What are you listening to now?

[Brian]

Tell me about it! I owe discovering GMG solely to that work, too.

You discovered GMG because of that work, rather than vice versa?

BTW I should clarify, I have heard the original version of No. 2, as a flute sonata.

[not edward]

It does! But No. 1 is coming to an end now, and it is a doozy 

I envy anyone discovering that piece for the first time. Such a powerful work, and not surprising that its slow movement was played at Prokofiev's funeral.

I've been going through these wonderful performances of late:

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[North Star]

You discovered GMG because of that work, rather than vice versa?

That's right. If it was the other way round, it would hardly be noteworthy. 

BTW I should clarify, I have heard the original version of No. 2, as a flute sonata.

Splendid!
I think I will listen to the original Op. 94 later tonight.

[Brian]

That's right. If it was the other way round, it would hardly be noteworthy. 

Storytime! (I looked at your first-ever post but there wasn't much of a hint.)

[Christo]

The guitar concerto is pretty solidly my #1 favorite work by Malcolm Arnold, now. First listen to Brouwer's Retrats catalans; skipping Herbert Chappell, whom I've never heard of, unless somebody replies to say it's really good.

Totally agree about the Arnold concerto (as confirmed earlier in the Malcolm Arnold thread); but would love to hear your verdict on the finest and most 'evocative' of the Leon Brouwer 'guitar concerto' (I consider it to be one) that I know of, in his superb series of guitar concertos (that I know mostly, except for the most recent ones).

[North Star]

Storytime! (I looked at your first-ever post but there wasn't much of a hint.)

A friend talked about some Prokofiev (no idea what works, R&J, Classical Symphony maybe) and got me interested in exploring his music. After not too long, I bumped into the 1st VS, and was mesmerized by that opening movement. Searching the web, I bumped into some post by Karl, and joining seemed like a good idea. 

[aligreto]

Mozart: Piano Quartet in E Flat major K. 493....

[SonicMan46]

Scarlatti, D. - Sonatas on the piano - Sudbin vs. Pletnev - just ordered the 2nd Sudbin disc based on Jens recommendation - Pletnev seems to receive 'mixed' reviews and I'm preferring Sudbin on the piano - have Scott Ross & Hantai (V.1-3) for the harpsichord.  Dave

 

[Karl Henning]

A friend talked about some Prokofiev (no idea what works, R&J, Classical Symphony maybe) and got me interested in exploring his music. After not too long, I bumped into the 1st VS, and was mesmerized by that opening movement. Searching the web, I bumped into some post by Karl, and joining seemed like a good idea. 

(* bows *)

[SimonNZ]

John Adams' On The Transmigration Of Souls - Lorin Maazel, cond.

[Madiel]

What I have taken to latterly is focusing on one work by one composer and listening to all of the versions that I have in my collection. I am trying to do this at least once per month. I am currently surveying Mozart's Piano Quartets - wonderful works.

Ah. This of course would rarely work for me because the most frequent number of versions that I have in my collection of anything is 1.

Well, except for live Tori Amos performances, but that's a non-classical story...

[Kontrapunctus]

One might miss the colors of an orchestra, but this is a tour-de-force of piano playing!

[Todd]

From the Watts big box.  Very enjoyable, a bit broad, sometimes leisurely.  Dated sound.

[Pat B]

Second listen just now. All good stuff, but I immediately fell for the first movement in particular, and the "2 beats in 3/4" rhythms of the Furiant.

I love the 6th, and that's one of my favorite Scherzos, though nobody plays it quite like I hear it in my head. (ETA: Kertész comes closer than many, IIRC.)

TD: first listen to Myung-Whun Chung's Saint-Saens 3 and Messiaen's Ascension. Possibly my favorite of the former -- it's almost as tight as the Dutoit and has more bite. (I find most recordings of this piece uncomfortably ragged.) I hadn't heard Ascension before. It seems more accessible than other Messiaen I've heard, so I will come back to it for sure.

[Mirror Image]

I love the 6th, and that's one of my favorite Scherzos, though nobody plays it quite like I hear it in my head.

TD: first listen to Myung-Whun Chung's Saint-Saens 3 and Messiaen's Ascension. Possibly my favorite of the former -- it's almost as tight as the Dutoit and has more bite. (I find most recordings of this piece uncomfortably ragged.) I hadn't heard Ascension before. It seems more accessible than other Messiaen I've heard, so I will come back to it for sure.

Chung's performance of Saint-Saens' 'Organ' Symphony is very good indeed. Messiaen's L'ascension, for me, is the best thing he's written.

[Todd]

Disc 5.  Argerich teamed with Abbado in Strauss' Burleske and Scriabin's Promethee.  The Strauss is a scorcher.  Argerich blazes through the piece.  I've somehow managed to acquire three versions of this works with only great pianists (Janis and Serkin are the other two), and all are excellent, but Argerich's set is easily the best, and Abbado and the BPO offer sort of lush and nicely transparent support.  The Scriabin is a little too light and clean in the orchestra - I like my late Scriabin heavy and syrupy - but again Argerich does superb work.  A skimpy disc at 37', but the Strauss alone is worth it.

[kishnevi]

You can solve the problem by simply skipping them. Neither Igor Ruhadze on Brilliant nor Elisabeth Wallfisch on Hyperion cut them. 

Don't know about the Hyperion but the Brilliant does not put them in separate tracks, and I have neither the time nor software to edit them out.

There is at least one recording of the Caprices as independent works
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Meanwhile I am now listening to more Locatelli
Concerto Grosso Op. 1 No. 12
Introduzione Teatrale Op. 4 Nos. 1-6
Concerto Grosso Op. 4 No 7
Ensemble Violini Capricciosi
CD 15 of the Brilliant Locatelli Edition

No complaints about these!

[Mandryka]

Yves Préfontaine plays some French baroque organ pieces on a lovely neo baroque organ in Quebec. I think that this is an outstanding CD, not least for the music (rare pieces including an anonymous sequence and the D''Anglebert fugues - the latter previously only recorded (not very well) by Scott Ross as far as I know.)  Prefontaine is stylish, imaginative and colourful.

[Que]

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Q

[king ubu]

Gave this a first spin last night:



intimate and extremely beautiful