What are you listening to now?

[Que]

Que - looking forward to your upcoming comments on the Soly series - I have the first 4 volumes and see that there are now 7 on the Analekta website - so is that the complete series?  If so, I may have to add a few more to my collection - believe I'll do some Graupner listening today - Dave

Yes sir, seven is the grand total.

Absolutely loved returning to volume 1 BTW. I am still puzzled why Graupner's keyboard output gathers so little adherence.... Perhaps his fusion of French and German influences and his very forward looking (he was a contemporary of Bach and Händel) Galant style makes it too much neither-here-nor-there or too frivolous for regular harpsichord enthusiasts? 

No matter,  I won't give up pointing out  the qualities of this repertoire and am very glad that you share my appreciation. 

Q

[North Star]

Cheers, Karlo!

I shall join Ilaria here:

I don't doubt I shall be listening to the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th soon, too - heck, probably the rest as well, as RVW symphony listening always tends to turn into binging.

[Brahmsian]

I don't doubt I shall be listening to the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th soon, too - heck, probably the rest as well, as RVW Sibelius symphony listening always tends to turn into binging.

Fixed!    Just kidding. 

[Karl Henning]

True of both composers, Ray & Karlo!

[Harry]

Yes sir, seven is the grand total.

Absolutely loved returning to volume 1 BTW. I am still puzzled why Graupner's keyboard output gathers so little adherence.... Perhaps his fusion of French and German influences and his very forward looking (he was a contemporary of Bach and Händel) Galant style makes it too neither-here-nor-there or too much frivolous for regular harpsichord enthusiasts? 

No matter,  I won't give up pointing out  the qualities of this repertoire and am very glad that you share my appreciation. 

Q

O, I share your enthusiasm dear Que, in fact I absolutely love what she does, and have ears attuned to this composer, but they are rather expensive, and this is the reason which holds me back, nothing else.

[North Star]

Fixed!    Just kidding. 

True of both composers, Ray & Karlo!

Indeed! Of Bruckner and Shostakovich, too.

[PaulR]

.[asin]B002DMIIUW[/asin]

I'm starting to really like Martinu

[Karl Henning]

Indeed! Of Bruckner and Shostakovich, too.

Well, and you're right at that, as well 

.[asin]B002DMIIUW[/asin]

I'm starting to really like Martinu

Excellent, Paul!

[North Star]

I'm starting to really like Martinu

Good man! (and that's one of my favourite Martinů discs, too. Well, one of my favourite discs, period.)

Well, and you're right at that, as well 

I already thought I had exhausted the list of binge-inducing composers, but I definitely need to add Bach (cantatas in particular) and Haydn (SQs, but only because I still haven't managed to buy symphony recordings [Weil, Kuijken] in addition to those in the HM Lumieres box. . .)
Not that there's anything wrong with those composers who satisfy one's craving with fewer works.

[Que]

O, I share your enthusiasm dear Que, in fact I absolutely love what she does, and have ears attuned to this composer, but they are rather expensive, and this is the reason which holds me back, nothing else.

Quite right, Harry, rather expensive.  A pity, really..

I recall Dave inquiring with Analekta wether they were planning to release a box set, but no....

Q

[mc ukrneal]

It's not every day that 27 CDs arrive during breakfast...

It's been a fun day. There's been a mix of brand new, almost new, and old.

Listening again now to my first choice from the ones that arrived today, Haydn's Symphony No.82

[asin]B000031WJC[/asin]

So sorry. It's the worst Bear I have ever heard.

[Karl Henning]

So sorry. It's the worst Bear I have ever heard.

Try this baby, daddy-o:

http://www.youtube.com/v/WJizAYb7OAk

[mc ukrneal]

Try this baby, daddy-o:

http://www.youtube.com/v/WJizAYb7OAk

If it only it were as good as this!!! 

PS: And how did you know I loved that!

[Karl Henning]

An inspired guess

[Karl Henning]

RVW
Symphony [№ 4] in f minor
New Philharmonia
Boult

[asin]B005DZIM0M[/asin]

[Pat B]

So, you're inviting us to entertain your opinion of performances, of a body of music to which you're largely hostile.

I don't have any problem with Mandryka's posts on Scarlatti. If anything I appreciate his candor. It's not like he's telling us, "don't listen to Ross's set."

Thread duty: my daughter has taken to pulling out a CD at random, sweetly asking, "want to listen to this music?" It is very difficult to say no. So far, though, she does not share my preference for listening to complete works. So we listened to about 2 minutes of Britten's War Requiem (conducted by Britten) followed by Beethoven from the Gilels "Early Recordings" set.

Now, she has left my office, and after the Beethoven ended, I put on Maderna's Mahler 9. I don't know how conducive-to-work this will be. It's pretty great so far.

[Sergeant Rock]

Beethoven Symphony No.2, Böhm, Vienna




Sarge

[marvinbrown]

  Right now: Bohm at Bayreuth conducting Wagner, my favorite composer, in an electrifying performance of Siegfried......ooooh yeah now THAT is what I call music:

  [asin]B003Y3MYYU[/asin]

  This is one of my favorite Ring cycles as Bohm has a very firm grasp of the overall symphonic architecture of  Wagner's Masterpeice! The tempo is brisk, fast even, but the dramatic effect is all the more palpable........in a word, ELECTRiFYING!!! I am sure that the fine Wagnerian who posted above this post would agree.

  marvin

[Todd]

.
[asin]B00ACHXHII[/asin]


Some Russian orchestral showpieces.

[SonicMan46]

Graupner, Christoph (1683-1760) - Wind Music on chalumeaux, Baroque bassoon (Azzolini), and recorder for the afternoon - although I enjoy the keyboard recordings w/ Soly, I must save that this composer's wind writing has always impressed me and when played on period instruments, a doubly enjoyable experience - Dave