What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Ponce's Violin Concerto. This is an excellent work. I would say it's more alligned to the European tradition than a Latin American one. It's still a beautiful work.

[Coopmv]

Now playing Disc 2 of this SACD set - the remainder of Goldberg Variations for a first listen ...

[Mirror Image]

Now:


Listening to Symphony No. 3 "Te Deum." Beautiful.

[Philoctetes]

In about 15 minutes or so:

[Coopmv]

Now playing this SACD I picked up at the local Borders store at 40% off for a first listen ...

[listener]

KORNGOLD   Violin Concerto op. 35
Balys DVARIONAS (1904-1972)   Pezzo elegiaco
Violin Concerto in b minor
Vadim Gluzman, violin     Residentie Orkest Den Haag        Neeme Järvi, cond.
The Dvarionas concerto is a very romantic one, with a sweet Sibelius feel and Lithuanian folk elements, and should become a favourite with those who enjoy the Khachaturian and Kabalevsky concertos.  I was impressed by Gluzman playing the Shostakovich 2nd last year, this was up to expectations.

[Brian]

The more I listen to Sculthorpe the better I like him. He's a major composer for sure. He helped put Australia on the map that's for sure,

That reminds me of one of my favorite satirical news stories, Australia Gets Drunk, Wakes Up in North Atlantic.

[Coopmv]

Now playing Disc 1 from this SACD set, which just arrived from across the pond for a first listen ...

[Coopmv]

Now playing Disc 2 from this SACD set, the remainder of Bruckner 8th ...

[Coopmv]

Back to some early music, now playing this CD, which arrived from across the pond a few weeks ago for a first listen ...

[Scarpia]

Chailly's recording of the 6th.



I like Chailly's way with this music.  He realizes that he can allow the brass (trumpets and trombones) to play with some gentleness, which allows the horns to emerge from the texture with more brilliance.  Very nicely done, overall. 

This is one of my favorites among Bruckner's cycle.  There is wonderful music in every music (well, not as much in the Scherzo compared with the others) but there are till "missed opportunities."  The first movement coda seems to be developing in such a wonderful manner, with one of the main motifs of the symphony being passed back and forth in a wonderful harmonic journey towards the tonic.  But rather than let it conclude organically, he spices on one of those typical Bruckneresq endings, all harmonic motion stopped and the entire orchestra abbreviating the final chord for the better part of a minute before abruptly halting.  So loud, and still a let-down!

[Sid]

Yes, Bruckner's 6th is perhaps my favourite symphony by him (for sentimental reasons, because it's the first work I heard by him when I was a teenager). I still have that tape of the Bavarians under Sawallisch, but now mainly listen to the VPO under Stein which I more recently got on CD. This work always makes me think of a golden sunsets & it has a bit of an autumnal feel (no wonder that Brahms apparently clapped enthusiastically at the first partial performance of some of the movements). I know Chailly is great in this repertoire as well, I used to own his classic account of "No. 0" years back...

Thread duty:

Chavez: Symphonies 1, 2, 3 & 4
LSO/Mata
VoxBox

I like how Chavez does counterpoint and how he develops themes. He was a kind of dark horse, because on the surface he seems conservative, but when you dig deeper you realise he was anything but, doing things that you wouldn't usually expect. The LSO conducted by Mata play with much polish in these recordings...

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Chailly's recording of the 6th.



I like Chailly's way with this music.  He realizes that he can allow the brass (trumpets and trombones) to play with some gentleness, which allows the horns to emerge from the texture with more brilliance. 

Nice description. I too enjoy Chailly's emphasis on understatement in Bruckner. Almost coaxing the music into existence and wonderfully lyrical.

[mc ukrneal]

Anyone who's habitually bored by Vivaldi should really check out these late concerti with Carmignola.  Beautiful playing, beautiful works, beautifully recorded... 

Musical Memories Monday (where I go to back posts and find/play something that I have too):

Yes, these are indeed beautifully done (for disc on the right).  Dazzling even!  And to think this was something of an experimental buy for me! I particularly like the use of loud/soft, contrast and texture in the playing. The textures, in particular, strike me as excellent, and something that is missing in some recordings of his music. It all results in very stylish (and well performed) Vivaldi!!

[The new erato]

Now:



Listening to Ponce's Violin Concerto. This is an excellent work. I would say it's more alligned to the European tradition than a Latin American one. It's still a beautiful work.

Perhaps this is why I find it the best work in that particular box.

[val]

BEETHOVEN:  Complete Sonatas for piano & violin           / Isabelle Faust, Melnikov  (2009)

A very beautiful version. In some moments it reminds me the duo Grumiaux/Haskil. It is perhaps the best version of the ten Sonatas of the last 30 years.

However some isolated versions remain unique: Menuhin/Kempff in the 5th, Francescatti/Casadesus in the 7th and 9th, Heifetz/Smith in the 9th.

[nigeld]

Harry, I also got that CD in the "Please Buy Me" and absolutely love it! The Robert Fuchs work is really special - for me almost equal to Brahms' clarinet quintet, but on the happy side of the balance. If you like it, then you will very much enjoy Fuchs' serenades for string orchestra!

Harry/Brian, I also picked that one up but haven't got round to listening to it yet.  I'm now very much looking forward to it.

In the same batch I did buy the Frank Bridge Piano Trio, Quartet disc pictured below.  Did either of you pick that one up?

I only have a couple of Bridge recordings, SQ's on Naxos if I remember right.  What a distinctive voice this composer has.
Thoroughly enjoying this one.

[Harry]

Harry/Brian, I also picked that one up but haven't got round to listening to it yet.  I'm now very much looking forward to it.

In the same batch I did buy the Frank Bridge Piano Trio, Quartet disc pictured below.  Did either of you pick that one up?

I only have a couple of Bridge recordings, SQ's on Naxos if I remember right.  What a distinctive voice this composer has.
Thoroughly enjoying this one.

I left the Bridge out of the batch I bought, mainly because I have difficulty to come to terms with his idiom. I find him often harsh, and dare I say it to modern. But thats my opinion. Maybe there will be a time that I can stomach him. On the other side I bought the complete set of chamber music from Malcolm Arnold, and thoroughly enjoying it.

[Harry]

Fastly I become a fan, yes fan, of the singing qualities of Claudine Ansermet. Que send me this wonderful CD, and I have played it more often as I suspected I would do, but there you go.
J'ay pris Amours, Chansons au Luth du XVI'eme siecle, is a jewel. That there are still labels out there that seem to find it worthwhile to release this music makes me happy, and grateful mind!
Paolo Cherici plays the Luth on this one, and he is often the musical partner of Claudine Ansermet. The recording is made in 1999 and sounds very intimate as befits such music. I could not imagine a better start when listening music. Absolutely wonderful.

[Harry]

Some of my musical friends thoroughly dislike the chamber music of Malcolm Arnold, they think it to loud, abrasive, to fast, restless music. It can be all that yes, but also poetic and introspective, romantic and suave in tone, joyous even. But to them its gibberish, music without aim, which makes them highly depressive. O, well, I rather like this music for all these qualities I guess. I started with his Symphonies, and must admit that I was rather surprised hearing in his chamber music so much different tones that unsettled me at first. And I admit too, that it took me quite some time to listen to this music. The Violin sonatas felt good to me, but when the Piano trio opus 54 came round the corner I was like oops, wrong music. The second volume I am listening to, is not one you should take at one hearing, even for my ears that too much of the good thing, The playing is as ever exemplary, as it the recording. The works are:
Opus 19/29/28/41/87/86/88/6/90/89.
Short works for Flute/Clarinet/Oboe/Bassoon/Viola/Horn.