What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Elgarian]

It's so hard not to listen to Wagner's music for me ...

Same for me right now, Ilaria. I've been cherry-picking favourite chunks from the Boulez/Chereau Ring on DVD, watching for the first time on Big New TV. Gwyneth Jones. Oh my.

[Elgarian]

For Wagner is a jealous god, and will pout if thou hast any other composers before him.

There's a rumour that he's got his own Shed, Karl. Is that right?

[Karl Henning]

Can't give ear to every rumor about Wagner, Alan!

[Lisztianwagner]

For Wagner is a jealous god, and will pout if thou hast any other composers before him.

Even if I put Wagner himself before him?

Well, listening only to Beethoven is not a great sacrifice though; it would have been if Beethoven hadn't been my 2nd absolute favourite composer.

Same for me right now, Ilaria. I've been cherry-picking favourite chunks from the Boulez/Chereau Ring on DVD, watching for the first time on Big New TV. Gwyneth Jones. Oh my.

That's amazing, Alan!

[Karl Henning]

You know you want to listen to some Liszt, Ilaria! : )

[Elgarian]

That's amazing, Alan!

Yes, it truly is. I've watched it many times of course, but to see it now, so huge, and to hear it in sound quality so much better than was possible hitherto ... well, really, it does seem to make everything else feel a bit tame! These plasma TVs are so much better than our old steam-driven one, when it comes to watching Wagner.

[madaboutmahler]

Well, listening only to Beethoven is not a great sacrifice though; it would have been if Beethoven hadn't been my 2nd absolute favourite composer.

I should have listened to some Beethoven today....

hmmm.... I'll sneakily sneak in a listen to the 7th symphony before I go to bed tonight. LSO/Haitink

[classicalgeek]

Highlights from the morning and early afternoon:
Barber's 'Die Natali' with Marin Alsop:
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Not Barber's finest work, but Alsop does it well, like the rest of her Barber series.

Here's the Strauss/Marco Polo series again.  'Wiener Bonbons' this time:
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The first Piano Trio by Robert Casadesus:
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Another fine composer (much) better known as a performer!  Delightful in the vein of Roussel, Schmitt et. al.

Mozart Clarinet Concerto with Emma Johnson:
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Up now, Beethoven op. 10 no. 1 from Barenboim's second (DG) set:
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[kishnevi]

If you are looking for something "different", then I would suggest skipping the Holst disc, and trying 7, 8 and 10. Bush's symphonies I don't get along with, but they're anything but typical works, and of the others, they have a more modernist bent than the first six discs of the set. The disc of concertos for orchestra is a valuable addition to the catalogue.

You don't get along with Bush's symphonies!  How perfectly awful. 

BUSH IS BL__DY BRILLIANT!

I listened to the Bush CD from the British Symphonies box.  Symphony 2 was very nice and pleasant, totally pastoral, which one expects from the movement and symphony titles, after all, in that English sort of way that makes one expect a sheep to tumble out of the CD player and sit down to have a cuppa with you.   I can understand you not being enthused about that one.

But Symphony 1 !!!!! 

It's one of the best 20th century symphonies I've heard, quite as good as anything RVW produced.  An orchestra that hasn't performed this work should be heartily ashamed of themselves.  I'd say it was a sort of Prokofievan work, but with enough differences to make it not merely a Prokofievan epigone.

This performance was by a (school of music) student orchestra.  One wonders how much more awesome it would sound with say, the Berliners or the Vienna Phil guys, or at least the Halle.

And Harry, this box was a wonderful suggestion, if only for this Bush CD and the RVW.

[Mirror Image]

Yes, it's that one on EMI; well, as Opus106 said, I admire Vaughan-Williams' works a lot (especially the Sea Symphony), but so far I haven't bought any cd featuring his music, I've restricted myself to listening it on youtube.
Beautiful description of RVW's style!

Oh sorry, Ilaria. I misunderstood you. I would buy the Boult on EMI. Run, don't walk to that store and buy it now! But seriously, it's a fine set, I think you'll enjoy it a lot. That set also contains many other goodies like the Concerto for Two Pianos and, one of my personal favorites, Job, A Masque for Dancing.

[pi2000]

Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr. 19 F-dur KV 459 (27:57)
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr. 27 B-dur KV 595 (29:24)
Klaviersonate F-dur KV 280 (189e) (12:16)

[asin]B000001GX3[/asin]

Magic disc!

[Opus106]

(By the way, is your name Nav or am I wrong?)

The name's Navneeth, but Nav is a perfectly acceptable contraction of it.

[springrite]

John Kinsella Symphony #3 and #4 (National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Duinn)

[Que]

.[asin]B00019EYQG[/asin]

Yet another sunny day, and it's only March!

(Sorry for the excitement, but nice weather is a rarity around here  0:))

Q

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

You don't get along with Bush's symphonies!  How perfectly awful. 

BUSH IS BL__DY BRILLIANT!

I listened to the Bush CD from the British Symphonies box.  Symphony 2 was very nice and pleasant, totally pastoral, which one expects from the movement and symphony titles, after all, in that English sort of way that makes one expect a sheep to tumble out of the CD player and sit down to have a cuppa with you.   I can understand you not being enthused about that one.

But Symphony 1 !!!!! 

It's one of the best 20th century symphonies I've heard, quite as good as anything RVW produced.  An orchestra that hasn't performed this work should be heartily ashamed of themselves.  I'd say it was a sort of Prokofievan work, but with enough differences to make it not merely a Prokofievan epigone.

This performance was by a (school of music) student orchestra.  One wonders how much more awesome it would sound with say, the Berliners or the Vienna Phil guys, or at least the Halle.

And Harry, this box was a wonderful suggestion, if only for this Bush CD and the RVW.

You could try this one, I have it too, and its certainly different.

[springrite]

Joan Tower:
Silver Ladders
Island Prelude
Music for Cello and Orchestra (with Lynn Harrell)
Sequoia
St. Louis Symphony, Slatkins

[Que]

Q

[Conor71]

Stockhausen: Tierkreis

Spent today listening to the Beethoven set in its entirety and now listening to the second Disc of my Stockhausen set - I like the Beethoven very much and think it's a great set of performances. Next I will listen to the first Disc of the Ligeti Project to finish off the day

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Browsing one's to listen piles yield fine recordings, and this one is certainly one of them.

Reflexions.

Louis Antoine Dornel.

Dornel's reputation today is of a second rate performer, whatever that may mean. Its a concept alien to me, and that will always be! True the quality of his works may be uneven, but always well written, and the works on this CD merit my listening time. On this CD recording are the works for Flute and BC. The works were mainly published during the reign of Louis XIV, but somehow reflects more the character of the regency time. Anyhow I think this set shows Dornel at his best, and that is due to the excellent musicians on this disc. they deliver flawless performances very well recorded. Jacques Ogg, plays on a Adlam Burnett, after Blanchet is sounds sublime, but no date is giving when it was build. The tuning is a'=392 Hz. A well documented booklet comes with this release.

Livres de Simphonies 1709, Third suite, Fifth suite.
Sonatas a Violon seul et suites pour la flute Traversiere 1711. (opus 2) First suite, Fourth suite, Second suite.
Concerts de simphonies 1723, "Le Marsillac",
Sonates en Trio pour les Flutes allemandes, Violons, Hautbois, 1713, ( opus 3) Third sonate.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Q

That Que looks absolutely yummy. Pray give us/me your votes about this one.