What are you listening to now?

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Especially for Samuel Barber's lovely concerto I have admired so much since seeing it live the other day.

[ritter]

A historical curiosity:


It's rather surprsing that Boulez recorded the Water Music not once but twice. This 1964 effort from The Hague, and the later rendition with the NTPO from the 70s.

[Tsaraslondon]

Yes, the Seven Stars Symphony is quite good. Is it some of my favorite Koechlin? Absolutely not, but I love the sonorities and textures of the piece. Charlie Chaplin was, for me, the most haunting, and revealing, movement of the work. Have you heard James Judd's performance of it? The Judd is the one I own.

No I haven't and it seems to be quite difficult to get hold of now. The Myrat one is the one I had on LP, and was the only one I could find when looking for a CD (which I managed to get cheap on ebay).

[Henk]

~
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Le Nozze di Figaro

[Karl Henning]

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique [van Otterloo]....




A first listen to a recent purchase. A good listen but nothing extraordinary.

This piece is a true idée fixe for you, isn't it?  Nothing wrong with that . . . .

[Karl Henning]

From the Levine big box: [...]

What does this look like, André?  TIA 

[Harry]

New acquisition. A reference CD. Waited for such an interpretation for almost 30 years, and pure by accident stumbled over this beauty.
Recommended.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/02/haydn-joseph-1732-1809-organ-concertos.html?spref=tw

[Karl Henning]

Quite possibly a first listen . . .

Holmboe
Requiem for Nietzsche, Op.84 / M.219 (1963–4)

[Harry]

A new acquisition and new composer in my collection. Neoclassical bliss.


http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/02/farkas-ferenc-1905-2000-orchestral.html?spref=tw

[EigenUser]

Boulez's

Lol, I Googled "Boulez Derive Amazon" to get a picture of the cover. The album is listed under "Beauty > Makeup > Eyes > Glitter and Shimmer".


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[Harry]

Another fine new acquisition on the Toccata label, with music by a Dutch/German master.
Recommended. Buy it before it goes OOP, quite a few (about 250 titles) that are offered now for low prices will disappear from the catalogue.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2016/02/rontgen-julius-1855-1932-chamber-music.html?spref=tw

[Karl Henning]

Lol, I Googled "Boulez Derive Amazon" to get a picture of the cover. The album is listed under "Beauty > Makeup > Eyes > Glitter and Shimmer".

That's fair.

[EigenUser]

That's fair.

It is a funny mistake because I've always thought that late Boulez has a nice "shimmer" to it. I'm just trying to imagine a guy yelling to his wife "Honey, we are going to be late for the party!" with her response being "One more minute -- I just have to put some Boulez on my eyes!"

[bhodges]

Speaking of Boulez, watched this DVD last weekend with some friends, on a terrific surround-sound system. Anyone who wants a big Boulez snapshot (of his conducting, that is) will want to see this at some point. Soprano Christine Schäfer is spectacular in Berg's Lulu Suite, and in the Debussy gems. (I don't recall hearing these latter pieces.)

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is superb everywhere, including The Firebird (1910 version), all taped in 2000 at the MusikTriennale Köln.

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--Bruce

[EigenUser]

Speaking of Boulez, watched this DVD last weekend with some friends, on a terrific surround-sound system. Anyone who wants a big Boulez snapshot (of his conducting, that is) will want to see this at some point. Soprano Christine Schäfer is spectacular in Berg's Lulu Suite, and in the Debussy gems. (I don't recall hearing these latter pieces.)

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is superb everywhere, including The Firebird (1910 version), all taped in 2000 at the MusikTriennale Köln.

[asin]B00005QBZ1[/asin]

--Bruce

I literally just put Berg's Lulu Suite on and then I came across this post! It isn't even something I listen to that often (though I really like it).
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[HIPster]

Singer Pur - Orlando Di Lasso

[asin]B001S86JAS[/asin]

[SonicMan46]

Mozart, WA - Piano Concertos w/ Christian Zacharias & the Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne - arrived yesterday and just getting started, unfortunately not on my den stereo at the moment - reviews of three of the discs in the attached file, for those interested.  Dave

[Que]

Sonata In C Major ('Reliquie') D 840 and miscellaneous short pieces.
Jan Vermeulen plays a Tröndlin fortepiano from c. 1825.

Q

[Karl Henning]

Quite possibly a first listen . . .

Holmboe
Requiem for Nietzsche, Op.84 / M.219 (1963–4)

I paced this, taking breaks between tracks/Parts.  Overall, I think it excellent music, thoroughly engaging to listen to.

That said, a non-fatal quibble.  I don't absolutely fault Holmboe for it, any more than I do Игорь Фëдорович for the comparable use in his Libera me) but each time I hear a choir speaking a text in rhythm, I think, Okay, that was kind of interesting the very first time I heard it, decades ago.  It's a technique which IMO does not rise to the level of a legitimate reusable item.  It just makes me wonder, Gee, could the composer not think of notes here, then? (that thought crosses my mind, even though I know perfectly well that both Holmboe & Игорь Фëдорович, e.g., never lacked for excellent notes). I just get impatient for the next actually musical passage to get started.

As I say, that is a mere footnote.  I hope someday to write a choral piece as fine and substantial as this 'un;  it is certainly a piece I shall revisit from time to time.

[Karl Henning]

Дмитрий Дмитриевич [ Dmitri Dmitriyevich (Shostakovich) ]
Симфония № 1 фа минор, соч. 10 [ Symphony № 1 in f minor, Opus 10 ] (1924-25)
French National Radio Orchestra
Игорь Борисович [ Igor Borisovich (Markevich) ]

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