What are you listening to now?

[Brian]

After trying this new Prokofiev Seventh, I think I'll join orfeo on Schubert piano trios!



Badly Photoshopped cover.

[Que]

[...]and a new arrival today, i.e. Renaissance guitar music (recommendation recently from Que) - large booklet!

Michael Craddock - Tabulatures de Guiterne - works by three 16th century composers played on a Renaissance guitar - Dave

That is quick!    I forgot to tell you about the elaborate booklet, I'm sure that is your kind of thing. 

What do you think of the sound of the instrument? It sounds rather "small", don't you think? 


Thread duty:

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There is something about Saint-Saëns' chamber music, a unique quality...

This set and the albums by Trio Wanderer (HM) and you're good to go, I would say! Oh, and how could I forget: Le Carnaval by the Capuçon brothers et al (Virgin)...

Q

[Moonfish]

Onwards!!! 

CPE Bach: The Complete Works for Piano Solo    Markovina   

CD 6 from:
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[AnthonyAthletic]

Disc_01 : Bear, Hen & now the 84th in E flat.  Bruggen's Paris Symphonies.

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Periodically beautiful

[AnthonyAthletic]

Zinman Mahler 2.

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It seems to be popular to crap on this recording.  Classics Today, various forums etc all damn with faint praise.  Well I think they're all wrong and full of it!  (I will point out that Hurwitz is the least critical, don't look at the score read the text.)

The playing is lyrical without sounding heated.  The singing from Anna Larsson is poignant.  The soprano and the choir as well do a great job. 

The sound quality is exceptional, the best I've heard and that includes all of those other modern recordings out there.  To easily hear the singing, the orchestra, the organ and the bells all as layers of the sound field distinct from each other was awesome!

Now the question to ask is it better than Gielen, Bertini, Chailly?  Gielen yes, the other two nope.  MTT, Fischer?  Yup.  But that is the problem though isn't it?  It's a fine performance that doesn't distinguish itself from the overcrowded field.  And that was DH's point, if only internet posters from the various forums can be as nuanced as he is!  Wow I just praised Hurwitz!   And it is a fair criticism.  It stands as one of the better BUT not the best of the modern recordings.  It stands as a good recording but not better or best overall.  Why listen to that when you have the choice between Klemperer, both Bernstein's, and many others?  The same can be said probably for everything else in the Zinman Mahler box.  But I'll see that for myself.

But I stand with this recording gets an undeserved bad rap.  It sports excellent playing, exceptional sonics, and a wonderfully well judged performance!  Thumbs up.

Can't wait to hear this version, my set arrived today from the USA.  Delivered to my Mothers so it's going to be an Easter treat by the time I get it 

[DavidW]

I may be missing one or two 

Zinman's "Resurrection" is Mahler-Lite, the kind of Mahler performance I imagine Lethe enjoying. I don't mind it either as an alternative take heard on days when I don't want to commit to a huge emotional expenditure. Like you, I enjoy the transparent sound of this recording--extra points given for the fact Zinman and team actually let us hear the col legno strings near the climax of the development (that happens so rarely in M2 recordings). Second and Third movements are really good.


Sarge

Nice!!

[DavidW]

Can't wait to hear this version, my set arrived today from the USA.  Delivered to my Mothers so it's going to be an Easter treat by the time I get it 

Cool beans.  I look forward to hearing more of the set... but... Gotterdamerung calls.  And I have a hankering to listen to more of that Kempe Strauss set...

[Moonfish]

Cool beans.  I look forward to hearing more of the set... but... Gotterdamerung calls.  And I have a hankering to listen to more of that Kempe Strauss set...

Perhaps that is the purpose of box sets? They act as beacons calling for our attention....     

[DavidW]

Perhaps that is the purpose of box sets? They act as beacons calling for our attention....     

No kidding!  I should show you a pic of my cd collection, with the huge Rilling Bach and Davies Haydn sets centered perfectly in the shelf.

[Moonfish]

No kidding!  I should show you a pic of my cd collection, with the huge Rilling Bach and Davies Haydn sets centered perfectly in the shelf.

Ha ha! In addition, they can become interesting projects. Like --- "Now I am going to tackle the Haydn quartets - in order!!" or "I really want to explore Leonhardt's recordings.." etc etc. Perhaps this project approach is one that often appeals to me although I tend to jump around too much at times. Too many great posts in GMG leading to further musical distractions explorations!

[Moonfish]

Taverner - Sheppard - Parsley: Music of the Tudor Period     Pro Cantione Antiqua/Turner [DHM]

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[Todd]

.
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[listener]

George Templeton STRONG:  Ondine,  From a Notebook of Sketches  (3 Suites)
Moscow Symphony Orch./ Adriano
It sounds better than usual today, might even be memorable.  Afficionados of the bass clarinet will enjoy its clear burbling sound in Ondine.
first listen: SCHUMANN:  Violin Sonatas  no.1 in a op.106,  no.2 in d op.121,  no.3 in d WoO.2
Christian Tetzlaff, violin   Lars Vogt, piano. 
I have a lot of Schumann in my collection (lp & cd) but this is my first encounter with these rarely recorded sonatas.

[Moonfish]

French Arias    Kožená/Mahler Chamber Orchestra/Minkowski

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[Ken B]

Onwards!!! 

CPE Bach: The Complete Works for Piano Solo    Markovina   

CD 6 from:
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Following in Fish's wake. Disc 5

[Wakefield]

J.S. Bach - Johannespassion BWV 245

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Mark Padmore tenor (Evangelist/arias 13, 20/arioso 34)
Hanno Müller-Brachmann bass (Jesus)
Peter Harvey bass (Pilatus/arioso 19/arias 24, 32)

Bernarda Fink alto (arias 7, 30)
Joanne Lunn soprano (aria 9)
Katharine Fuge soprano (Ancilla/aria 35)

Julian Clarkson bass (Petrus) Robert Murray tenor (Servus I ) Paul Tindall tenor (Servus II )

Monteverdi Choir
English Baroque Soloists
Kati Debretzeni leader
John Eliot Gardiner

Live broadcast by NDR Kultur
from the Kaiserdom, Königslutter, 22 March 2003

This is a highly recommendable (second) version of this passion conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner.

All soloists are solid, but I have had the strong sensation that here the general concept is by far more important than its individual parts... and I like this.

The Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque soloists are seasoned machines of high voltage performances. 

It's a live performance, but excellently recorded, without annoying noises to be feared. 

[andolink]

This really impressed me today:

Hector Parra: Caressant l'Horizon for large ensemble (2011)
Ensemble Intercontemporain/Emilio Pomárico

[Moonfish]

This is actually an excellent set. I had no major expectations at first, but now I am starting to very much appreciate Markovina's performances. 

CPE Bach: The Complete Works for Piano Solo    Markovina   

CD 7 from:

EDIT: as well as CD 8

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[Moonfish]

Shostakovich: Symphony No 8    Leningrad PO/Mravinsky

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[Todd]

Some Brahms and LvB piano trio action.