What are YOU listening to today?

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 1:13 pm

maestrob wrote:Sean: What a great day! After consideration, did you have a favorite (or perhaps several?)?

I am very fond of the Bernstein cycle. My favourite Sibelius 5? I'm not sure, the Davis/LSO is very fine indeed. My very first Sibelius recordings were the Sanderling/BSO and that set holds a special place in my heart after that it might be Blomstedt or perhaps the Vänskä/Lahti performance.

I will just have to revisit them to find out.

The HvK is a few steps away from the bin.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 1:16 pm

Camille Saint-Saëns
Symphony No. 3
Phildelphia Orchestra
Eugene Ormandy - conducting.

Jared · Post by **Jared** » Sun Jun 17, 2012 1:24 pm

I have been listening to quite a lot of Renaissance music of late, especially from the Tallis Scholars, which I have been enjoying greatly.

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:00 am

Dyson - Overture: At the Tabard Inn (Hickox/Chandos)
Boeck - Fantasy on 2 Flemish Folksongs (Rahbari/Marco Polo)
Jolivet - Flute Concerto (Milan/Chandos)
Baird - Epiphany Music (Rowicki/Olympia)
Gorecki - Harpsichord Concerto (Chojnacka/Nonesuch)

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:27 pm

Chadwick - Thalia Overture (Schermerhorn/Naxos)
Harris - Symphony #7 (Keelan/Koch)
Schoenfield - Klezmer Rondos (Wincenc/Argo)
Adams - Chairman Dances (de Waart/Nonesuch)

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:05 am

LPs

W. A. Mozart - Overture to "The Marriage of Figaro" (Walter/Columbia)
Mahler - Symphony #3 (Mehta/London)

Guitarist · Post by **Guitarist** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:04 pm

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 10:06 am

Quator Mosaiques: Mozart, Les quators dedies a Haydn.

Exquisite.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 7:00 am

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No 35
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Claudio Abbado - conducting.

Symphony No 35
Prague Chamber Orchestra
Charles Mackerras - conducting.

I listened to both Haffner's this morning. To my ear there is no comparison between the two except to say that they both play this magnificent work with great vigour and joy however, the Abbado led Berliners really leave the Czech's in the shade when it comes to the glorious range of tone colours in their performances, their recording rewards repeated listening: so I am well rewarded. Recommended.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 7:10 am

Guitarist wrote:

I do like Deneve's recordings with the RSNO particulary his Roussel cycle, do you like that performance?

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 7:12 am

maestrob wrote:Quator Mosaiques: Mozart, Les quators dedies a Haydn.

Exquisite.

I love the Mosaiques Haydn quartets, I must get their Mozart recordings.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:42 am

Haydn: Sonata No. 60
Chopin: Scherzo No. 4, Ballade No. 3
Rachmanninoff: Preludes, Op. 23 #1, Op. 10 # 9, 10, & 12
Ravel: Jeux d'eau; La vallee des cloches
Prokofiev: Sonata No. 6; Vision fugitives Op 22, Nos. 3-6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 18

Various encores

This is a recital that's been sitting unopened on my shelf for at least two years: I deeply regret not opening it sooner. The sound is very good, and Richter is in top form. Outstanding!

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:47 am

maestrob wrote:

Haydn: Sonata No. 60
Chopin: Scherzo No. 4, Ballade No. 3
Rachmanninoff: Preludes, Op. 23 #1, Op. 10 # 9, 10, & 12
Ravel: Jeux d'eau; La vallee des cloches
Prokofiev: Sonata No. 6; Vision fugitives Op 22, Nos. 3-6, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 18

Various encores

This is a recital that's been sitting unopened on my shelf for at least two years: I deeply regret not opening it sooner. The sound is very good, and Richter is in top form. Outstanding!

Yes but it's great to discover a real gem in your collection though isn't it? One that you weill probably return to again and again.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 10:48 am

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 9
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Bernard Haitink - conducting.

I have several recordings of Mahler's Ninth Symphony and this is one of my favourites. It was recorded in Amsterdam in June 1969, it is a sparking performance by the CO and is superby captured by the Philips sound engineers. I love this symphony: listening to this extraordinary music is a wonderful way to spend 80 minutes of one's life.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:29 pm

Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet Op 59, No 1
Gewandhauss Quartett

This line-up has been playing since 1993 and was formed, as the tradition goes, from the concertmasters, solo violist and solo cellist of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. This is a lovely bright performance, it's very enjoyable indeed.

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:36 pm

Carroll - Festive Overture (Sutherland/ASV)
Hauer - Romantic Phantasie (Rabl/cpo)
Hindemith - Clarinet Sonata (Oudenweijer/Naxos)
Goldschmidt - Rondeau (Juillet/London)

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:17 am

Dvorak - Overture to "Armida" (Syankovsky/Marco Polo)
Smetana - Richard III (Kuchar/Brilliant)
Suk - Piano Trio (Joachim Trio/Naxos)
Janacek - Sinfonietta (Mackerras/Supraphon)

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:46 am

Clara Haskil in Paris:

Mozart: Concerti 19 & 24
Beethoven IV
Chopin II

Cluytens, Kubelik, Silvestri

These are live recordings from 1955/1960, and capture Haskil's artistry at its best. It's a rare 2 disc set produced in Slovenia of all places. Wonderful listening!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 10:47 am

Concerto for Orchestra

Village Scenes

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 12:18 pm

LPs

Hoddinott - Jack Straw Overture (Groves/Unicorn-Digital)
Nelhybel - Trio for Brass (Members of Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma/Serenus)
Bernstein - Symphony #3 (composer/Columbia)

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 11:05 am

Gershwin - Overture to "Oh, Kay" (McGlinn/EMI)
Torke - Purple (Zinman/Argo)
Moravec - B.A.S.S. Variations (Trio Solisti/Arabesque)
Tower - Sequoia (Slatkin/Nonesuch)
L. Kirchner - Music for Cello & Orchestra (Ma/Sony)

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:04 am

Caldara - Overture to "Sant' Elena al Calvario" (Mallon/Naxos)
Vivaldi - Flute Concerto, Op. 10, No. 3 (Rampal/CBS)
J.S. Bach - French Suite #3 (Suzuki/BIS)
Fasch - Concerto in minor for 2 Oboes, Bassoons, Strings & basso continuo (Westermann/MDG)
Telemann - Grillen-Symphonie (Standage/Chandos)

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:42 am

Sherman easily stands as a good comparison to Pogorelich. Obscure he may be, but his Beethoven goes the way it should, without bombast and without odd twists and turns: his tempi feel just right to me, even in the most difficult passages. Not to criticize Pogorelich: in this recording, he's excellent!

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:43 am

Verdi - Overture to "Oberto" (Muti/Sony)
Brahms - Piano Quartet #1, Op. 25 (Les Musiciens/Harmonia Mundi)
Wagenaar - Wiener Dreivierteltakt (Chailly/London)

arthound · Post by **arthound** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 7:51 am

Wonderfully spirited performances - great sound too!

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 9:31 am

For the 4th of July

Harris - When Johnny Comes Marching Home, An American Overture (Mester/Louisville LP)
Schuman - George Washington Bridge (Fennell/Mercury LP)
Sowerby - Prairie (Freeman/Cedille CD)
Mason - String Quartet (Based on Negro Themes) (Kohon/Vox CD)
Joplin - Easy Winners (Schuller/EMI CD)
Foster/A. Harris - Camptown Races (Ormandy/Columbia LP)
Sousa - King Cotton (Fennell/Mercury LP)

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 10:52 am

For the Fourth: A Lincoln Portrait (Copland): Narrated by Carl Sandburg and led by Kostelanetz

Tarantella · Post by **Tarantella** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:06 pm

Bobby Short sings Rodgers and Hart. Wunderbah!!

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 5:51 pm

arthound wrote:

Wonderfully spirited performances - great sound too!

Yup...

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 5:54 pm

Tarantella wrote:Bobby Short sings Rodgers and Hart. Wunderbah!!

Only record of his I own is his 1973 Live at the Cafe Carlyle...very good though...

arthound · Post by **arthound** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:42 am

Chalkperson wrote:
arthound wrote:

Wonderfully spirited performances - great sound too!
Yup...

The organ on the opening track sounds great. I hope that Podger continues with more Vivaldi for this label.

arthound · Post by **arthound** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:44 am

This is one of the best CDs Naxos ever released IMO. A Haydn sleeper...

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:32 pm

F. J. Haydn - Overture to "Acide e Galatea" (Huss/Koch)
Beethoven - String Quartet #11 (Talich/Calliope)
R. Schumann - Five Lieder, Op. 40 (Bluth/Naxos)
Bruckner - Psalm 150 (Jochum/DG)

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:33 pm

arthound wrote:

This is one of the best CDs Naxos ever released IMO. A Haydn sleeper...

Hey, I got that one too!!

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 12:47 pm

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:47 am

Rubinstein - Overture to "Dmitry Donskoy" (Andreescu/Marco Polo)
Ciurlionis - Theme & Variations for String Quartet (Vilnius/MCA)
Stravinsky - Rite of Spring (Boulez/Universal)

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:07 am

Shostakovich V & VI: Kondrashin

and...............

Amazingly, they managed to credibly record an excerpt with chorus and orchestra & soloist from La Forza del destino (plus the original Otello)....

absinthe · Post by **absinthe** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:06 pm

Not hi-fi sound but I don't know of another
Klemperer recording of Bruckner's 8th
with the last movement uncut.

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:41 am

A Mahler festival playing from the Cloud. Maurice Abravanel's Mahler cycle from Vanguard.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 11:14 am

Top-notch Richter here from the early 1960's, including Bach, Haydn, Chopin, Rachmaninoff & Prokofiev. A must-have!

Chalkperson · Post by **Chalkperson** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:50 pm

maestrob wrote:

Top-notch Richter here from the early 1960's, including Bach, Haydn, Chopin, Rachmaninoff & Prokofiev. A must-have!

One of the absolutely finest bargains in the Richter Catalog...

Tarantella · Post by **Tarantella** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 7:04 am

Today: Handel, "Alcina" - live recording 1999, Paris Opera Garnier. Les Arts Florissants/Christie with Renee Fleming as Alcina. A magnificent recording. Can Dr. Christie do ANYTHING wrong?

I saw this opera last year at Wiener Staatsoper with Les Musiciens de Louvre, Grenoble/Marc Minkowski and it was a stunning production too. The (approx. 30 y/o) Austrian fellow sitting behind me in the box (there were 3 of us, and a red velvet chaise lounge in the ante-room of the box and individual electronic pull-up screens for translation in 3 languages - luxury!) told me 'zis is die erster time zer has been an orchestra in ze pit vich is not an Austrian orchestra in 50 years - zey have a new French director of zis haus"!! My mind took me back to the controversy over the appointment, some years ago, of Lorin Maazel and the difficulties he had in negotiating the "Viennese establishment". (After all this, I confessed to the young man, "Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch"!!)

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 10:16 am

LPs

Ward - Prairie Overture (Wodiczko/MHS)
V. Fine - Sinfonia and Fugato (Helps/CRI)
Schuman - Concerto on Old English Rounds (Bernstein/Columbia)

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:50 am

Pagliacci: Vickers/Mauti-Nunziata/MacNeil

Live MET, 1/2/78

Some thoughts.....

1) The performance is electric! Patane is a very under-appreciated conductor, and Pagliacci is a complex score. He gets it right. There are passages that clearly show his research (there are subtle differences between Schirmer's edition (used at the MET at the time) and Sonzogni, Leocavallo's original publisher. Many of the "traditional" changes in the score have been stripped away: I'll have to go through it with my scores side by side, but I noticed some cleaning up in the love duet, for ex. Oddly, the bars with Nedda's trills in her aria (Stridono lassu......) have been cut: I can't justify that from memory: perhaps they were added later by Leocavallo? Odd choice, one I've never heard before.

2) Mac sounds awesome, but I can hear his wrong vocal choices (vowels over-pronounced on high notes), which led to his wobble just a few years later. He started out as a tenor: perhaps this is a left-over from his tenor technique, or some fool told him to pronounce his high notes clearly without letting them turn....some such nonsense. Same thing that happened to Renata Scotto: perhaps they both learned repertoire with the same fool of a coach....

3) Vickers is magnificent, bone-chilling.

4) The Nedda (Mauti-Nunziata) is quite good, but I object to the cutting of her trills. Very odd choice. Was this in Leocavallo's original manuscript?

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:25 am

Ries - Overture to Schiller's tragedy Don Carlos (Griffiths/cpo)
Liszt - Book I [Suisse] from "Annees de pelerinage" (Berman/DG)
Meyerbeer - Festmarsch for centenary of Schiller's birth (Jurowski/cpo)

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:43 am

Alyabiev - Overture to "The Young Mother and the 48 Year Old Fiance" (Rudin/Fuga Libera)
Borodin - Symphony #3 (Gunzenhauser/Naxos)
Rachmaninov - Russian Rhapsody (Ogden & Lucas/ASV)
Shostakovich - Theme & Variations, Op. 3 (Botstein/Telarc)

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:38 am

This is Heppner's debut album, where he sings Franch & Italian arias from roles he never attampted in full (Imagine Di quella pira.....). It's a very good album, and shows him fresh-voiced and with proper technique.

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 2:30 pm

Kusser - Ouverture de theatre #1 (Zajiek/K617)
Wagenseil - Symphony in B-flat (Gaigg/cpo)
F. J. Haydn - String Quartet #26 (Kodaly/Naxos)
W. A. Mozart - Symphony #4 (Mackerras/Telarc)

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:10 am

johnQpublic · Post by **johnQpublic** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:37 am

LPs

Arne - Overture #5 from "Eight Overtures in Eight Parts" (Hogwood/L'Oiseau-Lyre)
C. P. E. Bach - Magnificat (Thomas/RCA Victrola)
F. J. Haydn - Symphony #19 (Jones/Nonesuch)

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