What I listened to today

[jserraglio]

[maestrob]

My Brahms I are : Schnabel/Szell/LPO 1938 ( great ), Rubinstein/Reiner 1954, Backhaus/Boult 1932,Malcuzynski/Wislocki 1960, Kapell/Mitropolous/NYPO 1953 live, Barto/Eschenbach/German Symphony of Berlin,live, 2012, Hoehn/Fiedler/Frankfurt Radio 1937

Kapell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kaF3HSqVGw

Now, Kapell/Mitropoulos was quite good up to the tempo primo of the final movement which was surprisingly fast, robbing the music of weight. Not sure whose idea that was (probably Kapell's), but it rubbed me the wrong way just a bit. Other tempi in that movement, like the other three, were spot-on, and I enjoyed the performance and was pleased with the Philharmonic, minus a few bars in the first movement where the strings couldn't quite cut it. The restored 1953 sound was quite good. All-in-all, I'd give this a four-star rating. really enjoyable. Many thanks, Steve!

[Rach3]

A rarely heard, ca.20 minute gem:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00126xg ( At 5 minutes in )

Rachmaninov: 6 Duets Op.11 for piano 4 hands Zhang Zuo & Louis Schwizgebel (piano duo) , live recently.

[jserraglio]

Tatrai Quartet - Haydn op 20

[jserraglio]

Falla Nights [Alexander Jokheles-Rozhdestvensky-Moscow], Amor Brujo Suite [Irina Arkhipova-Jansons-Moscow] 1963 CfP LP

https://www.discogs.com/release/1151728 ... I1Nzg3NDE=

[jserraglio]

https://archive.org/details/the-trio-so ... manda.flac



https://archive.org/details/perlman-pag ... r-SMR.flac

[jserraglio]

[jserraglio]

Stenhammar with Sturfält and Beethoven's 'Eroica' with Blomstedt from Munich

https://br-i.akamaihd.net/i/b7/2021-12/ ... revision=5

Martin Sturfält, piano, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Herbert Blomstedt play:

STENHAMMAR: Piano Concerto in D minor, op. 23.

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major 'Eroica'.

[maestrob]

Stenhammar with Sturfält and Beethoven's 'Eroica' from Munich

https://br-i.akamaihd.net/i/b7/2021-12/ ... revision=5

Martin Sturfält, piano, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Herbert Blomstedt play:

STENHAMMAR: Piano Concerto in D minor, op. 23.

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E flat major 'Eroica'.

I'm also fond of Stenhammar's Second Symphony:

[jserraglio]

Gustav Leonhardt
a marvellous recital!

[jserraglio]

https://archive.org/details/jordi-saval ... r-cantando

[maestrob]

I love medieval music, Joe. Thanks for all your recent suggestions.

[jserraglio]

Two-piano concerto by Joey Roukens
Radio Filharmonisch Orkest
Karina Canellakis, dirigent
Lucas & Arthur Jussen, piano
10 december 2021 in TivoliVredenburg te Utrecht.

AUDIO: https://www.nporadio4.nl/concerten/c22a ... hur-jussen
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ-Wc9lPD6I

[jserraglio]

Ashkenazy, soloist & conductor - Beethoven Piano Cti 1-5 Cleveland Orchestra 1988 Decca

Magnificent sound (wide dynamic range), poetic readings by both soloist and orchestra. The Clevelanders, in my view, hit their peak as recording artists during the Dohnanyi years.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCyFfT1uD30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_krUA4OFaNQ

[maestrob]

Two-piano concerto by Joey Roukens
Radio Filharmonisch Orkest
Karina Canellakis, dirigent
Lucas & Arthur Jussen, piano
10 december 2021 in TivoliVredenburg te Utrecht.

AUDIO: https://www.nporadio4.nl/concerten/c22a ... hur-jussen
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ-Wc9lPD6I

A fascinating and enthralling work, Joe. Many thanks!

[jserraglio]

LvB PCs 1-5 Ashkenazy Haitink LPO 1974 from a DVD 2007

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T8qvSjYF-I

[Rach3]

Two-piano concerto by Joey Roukens

Yes, thanks, enjoyed the work more this time than I did when first heard it , especially the slow mov. Apparently, the timpanist is the father of the brother pianists, and they all get to " riff" together in the last mov. Roukens born in 1982, the Concerto dates from 2017.

[Rach3]

My first hearing of Shostakovich's String Quartet No.15, Jerusalem Quartet live video,2013,NYC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueEyTeFuT_8

Per the composer allegedly : “Play the first movement so that flies drop dead in mid-air and the audience leaves the hall out of sheer boredom.”

[Rach3]

My first hearings of " 7 Character Pieces", by Felix Mendelssohn,for solo piano ; delightful, virtuosic, Marie - Catherine Girod, pianist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9cuCIz8Q3A ( 23 minutes )

[jserraglio]

Haydn - Complete Piano Sonatas. Ilse von Alpenheim. 2021 remastering by the Antal Doráti Centenary Society of her VOX recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KTgA1i06xU

[maestrob]

Haydn - Complete Piano Sonatas. Ilse von Alpenheim. 2021 remastering by the Antal Doráti Centenary Society of her VOX recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KTgA1i06xU

Delightful! You do know that she was Antal Dorati's wife, yes? They also recorded the keyboard concertos together for the first time. I'm sure everyone here knows that Dorati recorded Haydn's operas on some now very rare Philips LPs (later issued in CD boxes).

[Rach3]

My first hearing of this pianist.The Szymanowski perhaps evidences why Rubinstein cooled on advocating the composer, but the Beethoven a sui generis gem, and the Schumann the reason for this post , the work made here to seem as if just composed:

Enregistré le 12/12/2021 au Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles

Karol Szymanowski - Shéhérazade, extrait de " Masques", op. 34

Ludwig Van Beethoven - Sonate n°13 en mi bémol majeur pour piano, op. 27 n°1

Robert Schumann - Fantaisie, op. 17
- Rêverie, extrait de " Scènes d'enfants", op. 15

Wouter Valvekens, piano

[maestrob]

My first hearing of this pianist.The Szymanowski perhaps evidences why Rubinstein cooled on advocating the composer, but the Beethoven a sui generis gem, and the Schumann the reason for this post , the work made here to seem as if just composed:

Enregistré le 12/12/2021 au Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles

Karol Szymanowski - Shéhérazade, extrait de " Masques", op. 34

Ludwig Van Beethoven - Sonate n°13 en mi bémol majeur pour piano, op. 27 n°1

Robert Schumann - Fantaisie, op. 17
- Rêverie, extrait de " Scènes d'enfants", op. 15

Wouter Valvekens, piano

How about a link, Steve?

[Rach3]

My first hearing of this pianist.The Szymanowski perhaps evidences why Rubinstein cooled on advocating the composer, but the Beethoven a sui generis gem, and the Schumann the reason for this post , the work made here to seem as if just composed:

Enregistré le 12/12/2021 au Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles

Karol Szymanowski - Shéhérazade, extrait de " Masques", op. 34

Ludwig Van Beethoven - Sonate n°13 en mi bémol majeur pour piano, op. 27 n°1

Robert Schumann - Fantaisie, op. 17
- Rêverie, extrait de " Scènes d'enfants", op. 15

Wouter Valvekens, piano

How about a link, Steve?

Sorry, here's the link : https://www.rtbf.be/auvio/detail_concer ... id=2846570

[maestrob]

Now that was very enjoyable, even the Szymanowski, which I haven't heard in decades. The Beethoven went well, and the Schumann was sensitively played.

I've added his name to my list of pianists to watch, and will search for recordings from time to time.

Thanks!

[Rach3]

My first hearing of this pianist.The Szymanowski perhaps evidences why Rubinstein cooled on advocating the composer, but the Beethoven a sui generis gem, and the Schumann the reason for this post , the work made here to seem as if just composed:

Enregistré le 12/12/2021 au Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles

Karol Szymanowski - Shéhérazade, extrait de " Masques", op. 34

Ludwig Van Beethoven - Sonate n°13 en mi bémol majeur pour piano, op. 27 n°1

Robert Schumann - Fantaisie, op. 17
- Rêverie, extrait de " Scènes d'enfants", op. 15

Wouter Valvekens, piano

Bio: https://www.woutervalvekens.com

[Rach3]

Pianist Kotaro Fukuma in an interesting recital programme in Bremen,2019.The Glinka worked well after the fine Op.111, although some probably would consider anything after Op.111 sacrilegious. The Suk was gorgeous as were the Satie and Mizokami, all new to me thus this post. An additional glissando to end the Gershwin.

https://www.rtbf.be/auvio/detail_concer ... id=2848178

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Sonate No. 18 en Ré Majeur, K. 576

Ludwig Van Beethoven : Sonate No. 32 en do mineur pour piano, op. 111

Mikhail Glinka : The Lark, de 'A Farewell to Saint Petersburg'

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky : Casse-Noisette, suite, op. 71a (March - Andante maestoso - Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy)

Erik Satie : Je te veux, valse

Bedrich Smetana : Vltava (Moldau), de 'Má vlast' (Ma Patrie)

Josef Suk : Souvenirs, de 'About Mother, op. 28'

George Gershwin : Allegro ben ritmato e deciso, de Trois Préludes'

Hideo Mizokami : Lullaby

Frédéric Chopin : Finale. Presto ma non tanto agitato, de la Sonate No. 3 en Si bémol Majeur, op. 58

Kotaro Fukuma, piano Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotaro_Fukuma
Fukuma the winner of the 2003 Cleveland Piano Competition

[Rach3]

Mozart's Clarinet Quintet,K.581, one of my fav Mozart works, had not heard for a long time, my shame as heavenly:

https://www.nporadio4.nl/concerten/8be5 ... sz-friends

dinsdag 28 december 2021, TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht

Amihai Grosz (altviool), Clara-Jumi Kang (viool), Daishin Kashimoto (viool), Wenzel Fuchs (klarinet), Claudio Bohórquez (cello)

Brahms Op.34a Piano Quintet also on the programme ; I did not hear the Brahms.

[maestrob]

Pianist Kotaro Fukuma in an interesting recital programme in Bremen,2019.The Glinka worked well after the fine Op.111, although some probably would consider anything after Op.111 sacrilegious. The Suk was gorgeous as were the Satie and Mizokami, all new to me thus this post. An additional glissando to end the Gershwin.

https://www.rtbf.be/auvio/detail_concer ... id=2848178

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Sonate No. 18 en Ré Majeur, K. 576

Ludwig Van Beethoven : Sonate No. 32 en do mineur pour piano, op. 111

Mikhail Glinka : The Lark, de 'A Farewell to Saint Petersburg'

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky : Casse-Noisette, suite, op. 71a (March - Andante maestoso - Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy)

Erik Satie : Je te veux, valse

Bedrich Smetana : Vltava (Moldau), de 'Má vlast' (Ma Patrie)

Josef Suk : Souvenirs, de 'About Mother, op. 28'

George Gershwin : Allegro ben ritmato e deciso, de Trois Préludes'

Hideo Mizokami : Lullaby

Frédéric Chopin : Finale. Presto ma non tanto agitato, de la Sonate No. 3 en Si bémol Majeur, op. 58

Kotaro Fukuma, piano Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotaro_Fukuma
Fukuma the winner of the 2003 Cleveland Piano Competition

This was most enjoyable from beginning to end. Fukuma's Beethoven Op. 111 was surprisingly mature and well-conceived, as was everything on the program. He has a wonderful variety of styles on the program and was totally sympathetic to all, from Mozart through Beethoven and on into Chopin & Smetana. A very rewarding program. Many thanks and Happy New Year!

A fine instrument as well!

[Rach3]

Einojuhani Rautavarra, Symphony No.8 ( 1999), my first hearing today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDnZ0DYP1p0

Helsinki Phil., Leif Segerstam

Heard No.7 today as well, very nice, but No.8 made the greater impression.Can recommend you hear. Have not heard any of his earlier symphonies, although I am a fan of the composer, having recordings of the violin concerto, cello concerto, 2 of the piano concertos, and solo piano works of his.

[maestrob]

Einojuhani Rautavarra, Symphony No.8 ( 1999), my first hearing today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDnZ0DYP1p0

Helsinki Phil., Leif Segerstam

Heard No.7 today as well, very nice, but No.8 made the greater impression.Can recommend you hear. Have not heard any of his earlier symphonies, although I am a fan of the composer, having recordings of the violin concerto, cello concerto, 2 of the piano concertos, and solo piano works of his.

Thanks! I'll give this a try soonest.

[Rach3]

Olivier Greif's "Sonate de Requiem" for cello and piano, like it more with each re-hearing ( I did acquire a cd ) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhurPYL4IYk

[neilnw]

Schubert's last sonata, D. 960, in B-flat (Erdmann, Hess....for further exploration,I'd like to hear Rubinstein's but can't find it on Amazon Music.)

[maestrob]

Schubert's last sonata, D. 960, in B-flat (Erdmann, Hess....for further exploration,I'd like to hear Rubinstein's but can't find it on Amazon Music.)

Rubinstein's version for RCA is, as one would expect, superb. Spotify does have it available. Just search for "Rubinstein Schubert." It will be the first album that comes up. Too bad about Amazon.

[neilnw]

Schubert's last sonata, D. 960, in B-flat (Erdmann, Hess....for further exploration,I'd like to hear Rubinstein's but can't find it on Amazon Music.)

Rubinstein's version for RCA is, as one would expect, superb. Spotify does have it available. Just search for "Rubinstein Schubert." It will be the first album that comes up. Too bad about Amazon.

An update on the situation--
I did another search on Amazon, but you can't get the album with just Rubinstein and Schubert: leave out Schubert , and type in B-flat or Sonata, and it's there on the second page.
Lovely, communicative performance, but I think the ones mentioned earlier have a little more depth.

[Rach3]

As Beethoven's 4th PC is my fav LvB PC and one of my top 5 PC'd period, could not miss this performance even though had heard the 4th recently, here the late Nelson Freire live in Bucharest in 2019 with the St.Petersburg Philharmonic under Vassily Sinaisky, an inspired,scintillating reading by both Freire and the Orchestra, loved the sound world they created even with Internet sound.Dont know who wrote the 3rd mov. cadenza, my first hearing of that cadenza, and irritatingly the BBC presenter did not identify. The performance starts at about 1:01:00 here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00138kf

[Rach3]

Geoffrey Tozer plays:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZgCnPs2AME ( Elgar,"P & C March # 1 )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXoLUs-bdL0 ( 2 "Australian rarities" )

Victor Borge plays straight :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDjPSuU6q6E ( Kreisler/Rachmaninoff "Liebesleid " )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH44W3cTN1o ( Gaertner-Friedman,2 Viennese Dances )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABxA9V8PKZk ( Godowsky, " Alt Wien " )

[Rach3]

Bernard Haitink conducts the Berlin Philharmonic live in 1992 in Berlin in Martinu’s wonderful Double Concerto:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000v8ch

Also on the program Dvorak’s 7th Symphony, my fav of his symphonies, and the Bartok Viola Concerto.I did not hear the Bartok, uncomfortable with its “incompleteness.”

There is also then a studio recording performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet # 14, the great C minor, Op.131 , by Belcea Quartet I did hear. Apparently, the Belcea were a favorite of Haitink.

[maestrob]

Bernard Haitink conducts the Berlin Philharmonic live in 1992 in Berlin in Martinu’s wonderful Double Concerto:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000v8ch

Also on the program Dvorak’s 7th Symphony, my fav of his symphonies, and the Bartok Viola Concerto.I did not hear the Bartok, uncomfortable with its “incompleteness.”

There is also then a studio recording performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet # 14, the great C minor, Op.131 , by Belcea Quartet I did hear. Apparently, the Belcea were a favorite of Haitink.

I love the Martinu and the Dvorak VII: don't hear them often enough. I'll tune in to this tomorrow, Thanks!

[neilnw]

Ravel's Gaspard (Biret)
Bartok's Sonata for 2 Pianos & Percussion (R.& G. Casadesus, J.-C. Casadesus, Drouet )
Sibelius' Kullervo (Berglund)

[Rach3]

Ravel's Gaspard (Biret)
Bartok's Sonata for 2 Pianos & Percussion (R.& G. Casadesus, J.-C. Casadesus, Drouet )
Sibelius' Kullervo (Berglund)

Love that Bartok. My cd ( I did not pay $79):

https://www.amazon.com/Sonata-Pianos-Co ... 66&sr=1-41

[Rach3]

A fine recital by young pianist Szymon Nehring , live at the 2020 Chopin Festival in Poland. While he did not make to the final 6 at the most recent 2021 Chopin Competition , he did well at the 2015 and won the 2017 Rubinstein Competition. The Chopin here was fine, especially the Mazurkas, but I posted for a great performance of the Brahms. Seems Brahms’ 2nd and 3rd Sonatas get played more, but the 1st is a gem when handled with fearless vigor as here.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00139n0

Chopin

Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat major, Op.61
Impromptu in G flat major, Op.51
3 Mazurkas, Op.56
Polonaise no.5 in F sharp minor, Op.44

Brahms

Piano Sonata no.1 in C Major, Op.1

[Rach3]

Interesting young German pianist Elizabeth Brauss live in a recital 2 years ago in Birmingham,UK, my first hearing of her playing today, excellent.

Schubert, 4 Impromptus,D.899 :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013hzm

A couple years ago maestrob gave a 5 -star review here at CMG to her debut Oehms Classics cd.

[Rach3]

Osborne’s relevatory Shostakovich PC # 2. Steven Osborne plays the Shostakovich 2nd PC with the Ulster Orchestra in December,2021 , live, at about 2:20:00 into this BBC Radio 3 broadcast :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0013j53

He makes the first mov. much more interesting sound-wise,line and voicings than usual, IMHO.Same with the second mov., not the usual undifferentiated gushiness there. Not surprisingly, same qualities for the 3rd mov. ! He elevated the work, makes it better than it probably is.

[maestrob]

Interesting young German pianist Elizabeth Brauss live in a recital 2 years ago in Birmingham,UK, my first hearing of her playing today, excellent.

Schubert, 4 Impromptus,D.899 :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013hzm

A couple years ago maestrob gave a 5 -star review here at CMG to her debut Oehms Classics cd.

Brauss is indeed a very deep and subtle pianist, with much to say in her playing. I plan on hearing these very soon. Thanks, Steve!

[Rach3]

Carl Vine’s Anne Landa Preludes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yc54S67s0Q

[jserraglio]

[maestrob]

Interesting young German pianist Elizabeth Brauss live in a recital 2 years ago in Birmingham,UK, my first hearing of her playing today, excellent.

Schubert, 4 Impromptus,D.899 :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013hzm

A couple years ago maestrob gave a 5 -star review here at CMG to her debut Oehms Classics cd.

Brauss is indeed a very deep and subtle pianist, with much to say in her playing. I plan on hearing these very soon. Thanks, Steve!

Listening to these Schubert Impromptus (Would that she had had time to play all of them!), I am again reminded how much of a poet of the piano Elizabeth Brauss really is. The depth and subtlety of her playing brings Ivan Moravec to mind, frankly. I do hope her public catches on to her exquisite maturity, as she deserves a major career.

Thanks for posting these, Steve! It's good to hear from her again.

[premont]

I'm repeatedly becoming nostalgic when I read posts here. This excellent LP was the one which (along with Joseph Paynes Vox box with parts of the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book) intruduced me to the Elizabethan harpsichord music almost fifty years ago. Thanks for posting.

[neilnw]

Brahms' PC #2 (Arrau/Haitink)
Vivaldi's Beatus Vir (Fasano)
Mozart's Sym.#41 (Walter/NYP)
MacDowell's 2 Piano Conc.'s (List/Chavez)
and
Wilhelm Backhaus' all-Beethoven sonata recital at Carnegie Hall, '54