What are you listening to now?

[Todd]

[Karl Henning]

Meeting with 4 friends this PM to assess sundry and many versions of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps. One of the guests will bring the Decca 100th Anniversary box (38 versions) and another, Sony's more modest 10 versions box. Considering the scope of what will be on offer, I will bring 2 versions not duplicated in either.

My kind of party!

[bhodges]

My kind of party!

Yes, I'd be happy to come to that affair, as well! André, what versions are you pondering?

--Bruce

[jlaurson]

That set is on my wish list!   

We are both Koopman fans...

Q

I like Koopman very much in general -- and Buxtehude deserves precisely this kind of attention. What an astonishing project and result. There really needs to be more fanfare about this achievement. (I'm working on a little such fanfare myself.)

J.Brahms, Ragna Schirmer, Handel Variations, Waltzes, Rhapsodies

I was going to say: "FUNNY! I've just been listening to the very same disc myself!"
But it turns out that I was just listening to Ragna Schirmer's Handel disc, namely the Suite II/1 -- the Aria con variazioni of which is the basis of Brahms' Handel Variations.

[Karl Henning]

Yes, I'd be happy to come to that affair, as well!

Although it is a party which can bring our Neal only pain . . . 

[Brian]

Thoughts?

Slower than the norm, but mostly successfully - lots of attention to dynamics and detail, which can result in some passages sounding otherworldly or Wagnerian. The last 3 movements are even better-played than the first 3. The last 1-2 minutes of "Moldau" are soggy and tired, though (not a problem with Antoni Wit, who's actually slower), and in general balances favor brass over winds, which might or might not be something you like.

[Karl Henning]

Oh, if only Wagner belonged to some other world . . . .

0:)

[Ken B]

Although it is a party which can bring our Neal only pain . . . 

Some pain is earned.

[king ubu]

[André]

Yes, I'd be happy to come to that affair, as well! André, what versions are you pondering?

--Bruce

Bernstein and the NYPO, 1958, Muti and Nézet-Séguin in Philadelphia. Between these, there should be 4 Philadelphia versions available, covering some 80 years of the orchestra's history (Stokowski, Ormandy, Muti and NZ). I'd like to hear those, or at least a few sections of each.

[bhodges]

Pavel Haas: Study for Strings (1943) (Czech Philharmonic / Gerd Albrecht) - Great little piece, about 8 minutes, with wonderful energy.

--Bruce

[Pat B]

Slower than the norm, but mostly successfully - lots of attention to dynamics and detail, which can result in some passages sounding otherworldly or Wagnerian. The last 3 movements are even better-played than the first 3. The last 1-2 minutes of "Moldau" are soggy and tired, though (not a problem with Antoni Wit, who's actually slower), and in general balances favor brass over winds, which might or might not be something you like.

Thanks. Sounds like it's worth a listen -- wish it was on spotify.

TD: continuing the Markevitch "Great Conductors" set with Glinka. Quite a startling decrease in sound quality from the Tchaikovsky even though only 6 years separated them and I took a listening break!

[bhodges]

Bernstein and the NYPO, 1958, Muti and Nézet-Séguin in Philadelphia. Between these, there should be 4 Philadelphia versions available, covering some 80 years of the orchestra's history (Stokowski, Ormandy, Muti and NZ). I'd like to hear those, or at leadt a few sections of each.

Very interesting! Of the Philadelphia versions, I've only heard Muti (predictably great), but Nézet-Séguin is probably excellent. In any case, a survey of the orchestra is a fabulous idea.

--Bruce

[king ubu]

[aligreto]

Mahler: Das Klagende Lied [Boulez]....





A terrific performance which immediately becomes high on the preference list.

[bhodges]

Elgar: Introduction and Allegro for Strings (Elder / Hallé)

--Bruce

[ritter]

Oh, if only Wagner belonged to some other world . . . .

0:)

Oh, but then this world would be a much poorer place...

[Spineur]

Ferenc Fricsay is one of my all time favorite conductor.
In russian music, a pure bliss

[aligreto]

Schubert: Auf dem Strom D943
Schumann: Adagio and Allegro in A flat major for Horn and Piano Op. 70.


The Schubert was truly wonderful.

[Pat B]

Ferenc Fricsay is one of my all time favorite conductor.

Yes!

TD: from another "Great Conductors" set, Sibelius 1 (Stokowski 1976).