What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Karl Henning]

Isabelle Faust's concerto, backed up by Claudio Abbado, is the 296th time I've listened to Beethoven in 2012.

Only 50 hours to hit 300. I can do it!

Sacrée vache! The Henning Gang have one hell of a benchmark, now . . . .

[Mirror Image]

Cheers, John! They were not the best of listening conditions, but (by mine own consent, of course) I owed you the listen.  Liked all the bits, haven't yet gotten a good sense of the overall musical sweep. Bottom line: thumbs up!

Great, Karl! I figured you would enjoy it. It's one of those works by Schnittke where I don't have to worry about cringing. It does take multiple listens to enjoy IMHO. The grandness of the work and Schnittke's zaniness works well.

[Sergeant Rock]

A Schubert Lieder recital, Gundula Janowitz, soprano, Charles Spencer, piano




Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Sarge. I heard it's more light-hearted than Job, but contains some beautiful, lyrical moments as well.

That about sums it up. If you like VW in his folk mode, you should like it. The opening theme is interesting; you can sing the rhyme to it ("Old King Cole was a merry old soul, a merry old sole was he..."). The wordless chorus (either Ah, ah'ing or La la'ing) is a bit corny; might turn you off or, if like me you love film scores from the 30s, 40s, you'll enjoy it

You asked in your "Cole" thread why it's been so seldom recorded. Probably because it is very minor VW. Nothing new here; nothing that isn't better done elsewhere. It appeals to me though (almost everything by VW does); I listened to it four times today...with pleasure.

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

That about sums it up. If you like VW in his folk mode, you should like it. The opening theme is interesting; you can sing the rhyme to it ("Old King Cole was a merry old soul, a merry old sole was he..."). The wordless chorus (either Ah, ah'ing or La la'ing) is a bit corny; might turn you off or, if like me you love film scores from the 30s, 40s, you'll enjoy it

You asked in your "Cole" thread why it's been so seldom recorded. Probably because it is very minor VW. Nothing new here; nothing that isn't better done elsewhere. It appeals to me though (almost everything by VW does); I listened to it four times today...with pleasure.

Sarge

Thanks for the feedback about the work, Sarge. Yeah, the chorus doesn't bother me nor do I find off-putting in anyway. I have heard the movement Pipe Dance and found it to be infectious. It is a minor work from a major composer.

[Lisztianwagner]

Pyotr Il'ych Tchaikovsky
The Sleeping Beauty, Waltz

http://www.youtube.com/v/r5m_KPCcQiM

[Sergeant Rock]

Thanks for the feedback about the work, Sarge. Yeah, the chorus doesn't bother me nor do I find off-putting in anyway. I have heard the movement Pipe Dance and found it to be infectious. It is a minor work from a major composer.

Is the Hickox disc with "Cole" coupled (like it is in the big box) with the Five Mystical Songs? If so, and you don't already own the Songs, that's an added incentive to hit the buy button because that work is great VW.

Sarge

[Lisztianwagner]

Pyotr Il'ych Tchaikovsky
The Sleeping Beauty, Waltz

http://www.youtube.com/v/r5m_KPCcQiM

Now: Panorama.

http://www.youtube.com/v/0Md6X007yGc

[Mirror Image]

Is the Hickox disc with "Cole" coupled (like it is in the big box) with the Five Mystical Songs? If so, and you don't already own the Songs, that's an added incentive to hit the buy button because that work is great VW.

Sarge

Yeah, Sarge, the Five Mystical Songs are coupled with Old King Cole, but I have heard that work before and agree it's a great work. I like Five Tudor Portraits a lot as well. I have bought this Hickox Conducts Vaughan Williams 2-CD set on EMI a couple of days ago. Look forward to hearing it.

[TheGSMoeller]

[The new erato]

Previn's Sleeping Beauty.

That used to be Anne Sophie Mutter.

[Lake Swan]

Richter's 4 seasons

[SonicMan46]

Well, multiple packages seemed to have been delivered w/i the last week or so from Santa, i.e. BRO, Amazon, & JPC; several on this fine but chilly Sunday morning:

Schutz, Heinrich (1585-1672) - Christmas Oratorio & Symphoniae Sacrae III w/ Wolfgang Kelber & Heinrich-Schutz-Ensemble Munchen.

Debussy, Claude (1862-1918) - Complete Works for Piano, V.5 w/ Jean-Efflam Bavouzet - already own the first 4 volumes, so just to complete the collection; NOTE - this 5-disc set has been released recently as a box which is rather pricey on Amazon USA at the moment - maybe less expensive elsewhere? 

 

[The new erato]

First listen:

[asin]B000000AQR[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

Is the Hickox disc with "Cole" coupled (like it is in the big box) with the Five Mystical Songs? If so, and you don't already own the Songs, that's an added incentive to hit the buy button because that work is great VW.

Not at all surprisingly, I'm with the Sarge here; the Five Mystical Songs are RVW at his most sublime.

[Karl Henning]

That used to be Anne Sophie Mutter.

Very well played, sir.

[Sergeant Rock]

That used to be Anne Sophie Mutter.

Sarge

[Lake Swan]

Turn said so. http://open.spotify.com/album/2Q84HgeTODcmpJNbvfaOxm

[Lake Swan]

Gurn. Damn you, spell check!

[dyn]

Steven Stucky ~ Double Concerto for Violin, Oboe and Chamber Orchestra



Dorothy Freeman, oboe; Igor Szwec, violin; Orchestra 2001; James Freeman, Conductor

The "Music of Our Time" recordings are another good source for new music.

Music of Our Time, Vol. 4
Label: CRI
Catalog Number: CR847
Running Time: 1:05:10
Composition Date: 1978 — 1993
Composers: Gerald Levinson; Steven Stucky; David Finko; David Crumb

wow, i actually have that disc... or had. its contents are still stored in my stereo system anyway

of the composers still working in the western concert tradition without seeking to develop a strong individual voice—which is a turn-off to some people—steven stucky has always struck me as a quite skilled composer. his music is forgettable, i suppose—like watered-down Dutilleux—but at least never dull, the same which can't be said for plenty of his fellow "mainstream"ers (harbison corigliano etc)