What are you listening to now?

[bhodges]

From guitarist Connor Gallagher, a four-guitar, heavy metal version of the Allegro molto from Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8. I was skeptical, but hearing is believing.

http://www.classicfm.com/composers/shostakovich/news/string-quartet-no8-heavy-metal-version/#STiLau1jc5zGL4Vr.97

--Bruce

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Pohjola's Daughter, Op. 49
Night Ride & Sunrise, Op. 56
The Dryad, Op. 45/1
Dance-Intermezzo, Op. 45/2
The Bard, Op. 64
The Oceanides, Op. 73
Tapiola, Op. 112

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Cantata BWV 1 for the Feast of the Annunciation [Gardiner]....

[ritter]

First listen to this CD:

[asin]B0048077Z4[/asin]
Vathek is turning out to be as interesting as I was led to expect! Hat tip to vandermolen! At some moments, it sounds very French to me. For instance, the opening, fanfare-like Introduction, reminded me (in its sonorities) of the the opening of Dukas's La Péri...but this music is so varied and colourful, and so forward-looking in many aspects (that Variaton III: Délices des yeux, wow!!!! ), that it is anything but derivative. A strong musical voice...

Luis a great composer, Pedro a wonderful conductor...what a remarkable pair of brothers, these Freitas Branco! 

[aligreto]

Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 [Menuhin]....





This may be an old version but it is a powerful performance across all three movements.

[Todd]

[André]

A musical afternoon 



Concerto no 2

[aligreto]

JS Bach: Harpsichord Concerto BWV 1056 [Café Zimmermann]....

[SimonNZ]

Michael Haydn's Missa Tempore Quadragesimae - Ex Tempore

[NikF]

Turina: Ritmos/ Fantasia Sobre/ Fantasia Italiana/ Poema Fantastico - Jordi Maso.

[asin]B003IP2Y8A[/asin]

[SimonNZ]

on the radio:

Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings - James Gilchrist, tenor, Jasper de Waal, horn, Candida Thompson, cond.

hmm...that also has Barbara Hannigan singing Les Illuminations? I'll have to find a copy.

[André]

Excellent remastering. This is a slightly provincial Aida (choir and orchestra), endowed by some formidable vocal performances. Bjoerling and Milanov' s voices  are naturally suited to lighter, less heavy roles. Bjoerling in particular has a rough time negotiating his entrance aria, 'Celeste Aida' and Milanov rolls her eyes (figuratively of course) to make her mark dramatically. The lower voices are well suited to their parts (Boris Christoff is remarkable as the implacable High Priest, Ramfis). The pacing by Jonel Perlea is perfectly natural. This is more a boudoir drama than a battlefield one. I enjoyed it very much.

[Mirror Image]

Now:





Listening to Prillar, Op. 8. Great stuff!

[Todd]

Delphine Bardin's take on Faure's Barcarolles.  Largely linear and literal, with comparatively little rubato and a slight lack of lyrical fluidity, this is a largely nice set.  The set peaks very high with a bright, pastel colored third Barcarolle, but most of the rest sort of blend together.  Recorded in the music hall of La Chaux-de-Fonds, one of the greatest venues on earth for small scale works based on all recordings I've heard, the sound is SOTA and natural (if bright here) in perspective and timbre.  The half-century+ old recordings by Heidsieck and Thyssens-Valentin still rule the roost.

[SimonNZ]

Jacob Druckman's Counterpoise - Dawn Upshaw, soprano, Wolfgang Sawallisch, cond.

[Mirror Image]

Jacob Druckman's Counterpoise - Dawn Upshaw, soprano, Wolfgang Sawallisch, cond.

What is Druckman's music like, Simon? Any points of comparison?

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52. Amazing work and performance.

[SimonNZ]

What is Druckman's music like, Simon? Any points of comparison?

I might have to get back to you about that - the above was the first listen to the first piece of his I've heard, and I suspect that as a song-cycle it may not have been typical of his wider body of work. But I'll be investigating further.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I listened to Silbury Air several times from this



Astonishing work. I am looking at the score currently to work out how he composes all the wonderful cross rhythms and all the metric modulations that make this piece jive.

[SimonNZ]

Jonathan Harvey's Tombeau de Messiaen - Philip Mead, piano