What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[The new erato]

This specific recording (w/ Minkowski) made me a fan and also taught me a valuable lesson of being patient with music before dismissing it out-of-hand.

I've always found that when scores of well respected critics and scholars predict a composer as very fine, they usually have a point - and persevere in my listening efforts. Usually I come round and feel the wiser for it. My ongoing project is Messiaen. 

[The new erato]

Is this the disc with the Hindemith op 44 Schulwerk? I think I have that on LP; it was my introduction to Hindemith and I've always wondered why it isn't heard more.

[karlhenning]

Good morning, all!

In solidarity for our dear Harry's surgery:

Пётр Ильич [Pyotr Ilyich]
Symphony № 2 in c minor, Little Russian Opus 17
Philharmonia
Muti

[Brahmsian]

Good morning, all!

In solidarity for our dear Harry's surgery:

Пётр Ильич [Pyotr Ilyich]
Symphony № 2 in c minor, Little Russian Opus 17
Philharmonia
Muti

Was for a long time, my favorite Tchaikovsky symphony! 

[jlaurson]

Again & again. Soothing the deadline pressure.


J. Haydn
Opus 76
Takacs Quartet
Decca

[karlhenning]

Was for a long time, my favorite Tchaikovsky symphony! 

Nothing second-tier about this symphony. Stunning scherzo, in particular!

[Brahmsian]

Nothing second-tier about this symphony. Stunning scherzo, in particular!

Karl, now you make me want to pull out the Muti Tchaikovsky box and listen to it.  You are a bad good influence. 

[karlhenning]

A perennial favorite of mine:

Пётр Ильич [Pyotr Ilyich]
Solemn Overture, 1812 Opus 49
Phila Orch
Muti

[Benji]

A perennial favorite of mine:

Пётр Ильич [Pyotr Ilyich]
Solemn Overture, 1812 Opus 49
Phila Orch
Muti

Frasier would not approve

[karlhenning]

Wow! This is a flat-out thrilling account of this old chestnut, Ben.  No dutiful tedium here!

FWIW, I also have an Ormandy/Phila recording of the Overture, and Muti bats Ormandy's waistcoat off.

[Benji]

Wow! This is a flat-out thrilling account of this old chestnut, Ben.  No dutiful tedium here!

FWIW, I also have an Ormandy/Phila recording of the Overture, and Muti bats Ormandy's waistcoat off.

There's no denying it's good for a good air-conducting workout.

I am not ashamed to say I got out William Schuman's New England Triptych this last weekend for just that reason.

[Philoctetes]

[Mirror Image]

I've always found that when scores of well respected critics and scholars predict a composer as very fine, they usually have a point - and persevere in my listening efforts. Usually I come round and feel the wiser for it. My ongoing project is Messiaen. 

Messiaen is a tough nut to crack. He's currently in my "I don't get him yet" file. I'm hoping, in time, this will change.

[Benji]

I've also been listening to this recently, and another disc of Silvestrov's Silent Songs. It's powerful stuff, right?

[jlaurson]

Karl, now you make me want to pull out the Muti Tchaikovsky box and listen to it.  You are a bad good influence. 

This could REALLY help! One of my dearest friends, not particularly musically inclined, perked up and found immediate interest in Messiaen. I showed it to her in anticipation of a Messiaen concert which she then found very tolerable. :-)



O l i v i e r    M e s s i a e n
T h e   C r y s t a l   L i t u r g y

J u x t a p o s i t i o n

[Philoctetes]

I've also been listening to this recently, and another disc of Silvestrov's Silent Songs. It's powerful stuff, right?

I'll give you my thoughts once I give it a spin. I'm expecting that I will enjoy it very much, though.

[listener]

some SAINT-SAËNS organ music 
3 Rhapsodies on Breton Themes op. 7   3 Preludes & Fugues  op. 109      3  Fantaisies  opp.101, 157, in E^b
Margaret Phillips     Exeter Cathedral organ 
splendid recording.!
SCHUMANN   disc 2 of the Vox set with Peter Frankl and Andras Schiff
Ball-Szenen, op.109       8 Polonaises, op.111
unfamiliar and (s)light.

[prémont]

I didn't feel that giving the two melody lines to violin and viola da gamba was ideal for clarity.    I've recently gotten this one:

Neither did I, but fortunately the gamba plays the bass part most of the time. Still there is something rushed, almost nervous about the Purcell Qt´s interpretation, and I much prefer the more substantial London Baroque.

[Scarpia]

Neither did I, but fortunately the gamba plays the bass part most of the time. Still there is something rushed, almost nervous about the Purcell Qt´s interpretation, and I much prefer the more substantial London Baroque.

This one is also interesting.  The wind instruments can give the impression of an extremely lithe organ.

[karlhenning]

This could REALLY help! One of my dearest friends, not particularly musically inclined, perked up and found immediate interest in Messiaen. I showed it to her in anticipation of a Messiaen concert which she then found very tolerable. :-)

Jens, I think you were strying to help MI:

Messiaen is a tough nut to crack. He's currently in my "I don't get him yet" file. I'm hoping, in time, this will change.