What were you listening to? (CLOSED)

[Harry]

Spohr.

Overtures.

RSO Berlin/Christian Frohlich.

Well this fine morning started with invigorating music by the hands of Spohr. Ravishing music, well written, as is the custom with this composer, and very well performed by a good Orchestra, and a motivated conductor. Macbeth opus 75, starts with a nice slow and dark introduction, and is worked out in a very creative way. Pietro von Abano, is another fine intro, with excellent writing for strings, and fine woodwinds. The recording from 1991 sounds spacious and well detailed, not a foot wrong here.
Recommended.

[Harry]

Wolf Ferrari.

Cello Concerto opus 31, in C major.
"Invocazione".

Sinfonia Brevis, opus 28, in E flat major.

Gustav Rivinius, Cello.
RSO Frankfurt/Alun Francis

This recording from 1994, is a excellent one, with lots of detail, and a fine stage ambiance. Really well done.
Wolf Ferrari is a composer that will always please with his charming compositions. A genius instrumentator, he delights in open and clean lines. And to what stunning effect. Allthough this man was depressive about the politics of his days, considering two worldwars, who would not become depressive, he nevertheless managed to write optimistic music, that is so well crafted, that at hearing the first notes of any of his compositions, yes even his many operas, a smile will broaden your face. And a profound spiritual feel will enter your mind when he writes in his most emotional vein. A pity he died in poverty, and proclaimed to have enough of this life. He died quite suddenly when he lived for a short time in Venice.
His operas made him famous, and he ranked in popularity with the greats around him, like Richard Strauss, nevertheless when the interest dwindled, he wrote increasingly chamberworks, Solo concertos, and symphonies, the last one only a fragment alas.
The Cello concerto on this recording is a masterwork, very well written for the cello, and he gave the orchestra very good parts too, it is I imagine a dream for cellist and orchestra alike. Late romantic in a grand yet intimite style.
The Sinfonia Brevis is scored for a large orchestra, and contains all the elements that make out Wolf Ferrari, at his best. Not a single instrumental work so far disappointed me. That is considered by me as a good score. The work delights in many ways, again this beautiful open style is which he composed, but also the cheeky and quirky written in the second movement, a fine Capriccio.
Very much recommended.

[wintersway]

Good morning/day to all! This delightful disc before I do battle with the abominable bean counters!

[Harry]

Robert Volkmann.

Overture " Richard the III, opus 68.

Symphony No. 1 opus 44, in D minor.

Nordwestdeutche Philharmonie/Werner Andreas Albert.

This was recorded in 1993, and I have no complains here, well defined, and a broad soundstage, excellent.
Volkmann is another forgotten composer, and this time it is inexplainable. First of all, among his good friends and admirers were his good friends Brahms, Schumann, Hans von Bulow, Liszt, and many others. Brahms though highly of his chamberworks, and he was right, for listening extensively to all that I could buy, they amazed me by its sheer inventiveness, and bubbling creativity. This excellence in chambermusic writing, is also very much in the fore, concerning his Orchestral works.
The premiere of his first Symphony in Moscow no less was a great success, the orchestra was so impressed, that they spontaneously collected from the public 500 guldens, to express their admiration.
This work and all the rest of it stand in the tradition of the Viennese classicism and serve as a link between Brahms and Beethoven. His admiration of Beethoven one can hear in the first movement, while the second movement is more progressive, and has at times the grandeur of Brahms. He is a fine orchestrator and this you will hear throughout his compositions. Not a moment is boring, not a note to many, and one can do nothing else than admiring this composer, the maker of beautiful and well crafted music. I am hooked stock and barrel, to his melodious music.
The overture is a mark of great distinction for Volkmann, for it is well written, and is a model for all aspiring composers after him.
Friends and composers alike stood in awe  of the music Volkmann produced, and yet he is forgotten.
When hearing his works, I can only conclude, that that is a loss for the world at large, and musiclovers alike.
The Orchestra under Albert performes well, and leaves nothing to be desired.

[Maciek]

Krzysztof Meyer - SQ No. 7 (listening along with the score)
(The Wilanów Quartet on ProViva)

[Florestan]

Volkmann is another forgotten composer

I've been listening yesterday night to his SQ 3 & 6 and decided I need more from him, especially chamber music. Any recommendations, Harry?

[Harry]

Lex van Delden. (1919-1988)

Chamberworks

Viotta Ensemble. ( Members of the royal Concertgebouw Orchestra)

Not a long time ago I listened to his SQ also on MDG, and they took a grip on me immediately. So strong was his influence that I could not stop playing this disc over and over again. Now the second instalment with short chamberworks has the same enticing effect, that brings me into a dreamlike state, and delights me enormously. What a treasure trove van Delden is. He is not prominently featured in the concerthalls, and only a handful of his compositions are recorded, and I for one regret that very much. Of all the works on this disc I cannot single out one favourite, they are all treasured in my heart. They are performed with great attention to detail, and feeling. A concentrated effort of which we can reap the benefits. It is recorded in a warm yet detailed ambiance, so the sound is precise and very much to the point.
I recommend this very lovely disc.

[Harry]

I've been listening yesterday night to his SQ 3 & 6 and decided I need more from him, especially chamber music. Any recommendations, Harry?

Andrei, there are not that many recordings of him, but what there is on CPO for a low price is quickly going out of circulation. There is not a weak work on this label, so I suggest, grab it while you can, for some of these discs are allready OOP. Especially the piano trio's are extremely beautiful.

[Florestan]

Andrei, there are not that many recordings of him, but what there is on CPO for a low price is quickly going out of circulation. There is not a weak work on this label, so I suggest, grab it while you can, for some of these discs are allready OOP. Especially the piano trio's are extremely beautiful.

Thanks. It happens that I have a good source of CPO discs so I'll go for them.

[Harry]

Thanks. It happens that I have a good source of CPO discs so I'll go for them.

Good hunting, and please let me know, how many you could get, I have the complete set from CPO, so if there is a need for filling the gap, you know were to find me, right?

[Florestan]

Good hunting, and please let me know, how many you could get, I have the complete set from CPO, so if there is a need for filling the gap, you know were to find me, right?

Right.

Listening to:

Robert Schumann

SQ 1

Quatuor Via Nova (Jean Mouillère, Jean-Pierre Sabouret, Claude Naveau, Jean-Marie Gamard)

Great music, fine performance.

[BachQ]

Some lighthearted fare this morning:

Bruckner 9 (Boulez)
Brahms PC 2 (Gilels)

[karlhenning]

Wry as ever!

[George]

Currently Debussy

Your PM Inbox is full. 

[karlhenning]

Igor Fyodorovich
From Disc 21:

Threni

[BachQ]

Brahms, Cello Sonata no. 2 in F Major.


This is honest-to-God the best cello sonata ever published.

OMG.

OMG.


I'm thinking of taking up the cello ..........

[Lilas Pastia]

A rare disc of string quartets played by the Galimir SQ: Ravel, Milhaud 7 and Berg Lyric Suite. Recorded 1934-1935 (the Ravel and Milhaud were done in the presence and under the supervision of the composer).

The leader Felix Galimir studied under Carl Flesch and later became violinist and concertmaster of Toscanini's NBC Symphony. Although Vienna born and trained, the Galimirs settled in France for a short decade (three of them left in 1938, one of the sisters staying in Paris). Although it's not mentioned in the notes, I think they were jewish. I wonder what happened to the 'parisian' Galimir...  Felix was an influential teacher in the United States. Among his students are Hilary Hahn, Leila Josefowicz, Ani Kavafian and all the Muir Quartet members.  He taught at Marlboro School of Music, Juillard, Mannes and Curtis until just a few years ago.

This was an eye popping and ear opening listening experience. All players were then in their early twenties. There is an eagerness, relish and sense of discovery to their playing that is unmistakable. They zip through the Ravel in 24:30 (compare to the Italiano's EMI version of almost 31 minutes). Everything is light as a feather, bows barely touching the strings, making the more ferocious diggings in IV all the more startling. This is experienced as a flight of sparrows in a parisian spring rather than that of the italian turtle doves referred above. Goes straight to the top.

The Milhaud is barely 10 minutes long but what a charmer this is. Joie de vivre abounds and the caressing melodies are savoured as they should by the Galimirs. Interestingly, the EMI Quartetto Italiano release also has a Milhaud SQ appended to the Ravel (and Debussy). I wish the Galimirs had chosen the same Debussy SQ instead of Berg's Lyric Suite. Interesting as it is (a study in sonorities in six movements), I've never felt this was convincing as a musical work. In any case, the third movement is as startling here as it is in other versions I've heard (Alban Berg SQ and the LaSalles), probably the only movement I look forward to hear in the Lyric suite.

Sound is very clear and airy. Dynamic range is perforce limited, and there is a higher level of hiss than one is used to. But taken as a whole, this is a very special disc. The Galimirs didn't make any other records. They disbanded in 1938, each member settling in a different country.

[orbital]

The Handel Variations from the set.

[Florestan]

Brahms, Cello Sonata no. 2 in F Major.

Betrayal...

[wilhelm]

Right now I just finished