What are you listening to right now?
Tue, May 11 2010, 6:39PM
#2
RE: Home
Myaskovsky - Serenade, Sinfonietta, Concertino, Op. 32 - Moscow New Opera Orchestra/Samoilov (Olympia, rec. 1993).
Though maybe not essential listening, this recording is rewarding listening for learning/appreciating this "still up and coming" composer.
An honest 1994 review that I mostly agree with, is available at Gramophone Archive.
Tue, May 18 2010, 8:57PM
#3
RE: Home
Bruckner's 9th. Furtwangler BPO 1944
An electrifying performance of Bruckner's greatest. Swifter than my favourite 9th from Goodall, but equally convincing.
Wed, May 19 2010, 12:51PM
#4
RE: What are you listening to right now?
The almost hour-long Interludium Primum (Thema cum XLIX Variationibus) that is part six of Sorabji's Opus Clavicembalisticum - the John Ogdon recording. (Having just listened to the first five sections.)
Mammoth it certainly is, daunting it may be, and its harmonies might well, to quote Sorabji, "bite like nitric acid", but it's an eminently listenable work.
Don't pay any heed to people who say it's "long-winded and frankly a crashing bore, an endless stream of bloated random UNmusical notes slashed about with dissonance, an unpleasant porridge of dank and painful episodes, no real melodies, unlistenable and uninviting for a repeat hearing", because they're quite, quite wrong.
(Actually, he may have a point about an absence of melodies - there may be some, but I can't honestly imagine whistling any of them. But, that aside, he's wrong.)
Thu, May 20 2010, 3:11PM
#5
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Trio Sonatas opp. 1 & 2 by Tibaldi, played by Parnassi musici, on cpo.
In the car on the way to work: Carl Stamitz, Symphonies Vol. 1, New Zealand Chamber Orchestra, Donald Armstrong, Naxos.
Sun, May 23 2010, 2:28AM
#6
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Solti on Mahler's 5th. The Trauermusik!
Sun, May 23 2010, 3:18AM
#7
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Which one? I liked the later. Thought the earlier was chaotic--brass section being out of control.
Sun, May 23 2010, 8:59PM
#8
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Mahler 4, Szell, Cleveland, Judith Raskin, with "Exultate, Jubilate" as a bonus.
Thu, May 27 2010, 11:50AM
#9
RE: What are you listening to right now?
I never listen to classical music while doing anything else (except breathing - and then not all the time...) - however, the last thing I listened to:
Mozart - Symphony No 25, Mackerras/SCO on Linn SACD.
Most exciting thing I listened to recently was Sallinen's fourth symphony conducted by Okko Kamu with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (Finlandia); I bought this after hearing a studio performance of it by the BBC Phil back in the 80s. The first movement is an astounding piece of diabolical movement, very motoric (is that a word?), very dark.
Thu, May 27 2010, 11:58AM
#10
RE: What are you listening to right now?
The first movement is an astounding piece of diabolical movement, very motoric (is that a word?)...
Yes, it is - "Of a piece of music, its performance, rhythm, etc.: marked by precision or repetitiveness suggestive of mechanized action or movement." (from the Online OED).
Currently also not listening to anything - except the birdsong outside.
Thu, May 27 2010, 4:54PM
#11
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Haydn Syms. 42 - 44 w. Hanover/Goodman.
Thu, May 27 2010, 10:35PM
#12
RE: What are you listening to right now?
I've been taking advantage of my local library's splendid new collection of classical CDs of all kinds in New Rochelle,just north of New York City, and the very convenient interloan system among the Westchester county libraries,where you can search on your library's website for anything ,reserve it online and pick it up later at your library.
Among the items are : Live Knappertsbusch recordings of Bruckner 3,4,5 and 7 with the Vienna and Berlin Phil, NDR symphony and Munich Philharmonic, the Verdi Requiem with Reiner/VPO and Price, Elias,Bjorling and Tozzi on Decca, Salonen conducting his music,including the piano concerto with Bronfman on DG, Salonen and the LAPO in music by Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas on Sony, two versions of Der Rosenkavalier :Karajan/EMI, and Erich Kleiber/Decca, Aida with Tebaldi,Bergonzi and Simionato and Karajan/Decca, Bruckner 7 with Sir Colin Davis and the Bavarian RSO on Orfeo, Die Walkure with Janowski/Dresden on Eurodisc, Beethoven Eroica and 1rst sym with Harnoncourt/Chamber orch of Europe on Teldec, Ariadne Auf Naxos with Karajan/Philharmonia on EMI, Brahms 4th with Neeme Jarvi/LSO on Chandos, the Khatchaturian symphony no 2 also with Jarvi and Royal Scottish on Chandos, Nielsen orchestral works with Thomas Dausgaard and the Danish RSO, and much more.
An interesting eclectic mix.
Thu, May 27 2010, 11:34PM
#13
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Penderecki Violin Concerto No.2 Metamorphosen - Anne-Sophie Mutter, LSO, Penderecki.
Fri, May 28 2010, 2:30PM
#14
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Gordon Jacob's First Symphony (Lyrita) and Sainton's "The Island" (Chandos)- wonderful, moving works.
Then later, John Ireland's Trios & Sonatas (again Lyrita).
Sat, May 29 2010, 5:04PM
#15
RE: What are you listening to right now?
Nothing at the moment as I am writing this, but earlier I listened to Rubbra's Fifth Symphony, a deeply moving work in my opinion. The version I have is played by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans-Hubert Schonzeler on a 30-year-old Chandos LP. If anyone has recommendations for alternative recordings they would be gladly appreciated, thank you.
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique - VPO/Davis (Philips, rec 1990).
This stands with the best Colin Davis recordings, and I think the better for this particular work that he also recorded with LSO and ACO.