What are you listening 2 now?

[vandermolen]

Indeed, Respighi represents much more than the famous Roman triptych and I much prefer Vetrate di Chiesa over it. I still have to find a better recording/rendition than the scintillating, epic interpretation on this Chandos CD:

I agree about that Geoffrey Simon recording - it's fabulous.

[Que]

Picking up where I left off:



Christiane Wuyts plays harpsichord music by or attributed to the young Johann Sebastian Bach.

What I like about the young Bach is that he takes a single musical concept and let it gradually develop in a unrushed and meticulous way. Many of these pieces are of "heavenly" lenght without losing their appeal, at least not for me.

[Harry]

Johann Sebastian Bach.
Complete Lute Music.
2 CD'S.
BWV: 995-1000 & 1006a.
Jacob Lindberg, Lute.
Recorded in 1992, at Djursholms Kapell, Djursholms, Sweden.
No PDF File attached to the recording.

Again a fine performance by Lindberg. The poise and balance in these Lute works is amazing. The detail is always a positive thing in his playing. The recording is good. As to the lute he is using I have no idea.

[Papy Oli]

Respighi: Church Windows
López-Cobos: Cincinnati

Wow! This is an impressive piece. Beautiful, and with nice orchestration. It's nice to explore more Respighi beyond the Roman Trilogy.

This reminded me I had some Respighi in the listening pile. All new works to me. Part of the Naxos Free downloads last month.

[prémont]

Maroney's set is 7 CDs. Do you know why Belder will have 2 more?

No, I haven't compared the contents. But you can see a listing of Belder's set on Presto's home page, here:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9540012--byrd-complete-harpsichord-and-organ-music

There will of course be a lot of doublings from his Fitzwilliam set and his My Ladye Neville's set.

[vandermolen]

Frank Bridge 'Oration' (Concerto elegiaco) for Cello and Orchestra:

[Madiel]

So, I tabled my non-classical for tonight and tomorrow, and set myself to listen to Rachmaninoff's Op. 39 to Op. 45, in order, and back-to-back, and while the music was lovely and harmonious, it simply was not for me. I found the music too lush and romantic, even the piano was languid. I was hoping for something haunting and gothic, like his preludes my, but, overall, it was not a waste, as the music was pleasant, and I had a good time listening to it all. :-)

I confess to being a little surprised. I find his late works to be a little less romantic and a little more severe than before. Which is precisely why I like them.

[Madiel]

TD: A moderately random choice to play Holmboe's piano concerto, op.17. Apparently it's my first Holmboe all year.



And it's about four-and-a-half years since I've heard this particular work. Enjoying its combination of expressive range and inner logic. Which pretty much sums up why I like Holmboe.

[Harry]

Œuvres du Livre d'orgue de Montréal.
Lebègue, Nivers, Marchand, d'Anglebert.
Yves-G. Prefontaine, Organ.

Robert Richard Organ 1753/Juget-Sinclair, 2009, Chapelle du Musee de l'Amerique Francophone in Quebec .
Pitch: A=392 Hz.
Meantone temperament: 1/4 comma with eight pure thirds.
Organ tuning: Robin Côté, Juget-Sinclair.
Recording venue: March 2015, Chapelle du Musée de l'Amérique Francophone, Québec.

The instrument, built in 2009, was reconstructed on the basis of archive documents and visits to old French organs. The organ is a classical French organ from the 18th century a low wind pressure and a suspended action.
And well, it sounds fantastic with a capital F, in SOTA sound. As to the performance, I cannot find fault with the for me unknown organist. The composers on this disc are in my favourite list.

[Madiel]

Beethoven: Violin Concerto



My first listen since my CD copy arrived. And I'm only 6-7 minutes in, but it's confirming why I put this on the shopping list in the first place. The Allegro ma non troppo makes sense to me. Having found it very boring in a couple of other recordings, in this one I find it riveting. The tempo is just spot on and the music flows as a result.

[prémont]

Œuvres du Livre d'orgue de Montréal.
Lebègue, Nivers, Marchand, d'Anglebert.
Yves-G. Prefontaine, Organ.

Robert Richard Organ 1753/Juget-Sinclair, 2009, Chapelle du Musee de l'Amerique Francophone in Quebec .
Pitch: A=392 Hz.
Meantone temperament: 1/4 comma with eight pure thirds.
Organ tuning: Robin Côté, Juget-Sinclair.
Recording venue: March 2015, Chapelle du Musée de l'Amérique Francophone, Québec.

The instrument, built in 2009, was reconstructed on the basis of archive documents and visits to old French organs. The organ is a classical French organ from the 18th century a low wind pressure and a suspended action.
And well, it sounds fantastic with a capital F, in SOTA sound. As to the performance, I cannot find fault with the for me unknown organist. The composers on this disc are in my favourite list.

https://i.imgur.com/DteLiQK.png

If you don't know him I'll use the occation to recommend these two recordings by the same fine organist:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7969452--magnificat

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7979426--titelouze-works-for-organ-and-plainchant

[Harry]

If you don't know him I'll use the occasion to recommend these two recordings by the same fine organist:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7969452--magnificat

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7979426--titelouze-works-for-organ-and-plainchant

In my playing list, thank you Poul for recommending them.

[Lisztianwagner]

I'll join the members listening to Respighi:

Ottorino Respighi
Vetrate di Chiesa

Geoffrey Simon & Philharmonia Orchestra

[Harry]

The Romantic Violin Concerto, Volume 16.

Ferruccio Busoni (1866 –1924).
Violin Concerto in D major, Op 35a.
Benedictus from Missa solemnis, Op 123,  by Beethoven arranged for violin and orchestra by Ferruccio Busoni, first recording.

Richard Strauss (1864 –1949).
Violin Concerto in D minor, Op 8.

Tanja Becker-Bender, Violin.
BBC Scottish SO, Garry Walker.
Recorded in City Halls, Candleriggs, Glasgow, 2013.

Superb performances of both Violin concertos, and in SOTA sound. Bender is in all respects a fabulous violinist. She squeezes every ounce of detail out of her instrument, easily flowing out of her bow. I have listen breathlessly, and in awe.
I knew the Strauss concerto well through the recording of Arabella Steinbacher, also a fine recording, and I concluded that they are a match in quality and expression, although Steinbacher puts a little more poetry into her performance. The Busoni Violin concerto I knew well enough, but it was a long time since I listen to it. Its done beautifully by Bender, no question about that. Her bowing and tone is an amazing piece of talent.

[atardecer]

Yes, it's good. While we talk about Byrd: Brilliant is going to release a complete Byrd keyboard set (9 CDs) with Peter-Jan Belder within short time.

No, I haven't compared the contents. But you can see a listing of Belder's set on Presto's home page, here:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9540012--byrd-complete-harpsichord-and-organ-music

There will of course be a lot of doublings from his Fitzwilliam set and his My Ladye Neville's set.

According to that link the set has been released. (November 10)

[Todd]

[Harry]

York Bowen. (1884–1961)
Viola Concerto in C minor Op 25.

Cecil Forsyth. (1870–1941)
Viola Concerto in G minor.

Lawrence Power, Viola.
BBC Scottish SO, Brabbins.
Recorded in Caird Hall, Dundee, Scotland, 2004.

York Bowen's Concerto is quirky and gently eccentric, full of unlikely harmonic twists and creatively stretching demands, melodious  and invigoratingly played.
Much the same could be said about Cecil Forsyth, and unknown composer to me, but he offers a very complimentary addition to this disc. I am frankly amazed of so much creativity both composers display. Sound is as per usual with Hyperion very good.

[Spotted Horses]

The last of the Toch String Quartets, No 13



A mercurial work with an avant garde sound. A satisfying culmination of the series.

[Linz]

Mahler Symphony No. 4 in G Major, Georg Solti, Irmgard Seefried, soprano

[Harry]

Mieczysław Weinberg (1919– 1996).

Dawn, Op. 60 (1957) Symphonic Poem for Large Orchestra.
Symphony No. 12, Op. 114 (1975– 76). In memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich.
BBC Philharmonic, John Storgårds.
Recording venue, MediaCityUK, Salford, Manchester, 2022.

A new release, and a very good one it is. Simply perfect performances in both works. Storgards is high on my list, and this CD confirms my alliance to him. Dawn is a work I never heard before, but I consider it one of Weinberg's best works. Symphony no.12 I cherish greatly, for obvious reasons.
SOTA sound.

Like his mentor Shostakovich, Mieczyslaw Weinberg had only limited success with music for official occasions. His symphonic poem Dawn for the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution, for example, remained unperformed during his lifetime despite its ideologically impeccable content.
Symphony No. 12 was written in 1975/76 in memory of Shostakovich. Kirill Kondrashin was to conduct the premiere, but his insistence on extensive last-minute cuts and changes was taken by Weinberg as a great insult, and he ended the collaboration.