What are YOU listening to today?

Post by **Lance** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:14 pm

This has proved to be such a popular subject that we should continue it on here! If possible give disc labels and numbers if you feel moved. This will help others to track down recordings they don't have.

Me? I've been listening to pianist FOU TS'ONG's recordings in preparation for a radio tribute. This includes Chopin and Mozart piano concertos, Schubert's B-flat Op. Posth. Sonata and German Dances, Scarlatti sonatas, Debussy, and Chopin solo works.

piston · Post by **piston** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:22 pm

I think that James should play the lottery. He has the honor of closing a thread which has over 130,000 replies

I am listening to Emanuel Ax playing Beethoven's third piano concerto, Andrew Davis, P.S.O., public radio, and it's a feast.

mickey · Post by **mickey** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 9:57 pm

currently:
John Adams
The Dharma At Big Sur
San Francisco Symphony
Nonesuch Records

anasazi · Post by **anasazi** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:02 am

Samuel Barber chamber music. The Canzone for flute and piano, with Jeanne Baxtresser and Israela Margalit. The Quartet #2, with the Chester String Quartet.

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:20 am

Lance wrote:This has proved to be such a popular subject that we should continue it on here!

It is continued here: I moved the threadover when we started the new fora. How else could the Music Room be (temporarily) ahead of the Pub in posts.

Post by **Lance** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:37 am

Corlyss_D wrote:
Lance wrote:This has proved to be such a popular subject that we should continue it on here!
It is continued here: I moved the threadover when we started the new fora. How else could the Music Room be (temporarily) ahead of the Pub in posts.

Yes, I see it now and missed it when looking. It's drawing some responses as well. Heaven knows, as a classical music forum, it's nice to be ahead at the moment. We might as well leave it here, too as the bigger subject is continuing to get responses. Great news for CMG!

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 12:47 pm

Lance wrote:
Corlyss_D wrote:
Lance wrote:This has proved to be such a popular subject that we should continue it on here!
It is continued here: I moved the threadover when we started the new fora. How else could the Music Room be (temporarily) ahead of the Pub in posts.
Yes, I see it now and missed it when looking. It's drawing some responses as well. Heaven knows, as a classical music forum, it's nice to be ahead at the moment. We might as well leave it here, too as the bigger subject is continuing to get responses. Great news for CMG!

Certainly. At the mo' I'm listening to a birthday tribute to Howard Shelley, whose natal day is this week. They devoted 2 hrs to his recordings of Hummel, Chopin, and Moscheles

Post by **Lance** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 2:38 pm

Corlyss_D wrote:Certainly. At the mo' I'm listening to a birthday tribute to Howard Shelley, whose natal day is this week. They devoted 2 hrs to his recordings of Hummel, Chopin, and Moscheles

Ah, Howard Shelley - an enormously gifted pianist - and sometimes conductor. Sounds like you're hearing some of his best. The Hummel material on Chandos has proved to be most worthwhile - exceptional pianism, superb recordings, rare repertoire ... what more could want except MORE of the same stuff!

Brendan · Post by **Brendan** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:29 pm

Thanks for reminding me of Shelley's Hummel. I've been listening to Kapell's Chopin Mazurkas and must get some more of Kapell's output. Solomon's Appassionata has also been regular in recent times.

With all the talk of Schumann here recently, I must listen more often. Love the piano quintet and some of Kempff's recordings, but should get more.

piston · Post by **piston** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:14 pm

Aimez-vous Brahms? First Concerto for piano and orchestra, Emanuel Ax, Loren Maazel, New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Brahms fully serves to reconcile me with the Romantic period.

piston · Post by **piston** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:46 pm

A couple of Shostakovich quartets and his sonata for 'cello and piano.
Albert Roussel's Le Festin de l'araignée, Sinfonietta for string orchestra, Bacchus et Arianne, pour une fëte de printemps, Petite suite, Suite in F, Aeneas.

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:47 am

piston wrote:Aimez-vous Brahms?

Yesterday I watched a few minutes of the movie based on the book. Decided to give it a pass. Tonight saw a movie with Alan Ladd and Carolyn Jones in which the Brahms 3rd and Mendelssohn's Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage played a prominent role.

val · Post by **val** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:41 am

Yesterday, Purcell, Fantasias for viols. This works are very severe, with a deep sadness. The interpretation of Jordi Savall and the Hyperion Ensemble is even more austere, with no real dynamic, even in the fugues. I prefer the old version of Harnoncourt, less perfect, but much more alive.

Donaldopato · Post by **Donaldopato** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:20 am

Working my way through Kertesz's Dvorak Symphonies. Up to # 5 now.

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:10 pm

Brahms fourth symphony last night/Sawallisch-Phila

Going to hear Ingo Metzmacher conduct the Shostakovich fourth tonight with the Philadelphia Orchestra. I've never heard this great work live before, so I'm pretty excited.

ch1525 · Post by **ch1525** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:38 pm

I'll be listening to Boston today! The world lost Brad Delp too early. I wish I would have gotten to see them live. They were planning a tour this summer.

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:13 pm

Damn! Well, I guess I'll pull out one of my 2 vinyl copies of Boston (never quite brought myself to pick up a CD of it--great, great album).

R.I.P., Brad.

MaestroDJS · Post by **MaestroDJS** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:46 am

Finally I seem to have a bit of leisure time again (better too many engineering projects than not enough, I suppose). Last week I paged through Amazon.com for music which might be of marginal interest at full price but well worth exploring at half price. Max Bruch continues to intrigue me because he was a good composer who could be truly great when he set his mind to it. Come on, Max, we know you can do it! At the moment I'm listening to his oratorio Das Lied von der Glocke (The Song of the Bell) which is generally quite good, with a few great sections such as the rapturous finale.

Max Bruch (1838-1920): Das Lied von der Glocke für Soli, Chor und Orchester. Eleonore Marguerre, Soprano; Annette Markert, Alto; Klaus Florian Vogt, Tenor; Mario Hoff, Bass. Philharmonischer Chor Prag; Staatskapelle Weimer / Jac van Steen. CPO 777 130-2 (2 CDs) (Germany).

Next in my line-up this morning:

Max Bruch (1838-1920): Moses, ein biblisches Oratorium für Chor, Soli und Orchester. Michael Volle, Baritone; Robert Gambill, Tenor; Elizabeth Whitehouse, Soprano; Chor und Orchester der Bamberger Symphoniker / Claus Peter Flor. Orfeo C 438 982 H (2 CDs) (Germany).

Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924): Orchestral Works, Vol. 1. Orchestral Suite No. 2 "Geharnischte Suite"; Berceuse Élégiaque; Concertino for Clarinet and Small Orchestra*; Zwei Studien zu "Doktor Faust": Sarabande und Cortège; Tanzwalzer. *John Bradbury, Clarinet; BBC Philharmonic / Neeme Järvi. Chandos CHAN 9920 (United Kingdom).

Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924): Orchestral Works, Vol. 2. Lustspiel-Ouvertüre; Indianische Fantasie*; Gesang vom Reigen der Geister; Die Brautwahl: Suite für Orchester. *Nelson Goerner, Piano; BBC Philharmonic / Neeme Järvi. Chandos CHAN 10302 (United Kingdom).

This is probably the 10th time I've played these new CDs, which is probably a pretty good endorsement. Busoni's Tanzwalzer (Dance Waltzes) is delightful. Busoni wrote that?

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:02 pm

I'm currently listening to Harnoncourt and the Conceritus Musicus Wien's recording of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos on the Teldec label. Great overall performance and sound engineering, and a real bargain on iTunes for only $9.99!

keaggy220 · Post by **keaggy220** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 5:28 pm

Debussy - la Mer - Images - Nocturnes - Jeux - Printemps, Charles Dutoit

I'm just getting into Debussy.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 9:33 pm

I will continue to make my regular weekly reports on my listening in the other thread, but I just started 3 new listening projects today, and will add another tomorrow, and those four will constitute most of my listening for the next two, or perhaps three weeks, so I thought it might be auspicious to reveal them now.

I have begun listening to the Parisii Quartet recordings of the complete Milhaud string quartets and octet (quartets 14 & 15 played together) on 5 CDs from Naive, the ESS.A.Y label set of three twofers of the complete solo piano music of Mily Balakirev by Alexander Paley, and the 13 CD Capriccio set of the complete Mozart Symphonies conducted by Hans Graf. And tomorrow, I will add the fourth set--the 12 CD Chailly Mahler symphony cycle from Decca.

bOrbOt · Post by **bOrbOt** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 1:24 am

Mozart - Piano Concertos Nos. 15-25

Vladimir Ashkenazy/Philharmonia Orchestra/Decca

piston · Post by **piston** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:02 am

Max Reger: Suite no. 2 for 'cello (excellent); Suite in G for viola and orchestra; Four tone poems after Bocklin, op. 128; Three suites for viola, op. 131d; Serenades in D and in G; Romance nos. 1 and 2 for violin and orchestra; Concerto for Orchestra in Olden Style, op. 123.

karlhenning · Post by **karlhenning** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:03 am

piston wrote:Max Reger: Suite no. 2 for 'cello (excellent)

Is this unaccompanied?

Cheers,
~Karl

piston · Post by **piston** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:14 am

Yes, these are Reger's suites for solo 'cello, op. 131. I only have the second one.
cheers

piston · Post by **piston** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:55 pm

Max Bruch: Complete works for violin and orchestra, Kurt Masur, Salvatore Accardo, violin, Gewandhaus Orchestra
Violin concerto, no. 1, in G minor, op. 26. -- Violin concerto, no. 2, in D minor, op. 44. -- Violin concerto, no. 3, in D minor, op. 58. --Adagio appassionato, op. 57. -- Romance, op. 42. -- "Scottish Fantasy", op. 46. -- "Konzertstück", op. 84. -- Serenade, op. 75. -- "In Memoriam", op. 65
(taped recordings of 4 LP boxset, Philips)

Post by **Corlyss_D** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:02 pm

Rameau: Une Symphonie Imaginaire

piston · Post by **piston** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 3:42 pm

Ravel's complete orchestral works, Claudio Abbado, L.S.O., DG 3-CD box set (with the butterflies on the cover

).
One of Ravel's greatest talents, IMO, was orchestration. Lots of room for instrumental solos, considerable variations in instrumental combination and succession. Relatively "modest" instruments, such as the flute, offer important contributions no less than strings, etc.

MaestroDJS · Post by **MaestroDJS** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 9:59 pm

Henri Dutilleux (1916- ), France:

Symphonies: No. 1, No. 2 "Le Double". BBC Philharmonic Orchestra / Yan Pascal Tortelier. Chandos CHAN 9194 (United Kingdom).

Orchestral Works I. Symphony No. 2 "Le Double"; Métaboles; The Shadows of Time. Bordeaux Aquitaine National Orchestra / Hans Graf. Arte Nova ANO 807860 (Germany).

Orchestral Works II. Symphony No. 1; Tout un monde lontain… for cello and orchestra (Jean-Guihen Queyras, Cello); Timbres, Éspace, Mouvement ou "La Nuite Étoilée". Bordeaux Aquitaine National Orchestra / Hans Graf. Arte Nova ANO 928130 (Germany).

Orchestral Works III. L'Arbe des Songes (Concerto for Violin and Orchestra) (Olivier Charlier, Violin); La Geôle, Deux Sonnets de Jean Cassou (François le Roux, Baritone); Mystère de l'Instant (for 24 Strings, Cimbalom and Percussion). Bordeaux Aquitaine National Orchestra / Hans Graf. Arte Nova ANO 638250 (Germany).

Dave

piston · Post by **piston** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:49 pm

Rachmaninov
The Symphonies
The Bells
Symphonic Dances
The Isle of the Dead
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Vladimir Ashkenazy
London

piston · Post by **piston** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:57 pm

Glazunov:
Fantasy: The Sea, op. 28
Oriental Rhapsody, op.29
Ballade, op. 78
Cortège solennel, op. 91
Variations on a Russian Theme (composite piece)
Piano Concerto no. 1, op. 92
Piano Concerto no.2, op. 100
Stenka Razin, op. 13
Une fëte slave, op. 26
Cortège solennel, op. 50
Fantaisie, op. 53
Mazurka, op. 18
March on a Russian Theme, op. 76
OvertureL: Carnaval, op. 45
Spring, op. 34
Concert waltz, no. 1, op. 47, and no.2, op. 51
Salomé, incidental music to the play of Oscar Wilde, op. 90
4 Mazurka-oberek in D-Major for violin and orchestra
Concerto Ballato for cello and orchestra, op. 108
Chant du ménestrel for 'cello and orchestra, op. 71
Two pieces for 'cello and orchestra, op. 20
A la mémoire de Gogol, op. 87
A la mémoire d'un héros, op. 8
Symphony no. 3 in D Major, op. 33
Symphony no. 5 in B-flat Major, op. 55
Symphony no. 8 in E-flat Major, op. 83
Symphony no. 9 in D minor (unfinished; orchestrated by Gavril Yudin)

SaulChanukah · Post by **SaulChanukah** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 8:09 am

Listening to french rock for the past month.
His name is Joe Dassin... famous french singer from the 80's.
Also listening to some of my own music..
Got to get serious on classical again...

James · Post by **James** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 5:10 pm

over the last few days...

stravinsky's rite of spring
boulez's structures for 2 pianos
liszt's les prelude symphonic poem
nono's string quartet

rogch · Post by **rogch** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:03 am

Karajan's recording of Mahler's ninth symphony. I think it is the second of his two recordings. I will be surprised if i hear a better performance of that work.

karlhenning · Post by **karlhenning** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:09 am

Shostakovich
Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Opus 43
SNO / Järvi

Space is a little too reverberant, which is to say, there are times when the rich textures muddy.

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:25 pm

Beethoven's 9th
The Philadelphia Orch.
Riccardo Muti

Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony (No. 94)
Royal Concertgebouw Orch.
Sir Colin Davis

Mendelssohn's 4th
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Sir Charles Mackerras

Prokofiev's "Classical" Symphony (No. 1)
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Gerard Schwarz

piston · Post by **piston** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:13 pm

Glazunov:
The King of the Jews, op. 95
The Kremlin, op. 30
From the Middle Ages, op. 79
Poème lyrique, op. 12
Poème épique, op. posth.
Finnish Fantasy, op. 88
Finnish Sketches, op. 89
Ouverture solennelle, op. 73
Wedding March, op. 21
Le chant du destin, op. 84
Suite caractéristique, op. 9
Préludes op. 85, no. 1 and 2.

GK · Post by GK » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:26 pm

Schumann--Piano Quartet, op.47
Brahms--Piano Quartet, op.25

Ames Piano Quartet (Dorian)

anasazi · Post by **anasazi** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:19 am

My evening of music ended with Bax's "Tintagel". Actually, about the only piece by Bax I really enjoy.

Ah, those visions of Camelot.

anasazi · Post by **anasazi** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:23 am

Corlyss_D wrote:Rameau: Une Symphonie Imaginaire

Corlyss, ever listen to jazz pianist Bob James album entitled "Rameau"?

Haydnseek · Post by **Haydnseek** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:10 pm

Brian Eno: Music for Airports
Satie: piano music played by Reinbert de Leeuw
Webern pieces: Ulster Orchestra, Takuo Yuasa

I'm floating, floating....

piston · Post by **piston** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:17 pm

Very much a romantic, lately. Will shed my snake skin eventually:

Glazunov:
Symphony no. 6 in C minor, op. 58
The Forest, op. 19
Symphony no. 3 in F-Sharp minor, op. 16
Symphony no. 7 in F major, op. 77 "Pastoral"
Raymonda (complete ballet) op. 57
Violin Concerto in A minor, op. 82
And his summum
The Seasons

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 1:50 pm

Feeling a bit cretinous last evening, I thought I'd hear what SIR NEVILLE MARRINER can supposedly do, outside his well-established chamber orchestra specialty. I ordered super-cheap from Amazon a CD of him traversing (travesty-ing?) 3 old French warhorses: Danse Macabre, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Bolero.

The chief quality Marriner lacks in tackling this stuff is the basic ability to distinguish between foreground and background; secondary, accompanimental textures often threaten to dominate the main melodic ideas. It's apparently Marriner's desire to make every texture in a showpiece as clear as if it were in a chamber piece, that monotony eventually sets in (and that's a fatal quality especially in the Bolero). There IS some delight in some of this coloristic confusion, such as in the early stages of Danse Macabre.....but it's so hard-driven and businesslike, and much too extroverted; Marriner doesn't let you experience the deliciously GOTHIC elements of this and Sorcerer's Apprentice. No doom and gloom in either work here; Sorcerer, in addition, is all but done in by Marriner's (surprisingly) tasteless handling of the various tempo relationships; when the faster section gets underway, he radically and inexplicably slows it down halfway through, then (at the section where the panicky apprentice grabs the axe from the broomcloset) speeding up, equally radically. This treatment can come off well if the pages preceding are done at just a slightly slower speed: the French (particularly Paray and Dervaux) always magnificently handled this. But Marriner violates this & a fair number of other markings Dukas set forth (no apparent slowing down in the contrabassoon's solo, or eventual acceleration when the bass clarinet joins in--this segement's completely robbed of all its spookiness).

I have only to add that Bolero, as rendered (rended?) by Marriner has some strange instrument in the final stages that sounds like a windup-toy on the second beat of each bar, that I never heard before....I don't think I'm supposed to hear it.

Ellie Kett · Post by **Ellie Kett** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 4:32 pm

What - do you mean to tell me that no one has listened to the beautiful Met broadcast of The Barber of Seville ?
What's the matter with you folks

.
Based on the above listening list, I think you're all taken up with too much tuneless music.

Ellie

Haydnseek · Post by **Haydnseek** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 7:12 pm

I listened today to my old LPs of Die Walküre conducted by Karajan for the first time in quite a while. Very good!

bOrbOt · Post by **bOrbOt** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 8:13 pm

Boccherini - Flute Quintets Nos. 1-6

Jean-Pierre Rampal - Flute/Sony Classical

GK · Post by GK » Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:16 pm

"Extreme Nessun Dorma"--A CD put together by a friend, of a bunch of tenors singing the famous aria from Turandot. Most sing it pretty well even Andrea Bocelli--but not Michael Bolton. Franco Corelli does it the best.

ch1525 · Post by **ch1525** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 12:16 am

Ellie Kett wrote:What - do you mean to tell me that no one has listened to the beautiful Met broadcast of The Barber of Seville ?
What's the matter with you folks .
Based on the above listening list, I think you're all taken up with too much tuneless music.

Ellie

I listened to it!!! Including when I was taking a shower. Nothing like being serenaded by Count Almaviva while showering.... Just Kidding!

ch1525 · Post by **ch1525** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 12:31 am

GK wrote:"Extreme Nessun Dorma"--A CD put together by a friend, of a bunch of tenors singing the famous aria from Turandot. Most sing it pretty well even Andrea Bocelli--but not Michael Bolton. Franco Corelli does it the best.

Hmm, Michael Bolton singing "Nessun Dorma"? Wouldn't that induce the opposite effect of what the aria is about in putting people to sleep???

Ellie Kett · Post by **Ellie Kett** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:15 am

ch1525 wrote:I listened to it!!! Including when I was taking a shower. Nothing like being serenaded by Count Almaviva while showering.... Just Kidding!

Well Chad, all I could say is that I wouldn't mind being serenaded in the shower or any other place by Diego Florez.

Warmly,
Ellie

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