What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Conor71]

Now Playing:

[asin]B000GYHXMI[/asin]

Martinu: Piano Trio's

[Lethevich]

.[asin]B000BBYS5G[/asin]

A few of his "nocturnes": Gulistān, Djâmi, Le jardin parfumé, and maybe some of his other moderate-length works (c.25m).

[not edward]

First listen to this late Nono collection; excellent stuff.

[asin]B000025BQG[/asin]

I'm liking the slower, more spacious take on Das Atmende Klarsein here, and Con Luigi Dallapiccola comes over as a strong work as well. If Hinterhauser doesn't erase memories of Pollini in ...sofferte onde serene..., I'm not overly concerned.

[PaulR]

Ein Heldenleben

Not really a huge Strauss fan, but really enjoying this.  Maybe I am starting to warm to Strauss.

[Fëanor]

I find this a typical, boring Romantic work; I was glad when it finished and won't listen again for a long time.  I'd be charitable saying I'm indifferent to Schumann.

Robert Schumann: Symphony no 3 in E flat major, Op. 97 "Rhenish" ~ James Levine / Berlin Philharmonic

[springrite]

I find this a typical, boring Romantic work; I was glad when it finished and won't listen again for a long time.  I'd be charitable saying I'm indifferent to Schumann.

Robert Schumann: Symphony no 3 in E flat major, Op. 97 "Rhenish" ~ James Levine / Berlin Philharmonic

Well, he's no Carter. 

Now listening:
Schumann Fantasy in C (Fiorentino)

[kishnevi]

just finished the second listen for the day for this one, which I got today from Amazon:


Not bad, but in a field with many competitors, nothing I would call outstanding.

Now beginning:

which I also got today, but from Arkivmusic.

[Sid]

Good evening all 

not listened to this one in a long while 

[asin]B0002TXT5M[/asin]

That's the only Arvo Part choral disc I have, and I like it quite a bit. I particularly like the main work, the Berlin Mass. I went to a performance of this work a year ago done by the Sydney Chamber Choir under Paul Stanhope out in the Blue Mountains town of Glenbrook. Amy Johanson was at the organ console. The modern "organic" style church with it's wood interior in that natural bush setting was kind of appropriate for this work. That recording has string orchestra accompaniment, but the I could hear Part's bell like sounds and textures more clearly in the organ version. The choral genre is fast becoming one of my favourites, I like choral music of all periods & recent "discoveries" have been Monteverdi & Haydn (see below)...

[Sid]

Last night's listening went like this -

HAYDN
- Symphonies Nos. 49 in F minor "La Passione" & 50 in C major (Philharmonia Hungarica/Antal Dorati) World Record Club Australia tape
- The Creation (2 discs) (Soloists/Cologne Orch. & Choir/Andreas Spering) Naxos

MAHLER
- Songs of a Wayfarer (Christa Ludwig, mezzo soprano/Philharmonia Orch./Adrian Boult) EMI

MONTEVERDI
- Vespers of 1610 (2 disc set, with following bonus tracks) -
- Salve, O Regina for tenor & organ
ALLEGRI
- Miserere mei
SCHUTZ Three motets -
- Fili mi Absalon for bass, brass, organ
- Heu mihi Domine for bass solo & choir
- O Quam tu pulchra es for tenor, bass, lute, strings, organ
PALESTRINA
- Stabat Mater for solo vocal group & men's choir
Pro Cantione Antiqua UK, Mark Brown, Edgar Fleet, Collegium Aureum, Musica Fiata & Hannover Boys Choir, Heinz Hennig - direction.
Alto label

I started with Haydn - two symphonies that are as different from eachother as night and day (almost literally!). The 49th symphony is the darkest work that I've heard by Haydn. The structure is unusual, that of a church sonata (four movements, slow-fast-slow-fast). The themes are cyclical, those of the two slow movements are related to eachother as are those of the two fast ones. This is quite an intense work, for Haydn anyway. The consecutive 50th symphony is more in the familiar Haydn territory, a light work which is less harmonically adventurous. The 49th symphony had harpsichord as continuo, but the 50th symphony was without this.

Then more Haydn, the magnificent Creation oratorio, which I've been familiarising myself with as I want to go to a concert of it later this month if I can. Then Mahler's Wayfarer Songs which is also being played at a concert on the weekend here in Sydney. This work was premiered with a male vocalist, I'm not sure but maybe Mahler preferred it to be sung by a male? Anyhow, I'm sure that if he'd heard Christa Ludwig singing this set, he would have tipped his hat to her, no doubt. Hers is a very deep and dark interpretation of the texts, written by the composer, and one cannot but feel that she was born to sing Mahler's rather sad and angst ridden songs.

To finish, the Monteverdi Vespers set, which I got earlier in the week. It was my first time last night listening to Allegri's Misere mei, which kind of reminded me of Gregorian chant, though not as simple. This set has been my first exposure to the works other than the Vespers, and I've enjoyed every moment...

[asin]B0007XHKZI[/asin][asin]B00005NPJF[/asin][asin]B004CZ6IG4[/asin]

[karlhenning]

Actually I listen to this a great deal:

Mompou
Música callada
the composer playing

[asin]B0001GAVNY[/asin]

[Scarpia]

Actually I listen to this a great deal:

Mompou
Música callada
the composer playing

[asin]B0001GAVNY[/asin]

Goofing off when you should be listening to Wagner, I see.  Tsk, tsk.

[Mirror Image]

Now:

[asin]B000095SL0[/asin]

Listening to Le buisson ardent. Gorgeous. I was going to listen to some Mahler, but I'm in the mood for some Koechlin. I mean who didn't see that coming?

[Coco]

Simply an exquisite piece!  I don't have any objection to the string orchestra version, but I always find the original sextet even more satisfying.

Now, you still find the occasional fossile who wrings his (or her) hands over the fact that, in his long career, Stravinsky "never wrote anything so beautiful as" L'oiseau de feu, nor Schoenberg with Verklärte Nacht. Balderdash! The later beauties are as striking and as fulfilling as the early triumphs.

There! I've said it!

Absolutely agree.

[Coco]

Music must speak in a language we ALL understand.  Looks like the only allie I have on the matter is Bruno Walter, who didn't think it made much sense either.

Okay. Stick to Lady Gaga then.

[Coco]

What do you mean by "bourgeois listener"?

Basically the bulk of concert goers and listeners of recordings who buy into the luxury of classical music that is being sold to them — as opposed to the specialist listener who approaches them as works of art. Obviously we don't have many of the former on this site.

[Brahmsian]

Happy Centenary, boy!

Mahler 5

Tennstedt
LPO
EMI Classics

[Mirror Image]

I guess I'll celebrate the Mahler centenary. I mean this only happens, what, every 100 years or so?

Now playing:

[asin]B000009MCC[/asin]

Listening to Symphony No. 9. Remarkable.

[Que]

Q

[listener]

Please don't tempt me... there's a Canadian postal strike probable next week.  So clearing a shelf for second hearing:
COPLAND  The Red Pony suite, Music for Movies, Letter from Home, Down a Country Lane
London Symphony Orch., New Philharmonia Orch.      Copland conducting
William SCHUMAN Piano Concerto (1942)     Walter PISTON Concertino for Piano and Small Orchestra
Gary Steigerwalt, piano
M.I.T. Symphony Orch.,   David Epstein, cond.
Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York,  Richard Kapp, cond.
BRAHMS  Liebesliederr, Neue Liebeslieder  opp. 52 & 65
BBC Singers, Jane Glover, cond.
Catherine Edwards, John Alley, piano duet
SPOHR  3 Psalms, op. 85       MEYERBEER  Psalm 91
BBC Singers,  Simon Joly, cond.
Has the texts and translations!  and came with the BBC Music Magazine

[mc ukrneal]

BRAHMS  Liebesliederr, Neue Liebeslieder  opp. 52 & 65
BBC Singers, Jane Glover, cond.
Catherine Edwards, John Alley, piano duet

How did you like this? This was a choral version instead of the 4 soloists?