What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Papy Oli]

good morning all 

just starting this one :

[Subotnick]

Morning! Starting my day with a selection by Kalevi Aho. The 13th symphony is next.

[val]

GLUCK:      Iphigenie en Tauride                    / Montague, Aler, Gardiner  (1985)

A splendid direction of Gardiner, a very beautiful Choir, and very convincing performances of John Aler (Pylade) and Thomas Allen (Oreste).

But René Massis seems mediocre in Thoas and Diane Montague a very pale Iphigenia. We can dream of what Maria Callas or Astrid Varnay would do with such a role.

[Novi]

good morning all 

just starting this one :

Hey, you finally picked this one up! How are you finding it? Some of my favourite Schumann and Chopin on this one. 0:)

[Mirror Image]

GMG is back up!!! First post in a day! The server was down? Could anybody give any information regarding this? Moderators?

Now listening:



A beautiful disc that reveals the talents of this remarkable composer who left us way too soon (died at age 24). Anyone who's into early 20th Century French music should definitely acquire this recording at some point.

[Philoctetes]

Finally found some Haydn that I loved:



Booming sonics. 

Next week I start gorging myself on Haydn (I have about 20 or so discs that I'm getting from my local library system.)

[listener]

The server problem was noticed here also.   Glad to see it up an running.  (I had problems connecting with a few other sites as well.)
Weekend listening
Benedetto MARCELLO (1686 - 1739)  12 Concerti a Cinque, op. 1
I Solist di Milano    Angelo Ephrikian, cond.     Franco Fantini, Tino Banchetta, solo violins.
Pre-Bach (who transcribed the second concerto for solo harpsichord) and Vivaldi, so there's not a lot of experimentation in forms.     But pleasant.
SHOSTAKOVICH   String Quartet 13, op.138       Violin Sonata, op.134
The Beethoven String Quartet           David Oistrakh/Sviatoslav Richter
Not fearsomely complex, but worth a repeat hearing while the memory is fresh.
DVORAK     Symphony  7 in d, op. 70
Pierre Monteux/ London Symphony O.
prepping myself for a Monday concert.   Elgar Cello Concerto as well.
HOLST   Hammersmith Prelude & Scherzo    JACOB William Byrd Suite
WALTON   Crown Imperial March
Eastman Wind Ensemble/Frederick Fennell
Canadian pressing of an otherwise splendid disc.  (Cozart - Fine producer & engineer)

[val]

SCHUBERT:   Winterreise                       / Peter Schreier, Svjatoslav Richter

Schreier never had a beautiful voice, and it didn't get better with the age. But he has a remarkable diction and a deep sense of the text that reminds me Patzak. Richter seems almost humble, never imposing himself. This version is far from being perfect but it is one of the most desperate interpretations I heard of Winterreise.

[Harry]

Gioachino Rossini, Arrangement by Ottorio Respighi.

La Boutique Fantasque.
Ballet.

Gioachino Rossini, Arrangement by Benjamin Britten.

Soirees Musicales .
Matinees Musicales.

National PO, Richard Bonynge.
Recorded in 1982.

Let me say one thing first, I love this 35 disc box with practically all ballet music available. so far the performances have been very good, and the sound is old fashioned Decca sound, luscious, with a lot of dept. Respighi's arrangements are fabulous, the man has a knack for being able to write for ballet, always interesting often exhilarating.  I really enjoyed La Boutique Fantasque very much and could listen endlessly to it. Benjamin Britten is also a wizard with notes for I thoroughly enjoyed his arrangements too, witty and so full of zest, I played it over and over again. I take this box in slowly for I want to savor it, for it is not very likely that I will ever play this box again. To many CD'S I am afraid. As a sideline; When 2 weeks ago I was in a big store called the Media market, I collected a large amount of Helios CD'S, for I had some coupons to spend. When I had about 15 in my hands suddenly came some sort of definitive thought, that this would be the very last bunch of CD'S I bought. Enough is enough I thought, almost put them back again. My back list of listening has become unbearably long, and that is not the object of it all. I hope I can keep this promise to myself, but I am afraid.....

[Conor71]

Evening all - first listen of this newly-arrived Opera .

[Harry]

In the weekend when GMG was not on line, and it is still not working properly, I listen my way through this.



Jerusalem, City of the two peaces: Heavenly peace and Earthly peace.

This is really a unique project. Just be stunned by the book provided with this recording, with so much useful info, and a thorough explanation of the music and its time, the variety of instruments voices styles, makes this remarkable in every way. Such is not done anymore. Jordi Savall makes it work, and although I am not a fan of the singing of his wife, I bought it fully realizing that something like this will not happen soon again. Recording is very good apart from a piece that was recorded in 1950, sung by Shlomo Katz. Greatly moved I was by his lament for the victims of concentration camps during WW II.

[Harry]

From the Danube through the Carpathians.

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Gypsy.

Taken from different labels this CD gives us a great variety of styles in Folk music, of which the Romanian was the most interesting. in all cases the sound was good, and the performances exemplary. No image I am afraid. Produced in 1997 by Ellipsis arts Records, a company based in the USA.

[Harry]

The Budapest Klezmer Band, founded in 1990, comes from the heart of Europe, from the very geographic location where klezmer music originates. The Band's performance is an exciting musical experience in traditional Jewish folklore. They play musical arrangements, composed by the founder and musical director of the ensemble, Ferenc Jбvori, who grew up in the former Munkбcs (Munkacevo, now part of the Ukraine). Jбvori learned and played klezmer with the last surviving musicians from a once flourishing community where this music was an integral part of Jewish life. Other members of the band are also exceptional musicians, most being graduates of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music of Budapest.

The performance by the Budapest Klezmer Band transfers the audience back to now extinct joyous times in Central and Eastern Europe, when traditional Jewish music was part of the community's cultural fabric. The Band also specializes in theatrical productions, appearing on stage with performers. They are currently featured in the ballet PURIM, The Casting of Fate, and in the Fiddler on the Roof production of the prestigious Madбch Theater in Budapest. Their climactic performances with the famous Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra playing at the Academy of Music in Budapest were resounding successes and were heralded as an initial step in bringing klezmer music to the classical concert hall. In 2000 the Pro Cultura Foundation of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences awarded Kodбly Zoltбn Cultural Prize to the Budapest Klezmer Band for promoting and spreading Yiddish musical tradition, and in August of 2003 tne band got the Artisjus Prize.

One of my favourite Klezmer bands, and this recording is very good.

[Harry]

Traditional Music from the Balkans,
Arrangements Nikola Parov.

Nikola and friends.

Nikola Parov plays: Gadulka, Kerman, Ud, Bouzouki, Tambour, Contrebass, Cornemuse, Kaval, Clarinet, Saxophone, Duduk, Nay, Qanoun, Baglama, Tapan, Percussion.
Ivan Barvich, Viola Tambour.
Laszlo Major, Viele.
Vladimir Krunity, Accordeon.
Almassalma Ahmed Kheir, Derbuka.
Recorded in 1990.

One of my all time favourites in Folk music. The amazing amount of instruments Parov  plays in nothing short of genial. As are his arrangements. Well recorded. My only complaint would be the playing time, 48:25, but then it is so wonderful that it hardly matters.

[Sergeant Rock]

Beethoven, Piano Concerto #3, Gould, Bernstein




Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Bach WTC, Book II, Barenboim




Sarge

[AndyD.]

This weekend:

W. A. Mozart : Adagio and fugue K 546 (Ensemble Les Adieux)

I'd never heard this piece before, and hearing it marks the first time in a long while that I was really interested in Mozart.

I think, in terms of quality composition, this rates easily with his best.  When I recall the composer's quote that  "I get paid far too much for what I do, and far too little for what I could do.", the latter definitely seems to apply. Fantastic piece of music.

J.S. Bach Mass in Bm (recordings by Gardiner, Herrweghe)

Familiar with this piece, but mostly the Gardiner. I learned this weekend that there is a far more dramatic recording (the Herrweghe). So , of course, being into heavy metal church music, I prefer the latter by far. What a Kyrie!

J.S. Bach Violin Sonata no. 1 in Gm (Recording by Milstein (the most recent), Perlman (EMI) , Grumiaux, Szeryng)

Been very obssessed with this piece. Found the Szeryng most effecting, though the Milstein and Grumiaux had plenty of stirring highlights. The Szeryng and Milstein had outstanding intonation.

[MN Dave]

Bach WTC, Book II, Barenboim

I've been listening to Edwin Fischer.

[Florestan]

Joseph Haydn

Piano Sonata in D Major Hob XVI:37

Christoph Eschenbach

[CD]