What are YOU listening to today?

John F · Post by **John F** » Sun Jan 04, 2015 9:36 pm

maestrob wrote:This is surely the finest version of the Dvorak on the market today, and equals Feuerman in intensity of purpose with superior sound.

Not as long as the classic version with Rostropovich, Talich, and the Czech Philharmonic remains available. The 1950s sound is good enough and the performance is incomparable.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 12:12 pm

John F wrote:
maestrob wrote:This is surely the finest version of the Dvorak on the market today, and equals Feuerman in intensity of purpose with superior sound.
Not as long as the classic version with Rostropovich, Talich, and the Czech Philharmonic remains available. The 1950s sound is good enough and the performance is incomparable.

Agree that's a good one, but please listen to Weilerstein before jumping to conclusions, She's outstandingly remarkable, and in modern sound. MHO, as always.

My larger point is that today's great artists are at least equal in quality to those of the past. You should hear Weilerstein's Elgar concerto (also conducted by Barenboim) in comparison with that maestro's EMI disc with his former wife. Both are equally outstanding!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Jan 05, 2015 12:31 pm

This is a fantastic issue, the first time in my recollection that such a project has been attempted. Recording ALL of Rachmaninov's songs in one go with multiple voices with piano accompaniment must have been a labor of love, and this 3-CD set proves a winner. Fine singing from everyone involved. Grab this while it's on the market!

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 6:29 am

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

CD 6 of an 11 CD Sony set of Schoenberg vocal music conducted or supervised by Pierre Boulez:

Tr. 1-4.....Four Pieces for Mixed Chorus, Op. 27 (10:38)--London Sinfonietta members, BBC Singers. Text: A.S.--rec.BBC Maide Vale Studios, London, 8 September 1982.

Tr. 5-7.....Three Satires for Mixed Chorus, Op. 28 (11:08)--London Sinfonietta members, BBC Singers. Text: A.S.--rec.BBC Maide Vale Studios, London, 8 September 1982.

Tr. 8-13...Six Pieces for Male Chorus, Op. 35 (14:51)--BBC Singers. Text: A.S.--rec.BBC Maide Vale Studios, 19 February 1984.

Tr. 14......Dreimal tausend Jahre (Three Times a Thousand Years), Op. 50a(3:06)--BBC Singers. Text: Dagobert O Runes--rec.BBC Maide Vale Studios, London, 8 September 1982.

Tr, 15......Psalm 130 for Mixed Chorus, Op. 50a "De Profundis" (4:30)--BBC Singers--rec.BBC Maide Vale Studios, London, 8 September 1982

Tr. 16......Moderner Psalm for Speaker, Orchestra, & Mixed Chorus, Op. 50c (5:33)--John Sirley-Quirk, Speaker, BBC Sym. Orch. & Chorus----rec.BBC Maide Vale Studios, London, 19 February 1984.

Tr. 17.....A Survivor from Warsaw for Narrator, Orchestra, and Men's Chorus, Op. 46 (7:26)--Guenter Reich, Narrator, BBC Sym. Orch. and Chorus--Text: A.S.--rec. EMI Studios, London, 23 September 1976.

The last of these pieces, of course, is by far the most famous. It is probably one of Schoenberg's five most popular works, along with Verklarte Nacht, Erwartung, Gurre-Lieder, and the Violin Concerto. This version is especially affecting for those in the English-speaking world, because the narration is in English. Highly recommended.

CD 2 of a Decca 4 CD set of the Haydn London Symphonies by the London Philharmonic Orch, Georg Solti, cond.

Tr. 1-4.....95 in C Minor (21:20)--rec. OCT 1985, Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London.
Tr. 5-8.....96 in D Major "Miracle" (22:16)--rec. MAR 1981, Kingsway Hall, London.
Tr. 9-12...99 in E Flat Major (28:26)--rec. NOV 1986, Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London.

Solti's journey through the Londons continues. 99 seems to me the most affecting and enthusiastically performed. This is no compromises, big orchestra Haydn, but without corrupt scores. If that's they way you like your Haydn, this set is for you. As for me, most of the time, I prefer the Kuijken OIS set with La Petite Bande.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 10:23 am

CD 3 in the 14 CD ABC set of Beethoven piano sonatas and concerti by Australian pianist Gerard Willems on Australian Stuart & Sons superpianos.:

Tr. 1-3.......Sonata 5 in C Minor, Op. 10 # 1 (1795-8) (10:36)
Tr. 4-6.......Sonata 6 in F Major, Op. 10 # 2 (1796-7) (17:35)
Tr. 7-10.....Sonata 7 in D Major, Op. 10 # 3 (1797-8) (23:54)
Tr. 11-12...Sonata 19 in G Minor, Op. 49 # 1 (1797?) (7:39)
Tr. 13-14...Sonata 20 in G Major, Op. 49 # 2 (1795-6) (8:22)

The cycle continues. These performances are of a piece with the others--very high quality, beating all but the very best, like Annie Fischer.

CD 6 of 13 in the hanssler set of the Mahler Symphonies by Michael Gielen, cond. SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg:

Sym. 5 in C Sharp Minor (69:17), rec. 9-10 DEC 2003 Konzerthaus, Freiburg

This is one of the better performances in the set so far, and extraordinarily well recorded. Strong contrasts in dynamics, especially in the first movement.

Len_Z · Post by **Len_Z** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 7:59 pm

maestrob wrote:

This is a fantastic issue, the first time in my recollection that such a project has been attempted. Recording ALL of Rachmaninov's songs in one go with multiple voices with piano accompaniment must have been a labor of love, and this 3-CD set proves a winner. Fine singing from everyone involved. Grab this while it's on the market!

Wow! How could I have possibly missed this release? Ordered it immediately. Thanks a lot, maestrob!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Jan 09, 2015 12:50 pm

Two old favorites, both still available on Amazon. The Weill symphonies are eminently accessible and well-played by, of all things, the Hong Kong Symphony, recorded by David Atherton for the now defunct GMN.com website. The Martinu dates from the early 60's but, in this issue, sounds like it was recorded yesterday: the first issue on CD to go back to the original master tapes. This is still the best performance of this excellent work I've ever heard, and the piano concerto's not bad either. Fine XXth Century masterpieces!

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Jan 10, 2015 6:41 am

maestrob wrote:
The Martinu dates from the early 60's but, in this issue, sounds like it was recorded yesterday: the first issue on CD to go back to the original master tapes. This is still the best performance of this excellent work I've ever heard, and the piano concerto's not bad either. Fine XXth Century masterpieces!

I am very pleased to read that you are an admirer of a Martinů Symphony. They do not seem to have universal appeal. Do you enjoy listening to all his symphonies? I am particularly fond of these two sets are you familiar with them?

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Jan 10, 2015 6:48 am

scififan wrote:I continue my tour through the Haydn symphonies--mainly through the complete Dorati set. This time it was no.25 in C Major. It is a short three movement piece with some drama in the first movement. The "Lamentation" work is next and I expect it will be more intense.

I an thinking seriously of investing in the Brilliant Classics Set of the complete works of Haydn. I have noticed that the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra with Fischer is well reviewed in the Gramophone Guide and this is the version included in the complete Haydn.

Have you considered getting a copy of Bruggen's box set? It is available on special offer on jpc:

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail ... um/6110381

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Jan 10, 2015 9:17 am

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 1, 2 & 3
Orchestra Mozart
Giuliano Carmignola - violin
Claudio Abbado conducting.

Lovely performances.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sat Jan 10, 2015 11:39 pm

Seán wrote:
maestrob wrote:
The Martinu dates from the early 60's but, in this issue, sounds like it was recorded yesterday: the first issue on CD to go back to the original master tapes. This is still the best performance of this excellent work I've ever heard, and the piano concerto's not bad either. Fine XXth Century masterpieces!
I am very pleased to read that you are an admirer of a Martinů Symphony. They do not seem to have universal appeal. Do you enjoy listening to all his symphonies? I am particularly fond of these two sets are you familiar with them?

Hi, Sean! Happy New Year!

I have both sets of Martinu Symphonies, and there's simply no contest between the Czech Philharmonic and Jarvi. Neumann wins hands down! The Czech Philharmonic has a special sound that warms the music to my ears. Jarvi is empty and cold, nowhere near as idiomatic. MHO, naturally.

John F · Post by **John F** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 7:08 am

The Martinu symphony that means the most to me is the 6th, and the recording I like best is by the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Karel Ancerl. Fortunately it's uploaded to YouTube - as separate movements, the first being here:

The symphony was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Martinu originally titled it Fantaisies Symphoniques, after Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique of which the BSO's music director Charles Munch was a noted interpreter. Like the Berlioz, and like some Nielsen symphonies which the 6th resembles in places, the music seems to be telling a story, though unlike Berlioz, Martinu didn't say what the story is.

This quality led the choreographer Kenneth MacMillan to use the first movement in his ballet about Anastasia (aka Anna Anderson), the swirling chromatic passages representing her clouded mind when confined to a mental institution and the break-outs into tonality evocations of her supposed past. To me the tonal passages, many with a Slavic quality, suggest the composer's nostalgia for his homeland, which he left in the 1920s and was never to see again.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sun Jan 11, 2015 12:58 pm

Thanks, John, for that. Ancerl was one of the greats, and his recording of Martinu VI counts as one of his finest discs.

parsifal · Post by **parsifal** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 6:37 am

To Lance I can say that a very listenable disc I listen to pretty often is Dvorák´d 8th symphony conducted by sir John Barbirolli on EMI CDM 7 6419 3. It also contains Scherzo Capriccioso and 3 Legends

parsifal · Post by **parsifal** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 6:46 am

A wonderful CD is Dvorák´s 8th symphony cinducted by John Barbirolli on EMI CDM 7 64193 2. It also contains Scherzo Capriccioso and 3 Legends.

scififan · Post by **scififan** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 7:24 am

I would strongly recommend Haydn's Symphony no. 28 in A major. The first movement, an Allegeo molto, has a restless intensity with a mixture of light and shade which reminds me of the Sturm und Drang symphonies. I note that this work is not included in Pinnock's 6 CD set of those symphonies. Perhaps because the lovely Poco adagio which follows is very different with its calm beauty. The third movement an energetic Menuet and Trio: allegro molto has the usual contrasting section and the concluding Prest assai returns to the intense restlessness of the first movement.

I listened to the Dorati/Philharmonia Hungarica version (which I love) but this excellent symphony might be very interesting to hear played on period instruments.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 12:38 pm

Here is a fine version of Walton I, and the Violin Concerto, played by the BBC Symphony, Edward Gardner and Tasmin Little, violin. I'd like a little more weight in the strings, but Gardner's pacing is flawless and Little's virtuosity equal's Heifetz in the more difficult passages. Walton I has become a showpiece for British orchestras in several recent recordings: this version amply demonstrates why.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:49 pm

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

CD1 of a 5 CD set of the complete Shostakovich string quartets performed by the Manderling Quartet on the audite label.

Tr. 1-4......String Quartet 1 in C Major, Op. 49 (14:42)
Tr. 5-8......String Quartet 2 in A Major, Op. 68 (33:43)
Tr. 9-12....String Quartet 4 in D Major, Op. 83 (29:29)

Many think the Manderling Quartet has done a better job with the Shostakovich Quartets than any other ensemble, and this first CD in the set begins to make a powerful case for that assertion. The first two quartets seem, as Shosty often does, unrelievedly morose, but the fourth quartet begins to change the mood a bit from disabling sadness to stirring alarm. The first movement of the fourth quartet here is particularly memorable.

Volume 6 of the 11 CD set of Shostakovich Symphonies by Oleg Caetani and the Coro e Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, both recorded @ the Auditorium di Milano, May, 2006.

Sym. 13 in B Flat Minor, Op. 113 "Babi Yar" (1962)--Pavel Kudinov, bass.
Caetani and his orchestra and chorus are in fine form here, as are the engineers (mostly). What disappoints in this performance is the bass, Pavel Kudinov. I can't quite decide whether he has a weak voice, or whether the miking of his contribution was inadequate, but his voice seems to have no particular character or distinguishing marks. Although Haitink's set is my second least interesting set, his performance of this symphony is extraordinary, mostly because of the contribution of his bass, Marius Rintzler.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Sun Jan 18, 2015 7:38 pm

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

Vol. 36 of the RCA Complete Toscanini set, NBC Sym Orch, devoted to music of Felix Mendelssohn::

Tr, 1-6.....A Midsummer Night's Dream Incidental Music, Opp. 26/61: excerpts (33:49), rec. CH,, 4 NOV 1947. The Finale also features performances by soprano Edna Phillips and the NBC Women's Chorus.
1, Overture (11:21)
2. Intermezzo (3:41)
3. Nocturne (5:28)
4. Scherzo (4:18)
5. Wedding March (4:42)
6. Finale (4:19)

Tr. 7-10....Octet for Strings in E Flat Major, Op. 20 (27:43), rec 8H, 30 MAR 1947.

These are both fine performances. Not my favorite of either work, although the Otet may be my favorite orchestral transcription of that piece.

CD 7 & 8 of an 11 CD Sony set of Schoenberg vocal music conducted or supervised by Pierre Boulez:

CD 7, Tr. 1-11 of 11--Gurre-Lieder for Orhestra, Chorus, & Soloists, Part I (63:38)
CD 8, Tr. 1-9 of 13--Part II and III (51:44) Text: Jens-Peter Jacobsen, Robert Franz Arnold
CD 8, Tr. 10-13 of 13--Four Orchestral Songs, Op. 22--Text: Ernest Dowson/Stefan George (# 1), and Rainer Maria Rilke (# 2-4)
BBC Symphony Orch., Yvonne Minton, soprano. (all)
Jess, Thomas, tenor, Marita Napier, soprano, Kenneth Bowen, tenor, Siegmund Nimsgern, bass, Gunter Reich, speaker, BBC Choral Society, BBC Singers, Goldsmiths Choral Union, Gentlemen on the London Philharmonic Choir (Gurre-Lieder only).

The Gurre-Lieder is a magnivicent work, composed before Schoenberg constructed his 12 tone system, It is the saga of a 14th century Danish king and his love for his mistressTove. It is called Gurre-Lieder because Gurre was the name of the castle in which the king lived. This performance is absolutely top notch. You expect great performances from people like Yvonne Minton and Siegmund Nimsgern, but I found Marita Napier as Tove expecially impressive.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 11:59 pm

Mussorgsky never completed his first opera, Salammbo, leaving only sketches that, in this recording, have been ably completed by conductor Zoltan Pesko. Beautifully sung by obviously hand-picked soloists, this 2 CD set, long OOP, was recently forwarded to me by a friend, to whom I am deeply grateful, since I missed the original Columbia LP set and the CD when it was originally issued. Wikipedia lists the cast, so I won't repeat that, but if you want this, you'll have to buy the LP set which sells on Amazon for $14.50. This is a beautiful work and well worth the price: it should be re-issued by Sony post-haste on CD!

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:02 am

maestrob wrote:

Mussorgsky never completed his first opera, Salammbo, leaving only sketches that, in this recording, have been ably completed by conductor Zoltan Pesko. Beautifully sung by obviously hand-picked soloists, this 2 CD set, long OOP, was recently forwarded to me by a friend, to whom I am deeply grateful, since I missed the original Columbia LP set and the CD when it was originally issued. Wikipedia lists the cast, so I won't repeat that, but if you want this, you'll have to buy the LP set which sells on Amazon for $14.50. This is a beautiful work and well worth the price: it should be re-issued by Sony post-haste on CD!

I´m puzzled that it has not been recorded again, the music surely deserves a newer recording.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:06 pm

Hi, Pepe.

My understanding is that this version of the score was made especially by Zoltan Pesko uniquely for this performance which was recorded live by Columbia. Who knows what has happened to the manuscript and who owns the rights (Pesko? Columbia? Whatever patron funded the undertaking? etc.)? Who knows what has happened to the score in the intervening years? And finally, what conductor would wish to publicize another conductor's work?

Wikipedia does list several other performances of other arrangements, but none have been issued ADAIK. It's great music and immensely enjoyable. At least Mussorgsky's unfinished score has been published, so there's hope for something in the future. It's beyond my capabilities now.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:17 pm

Barenboim has finally matured, IMHO, into a great conductor. His recent work has proven very satisfactory to my ears, and this Bruckner VI DVD (recorded live in Berlin) simply proves the point. Judging by the quality of this release (and of the previous IV & V), I can't wait for VII, VIII, & IX. The Berlin Staatskapelle play like angels, without a single false note (it's amazing how many young, unmarried players there are in the ensemble). Composed in the Phrygian scale, rather than a simple major or minor, the harmonies are haunting to the ear. If you love Bruckner, grab this series, and especially this recording! Available both on Blu-ray and regular DVD.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 5:40 pm

This evening I took a wee break from Mozart:

Johann Sebastian Bach
English Suites, BWV 806-11
András Schiff piano

It really is impossible to describe just how lovely this performance is.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 7:33 pm

maestrob wrote:Hi, Pepe.

My understanding is that this version of the score was made especially by Zoltan Pesko uniquely for this performance which was recorded live by Columbia. Who knows what has happened to the manuscript and who owns the rights (Pesko? Columbia? Whatever patron funded the undertaking? etc.)? Who knows what has happened to the score in the intervening years? And finally, what conductor would wish to publicize another conductor's work?

Wikipedia does list several other performances of other arrangements, but none have been issued ADAIK. It's great music and immensely enjoyable. At least Mussorgsky's unfinished score has been published, so there's hope for something in the future. It's beyond my capabilities now.

Complicated indeed. Abbado recorded a chorus of Salammbó in his Mussorgsky compilation with the LSO for RCA, but I don´t know of any other recording with music of Salammbó. A great pity and mystery.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Sat Jan 24, 2015 1:23 am

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

CD 3 of the Decca 4 CD set of Georg Solti's traversal of Haydn's London Symphonies:

1.....Sym. 97 in C Major (22:58)--rec. Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London, Oct. 1989.
2.....Sym. 98 in B Flat Major (26:36)--rec. Watford Town Hall, Feb. 1991.
3.....Sym. 103 in E Flat Major "Drum Roll" (28:24)--rec Kingsway Hall, London, Dec. 1981.

Solti continues with a disc full of tuneful symphonies done in a no compromises big orchestra way, but adhering to purified texts. A number of the movements in the works on this disc seem characterized, at least in Solti's hands, as a sort of etude for orchestra, designed to instruct the audience on the proper use of one or two simple compositional techniques. Interesting and instructive. Recommended.

CD 4 in the 14 CD ABC set of Beethoven piano sonatas and concerti by Australian pianist Gerard Willems on Australian Stuart & Sons superpianos.:

1.....PS 4 in E Flat Major, Op. 7 (1796-7) (28:15)
2.....PS 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 "Pathetique" (1798) (19:02)
3.....PS 9 in E Major, Op. 14/1 (1798) (13:19)
4.....PS 10 in G Major, Op. 14/2 (1799?) (15:56)

This cycle continues to impress both because of the superb quality of the Stuart & Sons piano used, but because of the great artistry of the pianist, Gerard Willems. This is fast becoming my second favorite cycle, after only the Annie Fischer set.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Sun Jan 25, 2015 3:59 am

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

CD 7-8 of 13 in the hanssler set of the Mahler Symphonies by Michael Gielen, cond. SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg:

Sym. 6 in A Minor (84:51), rec.7 OCT 1999. Festspielhaus Baden-Baden.

This performance is in superb, modern sound, sonically specacular. Interpretively, it is pretty much a MOR performance, dynamic and rhtmic in the outer movements, lyrical and romantic in the middle movements. This may well replace Tennstedt in my affections, which I previously felt was the best MOR performance, but I am going to have to relisten to the Tennstedt sometime to really see, as memories fade.

It seems to me that we have three kinds of performances of this work--the MOR perofrnances like Tennstedt and Gielen are one. They there are those which emphasize the lyrical aspects of the score, like the Bernstein Sony and, more successfully, I feel, the Sinopoli. And then there are the extreme rhythmic, sometimes almost savagely brutal versions, especially of the first movement, best exemplified, I think, by the Bernstein DGG recording. That Bernstein could have changed his view of this work so radically in his lifetime seems curious and rather strange. Has amyone else noticed this? Any explanations or speculations as to why?

CD 2 of a 5 CD set of the complete Shostakovich string quartets performed by the Manderling Quartet on the audite label.

Tr. 1-5......String Quartet 3 in F Major, Op. 73 (29:26)
Tr. 6-9......String Quartet 6 in G Major, Op. 101 (21:38)
Tr. 10-14..String Quartet 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 (18:56)

I have started to read the liner notes in the booklet that comes with these CDs, and I find they are more informative than those in any of the other sets. This set is a must-have set on that basis and on the basis of the fact that it is one of the best of the Shostakovich quartet cycles. All three of these works share much of the same thematic material, and are rife with self-quatations from other of Shostokovich's works, and inspirations from other composers as wide ranging as Beethoven, Mahler, and Wagner. The notes not only go into detail in describing the developments of each movement, but speculate on the political meanings underlying many of them. Here's a brief quote:

"The Eighth Quartet owes its popularity not only to Rudolf Barshai's well known version for strings know as the 'Chamber Symphony.' but also to its dedication commemorating 'the victims of fascism and war.' [This in 1960, long after the end of WWII.] However, it must be recognized as ambivalent throughout...The composer revealed to his friend, the conductor Isaak Glikman the true motivation underlying this composition: 'I was aware of the possibility that after my death, no one would compose anything in my memory, so I decided to compose a suitable work myself.'

Highly recommended.

Der Fremde · Post by **Der Fremde** » Sun Jan 25, 2015 8:59 am

The Walton No. 1 has long been a favorite of mine...and I truly thought that Previn's recording with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was quite good. The other day I thought it was high time I experienced his earlier recording (with the LSO), about which I'd heard so many superlatives and compliments.

'Tis true, you know. His LSO recording is simply breathtaking (as is the recorded sound)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/419SNhWVh4L.jpg

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sun Jan 25, 2015 9:46 am

Der Fremde wrote:The Walton No. 1 has long been a favorite of mine...and I truly thought that Previn's recording with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was quite good. The other day I thought it was high time I experienced his earlier recording (with the LSO), about which I'd heard so many superlatives and compliments.

'Tis true, you know. His LSO recording is simply breathtaking (as is the recorded sound)

Greetings, and welcome to CMG!

Previn in that era produced marvelous recordings for RCA: if you haven't already, do try his Vaughan-Williams.

A technical note: to display an image, select the url you've pasted, and click on the image button like I did for this posting.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Mon Jan 26, 2015 3:11 am

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

Volume 7 of the 11 CD set of Shostakovich Symphonies by Oleg Caetani and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, recorded live @ the Auditorium di Milano, March, 2004.

Tr. 1-3...Sym. 4 in C Minor. Op.43 (1936) (62:31)
Tr. 4.......Fragment of the unpublished movement (5:37)

The 4th Symphony was finished at a troubled time in Shostakovich's life. His opera, "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk," had recently been condemned in Pravda in an editorial many say was dictated directly by Stalin. Even the title of the editorial is a matter of some controversy among translators. The booklet that comes with this set says it was "Chaos instead of Music," as do many others; some say the first word was "Confusion." I prefer the Wikipedia description, "Muddle instead of Music," because of my penchant for alliteration.

The 4th Symphony was written in the same sort of dissonant idiom as "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk." It had been scheduled for a world premiere in December, 1936. Speculation abounded that he might be arrested and/or killed by Stalin's goons if he persisted. Some, including this issue's annotator, feel that his decision to withdraw the work saved his life. Still, many people in his personal circle, both artistic and family members, were rounded up and jailed; many were also killed. The annotator goes into some detail about this last.

This is, as presented, a three movement work. Now, what about this other thing on the CD, this fragment, I hear you ask. Its existence has been known for some time, but seldom performed. Some have speculated in the past that this was to be an additional movement. But the annotator has concluded that it was intended as as the beginning of a replacement for either the first or last movements.

I have written before in superlative terms about the quality of the recordings in this series. This one outdoes all the others I have reported on so far. This is the SACD to take with you to an audio dealer to audition a new CD player, preamp, power amp, or speakers.

Vol. 35 of the RCA Complete Toscanini set, NBC Sym Orch.

Tr, 1-15....Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition (31:40), rec. CH, 26 JAN 1953.

Tr. 16-30..Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36 "Enigma" (29:08)--rec. CH, 10 DEC 1951.

The Mussorgsky represents, pretty much, state of the art recording for 1953, just as as the Caetani series represents state of the art for the early 21st century. In loud passages, you get the volume you need in certain numbers, like the Great Gate of Kiev, without any of the harshness one finds in some other CDs in this series, most of them from the 1940's and earlier. As for the performance, it one of the better ones, along with Sinopoli and Giulini, though I must say I was disappointed with the Giulini when I first heard the CD. I went to a concert at Orchestra Hall in Chicago--a Friday matnee with lots of kids in the audience who had difficulty keeping quiet and displaying the proper decorum, but the performance was much better than that on the CD. In particular, the section on the ballet of the unhatched chicks was positively onomatopoeic; not so, unfortunately, on the CD.

I have never particularly liked the Enigma Variations, even though I have a number of recordings of it. I never liked it, that is, until I heard this recording by Toscanini. It was energetic and even idiomatic, with the sort of great sense of drama that befits a conductor who devoted so much of his life to the opera house. But I didn't know whether it was because of Toscanini's interpretation or just because, somehow, I was in a more receptive mood this time or just ready to hear it the way Elgar intended it to be heard, so I went on to listen to this:

Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36 "Enigma" (29:58)--Adrian Boult, cond. London Sym. Orch., rec. c. 1971 in stereo. EMI CDC 7 47206 2.

I guess I was just ready to hear this as Elgar intended. This, too, is a fine performance of a work I have enjoyed today for the first time. I wouldn't say, though, that Boult's is a better performance, but, of course, the 1971 stereo sound is better than Toscanini's 1953 mono sound.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:26 am

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

CD 9 of an 11 CD Sony set of Schoenberg vocal music conducted or supervised by Pierre Boulez:

Tr. 1-11.....Jacob's Ladder, Oratorio for Orchestra, Chorus, and Soloists (1917-22) (46:58)--BBC Sym. Orch. and BBC Singers, Siegmund Nimsgern, {Bass), Kenneth Bowen (Tenor), Ian Partridge (Tenor), Paul Hudson (Baritone), John Shirley-Quirk (Baritone), Anthony Rolfe Johnson (Tenor), Ortrun Wenkel (Alto), Mady Mesplé (Soprano)--Rec.01 APR 1980. IRCAM, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris

Tr. 12........Chamber Symphony 1 in E Major, Op. 9 (1906) (19:41)--Ensemble Intercontemporain--Rec. 16 SEP 1979, IRCAM, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris

Tr. 13........Begleit zu einer Lichtspielszene (Accompaniement to a Cinematographic Scene), Op. 34 (1930) (8:24)--BBC Sym. Orch., Rec 9 FEB 1976, EMI Studios, London.

From Wikipedia:

Die Jakobsleiter (Jacob's Ladder) is an oratorio by Arnold Schoenberg that marks his transition from a contextual or free atonality to the twelve-tone technique anticipated in the oratorio's use of hexachords. Though ultimately unfinished by Schoenberg the piece was prepared for performance by Schoenberg student Winfried Zillig at the request of Gertrude Schoenberg.

Schoenberg began the libretto in 1914-15, published it in 1917, and began the music in 1915, finishing most of his work on it in 1926, and finished a small amount of orchestration in 1944, leaving 700 measures at his death.

This is an energetic work, lots of contrasts and drama.

The Chamber Symphony is, of course, an early work composed before Schoeberg came up with the 12 tone system. It is pleasant and appealing, but not what anyone would call a memorable piece.

The piece of film music is definitely a later, very dissonant work.

CD 4 of the Decca 4 CD set of Georg Solti's traversal of Haydn's London Symphonies:

Tr.1-4.....Sym. 100 in G Major "Military" (24:11)--rec. Kingsway Hall, Oct. 1983.
Tr. 5-8....Sym. 102 in B Flat Major (26:54)--rec. Kingsway Hall, Dec.1981.
Tr. 9-12...Sym. 104 in D Major "London" (28:26)--rec Henry Wood Hall, London, May, 1985.

The Military Symphony has always been my personal favorite of all the Haydn symphonies. Solti's traversal is very pleasant and lyrical, but the lack of divisi violins is frustrating. If you want divisi violins in a full modern orchestra version, listen to Klemperer's. But otherwise, this recording is counter to what one would expect from Solti--lyrical where others emphasize pulse and rhythm. He de-emphasizes the Turkish march music where others, like Klemperer and Scherchen, highlight it.

I have waxed rhapsodic about the Miltary Symphony, but the other two works here are well performed as well. And they all share certain characteristics, with Solti playing against type and emphasizing melody over pulse, though the latter is evident as a solid foundation for everything.

Despite my reservations, this is a set I think I will return to again and again for pleasure and aesthetic sustenance. I still like the Kuijken set best of all, and the Klemperer partial set for its divisi violins, depsite its lack of HIPness in other respects.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Sat Jan 31, 2015 11:24 pm

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

CD 5 in the 14 CD ABC set of Beethoven piano sonatas and concerti by Australian pianist Gerard Willems on Australian Stuart & Sons superpianos:

1.....PS 11 in B Flat Major, Op. 22 (1800) (25:22)
2.....PS 12 in A Flat Major, Op. 26 (1800-1) (19:28)
3.....PS 13 in E Flat Major, Op. 27/1 "Sonata, quasi una fantasia" (1801) (16:21)
4.....PS 14 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 27/2 "Moonlight" (1801) (16:15)

CD 9 of 13 in the hanssler set of the Mahler Symphonies by Michael Gielen, cond. SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg:

Sym. 7 in E Minor (79:23)--Rec. 1993 Hans Rosbaud Studio, Baden-Baden.

The Beethoven cycle continues apace. This recording is of a piece with the others. It is difficult to find something new to say, but these interpretations stand with the very best.

Many commentators consider the Seventh Symphony the odd one out of the Mahler canon, one that doesn't seem to fit with the rest. I don't see why. Seems to me it is pretty iconic Mahler--lots of lilting, romantic string music, and assertive horn melodies with a decidedly Alpine folk music tenor to them. And, of course, the fifth and last movement sums it all up, as it often does in Mahler, encapsulating in one movement the spirit of the whole. An excellent performance, highly recommended.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Feb 01, 2015 1:20 pm

My recent listening habits include but were not limited to the following;

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony no. 29, 25 & 33
London Mozart Players
Jane Glover conducting.

I love the sound of the London Mozart Players and these are really gorgeous performances of Mozart's three symphonies. Jane Glover is a very fine conductor. Highly recommended.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Feb 01, 2015 1:21 pm

Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No. 9
London Symphony Orchestra
István Kertész

I bought this complete set of Dvořák symphonies for two reasons: because I wanted to listen to music conducted by Kertész and to have performances of symphonies 1 to 4. I have started with my favourite work his Ninth. This is a lovely performance by the LSO. The woodwind sound particularly good almost CPO like. This is hugely enjoyable but I prefer Kubelik's recording with the BPO.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Feb 01, 2015 1:24 pm

This is BBC Radio 3's Building a Library nomination for Beethoven's Third:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 3
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Feb 01, 2015 1:25 pm

Leoš Janáček
Sinfonietta
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Rafael Kubelik conducting.

Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No 6
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Rafael Kubelik conducting.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Feb 01, 2015 1:26 pm

Luigi Boccherini
Piano Quintet No. 1, 2 & 5
Patrick Cohen - Pianoforte
Quatuor Mosaïques String Quartet

This is a wonderful 2 cd set of Boccherini's quintets, it is gorgeous music, beautifully played.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:18 pm

Seán wrote:

Luigi Boccherini
Piano Quintet No. 1, 2 & 5
Patrick Cohen - Pianoforte
Quatuor Mosaïques String Quartet

This is a wonderful 2 cd set of Boccherini's quintets, it is gorgeous music, beautifully played.

Wonderful recordings of beautifully crafted chamber music. Anner Bylsma used to champion him more than anyone else, we need another like him to remind us of how good and inventive composer he was.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:20 pm

Seán wrote:

Leoš Janáček
Sinfonietta
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Rafael Kubelik conducting.

Antonín Dvořák
Symphony No 6
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Rafael Kubelik conducting.

Superb performances, beautifully played and lovingly conducted. This is one of my favourite recordings of the Sixth.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Mon Feb 02, 2015 5:06 am

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

CD 3 of a 5 CD set of the complete Shostakovich string quartets performed by the Manderling Quartet on the audite label.

Tr. 1-3......String Quartet 5 in B Major, Op. 92 (1952) (11:26)
Tr. 4-6......String Quartet 7 in F Sharp Minor, Op. 108 (1960) (11:56)
Tr. 7-11....String Quartet 9 in E Sharp Major, Op. 117 (1964) (24:10)

The liner notes reveal that it was Shoistakovich's ambition to write 24 string quartets, one in each major and minor key, an ambition he revealed to his friend, Dmitri Zyganov, the first violinist of the Beethoven Quartet, which premiered all but the first and last of his quartets. He did not live to complete the series, but it is a fact that no two Shostakovich quartets are in the same key. These quartets are all rather dour, and performance was discouraged because they did not seem in keeping with the optimism expected of socialist realist art, but toward the end of this period, in the 1960's, there was a bit of a thaw, and Katerina Ismailova, a reworked and toned-down version of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, was performed, and the 9th quartet was performed.

Volume 7 of the 11 CD set of Shostakovich Symphonies by Oleg Caetani and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, recorded @ the Auditorium di Milano, October, 2004..

Sym. 8 in C Minor, Op. 65 (53:05) (1943)

This is another work which disappointed the Stalinist critics. Premiered in 1943, it commemorates Soviet victories as the tide of war was turning, but there is little sense of joy in them because Shostakovich portrays a country which is, at considerable expense in lives, trading one murderous dictatorship for another.

This SACD is a sound spectacular, and you really need a good system to hear it properly, especially the extended bass needed to hear the 13th minute of the first movement. My equipment consists of an ARCAM CD 72 CD player, a MacCormack RLD1 preamp, an Audionics CC-2 power amp, and a pair of IMF Monitor MK III Improved speakers, which are 4 way transmission line speakers, with Nordost interconnects.

scififan · Post by **scififan** » Tue Feb 03, 2015 4:02 pm

Haydn's symphonies 30-33 are all interesting. No. 30 "Alleluja" is in C Major as are Nos. 32 and 33. The "Alleluja" is a charming mini-symphony in 3 movements. The Andante has a delectable part for the flute and the concluding minuet is quite enjoyable--again with nice solo passages in the trio. Nos. 32 and 33 are on a considerably larger scale with brilliant exciting brass parts in the outer movements. No. 32 has a powerful minuet as the second movement and a rather melancholy adagio coming third. No. 33 does the opposite. Both symphonies are similar in their mix of striking power and meditative reflection.
No. 31 in Haydn's much loved D Major, "The Hornsignal" is, of course, the best known of the four, and it is a wonderful work, but the two following it are certainly worth some attention.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Tue Feb 03, 2015 4:11 pm

Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 14 in C minor
Arutjun Kotchinian Bass
Marina Shaguch Soprano
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Dmitri Kitajenko conducting.

This is a gorgeous performance of Shostakovich's extraordinary work. The sonics are fabulous.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Tue Feb 03, 2015 4:11 pm

Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No. 5 in D minor
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Dmitri Kitajenko conducting.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 6:42 am

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

Vol. 34 of the RCA Complete Toscanini set, NBC Sym Orch., 2 CDs.

Berlioz: Romeo et Juliette, Op. 17 (91:32)--Gladys Swarthout, mezzo-soprano, John Garris, tenor, Nicola Moscona, bass.--rec. 8H, 9/16 FEB 1947 except for CD 1 Tr. 11 Queen Mab (8:13), rec. CH, 10 NOV 1951.

CD 1-- 57:04 Berlioz

Part 1.....Tr.1-4......(18:29)
Part 2.....Tr. 5-11...(38:35)
CD 2-- Part 3.....Tr. 1-9.....(34:28)

Tr. 10-14...Bizet: L"Arlesienne--5 excerpts from Suites 1 & 2 (22:43)--rec. 8H, 19 SEP 1943.

Tr. 15.........Bizet: Carmen Suite (12:31)--rec. CH 5 AUG 1952

These are excellent performances with all the usual Toscanini hallmarks--precise, cutting attacks, faithfulness to the composers' intentions, and a judicious choice of singers. It also has the familiar Studio 8H deadness except for the two tracks, 11 on CD 1 and 15 on CD 2, which were recorded in Carnegie Hall. However, there is no harshness of sound, and instruments and voices are clear and judiciously miked. Highly recommended.

CD 10-11 of an 11 CD Sony set of Schoenberg vocal music conducted or supervised by Pierre Boulez:

Moses und Aron, Opera in 3 Acts (Act III not composed) (98:38)--BBC Sym. Orch., BBC Singers, BBC Singers, Orpheus Boys' Choir--Gunter Reich, Moses |Richard Cassilly, Aron |Felicity Palmer, young maiden, naked young woman |Gillian Knight, sick, naked young woman, solo voice |John Winfield, young man |John Noble, another man |Roland Hermann, Ephraimit |Richard Angas, Priest |Jane Manning, Helen Watts, naken young women solo voices |Philip Landridge, Michael Rippon, Denis Wicks, solo voices--Rec. 30 NOV and 3, 5, 6 DEC 1974, West Ham Central Mission, London.

Chamber Sym. 2, Op. 38 (20:56)--Ensemble Intercontemporain--Rec. Ircam, Centre Pompidou, Paris.

Again, Boulez displays, in Moses und Aron, his ability to transform 12-tone music into something that sounds much less radical and much more mainstream than most of us would ever have thought. Voices are clear and forward, and the orchestral support has a Toscanini-like precision. The Chamber Sym. seems a much more conservative work. Highly recommended.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Thu Feb 05, 2015 4:12 pm

Felix Mendelssohn
Violin Concerto
Orchestre Symphonie de Montreal
Kyung Wha Chung - violin
Charles Dutoit conducting.

Ludwig van Beethoven
Violin Concerto
Wiener Philharmoniker
Kyung Wha Chung - violin
Kirill Kondrashin conducting.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 12:41 pm

Am happily making my way through this excellent Bruckner box, currently available for $16.00 or so on Amazon. This is Gunter Wand at the height of his powers with the Cologne Radio-Symphony, a fine group. Wand shows a profound understanding of Bruckner's idiom, and leads first-rate MOR performances of the nine numbered symphonies. Highly recommended, especially at this price!

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 4:48 pm

Ludwig van Beethoven
Violin Concerto
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Jascha Heiftz violin
Charles Munch conducting.

Marvellous.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:31 pm

Seán wrote:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Violin Concerto
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Jascha Heiftz violin
Charles Munch conducting.

Marvellous.

Yes, isn't he though!

I grew up with those discs, and listen to them still with great pleasure......

Next, perhaps you'll spring for this someday soon before it disappears from the market:

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:08 am

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

Sculthorpe (29 April 1929 – 8 August 2014): 6 works for string orchestra + --Richard Tognetti, director, Australian Chanber Orchestra--Under Capricorn (a sublabel of ABC Classics) CD, rec. 31 MAR 1995 (Lament), 11-13 JAN 1998.

Tr.1-6......Port Essington for string trio and string orch. (1977) (14:53)--string trio members: Richard Tognetti, Helena Rathbone, violins, Cameron Retchford, cello.
Tr. 7-11...Sonata for Strings # 1 (1983) (13:56)
Tr. 12......Lament for Strings (1976) (9:39)--Cameron Retchford, solo cello.
Tr. 13......Sonata for Strings # 2 (1988) (13:15)
Tr. 14-15.Sonata for Strings # 3 (1994( (12:55)
Tr. 16......Irkanda IV for solo violin, strings, and percussion (1961) (10:45)--Richard Tognetti, solo violin.

The Port Essington after which the first work is named was a British colonial settlement in the far north of Australia established in 1838. Quoting from the liner notes, "It was abandoned after about 11 years due to the settlers' failure to adapt to such problems as remoteness, heat, floods, fire, and white ants." In the score, the orchestra represents the environment, and the trio represents the settlers and their attitudes. As the piece progresses, the differences subside, but the inability of the settlers to adapt is made clear. It originated as a documentary film score from 1974; Sculthorpe adapted it into the present concert piece in 1977. All these works are based in one way or another on aboriginal music; the mood is rather static, and has, I feel, elements of minimalism in most cases.

CD 6 in the 14 CD ABC set of Beethoven piano sonatas and concerti by Australian pianist Gerard Willems on Australian Stuart & Sons superpianos, rec. 6 JULY 1997-5 FEB 2000 in the Auditorium of the Newcvastle Conservatorium, NSW.

Tr. 1-3.....PS 16 in G Major, Op. 31/1 (1802) (25;30)
Tr. 4-6.....PS 17 in D Minor, Op. 31/2 "Tempest" (1802) (23:16)
Tr. 7-10...PS 18 in E Flat Major, Op. 31/3 "The Hunt" (1802) (23:23)

Beethoven's piano sonatas attract two types of interpreters--those who prefer to portray Beethoven as the first of the romantic composers and those who see him as the last of the classical composers. Willems, generally speaking, seems firmly in the second group, especially in the works at hand on this CD. These performances are precise and pointed, free of semtimentality and dynamic extremes. Very fine performances indeed, and highly recommended.

RebLem · Post by **RebLem** » Tue Feb 10, 2015 11:47 am

Since my last report, I have been listening to the following:

CDs 10-11 of 13 in the hanssler set of the Mahler Symphonies by Michael Gielen, cond. SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg 8 DEC 1998 @ Konzerthaus Freiburg.

Sym 8 in E Flat Major (83:30)--EuropaChor Akadamie, Aurelius-Sangerknaben Calw, Alessandra Marc, soprano (Magna Peccatrix), Margareet Jane Wray, soprano (Una poenitentium), Christiane Boesinger, soprano (Mater gloriosa), Dagmar Peckova, contralto (Mulier Samaritana), Eugenie Grunewald, contralto (Maria Aegyptiaca), Glenn Winslade, tenor (Doctor Marianus), Anthony Michaels-Moore, baritone (Pater Ecstaticus), Peter Lika, bass (Pater profundus)

This is a good performance, but not one of the best, in my opinion. Sonics are excellent, but Part II seems considerably slower than most, even a tad sluggish, and tenor Glenn Winslade does not seem quite up to the standard of the other singers, who are mostly good, but unremarkable. Try Segerstam (if you can find it), Kubelik, Bernstein Sony or Solti, in that order.

CD 4 of a 5 CD set of the complete Shostakovich string quartets performed by the Manderling Quartet on the audite label.

Tr. 1-4......String Quartet 10 in A Major, Op. 118 (23:42)
Tr. 5-6......String Quartet 12 in D Sharp Major, Op. 133 (25:40)
Tr. 7-9......String Quartet 14 in F Sharp Major, Op. 142 (25:51)

These are searingly emotional performances of some of Shostakovich's most dissonant and rousing music. # 12 has long been my third favorite of the DS quartets-- 15 being my most favorite, reflective of the same mood of impending death that appears in his last symphony. My second favorite is # 8, long considered one of his best by most critics. These are excellent performances, but I still prefer the St Petersburg Quartet performances by a narrow margin.

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