What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Gurn Blanston]

Ole Bull was rather a famous Norwegian violinist of the mid 19th century. One can scarcely hear any of his music today, but this disk has the cream of it;



A typical representative of the class 'composer/virtuoso' which hung on well into that era, despite the fact that the composer and the player were rapidly becoming 2 distinct species. Very listenable, in the vein of Wieniawski and Vieuxtemps. If you like this genre of music, this is a well worth collecting disk.

[mc ukrneal]

Ole Bull was rather a famous Norwegian violinist of the mid 19th century. One can scarcely hear any of his music today, but this disk has the cream of it;



A typical representative of the class 'composer/virtuoso' which hung on well into that era, despite the fact that the composer and the player were rapidly becoming 2 distinct species. Very listenable, in the vein of Wieniawski and Vieuxtemps. If you like this genre of music, this is a well worth collecting disk.

If you like that one, you might like this one too:
[asin]B003NRYBGQ[/asin]

[Gurn Blanston]

If you like that one, you might like this one too:
[asin]B003NRYBGQ[/asin]

Yes, mine has;

Bull Concerto Fantastico for Violin
Bull Concerto in A for Violin
Bull 'Et Saterbesog' (A Mountain Vision) for Violin & Orchestra
Bull 'I Ensomme Stunde' (La Melancolie) for Violin & Orchestra
Bull 'La Verbena de San Juan' for Violin & Orchestra
Bull 'Saterjentens Sondag' (The Herdgirl's Sunday) for Violin & Orchestra

So there is very little overlap in material. This new one has quite a few 'songs' on it. Looks interesting. Thanks!

[Gold Knight]

On Spotify:

Harold Shapero--Symphony for Classical Orchestra, performed by the New York PHilharmonic under the stick of Leonard Bernstein.
Igor Stravinsky--Symphony of Psalms {1948 Version}, once again featuring the New York Philharmonic and Maestro Bernstein.
Walter Piston--Symphony No.2, performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Michael Tilson Thomas.
Walter Piston--Symphony No.2, featuring Leon Botstein conducting the American Symphony Orchestra.

[Mirror Image]

On Spotify:

Gavriil Popov--Symphony No.1, Op.7 and Symphony No.2, Op.39 {"The Homeland"}, both featuring the St.Petersburg  State Academic Symphony Orchestra led by Alexander Titov. I agree with John; I also find the Second Symphony to be more melodic and varies than the First. It reminds me more than a little bit stylistically of Shostakovitch and--to a lesser extent, perhaps--Prokofiev.

Great symphony! Hopefully, my copy will be in the mail soon and I can blast it through the stereo.

[Mirror Image]

Now:

[asin]B002VVRKCW[/asin]

Listening to Symphony No. 1. Audio is only serviceable. It's not excellent. I would only rate it as good. But I can tell this is a symphony of much power and drive. Hope for a better recording of it, but looks like this is all we have right now.

[TheGSMoeller]

Two 4-star recordings of Haydn symphonies. Orpheus CO can do no wrong with Haydn, they bring such a romantic quality to the closing section of "Farewell". And Der Goltz's No.80 might be the best on record.

[Que]

A small taste of the other disc of this 2CD set before I'm off to work.

 

Q

[listener]

some chamber music to end the evening
BACH: Partita for Solo Violin no.3,   BRAHMS: Sonata 3 for Violin and Piano
Jaime Laredo, violin      Vladimir Sokoloff, violin
HAYDN String Quartet in G, op. 76/1      BRAHMS  String Quartet 3  in a  op. 51/2
Tokyo String Quartet

[Wakefield]

A Viennese night:

Three Mozart's piano sonatas from 1775: KV. 279, 280 & 281 in two interpretations:

[asin]B0013LUD9S[/asin]
CD1
Claude Kelecom fortepiano after Johann Andreas Stein (1788), Brussels, 1978


CD 6: Early Sonatas and Variations
Anonymous fortepiano, Vienna ca. 1785, Collection Edwin Beunk
[plus 12 Variations KV. 179 (1774) on a Menuet by Johann Christian Fischer & 6 variations KV. 180 (1773) on "Mio caro Adone" from the opera "La fiera di Venezia" by Antonio Salieri]

And some Haydn, too:

[asin]B0000502AH[/asin]
CD6
Program Five. "Your Most Serene Highness!" ("Prince Esterházy Sonatas," 1774).
Harpsichord in French Style (c. 1770) by Yves Beaupré (2007). Ceremonial room, Eszterháza (Fertöd).

Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:21(1773)
Sonata in E major, Hob. XVI:22(1773)
Sonata in F major, Hob. XVI:23(1773)
Sonata in D major, Hob. XVI:24(1773)

Both Lubimov and van Oort do an excellent job, although tonight I maybe prefer the more alive approach and tempi of van Oort. Additionally, his original instrument sounds more compelling than the copy used by Lubimov. Favourite movement: The Adagio of the Sonata KV. 280 in both performances.

The Haydn is pure enjoyment: unobjectable interpretations and sumptuous sound quality. Favorite work: Sonata in F major, Hob. XVI:23, particularly its amazing Adagio. 

[Opus106]

"Mio caro Adone" from the opera "La fiera di Venezia" by Antonio Salieri

Funny little tune, but it yielded some good things.

[Conor71]

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 In A Major, Op. 141


Now playing Disc 01 of the Jansons box which has Symphonies Nos. 1 & 15 on it. The performance of the 1st with the BPO was a good one. The 15th is currently playing - not one of my favourites from Shostakovich but it has some really nice moments.
There are still a few hours left of this evening so in order I will play: Haitinks 8th and Karajans 10th and then I will conclude the night with Jansons 4th

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Good morning to all!

I started this morning with some balm for my ears. A box I recently bought contained a CD called L'Harmonie du Monde with a host of composers on it, and a mix of instrumental and vocal works, all expertly performed by Doulce Memoire, led by Denis Raisin Dadre. He is a absolute amazing musician in every respect, and I never heard less then amazing things. This is one of them, Leonard de Vinci, L'..... Among the composers are, Guillaume Fugues, Francisco Varoter, Pierre Attaingnant, and many more. Special mention need the soprano's Anne Azema and Anne Quentin, fine bell like voices, very special indeed. Sound is very good too.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

I have listened a lot in my listening room last evening, for the first time since I live here. Calibrated the system to a fine point and started some serious listening. The sound is amazing!

I started with a composer that I admire very much, for his ability to write musical pranks, as well as writing beautiful works, that have me floating in mid air. Boris Tchaikovsky is featured prominently on a Naxos CD with a musical journey that elicited many laughs, absurdism at full throttle, in a very Russian way, well only the Russian can make music sound like this. I heard this many times before, but its still in my rerun closet, so in it went into the player. I love his musical jokes, which are all over the place, and I take my head off for this performance for it captures the spirit admirably. Fine sound too, just don't play it too loud.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

Another CD that went in last evening, and which is recently acquired. I am in two minds about this composer. All are WPR, and its good to have them on CD, let that at least be said. On it are: Sinfonia No. 1 in D major* Overture a grand Orchestre opus 24 in C minor* From "Six Entr'Actes, No. 3/5/6* Sinfonia o. opus in D major, "Schweriner". Although he was very famous for his compositions and renown throughout the world, they do not strike me as extraordinary. Yes they have some very original ideas, and sometimes my jaw opens, just because he found some gorgeous twist into the music, but those are moments. for the rest he sounds derivative, which is in itself not a bad thing at all. The special moments make it worth your while, but as a whole it does not impress me. Still I am content having them.
Another thing which is hindering the performance a little bit is the size and sound of this large orchestra, its simply to large for the needs of Von Winter, and tuning it down somewhat and reduce the forces would be a huge benefit. They play well, but overplay many details, which is a pity, because there are many worthwhile to hear.
The recording is a bit recessed, not as clear as I should wish. You hear this right away in the first Sinfonia, but it clear up after this. It was a budget CD, so dive in if you want to be surprised.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

And last but not least I closed the evening off, with a extraordinary fine disc from this box. Normally I do not like boy trebles, but the ones Robert King has assigned the tasks are fully up to the challenge. They begin right away with the song "O. Lord, rebuke me not" a heartwarming piece that gave me the shivers, that beautiful! And Susan Gritton has some beautiful lines to sing too, what a pure toned soprano she is.
The recording is a amazing feat of engineering. A balance that is to be heard to believe.

CD 5.

[Willoughby earl of Itacarius]

CD 4 from this fine box released by Brilliant. I saw some buying it, but non that actually played it, so I am first I guess.
Let nothing hold you back from listening to it, or buying it. Its cheap and absolutely necessary to have it. All high quality Stradivarius recordings, so musically and artistically its all as it should be, perfect! Again a mix of music, and a highly entertaining one.

On this CD 4.

Comiencan los moretes de s cinco.
Comiencan las canciones de a cinco.
Comiencan los tientos.

Harmonices Mundi & La Moranda, Claudio Astronio.

[val]

MAX REGER:         Quintet for clarinet and strings              / Eduard Brunner, Quartet Wilanow

A very beautiful version even if in the variations of the last movement I prefer the more contrasted and dynamic version of Leister with the Quartet Drolc. 

[Lisztianwagner]

Sergei Prokofiev
Four Etudes/Toccata

[asin]B004TWOXGC[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

Martin Frost ~ Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas & Trio



Really, really, well done.

Exquisite.