a long time, I believe - 

Beethoven, LV - String Quartets Complete w/ the Alexander SQ - their 2nd recording of these works w/ a new first violinist; performed on instruments made by Francis Kuttner - now listening to Op. 18 - these are wonderful performances - great review by Michael Cookson HERE; own the Takacs Quartet & Quatuor Mosaiques in these Op. 18 works - I think that this trio in the 'early' LvB SQs will serve me well in the future - looking forward to hearing the rest of this set (9 CDs total packaged as sets of 3 discs in 'fold out wallet' sets in a box).   

 

[Bulldog]

Some new arrivals below:

Bach, JS - Goldberg Variations w/ Ragna Schirmer on piano - just one listen so far & beautiful - will replace my other 'piano' disc of these works; I'll be happy w/ this one for a long time, I believe - 

What is your other piano disc of the Goldbergs?  Inquiring minds want to know. 

[Scarpia]

Beethoven, LV - String Quartets Complete w/ the Alexander SQ - their 2nd recording of these works w/ a new first violinist; performed on instruments made by Francis Kuttner

What I get from this is the set of recordings is an elaborate advertisement for a violin manufacturer?   Good thing I saw this, was considering buying this set of recordings.

[listener]

MOZART   Divertimento in E flat for String Trio   K.563
An amazingly complex work for a small ensemble, with ingenious contrapuntal variation of themes throughout.  Pressing (LP) is fair, this will be worth seeking a replacement as I think I'll listen several times.
Trio Bell'Arte  :Suzanne Lautenbacher, Ulrich Koch, Thomas Blees,  (vn, vla, cello)
SCHUBERT:  Rondo for Violin and Strings, Konzertstuck,  Polonaise,  5 Minuets and 6 Trios
Suzanne Lautenbacher        Württemberg Chamber O. Heilbronn,   Jörg Faerber, cond.