What are you listening to now?

[SonicMan46]

Handel - some vocal music from his Italian years - two recent arrivals on for a second listening -

 

[Wakefield]

I love how (to my ears, as I've seen the film) this seems to suggest Die Stille vor Bach.

Nice... I have always been a bit puzzled by the idea of "forerunner". It's like if the entire life of some individuals were justified a posteriori. As if them were just a mean to get a goal: another human being, for instance, in this case Bach. At some extent this would justify the idea of "the silence before Bach". 

[Fafner]

Continuing my climb up the symphony ladder, rung #9...

Antonín Dvořák - Symphony No. 9
Česká filharmonie, Jiří Bělohlávek

[Lisztianwagner]

Aaron Copland
Rodeo

http://www.youtube.com/v/5GSAT9nbY60

[Mirror Image]

Per Impressionism/Expressionism Month:



Listening to Symphony No. 1. Really digging this performance. Much, much better than Metzmacher.

[listener]

this evening, live  Vancouver Symphony
MENDELSSOHN  Ruy Blas Overture    TCHAIKOWSKY Symphony no. 2 "Little Russia"
BRAHMS  Piano Concerto no.2
Avan Yu, piano -  his first public performances of the Brahms, with a sympathetic home-town audience.  A few clinkers but a refreshing change from the occasionally bland renditions by some of the super-stars.  He'll grow into it.  Bright kid, only 22, and there was an encore: the Presto from the Haydn Piano Trio no.25 in G with the concertmaster and the first cello who had the solos in the concerto!  First time I've seen a chamber piece as the encore.
Guest conductor Da Ye Lin from Shenzhen resisted the temptation to rush the works, giving nice articulation to the phrases and good balances.

[jlaurson]

over and over again:

L.v. Beethoven
String Quartets v.1
(18/6, 95, 135)
Audite SACD
German link - UK link

Fascinating op.18/1, certainly. Rare, to hear an Italian String Quartet, since -- except for the famous eponymous one that was founded (or so I have heard) with the distinct purpose of recording for Philips in mind) -- professional quartet playing (or really anything other than conducting, early music, and opera, apparently) isn't very much done in Italy. A sense of rawness is pervasive ... and it almost sounds historically informed-informed (that is: not the thing itself, but aware of it), but then executed with modern helter-skelter means. They also play Lachenmann and early Haydn, apparently. I believe that.

[Fafner]

Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 10
Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle

[DJ]

Wagner Lohengrin

King/Janowitz/BRSO/Kubelik

[Brahmsian]

"Papa"
String Quartet in F, Op.77 № 2 (Hob.III/82)
L'Archibudelli

Aye, I recognize this disc! 

[jlaurson]

Now:

N. Medtner / S. Rachmaninoff
Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4
Yevgeny Sudbin
North Carolina Symphony / G.Llewellyn
BIS SACD
German link - UK link

[Karl Henning]

Aye, I recognize this disc! 

Could be the foundation of a mini-series: Four Borderline-Grumpy Men

[Sergeant Rock]

Korngold Symphony F sharp major, Albrecht conducting the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg




Sarge

[Fafner]

Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 11
Philadelphia Orchestra, Mariss Jansons

[asin]B000G6BJS0[/asin]

[madaboutmahler]

Good afternoon, all!

IAEM!

[asin]B000BL99UK[/asin]

Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, et Fantasy pour piano et orchestre.

Gorgeous pieces.

After, hoping to fit in Rapsodie pour saxophone et orchestre, which is a favourite.

[Fafner]

Korngold Symphony F sharp major, Albrecht conducting the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg




Sarge

How is it? I have heard much praise for this recording. It is on my extended wishlist.

[Sergeant Rock]

How is it? I have heard much praise for this recording.

As good as you've heard. I especially like the way Albrecht takes his time over the first movement (Previn is still my first choice here but Albrecht is close). The sonics are perfect but then the sound of W-M, Downes and Previn are pretty spectacular too. If you love the symphony, a must-have, I think, but if you're not so passionate about it, I wouldn't necessarily add it to others you might have. Previn still goes to the desert island...but I might let Albrecht tag along   

Here are the timings of the versions I own:

Korngold Symphony F sharp major

                                I        II         III        IV      Total
Welser-Möst       12:50   9:48   14:45   10:11   47:34
Kempe                14:12   9:14   15:04   10:23   48:53
Albrecht              14:50   9:56   15:20   10:25   50.31 
Downes              14:14  10:14  16:28   10:24   51:20
Previn                 15:55  10:32  16:09   10:31   53:07


Sarge

[jlaurson]

Now - a recording for Sarge*:

J. Brahms
Complete Chamber Music for Clarinet
Laura Ruiz Ferreres
C.Berner, D.Ishizaka, Mandelring Quartett
Audite SACD
German link - UK link

* because of the presence of 'his' Mandelring Quartett. Why did you think I said that???

[Sergeant Rock]

Havergal Brian Symphony #11 (1954), Newstone conducting the LSO. Checking this out to see if it's worthy to be on Karl's list of 15 




Sarge

[Karl Henning]

I await word, Sarge! I've only heard clips of the Leaper performance (and of course nothing can go on the list based just on clips!)