What are YOU listening to today?

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 1:55 pm

Len_Z wrote:
Seán wrote:I really must get more recordings of Dvořák chamber music, this is great music. Any recommendations?
I am very partial to the recordings made by the Pavel Haas Quartet

Thanks Len.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 1:56 pm

karlhenning wrote:
Seán wrote: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique"
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Ernest Ansermet conducting.
Fascinating coincidence, Seán: I've been listening to the Pathétique this weekend in three recordings: NY Phil/Lenny (1964), BSO/Monteux, and Munich/Celi.

Cheers,
~k.

Karl, which one is your favourite?

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 1:59 pm

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 27
English Chamber Orchestra
Murray Perahia - Piano and conducting

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 2:31 pm

Here is another FABULOUS set:

Luigi Boccherini
Piano Quintet No. 1 in E minor
Quatuor Mosaïques
Patrick Cohen - Pianoforte

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 2:59 pm

Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet No. 7 in F major, op. 59 no. 1
Végh Quartet

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 10:49 am

Vasily Petrenko's traversal of Shostakovich's symphonies has been universally hailed as a truly fine interpretation. It seems that Naxos is about to launch a complete full-price set in November to compete with the likes of Kondrashin, Maxim Shostakovich, Rozhdestvensky, et al. Personally, I prefer Bernstein's V, or Rozhdestvensky if you prefer the last movement as written, but Petrenko's set is outstanding otherwise, and well worth the investment. Currently IV is just finishing up in my player: it's an outstanding recording of this bleak and supremely inventive score: Petrenko makes the Liverpuddlians sound Russian to the hilt.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 11:03 am

Josef Suk (grandson of the composer) had a magnificent career just under the radar (his is my preferred version of Dvorak's Violin Concerto). Here, he performs with Janos Starker and the inimitable Julius Katchen in a five-star reading of the Brahms trios, with the added bonus of the second cello sonata. This outstanding recording easily sound better to my ears than Rubinstein's more famous rendition: the recorded sound is outstanding, more natural and open, with a clear woody hue to the strings.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 2:07 pm

maestrob wrote:

Vasily Petrenko's traversal of Shostakovich's symphonies has been universally hailed as a truly fine interpretation. It seems that Naxos is about to launch a complete full-price set in November to compete with the likes of Kondrashin, Maxim Shostakovich, Rozhdestvensky, et al. Personally, I prefer Bernstein's V, or Rozhdestvensky if you prefer the last movement as written, but Petrenko's set is outstanding otherwise, and well worth the investment. Currently IV is just finishing up in my player: it's an outstanding recording of this bleak and supremely inventive score: Petrenko makes the Liverpuddlians sound Russian to the hilt.

Thanks for the heads up. I am in the market for another Shostakovich cycle but the Kondrashin set is far too expensive, so that might fit the bill.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 2:07 pm

maestrob wrote:

Josef Suk (grandson of the composer) had a magnificent career just under the radar (his is my preferred version of Dvorak's Violin Concerto). Here, he performs with Janos Starker and the inimitable Julius Katchen in a five-star reading of the Brahms trios, with the added bonus of the second cello sonata. This outstanding recording easily sound better to my ears than Rubinstein's more famous rendition: the recorded sound is outstanding, more natural and open, with a clear woody hue to the strings.

I'll put that in the Amazon basket too.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 3:04 pm

Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet 7 in F major, no. 1
Gewandhaus Quartett

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 3:49 pm

Albert Roussel
Symphony No. 3
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Stéphane Denève conducting.

oisfetz · Post by **oisfetz** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 5:31 pm

1950 recording by the Borodin SQ of Tchaikovsky third. A marvellous playing of the best Piotr quartet, Dubinsky,Alexandrov, Shebalin & Berlinsky. And Walter Piston's violin sonata, 1939 recording by Louis Krasner and Piston.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 2:54 pm

Ludwig van Beethoven
Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor, op. 5
Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, op. 69
Pierre Fouriner - Cello
Jean Fonda - Piano

oisfetz · Post by **oisfetz** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 3:29 pm

"Fonda" was Pierre's son, who was a pianist. He don´t wont to use his father's surname.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 12:52 pm

oisfetz wrote:"Fonda" was Pierre's son, who was a pianist. He don´t wont to use his father's surname.

Thanks for that. I have never come across him before and wondered about him.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 12:53 pm

Felix Mendelssohn
Piano Sextet in D Op. 110
Dalia Ouzil - Piano, Gil Sharon - Violin, Ron Ephrat - Viola, Liisa Tamminen - Viola,
Alexander Hülshoff - Cello & Jean Sassen - Double Bass
This is gorgeous music.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 6:20 pm

Enjoying that cycle Fergus?

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 3
Michelle DeYoung Mezzo-Soprano
Women of the Chicago Symphony Chorus
Chicago Children's Choir
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Haitink conducting.

From time to time I do need reminding of just how good Mahler's music is and this is a great example of a performance to do just that, it gladdens the heart.

piston · Post by **piston** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:40 pm

Viktor Kalabis is quite an interesting Czech composer. Modernistfan drew our members' attention to his string quartets and symphonies a few years back, pointing to aesthetic parallels with Hungarian Bela Bartok. He was right but there's also an individual language here which I find less "angular" than Bartok.

The Kalabis discography has expanded lately to a variety of instrumental works. This is less a symphonist (notwithstanding five such works) than a chamber music composer whose music strikes me as always deliberate, whatever you will make of this statement, highly conscious every step of the way.

So, I'm moving slowly through his opus...

---Akcenty, op. 26, for piano (17:50), Gerhard Vielhaber, ClassicClips;
---Suite, op. 55, for clarinet and piano (8:16), Irvin Venys and Martin Kasik, ArcoDiva;
---String Quartet no. 1, op. 6 (25:00), Kocian Quartet;
---String Quartet no. 2, op. 19 (15:38), Kocian Quartet;
---Ludus, op. 82, Piano Quartet (12:42), Martinu Piano Quartet, ArcoDiva;
---Diptych for Strings, op. 66 (18:17), Suk Chamber Orchestra, Supraphon;
---Concerto for Large Orchestra, op. 25 (28:31), Czech Philharmonic, L. Slovak (1971 recording).

karlhenning · Post by **karlhenning** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 10:17 am

Seán wrote:Enjoying that cycle Fergus?

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 3
Michelle DeYoung Mezzo-Soprano
Women of the Chicago Symphony Chorus
Chicago Children's Choir
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Haitink conducting.

From time to time I do need reminding of just how good Mahler's music is and this is a great example of a performance to do just that, it gladdens the heart.

My expectations are high, as I know how tasty their CSO Resound recording of the Shostakovich Fourth is.

Cheers,
~k.

piston · Post by **piston** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 8:32 pm

More, mostly early, Kalabis:
--Concerto for violin and orchestra, no. 1, op. 19 (1958-59) (21:43), 1984 Supraphon recording, with Petr Skvor, violin, the Prague S.O., conducted by Kalabis;
--Concerto for piano and orchestra, no. 1, op. 12 (1954) (21:53), from a Supraphon LP, with Zuzana Rusickova, the Czech P.O., led by Vaclav Jiracek;
--Concerto for harpsichord and strings, op. 42 (1974-5) (27:33), a 1980 recording with Ruzickova, the Prague Chamber O., V. Kabalis;
--Six Two-Part Canonical Inventions for harpsichord, op. 20 (13:32), from a Supraphon LP with Ruzickova;
--Piano Trio, op. 39 (1974)(15:30), with they young The Kalabis Trio;
--Symphony no. 2, op. 18, "Sinfonia pacis" (1959-1961) (28:00), a 1987 recording with the Czech P.O., led by Zdenek Kosler.

Noticeable influences on his style include Bartok (the softer Bartok), Honegger, and Stravinsky. And I would not exclude the influence of harpsichordist Zuzana Ruzickova for whom he composed at least fours works --the first piano concerto (his wedding gift), the harpsichord concerto, a sonata for violin and harpsichord (she recorded with Josef Suk), and the "inventions" for harsichord opus 20.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 9:56 am

A composer I will NEVER grow tired of is Jean Sibelius and this CD set was my introduction to his symphonic output and for me has stood the test of time.

Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 4 & 5
Berlin Symphony Orchestra
Kurt Sanderling conducting.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:07 am

Beethoven Eroica and Symphony No. 8

George Szell's Beethoven cycle is one of the greats, along with Toscanini and HVK 1963. Szell clearly has something to say in every bar, and the Clevelanders are with him 100%. Not having listened to these since LP days, I'm finding great satisfaction in confirming my original estimation of these fine renditions. The entire set is available for a bargain $7.48: grab it while you can!

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 2:10 pm

I am always in the market for another Beethoven cycle, that set does interest me.

Wilhelm Stenhammer
Serenade Op. 31
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Andrew Davis conducting.

Splendid.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 2:13 pm

Johann Sebastian Bach
Magnificat in D major BWV 243
Bach Collegium Japan
Masaaki Suzuki conducting.

This performance of Magnificat is on one CD in a beautifully recorded, presented and packaged set of CDs from BIS and Suzuki. The performance of JSB's incomparable Magnificat though is sadly lacking. I find it mechanical, totally devoid of emotion and feeling, it is sterile. Now I am no conneseuer of performances of Bach's music, far from it in fact, but I do LOVE the Magnificat and this performance leaves me cold, it is an effort to listen to it. I heaved a sigh of relief at the conclusion of the last movement, how sad is that? Now I need a dose of Herreweghe or Gardiner to cleanse my soul.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 2:50 pm

Johann Sebastian Bach
Magnificat in D major, BWV 243
Monteverdi Choir
English Baroque Soloists
John Eliot Gardiner conducting

Wonderful!

piston · Post by **piston** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 2:58 pm

Viktor Kalabis:
--Symphonic Variations for Large Orchestra, op. 24 (1964) (13:00), Vaclav Neumann, Czech P.O., 1968 recording;
--Symphony no. 3, op. 33 (1970-71) (26:16), Jiri Belohlavek, Prague Radio S.O., 1972 recording;
--Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, op. 36 (1973) (18:00), Miroslav Kejman, tr., Prague RSO, Milos Konvalinka, 1976 live recording;
--String Quartet no. 3, op. 48 (1977)(18:00), Kocian Quartet, 2009 recording;
--String Quartet no. 4, op. 62 "Tribute to J.S. Bach" (1983-84) (12:00), Zemlinsky Quartet, 2009 recording.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 3:11 pm

Earlier today and again this evening:

Igor Stravinsky
Pulcinella Ballet with song in one act
Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Igor Stravinsky conducting.

This is a fabulous performance of a wonderful piece of music.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 2:21 pm

Igor Stravinsky
Pulcinella Suite for chamber orchestra
Music after Pergolesi
New York Philharmonic
Pierre Boulez conducting.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 2:22 pm

Igor Stravinsky
Pulcinella Suite for chamber orchestra
Music after Pergolesi
Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Igor Stravinsky conducting.

Wonderful.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 3:45 pm

Joseph Haydn
Piano Trio in G minor, Hob. XV/1
Piano Trio in G major, Hob. XV/5
Piano Trio in C major, Hob. XV/C1
Piano Trio in F major, Hob. XV/37
Van Swieten Trio comprising:
Bart van Oort - Fortepiano
Rémy Baudet - Violin
Jaap Ter Linden - Cello

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 5:41 pm

Igor Stravinsky
Pulcinella Ballet with a song in one act, music after Pergolesi.
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Neville Mariner conducting.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 5:42 pm

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan conducting.

Brilliant performance.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 5:43 pm

Bohuslav Martinu
Symphony No. 3 & 4
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
Neeme Jarvi conducting.

Hugely enjoyable. I am particularly fond of the Fourth Symphony.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:22 am

Bohuslav Martinu
Symphony No. 5 & 6
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
Neeme Jarvi conducting.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:53 am

Johannes Brahms
Ein deutsches Requim op. 45
La Chapelle Royale. Collegium Vocale
Christiane Oelze (Soprano)
Gerald Finley (Baritone)
Orchestre Des Champs Élysées
Philippe Herreweghe conducting.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 11:34 am

How quickly they fade from sight! Pogorelich was an exceptionally fine pianist, who has not been heard from in roughly half a decade on the recording scene. His discography was universally excellent, including this disc, still available.

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 1:07 pm

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 4:27 pm

Johannes Brahms
String Quintet in F major, op. 88
String Quintet in G major, op. 111
Amadeus Quartet
Cecil Aronowitz - Viola II

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 5:20 pm

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 4
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Claudio Abbado conducting.

oisfetz · Post by **oisfetz** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 6:32 pm

https://www.youtube.com/attribution_lin ... re%3Dshare

At 13 y.o.,he played better that major part of adult violinist of his time. And his sound was already unique. Incredible!

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 5:18 am

Serge Prokofiev
Symphony No. 6 op. 111
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Dmitrij Kitajenko conducting.

This is a fabulous performance by a great orchestra and is beautifully captured on disc. To my mind the Sixth Symphony does reward repeated listening. No less a figure than Myaskovsky said of it: "I only began to understand and appreciate [op. 111] after hearing it three times. It is profound, yet somewhat orchestrated austerely."

As for the Shostakovich cycle, the symphonies arranged for a larger orchestra were recorded live during concerts, and thus the Kölnische Rundschau printed the following review of the performance of the symphony no. 6:
“This symphony written in 1947 is generally regarded as unwieldy; an ungrateful task for musicians as well as the audience, and it is therefore rarely played in concert halls. Kitajenko, however, manages to decipher the score by unfolding it as a tragic, psychological chain of events, instead of as a revoltingly noisy scenario from Stalin’s era. Melodious string passages repeatedly occur in an almost elegiac manner. Flutes and horns unearth unexpected and surprising elements of beauty, as it were – even though this was only possible because the musicians summoned up all possible purity of sound and musical ardour.”

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 6:36 am

Franz Schubert
Symphony No. 8
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Karl Böhm conducting.

This is a superb performance, I love it. I really must get more recordings of Karl Böhm's work.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 12:02 pm

Serge Prokofiev
Symphony No. 5
Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
Dmitrij Kitajenko conducting.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 1:14 pm

Franz Schubert
String Quartet in D minor D810
(Death and the Maiden)
Amadeus Quartet

Recorded in Abbey Road Studios in 1953

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Sep 06, 2015 9:27 am

It is time to drop into this marvellous set and try the Eighth:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 8
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä conducting.

I have always considered this work a light piece of music and paid it scant attention, however on the advice of young Fergus I have decided to listen to a few performances and see how I like it. The Minnesota's performance is rich in colour and depth, this is a delightful performance, full of joy and good humour and as one might expect from BIS the production values are first class.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Sep 06, 2015 9:40 am

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 8
SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Frieburg
Michael Gielen conducting

Beethoven's Eighth is given the full big band treatment here by Gielen and the Frieburgers.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sun Sep 06, 2015 11:07 am

Sadly, Abbado recorded only the Schumann II that I'm aware of, and that very late in life. I'm sure it was not from lack of respect for Schumann's music, because this first-rank disc shows Abbado at his most sensitive, and includes two overtures (Manfred & Genoveva). Every detail is in place, rubati are carefully thought out without overstatement: this is Schumann done exactly right, IMHO. Perhaps a series was planned, but we'll never know.....

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Sep 06, 2015 11:52 am

maestrob wrote:

Sadly, Abbado recorded only the Schumann II that I'm aware of, and that very late in life. I'm sure it was not from lack of respect for Schumann's music, because this first-rank disc shows Abbado at his most sensitive, and includes two overtures (Manfred & Genoveva). Every detail is in place, rubati are carefully thought out without overstatement: this is Schumann done exactly right, IMHO. Perhaps a series was planned, but we'll never know.....

as we have come to expect from Maestro Abbado.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Sep 06, 2015 1:09 pm

I am not keen on the big band approach to Beethoven's Eighth and so far my favourites are Vänskä's and Brüggen's:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 8
Berlin Symphony Orchestra
Claudio Abbado conducting.

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 8
Orchestra of the 18th Century
Franz Brüggen conducting.

Sensationally good, it is a wonderful listening experience.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Sun Sep 06, 2015 1:38 pm

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 8
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting.

Lovely performance.

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