What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Lisztianwagner]

Bela Bartok
Elegies

[asin]B003Y3MYWW[/asin]

Now: Romanian Folk Dances.

[Brahmsian]

Eine Kleine Henningmusik! 

Henning, K.

Heedless Watermelon, Op. 97 for flute & clarinet
Irreplaceable Doodles, Op. 89 for clarinet
The Angel Who Bears a Flaming Sword, Op.94a for alto flute
*Lost Waters, Op. 27 for harp
Studies in Impermanence, Op. 86
Tropes on Parasha's Aria from 'White Nights', Op. 75 for flute, clarinet & harp

Karl Henning - clarinet
Peter H. Bloom - futes
Mary Jane Rupert - harp

Recorded live, in West End Branch, Boston Public Library
September 17, 2009

I've always had a fondness for 'Irreplaceable Doodles & Heedless Watermelon', however my favourite piece is *'Lost Waters'.  Such a gorgeous, beautiful piece.  Anyone who loves solo harp (like I do) will adore this piece, I guarantee it!! 

A beautiful gift, and creation from Karl.  Merci, mon ami! 

[Mirror Image]

Now:



A superb performance so far. Much, much better than the Trojahn on CPO.

[Octave]

+1 for the Fauré chamber box on Brilliant, and +1 for that Janacek orchestral/chamber set on Decca, the first of which I enjoyed in the past month.  Though there are some later orchestral recordings also by Mackerras that I've really, really enjoyed, which I remember having better sound; cannot vouch for this, as I have not done an A/B....



Also, I think I liked the Firkusny (DG Originals, with a second disc of chamber/concerto music) and Schiff piano recordings more than the Crossley; though I haven't compared them closely enough to be sure.

2012 was my introduction to Janacek's operas as well, all (so far) through that Decca collection of Mackerras' recordings; it was love from the get-go.

[Mirror Image]

Also, I think I liked the Firkusny (DG Originals, with a second disc of chamber/concerto music) and Schiff piano recordings more than the Crossley; though I haven't compared them closely enough to be sure.

A fantastic recording, Octave. It can also be found in this great set:

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Organ Concerto. What a great work! Received the 20 CD EMI Poulenc set today and can't wait to dive into it.

[Gold Knight]

On Spotify:

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov--Symphony No.3 in C Major, Op.32 and Sinfonietta On Russian Themes, Op.31. Both works are performed by the Saint Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra under the wand of Andre Anichanov.
Carl Nielsen--Symphony No.4, Op.29 {"The Inextinguishable"}, featuring the berliner Philharmoniker led by Herbert von Karajan.
Bohuslav Martinu--Symphony No.1, H.289 and Symphony No.2, H.295, both works performed by the Neeme Jarvi led Bamberg Symphony Orchestra.

[not edward]

Some Boxing Day Liszt: two of his most visionary works; the Via crucis from the DG big box, and Die nachtliche Zug from Ilan Volkov's outstanding recording on Hyperion. Remarkable stuff, and like much of his best work, practically unknown to the general concertgoing public (which certainly knows Die nachtliche Zug's rather less extraordinary counterpart).

[Lisztianwagner]

Carl Nielsen--Symphony No.4, Op.29 {"The Inextinguishable"}, featuring the berliner Philharmoniker led by Herbert von Karajan.

I'm not a very big fan of this Karajan's recording, especially of the first movement; the beginning is pretty good, with a powerfully thrilling tutti; and so are the softest sections of the movement overall, intense and expressive. But the tempo of the second tutti is too, too slow in my opinion, and even in the climax of the finale, after the first blow of timpani, the rythm seems to get slightly too slow.

[Brahmsian]

I'm not a very big fan of this Karajan's recording,

*faints*

[Mirror Image]

I'm not a very big fan of this Karajan's recording

What? I don't believe it. You dislike a Karajan recording?

[listener]

RHEINBERGER: The Star of Bethlehem  op.164
Rita Streich, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau     Bavarian Radio Chorus
Graunke Symphony Orch.    Robert Heger, cond.
HUMMEL:  The Passage through the Red Sea  (c.1805)
Rheinische Kantorei,  Das Kleine Konzert   Herrmann Max, cond.

[Bogey]

[Brahmsian]

Cool!    I have Alwyn's string quartets, and they are terrific! 

[Bogey]

Cool!    I have Alwyn's string quartets, and they are terrific! 

He seems to cross over beautifully to film music Ray....this is my only disc so far.  However, the other two volumes are going on my wish-list.  Chandos has me locked in with this run of film music discs even though I am not familiar with the majority of films these scores are from.

[Mirror Image]

My favorite Alwyn film score is still Odd Man Out. It may very well be the greatest piece of film music I've ever heard. It's so symphonic in scope.

[TheGSMoeller]

Haydn: Symphony 80 in D minor

There are more beautiful Adagios by Haydn, more passionate finales and stronger opening impressions than what he composed for his No.80 in D minor. But I dont think there is a complete package quite like this. It's perfectly structured and flows from minor to major and back again like butter, especially in the dramatic second movement. The very brief trio of the third movement is one of Haydn's best, to me it sounds ahead of its time. And the finale's syncopated-heavy melodies will have you toe-tapping for sure. This is one of the best No.80s on record. Now if only the Hobbit Fey would quit his unexpected journeys and get to recording this one!

[asin]B002AHJTE4[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

Now:

[asin]B000000AAI[/asin]

Listening to Falstaff. Listened to the Cello Concerto, but felt that Kirschbaum could have dug into the music a little bit deeper, then again everything I compare this work to is du Pre's performance, so that's quite the yardstick.

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Froissart Overture. A fine work in a sumptuous performance.

[The new erato]

Am very much impressed by the Third by now, a real war symphony. Find its sobriety more convincing then Shostakovich perhaps, though it is a bit reminiscent of Shosta's Tenth, that I BTW heard in a great performance in the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam earlier this year.

What would you advise me after the Third?

There's lots of great stuff; I've bought more or less everything I could lay my hands on, but this was the disc that turned me on to him - and as it will give you a perspective of him in non-orchestral mode it may be the smart move:

[asin]B000IY0620[/asin]

IMO, Hermann Koppel and Einar Englund are two great Scandinavians (OK; I cheat since Englund is Finnish; but his name sure is Scandinavian) waiting to be discovered more widely, both writing in a post-Nielsen/Sibelius mode. I think everybody liking Nielsen, Sibelius, Shostakovich, Vaughan-Williams will respond to them strongly.