What are YOU listening to today?

bombasticDarren · Post by **bombasticDarren** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 4:14 pm

Jared wrote:
bombasticDarren wrote:Good to hear. Opportunities for concert-going in East Anglia are hardly regular so I am glad your travels reaped some reward
aren't they just... unless you visit either Holkham Hall or Snape Maltings... in either case, you'll have to sell your birthright to afford a ticket...

I went to a 'prom' at Snape this summer, and it was reasonably priced on the basis that there was no seat. I found the whole rather offputting as the locals seemed to have a rather combative attitude to concert-going. The atmosphere was also rather uncomfortable, almost as if priority number one was the meal and wine before the performance

Jared · Post by **Jared** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 4:20 pm

bombasticDarren wrote:
Jared wrote:
bombasticDarren wrote:Good to hear. Opportunities for concert-going in East Anglia are hardly regular so I am glad your travels reaped some reward
aren't they just... unless you visit either Holkham Hall or Snape Maltings... in either case, you'll have to sell your birthright to afford a ticket...
I went to a 'prom' at Snape this summer, and it was reasonably priced on the basis that there was no seat. I found the whole rather offputting as the locals seemed to have a rather combative attitude to concert-going. The atmosphere was also rather uncomfortable, almost as if priority number one was the meal and wine before the performance

well down in Aldburgh, the price of the average beach hut is around £50,000... on the Holkham estate, they go for £70,000... can you imagine just how insufferable some of the local population are?

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 5:04 pm

Joseph Haydn
Symphonies 41, 42, 43, 44, 51 & 52
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra
Bruno Weil - conducting.

I haven't listened to a Haydn symphony for far too long, they really are very fine works indeed. This is gorgeous music-making by the wonderful Tafelmusik.

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:10 pm

This set was challenging for me but I ultimately found it to be very interesting and rewarding. The playing from Alain is wonderful. It is not music that I will listen to regularly but rather one that I will dip into from time to time.

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:25 pm

Schubert: Symphony No. 9 in C Major
Profofiev: Classical Symphony
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Carlo Maria Giulini (from the new 5-CD DG box of Chicago recordings)

Prokofiev: Sonata No. 6 for Piano, Op. 82
Iolanta Miroshnikova, pianist (Melodiya LP C 10-15037/38)

The Classical Symphony is a colorful and harmonically rich work and it is beautifully played and recorded here. The Schubert is a large scale, noble reading. It is broadly paced, but the Finale has a sharp, crisp edge. I believe this is its first appearance on CD (my reason for getting this box) and the sound is a distinct improvement overe the LP.

The Prokofiev Sonata No. 6 is a driving performance that struck me as having the sting of anger, but not rage, perhaps due to the color of Ms. Miroshnikova's piano as recorded in 1979 by Melodiya. I've learned a little about the pianist from an Internet interview with one of her nephews, Crhistophor Miroshnikov, who is a cellist. She deserves to be better known.

John

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 7:28 pm

LPs

J.S. Bach - Orchestral Overture #4 (Harnoncourt/Telefunken)
Telemann - Flute Fantasie #2 (Rampal/Odyssey)
Speer - Intrada for 2 Trumpets and thorough-bass & Sonata for 2 Trombones and thorough-bass (Ehmann/Oryx)
Froberger - Tombeau fait a Paris sur la mort de Monsieur Blancrocher (Kipnis/Angel)
Handel - Concerto grosso, Op. 6, No. 2 (Marriner/London)

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 9:56 pm

Chopin's Fantaisie and Polonaise-Fantaisie (Frankl)
Falla's El amor brujo (Elias/Mandell)

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 2:11 pm

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 3:37 pm

Fergus wrote:

That's a noisy, lively recording of the Fireworks music. Guaranteed to bring a smile. I love it.

John

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 5:40 pm

CharmNewton wrote:
Fergus wrote:
That's a noisy, lively recording of the Fireworks music. Guaranteed to bring a smile. I love it.

John

I absolutely agree John....I found it to be one of the most refreshing accounts of these two works that I have heard in a long time. The performances were both captivating and compelling

bigshot · Post by **bigshot** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:25 pm

Listening to Solti's von Suppe overtures from the Decca box. Good Lord! They're the most explosive thing I've ever heard. Not sure whether I like them yet, but they sure did get my attention.

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:50 pm

Chopin's Tarantelle and Military Polonaise (Entremont), Fugue in A Minor (Hesse-Bukowska), and Variations For Flute (Tomaszczuk/Hesse-Bukowska)
Beethoven's Drei Equali for four trombones (trombones of the Leningrad Philharmonic)
Grieg's Andante movement from his unfinished piano trio (Trio Goebel, Berlin)
Debussy's Children's Corner Suite (R. Casadesus)
Schumann's Variations symphoniques (R. Casadesus)

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:51 pm

LPs

Caballero - Overture to "Gigantes y Cabezudos" (Sorozabal/Columbia)
Falla - Harpsichord Concerto (Soriano/Angel)
Stravinsky - Agon (Leinsdorf/RCA)
Sessions - Rhapsody (Prausnitz/Argo)

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:52 pm

Franck's Le chasseur maudit (Freccia)
Rossini's Scala di seta overture (Toscanini 1....w/BBC SO)

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:54 pm

....my last few posts being from LPs also.

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:10 am

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 9:06 am

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 10:35 am

Fergus wrote:

I've collected the recordings of David Munrow over the years, first on LP and later on CD. I've liked his approach to music making which seemed to combine the novel sounds of antique instruments with seemingly timeless values of musical expressiveness that we see in older generations of musicians. How does Munrow sound to you compared to someone like Gardiner, Marcon or tohers performing this music today?

John

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:49 am

Something a little different this afternoon; Beethoven’s arrangements of his Piano Concerto No. 4 for Piano and String Quintet and also his Symphony No. 2 for Piano, Violin and ‘Cello....

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:59 am

CharmNewton wrote:
Fergus wrote:
I've collected the recordings of David Munrow over the years, first on LP and later on CD. I've liked his approach to music making which seemed to combine the novel sounds of antique instruments with seemingly timeless values of musical expressiveness that we see in older generations of musicians. How does Munrow sound to you compared to someone like Gardiner, Marcon or tohers performing this music today?

John

Hi John,
First off I must say that I did enjoy this CD. I felt that the music in question was very well presented with lovely singing from the vocalists and very good playing from the instrumentalists. The recording was also very good. So it has quite a lot going for it but....I have a number of CDs on the Naxos label that present this period of music in a fashion that I much prefer; I like this Early Music to sound raw, exciting and full of energy and not in a finely polished set of recordings. Now I fully understand that Munrow was a pioneer here and to be honest, did a great job for the time. However, the presentation of this type of music is more common now and I suppose the understanding of both the music and the performance of it has evolved. I will, however, be buying more of Munrow in the future

bombasticDarren · Post by **bombasticDarren** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:01 pm

Liszt - Piano Concerto No.1 (Stephen Hough/Andrew Litton, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Hyperion)

bombasticDarren · Post by **bombasticDarren** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:03 pm

Jared wrote:
bombasticDarren wrote:
Jared wrote:
bombasticDarren wrote:Good to hear. Opportunities for concert-going in East Anglia are hardly regular so I am glad your travels reaped some reward
aren't they just... unless you visit either Holkham Hall or Snape Maltings... in either case, you'll have to sell your birthright to afford a ticket...
I went to a 'prom' at Snape this summer, and it was reasonably priced on the basis that there was no seat. I found the whole rather offputting as the locals seemed to have a rather combative attitude to concert-going. The atmosphere was also rather uncomfortable, almost as if priority number one was the meal and wine before the performance
well down in Aldburgh, the price of the average beach hut is around £50,000... on the Holkham estate, they go for £70,000... can you imagine just how insufferable some of the local population are?

I enjoy my fish and chips at Aldeburgh, once or twice in the summer, but other than that it will be avoided (Snape also)

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:14 pm

bombasticDarren · Post by **bombasticDarren** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:18 pm

Brahms - Symphony No.4 (Sergiu Celibidache, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, DG)

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 5:47 pm

Partitas Nos. 3 & 4.

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:00 am

Dvorak's Sonatina in G for violin, Op. 100 (Suk/Holecek)
Dvorak's Moravian Duets, Op. 38 (Kuehn Mixed Choir)

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:02 am

Strauss' Don Juan (the composer himself leading the VPO, 1944)

.....astonishing, what nuances he gets from an orchestra.....the only performance I've heard that makes complete sense out of this work

bigshot · Post by **bigshot** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:17 am

I discovered a treasure in the Decca Sound box this evening... Ute Lemper's collection of Berlin Cabaret songs of the 20s and 30s. It seemed a little bit out of place in the set, so I figured I would give it a listen. Wow! I had no idea that this kind of singing still existed. Her voice is like espresso, and the accompaniment is absolutely perfect. I don't know why I hadn't heard of this record before. I'm very glad they stretched their definition of the box to include this. I might not have found out about it otherwise.

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:47 am

Thomas - Overture to "Raymond" (Dutoit/London)
Duparc - Le Manoir de Rodemonde & Testament (Te Kanawa/EMI)
Chaynes - Oginoha (Nara/REM)
Dusapin - Fist (Ars Nova/Naive)

bombasticDarren · Post by **bombasticDarren** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 6:44 am

Liszt - Piano Concerto No.2 (Stephen Hough/Andrew Litton, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Hyperion)

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:19 am

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 1:19 pm

It´s sunday, and we, good Catholic boys, listen to Masses. And so much the better if the Mass is sung by the incomparable soprano Luba Orgonasova

arglebargle · Post by **arglebargle** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 1:36 pm

Bach French Suites, Andras Schiff - good Sunday morning music.

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 4:20 pm

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 4:39 pm

josé echenique wrote:

It´s sunday, and we, good Catholic boys, listen to Masses. And so much the better if the Mass is sung by the incomparable soprano Luba Orgonasova

I trust that your mind was focused on the liturgy and was not wandering

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 5:44 pm

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 7:23 pm

CharmNewton wrote:
Fergus wrote:
I've collected the recordings of David Munrow over the years, first on LP and later on CD. I've liked his approach to music making which seemed to combine the novel sounds of antique instruments with seemingly timeless values of musical expressiveness that we see in older generations of musicians. How does Munrow sound to you compared to someone like Gardiner, Marcon or tohers performing this music today?

John

I have tried really hard to enjoy David Munrow, I know i'm supposed to like him but I just don't enjoy the sound...

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 7:24 pm

Fergus wrote:

Partitas Nos. 3 & 4.

Just hit the repeat button...

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 7:57 pm

Fergus wrote:
josé echenique wrote:

It´s sunday, and we, good Catholic boys, listen to Masses. And so much the better if the Mass is sung by the incomparable soprano Luba Orgonasova
I trust that your mind was focused on the liturgy and was not wandering

I can´t deny there is sinful, carnal pleasure in Orgonasova´s glorious voice.

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 8:26 pm

Fergus wrote:
CharmNewton wrote:
Fergus wrote:
I've collected the recordings of David Munrow over the years, first on LP and later on CD. I've liked his approach to music making which seemed to combine the novel sounds of antique instruments with seemingly timeless values of musical expressiveness that we see in older generations of musicians. How does Munrow sound to you compared to someone like Gardiner, Marcon or tohers performing this music today?

John

Hi John,
First off I must say that I did enjoy this CD. I felt that the music in question was very well presented with lovely singing from the vocalists and very good playing from the instrumentalists. The recording was also very good. So it has quite a lot going for it but....I have a number of CDs on the Naxos label that present this period of music in a fashion that I much prefer; I like this Early Music to sound raw, exciting and full of energy and not in a finely polished set of recordings. Now I fully understand that Munrow was a pioneer here and to be honest, did a great job for the time. However, the presentation of this type of music is more common now and I suppose the understanding of both the music and the performance of it has evolved. I will, however, be buying more of Munrow in the future

I also enjoy the raw energy some of the period groups bring to performing older music--Biondi is the first name that comes to mind, and I really enjoyed a disc of Marcon accompanying Patricia Petibon.

John

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 8:49 pm

Chalkperson wrote:
CharmNewton wrote:
Fergus wrote:
I've collected the recordings of David Munrow over the years, first on LP and later on CD. I've liked his approach to music making which seemed to combine the novel sounds of antique instruments with seemingly timeless values of musical expressiveness that we see in older generations of musicians. How does Munrow sound to you compared to someone like Gardiner, Marcon or tohers performing this music today?

John
I have tried really hard to enjoy David Munrow, I know i'm supposed to like him but I just don't enjoy the sound...

There's no law that says we have to like any artist or their recordings. I tried hard to like Karajan's Bruckner, but have given up on that. When I first started listening to Munrow, his recordings would be appreciated for a long time, even after his death, as if his place in history was assured. Now I'm not so sure.

John

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:08 pm

Boyce - The Worcester Overture [aka Symphony #8]
Bishop - Thine For Ever (Roberts/Amon Ra)
Stanford - Symphony #3 (Handley/Chandos)

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:32 pm

Grieg: Piano Concerto; Peer Gynt
London Symphony Orchestra & Oiven Fjelstadt
Clifford Curzon, piano

Decca

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 1:07 am

LP:

Sibelius: Symphony No. 5
Concertgebouw Orchestra & Eduard van Beinum
Past Masters

This 1957 live performance is one of the best fifths I've ever heard.

bombasticDarren · Post by **bombasticDarren** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 6:41 am

Hummel - Piano Concerto No.5 (Howard Shelley, London Mozart Players, Chandos)

premont · Post by **premont** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 6:48 am

CharmNewton wrote: When I first started listening to Munrow, his recordings would be appreciated for a long time, even after his death, as if his place in history was assured. Now I'm not so sure.

Munrow was better live than on recordings (this is true of many other prominent musicians). In the early 1970es I attended two intimate concerts he performed with his London group (containing among others Christopher Hogwood, James Tyler and James Bowman). His recordings often sound a bit aloft - the "crusades"-CD being a good example, but in concert everything was engaged and contageous.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 8:33 am

Today it´s freezing here, and what better way to start the day than with some sub-zero music.
This is one of the best recitals Mattila has recorded, and her voice was in it´s absolute prime.

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 9:01 am

Chalkperson wrote:
Fergus wrote:

Partitas Nos. 3 & 4.
Just hit the repeat button...

A super set indeed....bought on your recommendation some time ago

Fergus · Post by **Fergus** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 9:04 am

premont wrote:
CharmNewton wrote: When I first started listening to Munrow, his recordings would be appreciated for a long time, even after his death, as if his place in history was assured. Now I'm not so sure.
Munrow was better live than on recordings (this is true of many other prominent musicians). In the early 1970es I attended two intimate concerts he performed with his London group (containing among others Christopher Hogwood, James Tyler and James Bowman). His recordings often sound a bit aloft - the "crusades"-CD being a good example, but in concert everything was engaged and contageous.

That is a good description of what I felt about it....not quite engaging.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Mon Nov 28, 2011 10:47 am

Continuing with cold weather sopranos. This is easily Anna Netrebko´s finest recording, singing music in her own language where she is stylish, idiomatic and gorgeous. When she tries to be Renata Scotto we are in trouble, but when she is herself, she is truly magnificent.

Who is online