What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Coming down from a great height after the 5 th Symphony of Schnittke, I turn again to this fine composer, that returns my listening with harmonious rewards. Hurlstone is a fine composer in the British tradition, that seems to be largely forgotten where it not for Lyrita who found it their worth to record music from him. This CD has been often in my player and will return many times. The recording is fantastic, and the performance leaves nothing to be desired.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Carl Reinecke.

Harp concerto, opus 182.

Elsie Bedleem, Harp.
Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt, Heribert Beissel.
Recorded in 2001

What a fine work this concerto is, and under the hands of Bedleem it shines brightly. Beissel and his orchestra follow faithfully, not passive, but actively involving themselves with much gusto. Just listen at the second movement, that will make your heart melt. Wonderful!
The recording is direct, finely detailed, but keep the volume low, lest you be blown away.

[Brahmsian]

Good morning! 

Bruckner

Rondo for string quartet in C minor
Intermezzo for String Quintet in D minor

String Quintet in F major

Raphael Quartet
Prunella Pacey - Viola II

Globe

[Keemun]

.
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[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Carl Reinecke.

Symphony No. 3 in G minor, opus 227.

Brandenburgisches staatsorchester, Heribert Beissel.

Non but praise heaped on this performance, and without doubt one of the best works Reinecke wrote. Strong in melody, powerful propulsions of beautiful string/brass writing. Cannot recommend this enough. The sound is detailed and little muffled at times, but you ain't missing anything.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Alfred Schnittke.

Symphony No. 6. (1992)

BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Tadaaki Otaka.
Recorded in July 1995.

Schnittke gets darker and more austere in his writing of the later Symphonies, sometimes hard and unforgiving, but brilliantly written, although by no means easy listening, but if you persevere you get instant rewards directly in the beginning of the Symphony around 4:00-4:40 with some beautiful brass, followed by heart rendering strings, going out in a minor key, again followed up by such medieval brass, that you may think yourself back many hundreds of years ago. Marvellous! Again a winner for me, I can't for the life on me not understand why one would dislike Schnittke. But then I dislike Stockhausen intensely. so there must be a logic inside the beast. Performance is perfect, as is the sound.

[PaulR]

Never got through the whole opera yet.  Hoping to this time!

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Alfred Schnittke.

Symphony No. 8. (1994.

Norrkoping SO, Lu Jia.

Beautiful! Words fail me, what a heart rendering music this is.

[Brahmsian]

Sibelius

1  &  4

Maazel
WP

London

[Mirror Image]

I have to admit that this is one of those recordings I found absolutely no point to. After three listens it still gave me absolutely nothing, and it is currently in a part of the archive where I seriously doubt it will ever resurface from.

I can agree with this. The music on that disc doesn't quite go anywhere. But if I approached this music as ambient music, it makes much more sense. There's not any drama in this music that's for sure.

[Brahmsian]

Sibelius

1  &  4

Maazel
WP

London

When I post symphonies only in large font and only by the #, you can just automatically assume that I REALLY, REALLY like them.   

[SonicMan46]

Haydn - Keyboard Sonatas - Brautigam on fortepiano - stimulated by recent posts in the composer's 'Piano Sonatas' thread -

[DavidRoss]

When I post symphonies only in large font and only by the #, you can just automatically assume that I REALLY, REALLY like them.   

Mahler

3

Horenstein, LSO

Unicorn

[Brahmsian]

Mahler

3

Horenstein, LSO

Unicorn

You da man! 

[Keemun]

Alfvén
Symphony No. 1
Neeme Järvi
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra

[Conor71]

Schumann: Symphony No. 3


To celebrate the recent elevation of this Symphony in the game thread! - first listen from this newly arrived set


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[DavidRoss]

You da man! 

Just my way of saying, "Howdy," Ray! 

[PaulR]

[North Star]

Endellion String Quartet: Beethoven: 2nd string quartet, op.18 no.2

[Antoine Marchand]

Stephen Kovacevich Plays Beethoven
CD5 - Diabelli Variations & Sonata in D minor op. 31 No. 2

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