What are you listening to now?

[Lisztianwagner]

Karl Amadeus Hartmann
Symphony No.2

[asin]B000025RFU[/asin]

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

In the AM :

[asin]B0000029U1[/asin]

[Maestro267]

Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in C major
Stuttgart RSO/Marriner

Rossini: Overtures: Guillaume Tell, La Gazza Ladra
Royal PO/C. Davis

[Mookalafalas]

In the AM :

[asin]B0000029U1[/asin]

  I hope  you could still play it loudly.  That disc rocks; it deserves volume

TD:

[asin]B0041ENV7U[/asin]

[Mandryka]

Michael Tsalka plays the Goldberg Variations. This arrived today, so my impressions are very superficial. What I will say is that the instrument is very revealing, it's as if each voice has its own colour. The performance is full of ideas, it's conventional in this sense - there's a pulse moving the music on at all times. I don't think it has quite the sense of repose and introspectiveness that I recall loving in Tüma's recording, but I may be wrong.

Don once said to me in a discussion of Steens' CD that he didn't think clavichord was a good idea in this music; I disagree with him. It's not clear to me what Tsalka's doing with the 2 clav. variations, I think he's only got one instrument.

Well recorded, not to close, natural.

[Maestro267]

Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 2
Kliegel (cello)/Polish NRSO/Wit

Interesting little thing I've just learned. Apart from the single trumpet of the 1st Piano Concerto, none of Shostakovich's six concertos call for trumpets or trombones. And even with that one exception, the rest of the orchestra is just strings.

[kishnevi]

This, landing today.

Turned out to be a Japanese issue, so I can't read the liner notes. But the Sixth was a live recording, and the notes include a copy of the program, which reveals that it was the only item on the program, and the finale was preceded by an intermission!

[SonicMan46]

Corelli, Arcangelo - Opus 1-4 w/ the Avison Ensemble (also have their Op. 6 performance, same composer) - Dave

 

[listener]

now...
R. STRAUSS:  Oboe Concerto       MARTINŮ: Oboe concerto
FRANÇAIX: L'Horlage de Flore
John Anderson, oboe    Philharmonia Orch.    Simon Wright, cond.
... these make you forget all the bad things you thought about oboes.   The Strauss concerto flows like butter (sorry, Vegans, you're missing something), feels so good.
HONEGGER: Les Aventures du Roi Pausole   a short comic opera unexpected from this composer
Opera Trionfo,   Nieuw Ensemble,  Ed Spanjaard, cond.
full French text supplied, 48-page booklet, for an economy-priced release (Brilliant) a luxury and my French can cope with it.  There's a synopsis as well in English

[Todd]

[Mookalafalas]

Listening to the 2015 Harnoncourt Schubert symphonies.  Haven't played much, but my first impression is that it is not as good as his older cycle--it's low energy, without either punch or conviction.  It makes me want to switch over to Bohm or Walter....or Karajan or Bernstein...or older Harnoncourt.

[Daverz]

This, landing today.

Turned out to be a Japanese issue, so I can't read the liner notes. But the Sixth was a live recording, and the notes include a copy of the program, which reveals that it was the only item on the program, and the finale was preceded by an intermission!

Some of the Japanese Sony transfers I've heard have been spectacular.  The Ormandy Prokofiev set, for example.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

String quartet no. 4.



[asin]B000CEBOU4[/asin]

[Maestro267]

M. Arnold: Symphony No. 7
NSO Ireland/Penny

The composer died this day in 2006.

[Mirror Image]

M. Arnold: Symphony No. 7
NSO Ireland/Penny

The composer died this day in 2006.

Of all the Arnold symphonies, I still find his last (the 9th) to be the most touching. Truly a farewell to life as he knew it.

[SimonNZ]

Playing now:



Malcolm Arnold's Symphony No.9 - Rumon Gamba, cond.

[Que]

Listening to the 2015 Harnoncourt Schubert symphonies.  Haven't played much, but my first impression is that it is not as good as his older cycle--it's low energy, without either punch or conviction.  It makes me want to switch over to Bohm or Walter....or Karajan or Bernstein...or older Harnoncourt.

Quite a few fans of Harnoncourt's Scubert around. But I agree with you and got rid of my copy long time ago...

Q

[Sadko]

"Les Rois de Versailles"
Lute music by Pinel and Visée

Miguel Yisrael

[ASIN]B00OPHG60M[/ASIN]

[Mandryka]

Claudio Astronio directs and performs some things by Cabezón, I've been listening to music which I would say are masterpieces - the sequence of tientos, the 1st tone magnificat verses. I first started what I think will be a deep exploration of the Astronio set through comparing recordings of the enormous epic two part 6th tone tiento. I must have listened to half a dozen of these things and Astronio - on a harpsichord - was by far and away the best at turning it into music rather than meaningless note spinning.

[listener]

the Krystian Zimerman set (2-cds) in the Philips Great Pianists... series
CHOPIN: Ballade 4, Fantaisie in f, LISZT: Funerailles, Totentanz*, DEBUSSY: 7 assorted preludes
*with Boston S.O./Ozawa
BRAHMS: Scherzo op. 4, Piano Concerto 2
with Vienna Phil.   / Bernstein
while I try to set up a new computer acquired some months ago using 'points' since the one currently in use is showing probable hard drive damage.