What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

CD 71
JSB
Vn Cto in E, BWV 1042

Tchaikovsky
Vn Cto in d minor, Op. 35

Grieg
Pf Cto in a minor, Op. 16

I shan't lie: I endured rather than enjoyed the Grieg (one of relatively few pieces apparently never to recover from over-exposure)
The sub-ideal sonics did not get in Bach's way. The Tchaikovsky was simply a delight.

CD 72 w/ Artur Rubinstein

"Wolferl"
Pf Cto № 23 in A, K. 488

Chopin
Pf Cto № 2 in f minor, Op. 21

Tchaikovsky
Pf Cto № 1 in b^b minor, Op. 23

[Symphonic Addict]

TD:
Sir Eugene Goossens
*Phantasy Concerto
Symphony no. 1
*Howard Shelley, piano
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Richard Hickox
(on Spotify)



Pleasant enough music, but nothing stood out to me...

Similar feelings with his music. His orchestral music has left me cold. However, I do love this disc featuring some very fine chamber works:

[Symphonic Addict]

Madetoja: Symphony no. 2 and Kullervo



For whatever reason, the first time I listened to this fine symphony I was slightly underwhelmed by it, given its esteemed reputation amongst like-minded listeners. Not so during this recent revisit! It's a beautiful, atmospheric, and organic work - not infrequently reminiscent of Sibelius, but none the worse for that I say! The work's link to the Finnish Civil War (in which Madetoja's brother perished) can be heard in the dramatic third movement and resigned (though not tragic or depressing) coda. Kullervo is a rousing tone poem that needn't blush beside Sibelius' Kalevala-inspired works. For my money, the best Madetoja disc on the market!


Brahms: Piano Sonata no. 3



One of my favorite piano sonatas - I especially love the imposing, Gothic nature of the first movement. And the whole work is filled with marvelous tunes! I thought this performance perhaps lacked a bit of forward motion in the first movement, but it's otherwise very fine.


Peteris Barisons: Symphony no. 2 Romantic



An example where a composer's neglected is justified, IMHO. It's certainly no match for Hanson's similarly titled 2nd Symphony, that's for sure! Really, this is just very generic stuff, going through the motions of late-romantic symphonic writing without contributing anything special or memorable to the proceedings. The slow movement was rather nice actually, but I lost patience before the finale and had to turn it off. Next!


Malipiero: random orchestral works



I found this disc to be a supreme disappointment compared to the other Malipiero/La Vecchia disc on Naxos featuring the early Impressioni dal vero and Pauze del silenzio. It confirmed my hunch that I find Malipiero's earlier works significantly more appealing than his later ones. The two later works, the Fantasie di ogni giorno and Passacaglie (from the 1950s), I found quite dry and uninteresting (and downright weird!), despite fine performances. The slightly earlier Concerti for Orchestra (1931) is the only work on the album I felt compelled to listen to in full. It's still quite reserved and acerbic, but has a certain interest in the way Malipiero spotlights different sections of the orchestra in each movement. I find it ironic how an Amazon reviewer called this music "lush and emotional" - I found it anything but! Perhaps Spotted Horses might find the music on this disc to be of higher quality that I did....


Hailstork: Symphony no. 2 (1995)



IMO, one of the finest works composed by an American in the past 30 or so years. It's a predominantly dark work inspired by his visit to Africa where he saw the dungeons where the slaves were kept before being sent overseas. A stabbing brass chord immediately grabs the attention at the very opening. A mysterious slow movement follows, with mysterious drum beats underpinning the texture at various points. But best of all are the scherzo and finale, which are filled with whirlwind energy and excitingly virtuosic orchestral writing. The contrast between dance-like elements and threating, looming catastrophe put me in mind of some of Malcolm Arnold's symphonic movements. Just thrilling stuff - Cesar, Jeffrey, anyone else know this work?

I see you haven't given Jolivet's Cello Concerto No. 2 a fair shot yet. 

+1 for the Madetoja. I'll keep the Hailstork recommendation in mind.

[foxandpeng]

Paul Hindemith
Complete String Quartets
SQ 5
Amar Quartet
Naxos

[classicalgeek]

I can confidently recommend the Ondine set of Melartin's symphonies, even if the performances by the Tampere Philharmonic lack the last bit of polish and could certainly be improved upon in the future. They also (apparently) use older editions of the symphonies which excise some sections of music. Don't miss this recording of the masterful 3rd Symphony (which can stand with the greatest late-romantic symphonies, IMO) with the Finnish Radio SO under Sakari Oramo. Just glorious: https://youtu.be/CgLRS_sw5oA

Thanks, Kyle! I look forward to checking out the performance on YouTube.

Similar feelings with his music. His orchestral music has left me cold. However, I do love this disc featuring some very fine chamber works:

I want to have another listen to that disc of orchestral music (and perhaps some of the others), but on first impression, you're right, it didn't do much for me. I generally explore a composer's chamber music after their orchestral works, but maybe I'll give the disc you recommended a listen.


TD: Inspired by the 'Favorite Sinfoniettas' discussion on another thread:

Vitezslava Kapralova
Military Sinfonietta
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra
Marko Ivanovic



The kind of piece that was right up my proverbial alley (I know, I know - I say that a lot.) Tonal at its heart, but full of spicy dissonance, rhythmically snappy, and colorfully orchestrated!


Ernst Krenek
Sinfonietta a Brasiliera
Leopoldinum Orchestra
Ernst Kovacic



It takes a while for me to warm up to pieces (meaning atonal or 12-tone) like this, but I do have many such works that I enjoy. So I wasn't that fond of it on first hearing, but that can (and often does) change.


Eduard Tubin
Sinfonietta on Estonian Motifs
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Neeme Jarvi
(all three selections on Spotify)



A fascinating, engaging, even fun piece - and well-orchestrated too.

[Karl Henning]

CD 73
Chopin
Pf Cto № 1 in e minor, Op. 11 w/ Artur Rubinstein

Pf Cto № 2 in f minor, Op. 21 w/ Alfred Cortot

[amw]

Timings are just an indicator. In the first movement Downes takes almost a minute more than Groves but sounds more incisive and urgent. Also, the orchestra seem to respond to his direction at the crack of his whip. Under Groves there is less tension in the playing.

Timings for the various recordings:

- Yates:      31:16
- Gamba:   31:52
- Handley:  37:43
- Downes:  38:00
- Penney:   38:04
- Groves:   39:12
- Arnold:      50:16

I evidently can't do math lol. Thanks for the correction.

Coincidentally that's also the order, from favourite to least favourite, in which I tend to rank the performances I've heard (though I don't know Downes or Penny).

[Symphonic Addict]

Peterson-Berger: Symphony No. 3 Same Ätnam

On this listen I don't rate this work as high as I did previously. It's really noticeable the lack of development of the themes/ideas through the work. Granted, the music is pretty and evocative, but hardly beyond that. The minimalistic-like passage at 0:58-1:30 mark in the 1st movement is the most lovely part in the whole work IMO and it never appears again. A pity.

There are good moments that could have been better overall.

Just my two cents.

[DavidW]

Gielen Mahler 5 is a wow!  And Mendelssohn's PTs are quite good.

[foxandpeng]

Elena Ruehr
Icarus and other music
String Quartet #7 'A Thousand Cranes'
Suite for String Quartet #8 'Insect Dances'
Delgani String Quartet
Arneis Quartet


Good to see Elena Ruehr's excellent SQ cycle growing. Fine, enjoyable works.

[Symphonic Addict]

One of my favorite Xenakis CDs.

[Daverz]

Enescu: Symphony No. 3 on this retrospective live set:



Streamed via Qobuz.

H/T to the Hurwitzer for bringing this set to my attention.  Very fine recording of the Enescu symphony. 

[Symphonic Addict]

I unfortunately don't know how it compares to your favorite recordings. (I am younger than many members here, and I generally prefer to explore new music instead of alternative recordings.)...

This applies to me too. Much more interesting than hearing the 1000th recording of, say, Bruckner or Mahler's symphony where the differences with the other 999 are insignificant most of the times.

[Mapman]

Gielen Mahler 5 is a wow!  And Mendelssohn's PTs are quite good.

I've also been impressed by Gielen's Mahler so far, although I haven't listened to much of it yet.

Today, I listened to Des Knaben Wunderhorn.

[Symphonic Addict]

Strauss: Dance Suite after Couperin

[Mirror Image]

This entire Weinberg recording on Chandos:



A superb recording!

[Mirror Image]

Strauss: Dance Suite after Couperin

Great stuff! Strauss at his Neoclassical best!

[Mapman]

Strauss: Tod und Verklärung
Nelsons: Boston

Another beautiful performance, excellently recorded. The first part doesn't have as much pain and suffering as some performances, and the man seems to give up more than normal just before he dies, but Nelsons is building to the final climax at the end, which is glorious. So it's a great performance of Transfiguration.

[JBS]

One of my favorite Xenakis CDs.

My first Xenakis CD, bought as an experiment. The result of the experiment may be deduced from the fact it remains my only Xenakis CD. Nothing connected in any way with me, I'm sorry to say. When I want a gnarly Greek, Skalkottas does the job very well.
TD
Much more in my usual territory


Landed yesterday evening. Released this year but the recording was actually done in 2005. Quite well done. I have no idea why they waited 17 years to release it.

[Symphonic Addict]

Great stuff! Strauss at his Neoclassical best!

Indeed, a delightful and witty piece.