What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[kishnevi]

Last night, a very fine Mahler Symphony No. 6 with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic.  Most impressive was the sheer playing of the ensemble, with lots of detail, and great dynamic contrast.  Also welcome was one of the quietest audiences I've heard in a long time--much less rustling and fidgeting than is sometimes the case. 

Best of all: at the very end, after the spellbinding final few measures, Gilbert held his hands up for a good 15-20 seconds in silence, without anyone in the audience blurting out, "Bravo!" as is so often the case.

--Bruce

In that case, may I suggest


Thread duty:  Bach: Partita No. 3 for solo violin, BWV 1006.  Rachel Podger, baroque violin

Been a while since I played this recording, but it remains my favorite performance of the solo violin works.

[listener]

KORNGOLD   Piano Sonatas   (3)
Matthijs Verschoor, piano
SAINT-SAËNS   String Quartets   in e, op.112  in G op.153
Equinox String Quartet

[Sid]

More solo piano:

Copland - Piano Sonata; Ives - 3 Page Sonata (ed. Cowell)



The piano sonata is fast becoming one of my favourite genres. I think that the mark of a truly great composer is writing a good piano sonata (now all the Bruckner & Mahler fans will disagree with this, as will Verdi & Puccini fans, too!). Copland's sonata is made up of two nocturnal sounding slow movements sandwiching a jazzy quick movement. I think there is use of blocked chords in this works, similar to things like Appalachian Spring. But, as the liner notes say, this is a more "pensive" and intimate work than his more readily accessible orchestral "Americana" works (which I'm not as huge a fan of as this one). There's quite a bit of improvisational "noodling" in this sonata, but I like it a lot. Ives' 3 Page Sonata is exactly that long. This is like a condensed version of his epic two piano sonatas. As usual with Ives, there is quotation aplently. The notes say a Bach fugue is quoted at the end, though I can't hear this (yet?), but I can clearly hear the opening "fate" theme from Beethoven's 5th near the beginning of the sonata (this was a favourite quote of Ives, it pops up in some of his other works). It's amazing to think that decades before the polystylism and collage techniques used by guys like Schnittke, Ives was already doing this kind of thing.

Liszt - Sonata in B Minor; Funerailles (played by Horowitz)



This is an epic and rather dark reading of these two key Liszt works. I haven't heard many other pianists play this kind of repertoire (I heard a friend's Brendel cd, which was naturally totally different). So I don't know if it's "correct" but I like it...

[Benji]

How do you feel about Arnold's symphonies? Personally, I really enjoy them, especially Nos. 5 & 6.

The 5th is my favourite too, and gets the most critical attention it seems. There is a educational discussion of it on the BBC Radio 3 archive if you're able to access it.

It's really 2-5 that get the vast majority of my listening attention (I love the Mahlerian slow movement of the 2nd, the Herrmann-esque sound-world of the 3rd (i've argued before that it's probably Herrmann who is Arnold-esque!) and the contrast of the rather fruity rhythmic music with some really intensely violent outbursts in the 4th. The 6th I can happily (probably not the best word...) listen to, but 7-9 are currently impenetrable to me. There is darkness in there that I can't fathom and hope never to be able to.

[Conor71]

Alfven: Symphony No. 2
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1

Ahh, the Andante from Sib's 1st.. 0:)

[Sergeant Rock]

Some orchestral Satie this fine afternoon (the Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes orchestrated by Debussy and conductor Ronald Corp); Parade the "major" work:




Sarge

[mc ukrneal]

Alfven: Symphony No. 2

I don't know that version, but I do like that symphony. I find his music highly engaging and terribly underrated.

[Conor71]

I don't know that version, but I do like that symphony. I find his music highly engaging and terribly underrated.

Im still pretty new to his works but I like what I have heard so far - The standard of the performances and sound on the Naxos Alfven recordings are very good .
I still have to listen to the 3rd so may put that one on later - Out of the others I have heard I liked the 4th the best I think.

[MN Dave]

Good morning.

[Sergeant Rock]

Disc 2 from the Barbirolli Delius box: I'm walking to paradise at the moment:




Sarge

[Benji]

Disc 2 from the Barbirolli Delius box: I'm walking to paradise at the moment:




Sarge

Careful Sarge, you might start something with this back cover posting!

I'd like to get that Delius album. Thinking about it, I wanted to get it years and years ago but I seem to remember reading some very critical comments about Delius that put me off him entirely. Now i'm a big boy I can make my own mind up! 

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

7-9 are currently impenetrable to me. There is darkness in there that I can't fathom and hope never to be able to.

The 7th is my favorite Arnold symphony, but it's scary as hell. Like a sonic record of someone's mental breakdown. A lot of his symphonies have this kind of manic-depressive darkness. It's really unsettling.

[Scarpia]

I'd like to get that Delius album. Thinking about it, I wanted to get it years and years ago but I seem to remember reading some very critical comments about Delius that put me off him entirely. Now i'm a big boy I can make my own mind up! 

That is a great set, I prefer it to the fairly similar Beecham set which was also released by EMI.  Delius was a unique, idiosyncratic talent, and you owe it to yourself to give it a try.  Typically people either love it or hate it.  I love it.   

[karlhenning]

First-Listen Fridays!

Martinů
Mikeš z hor (George of the Jungle Mikeš of the Mountains), H.375 (1959)

Martinů – Opening of the Wells &c.

[Benji]

The 7th is my favorite Arnold symphony, but it's scary as hell. Like a sonic record of someone's mental breakdown. A lot of his symphonies have this kind of manic-depressive darkness. It's really unsettling.

I'm sure that's a very apt description. Poor Sir Malcolm struggled endlessly with his demons it seems.

[karlhenning]

Martinů
String Quartet № 6, H.312 (1946)
Martinů Quartet

Martinů – String Quartets Nos. 3 & 6, &c.

Martinů
Piano Concerto № 5 (Fantasia concertante) in B Major, H.366 (1958)
Giorgio Koukl, pf
Bohuslav Martinů Phil
Arthur Fagen

Martinů – Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 5 / Concertino

[Benji]

That is a great set, I prefer it to the fairly similar Beecham set which was also released by EMI.  Delius was a unique, idiosyncratic talent, and you owe it to yourself to give it a try.  Typically people either love it or hate it.  I love it.

I'll have a listen tonight if I can get it on Napster. They have a good choice of EMI stuff so I imagine they will.

[Subotnick]

I'm dusting off this set of Brahms symphonies and reacquainting myself with them. I am enjoying them but intend to explore other cycles. There just might be better recordings out there.

[Philoctetes]

And I'm enjoying this perfomrance a lot more than the Jarrett. It's a lot more pounding, less lyricism, more enjoyment on my end.

BUT... I'm really looking forward to getting my ears around the recording below:


Everything I've heard from Lin has been stunning, and I expect this to follow, but I won't be able to get a hold of it until at least the end of next month, sadly.

[Benji]

I'm dusting off this set of Brahms symphonies and reacquainting myself with them. I am enjoying them but intend to explore other cycles. There just might be better recordings out there.

Sorry to be OT, but I have to say.... what a handsome chap Riccardo is! Or was...

Check out the youtube video of him conducting the Chicago SO in Prokofiev's 3rd symphony. Not looking his best.