What are you listening to now?

[North Star]

Very nice!

I often intend to start exploring Vaughan Williams' music, but I can never find enough time.......

I have the perfect solution, Ilaria:
Listen to some RVW instead of whatever it was going to be for New Year's.

[Lisztianwagner]

I have the perfect solution, Ilaria:
Listen to some RVW instead of whatever it was going to be for New Year's.

It would certainly be a good purpose for the New Year. The fact is that there are so many great composers to discover and explore, but so little time to do that! Rachmaninov was absolutely right....a lifetime is not enough for music!

[Mirror Image]

Rachmaninov was absolutely right....a lifetime is not enough for music!

He certainly was.

Thread duty:



A new acquisition. Listening to The Quest. It's been a few years since I've heard this ballet. Sounds great so far.

[Mirror Image]

And it finally arrived...



My jaw is dropped...that's all I'll say for now about The Apostles.

Sir Mark Elder discussing The Apostles -

http://www.youtube.com/v/5cdkd2DEZaA

[Mirror Image]

Such an eargasmic experience. Listening to Part II: Golgotha right now and loving every minute of it. This work's neglect is unjustifiable as is The Kingdom for that matter. Every Elgar fan needs at least one performance of The Apostles in their collection and if you do decide to get it let it be Elder's recording. I couldn't imagine it getting any better than this.

[mn dave]

Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony No. 2, op. 9 "Antar"
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra/Zinman

Russian Easter Festival Overture, op. 36
Same forces

[Mirror Image]

Well, The Apostles blew my mind. I'll definitely be revisiting this work along with The Kingdom very soon.

Now playing from the Andrew Davis Elgar set on Warner:



Listening to The Music Makers. Always a fine work.

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Falstaff. I'm beginning to enjoy this work more and more each time I listen to it. Of course, Barbirolli and the Halle are at home here.

[Justin]

Had this playing in the car a while ago. Charming pieces!


[asin]B0000013XY[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

Now:



Listening to Flos Campi. It's been too long. Gorgeous work.

[kishnevi]

Now quartets 10 & 12 from this set:

[asin]B000051ZPV[/asin]

Just finished a first listen to the last two CDs of that set,  Quartets 13 (c/Grosse Fuge), 14 and 16.
Performances are first rate,  but in perspective,  I can't see it impressed me as better than any other set.  But in reaching that conclusion,  I stumbled on another one:  that Beethoven's quartets are too diverse, and composed at too high a level of music making,  to allow one recording of the cycle to be clearly better than others.  Every performance can reveal something different.

And a further concurrence with you:

Gluck's Der Betrogene Kadi from this box:

[asin]B007QZ0LMO[/asin]

Fine music, wonderful singing (Berry, Rothenberger, Gedda, Donath et al, so that goes without saying), but the lack of even a synopsis is a big minus though.

Total agreement with you.  The lack of synopsis/librettos is especially bad because most of these operas are not often recorded.

[pi2000]

Leonid Kogan in Mozart 3 and Shostakovich 1(disc 5) from this 10 CD set(Enescu Festival 2nd edition 1961)
http://www.edituracasaradio.ro/prod.shtml?grp=4&cat=20&prod=1085

Mozart 23 Annie Fischer(piano),Constantin Bugeanu(conductor) ,disc8 from this set

[milk]

[Que]

.[asin]B0037SQ2LI[/asin]

Q

[Que]

Just finished a first listen to the last two CDs of that set,  Quartets 13 (c/Grosse Fuge), 14 and 16.
Performances are first rate,  but in perspective,  I can't see it impressed me as better than any other set.  But in reaching that conclusion,  I stumbled on another one:  that Beethoven's quartets are too diverse, and composed at too high a level of music making,  to allow one recording of the cycle to be clearly better than others.  Every performance can reveal something different.

I would agree with both findings.  What I regret the most about the set is the muffled recording.


Against the background of the steady rumbling of fireworks in the distance on this last day of the year:

[asin]B00002EIUD[/asin]

I have had this set for a while, but upon revisiting it sounds as fresh as a daisy!

Q

PS Is somebody here going to pick up on that $15 offer for a "like new" set?

[Mandryka]

Lionel Rogg plays BWV 675

He makes the cantus firmus sing out with joy, as the other two voices cavort around. Very appropriate for what is, I guess, music inspired by the first verse of the Gloria.

[mc ukrneal]

Gluck's Der Betrogene Kadi from this box:

[asin]B007QZ0LMO[/asin]

Fine music, wonderful singing (Berry, Rothenberger, Gedda, Donath et al, so that goes without saying), but the lack of even a synopsis is a big minus though.

Perhpas too much (and too difficult), but you can follow along with the score: http://imslp.org/wiki/Le_Cadi_dup%C3%A9,_Wq.29_(Gluck,_Christoph_Willibald)

[mc ukrneal]

I would agree with both findings.  What I regret the most about the set is the muffled recording.


Against the background of the steady rumbling of fireworks in the distance on this last day of the year:

[asin]B00002EIUD[/asin]

I have had this set for a while, but upon revisiting it sounds as fresh as a daisy!

Q

PS Is somebody here going to pick up on that $15 offer for a "like new" set?

And so my last purchase of the year is one I've had on my wishlist for years I guess. But under $20, I had to pounce. Thanks for noticing that!

[North Star]

Fresh from the mailbox (in that naïve-style box with a bunch of other goodies from Alessandrini & Concerto Italiano)
[asin]B004S7ZZ42[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

PS Is somebody here going to pick up on that $15 offer for a "like new" set?

I suppose someone did.