What are YOU listening to today?

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:24 am

Speaking of Porpora:

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:26 pm

maestrob wrote:Speaking of Porpora:

Gorgeous disc from another pitch-perfect diva. God, I love Gauvin!

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 9:53 am

Vivaldi composed L´ Oracolo in Messenia originally in 1738 for the Teatro S. Angelo in Venice, but what we have here is a pasticcio Vivaldi concocted several years later for the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna using arias not only composed by him, but also from Neapolitan composer Geminiano Giacomelli whose opera La Merope served as basis for L´ Oracolo di Messenia. Giacomelli´s style was very different from Vivaldi´s, and you can immediately tell the difference. His "contribution" to the revised edition of L´ Oracolo is considerable, about half of what´s heard in the recording, so he should have had equal billing as Vivaldi. Besides them, hit arias by Broschi and Hasse also turn up, making this indeed a pasticcio.
The recording needless to say is magnificent. Vivica Genaux who has been rather neglected of late by record companies, is glorious, and so is the young Russian soprano Julia Lezhneva originally discovered by Minkowski, and now already a star.
But the greatest hero is of course Biondi, who secures a vibrant, absorbing performance with incomparable playing by Europa Galante.

Next weekend I´ll be attending 2 concerts with him and L´ Europa Galante, am I lucky or what!

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 11:13 am

Yes, she's the wife of composer Roy Harris, and a stunningly good pianist in her own right. Johana recorded only two discs for MCA in 1987 (the other is all Debussy): she had very interesting things to say about each composer, and if she had continued (the plan was to record ten discs worth of material), I would have bought all 10. This is one of my favorite treasures: glad to see it's available on Amazon.

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:34 pm

The world premiere--yes, at this very moment--of Paulus' Third Violin Concerto.

Done by William Preucil, with Giancarlo Guerrero leading the Cleveland Orchestra.

I VERY MUCH LIKE what I'm hearing.....here's hoping it catches on in the standard repertory.

scififan · Post by **scififan** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:04 pm

The first five of Haydn's Symphonies are available on Naxos played by Sinfonia Finlandia under Patrick Gallois. These are rarely heard and the performances here are very fine. Listen to that amazing Andante from No.4 and the virtuoso use of the wind band in the fifth. I enjoyed these performances very much indeed and they are certainly excellent value for money.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Mon Oct 15, 2012 11:26 am

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra: Solti/World Orchestra for Peace & Petrushka/Gergiev

Also Dvorak V: Neumann/Czech Philh.

scififan · Post by **scififan** » Wed Oct 17, 2012 7:29 am

I have been listening to Rossini's Sonatas for Wind Quartet. These six short compositions have an engaging and charming innocence which is very enjoyable. All are under 15 minutes in length. The first five are in three movements each and the last is in two . My set is played by the Michael Thompson wind Quartet and is available on a Naxos CD, though I downloaded it from the iTunes store.

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Thu Oct 18, 2012 7:48 pm

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1
Clifford Curzon, piano
Szell/LSO

Debussy, Ravel: String Quartets
Quartetto Italiano

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 11:04 am

ContrapunctusIX wrote:Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1
Clifford Curzon, piano
Szell/LSO

Debussy, Ravel: String Quartets
Quartetto Italiano

That Debussy/Ravel is one of my favorite quartet recordings, with a particularly woody, warm sound to the strings.

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 1:30 pm

maestrob wrote: That Debussy/Ravel is one of my favorite quartet recordings, with a particularly woody, warm sound to the strings.

agreed, they sound so different from every other quartet I've heard play these works and it's all for the better IMO.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:36 am

This is the fourth Schubert symphony cycle to appear in period instruments. After Frans Brüggen and the Orchestra of the XVIII Century, Roy Goodman and the Hanover Band, and Jos van Immerseel and Anima Eterna, Marc Minkowski and Les Musicians du Louvre join the company with these live Vienna performances.
As expected these are very well played, cultured and lively performances. In the first 5 symphonies I still like Brüggen best for his easy charm, and elegant nobility, but Minkowski is excellent, there´s really nothing to complain about. Where Minkowski scores big time is in the Ninth, the one disappointing performance with Brüggen.
Minkowski´s Ninth is decidedly a post-Furtwänglerian affair. Tempos are not strict, and rubato is freely but judiciously applied. This may not be a strict purist ideal performance, but Minkowski realized that it would be impossible to keep performing early XIX Century symphonies with strict, unvarying tempos without sounding like identical copies. For example in the tricky first movement coda, Minkowski does the Furtwängler stop-and-go thing. Mackerras and others have proven that it´s possible to play it "a tempo", but the other way also works and the result is thrilling. After listening to it a couple of times I think that this is a truly great performance that gives us something of both worlds, it may not be the ultimate answer, but it works.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:39 am

ContrapunctusIX wrote:
maestrob wrote: That Debussy/Ravel is one of my favorite quartet recordings, with a particularly woody, warm sound to the strings.
agreed, they sound so different from every other quartet I've heard play these works and it's all for the better IMO.

For a modern recording, with infinite finesse and detail without any hint of fussiness, I recommend this one:

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 2:22 pm

maestrob wrote:
ContrapunctusIX wrote:
maestrob wrote: That Debussy/Ravel is one of my favorite quartet recordings, with a particularly woody, warm sound to the strings.
agreed, they sound so different from every other quartet I've heard play these works and it's all for the better IMO.
For a modern recording, with infinite finesse and detail without any hint of fussiness, I recommend this one:

i'll have to look into that release. I already have a bunch of recordings of these, but what's one more?

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 9:31 pm

Mozart: Piano Concerto Nos. 22 & 23
Salzburg Mozarteum & Geza Anda
DGG

Beethoven: Symphony No. 4
Munich Philharmonic & Rudolf Kempe
Royal Classics

Schoenberg: Verklarte Nacht; String Quartet No. 1 Op. 7
Leipzig Quartet
MD&G

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 1:00 am

Bach: Frech Overture; Italian Concerto; Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue
Evgeni Koroliov

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:00 am

Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony: Paray/Detroit

Also:

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 2:17 pm

maestrob wrote:Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony: Paray/Detroit

my all-time favorite recording of the Organ Symphony.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 11:24 am

ContrapunctusIX wrote:
maestrob wrote:Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony: Paray/Detroit
my all-time favorite recording of the Organ Symphony.

Yes, it's very well done, with good, clean articulation (the woodwind parts are particularly tricky) and solid tempi.

If you don't have it yet, I highly recommend Eschenbach's Philadelphia recording: the sound is stunning, and the orchestra sounds very transparent. AND it comes with a fiery rendition of Poulenc's rarely-played Organ Concerto, and Barber's Toccata Festiva. Great stuff, and certainly Eschenbach's finest commercial recording of anything that I've heard.

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 1:13 pm

maestrob wrote:
ContrapunctusIX wrote:
maestrob wrote:Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony: Paray/Detroit
my all-time favorite recording of the Organ Symphony.
Yes, it's very well done, with good, clean articulation (the woodwind parts are particularly tricky) and solid tempi.

If you don't have it yet, I highly recommend Eschenbach's Philadelphia recording: the sound is stunning, and the orchestra sounds very transparent. AND it comes with a fiery rendition of Poulenc's rarely-played Organ Concerto, and Barber's Toccata Festiva. Great stuff, and certainly Eschenbach's finest commercial recording of anything that I've heard.

I do have it, I agree it's very good. Eschenbach usually disappoints me as a conductor, but not on this recording. It also happens to be the only version available on SACD (AFAIK), and sounds fantastic on the right equipment.

scififan · Post by **scififan** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 11:48 am

The orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition by Stokowski has a great deal to recommend it. True, he eliminates two of the movements {Tuileres and Limoges} because he felt they were written by Rimsky-Korsakov and also because he felt they were too French in style. But Stokowski wanted to convey the Slavic quality of Mussorgsky's music in the orchestration and {IMO} he succeeded well. The final two pictures, particularly, certainly have a far more Slavic atmosphere than those in the Ravel version.

I think this transcription deserves to be heard more often. It's easily available on Naxos, played by the Bournmouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jose Serebrier.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 2:03 pm

scififan wrote:The orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition by Stokowski has a great deal to recommend it. True, he eliminates two of the movements {Tuileres and Limoges} because he felt they were written by Rimsky-Korsakov and also because he felt they were too French in style. But Stokowski wanted to convey the Slavic quality of Mussorgsky's music in the orchestration and {IMO} he succeeded well. The final two pictures, particularly, certainly have a far more Slavic atmosphere than those in the Ravel version.

I think this transcription deserves to be heard more often. It's easily available on Naxos, played by the Bournmouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jose Serebrier.

Stoky's original London Phase IV LP recording was stunning in its day, and was issued briefly on CD: an old favorite:

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:48 pm

Joan Tower's Duets For Orchestra (Alsop)

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Wed Oct 31, 2012 2:56 pm

Barber: Essays for Orchestra; Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance
DSO & Neeme Jarvi
Chandos

Hindemith: Konzertmusik for Brass & Strings; Symphonie Mathis der Maler, Der Schwanendreher
BSO & Steinberg, Orch de Paris & Barenboim, Beminyani (Schwanendreher)
DGG

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sat Nov 03, 2012 11:26 am

This is a fine concert of gems from Scriabin, Schumann, Ravel and Liszt, including encores, presented complete on two discs. HIghly recommended!

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Sat Nov 03, 2012 11:54 am

maestrob wrote:

This is a fine concert of gems from Scriabin, Schumann, Ravel and Liszt, including encores, presented complete on two discs. HIghly recommended!

It seems Volodos is one of the most under-the-radar pianists in recorded history. His new releases don't seem highly publicized, yet he's had a long career and stable association with one label. He is an outstanding pianist in his chosen repertoire.

John

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Sat Nov 03, 2012 12:13 pm

Bruckner: Symphony No. 8
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Barenboim

This is from Barenboim's early Bruckner cycle in Chicago. The Eighth was one of the last of the symphonies to be recorded (December, 1980) and is in digital sound, It uses the Haas Edition of the score. To me, the CD improves on the dryish sound of the LPs.

I enjoyed this performance very much. Tempi are not sluggish and it fits confortably on a single CD at 79+ minutes. The episodic nature of Bruckner's short phrases are nicely integrated and the performance avoids the chopiness I hear in conductors like Karajan and Furtwangler. The CSO may be better captured here than they were later for Solti (a live recording made in St. Petersburg), although the performance isn't quite as sharply focused as Solti's. The CSO does sound magnificent.

John

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sun Nov 04, 2012 11:51 am

For a confirmed Francophile, this is French music at its best, and the only recording of Chant funebre, a major piece.

scififan · Post by **scififan** » Sun Nov 04, 2012 12:53 pm

The first violin concerto I fell in love with was not that of Mendelsohn, Tchaikovsky, or Paganini. It was the Saint-Saens Violin Concerto no. 3, op 61 played on an old mono record which I borrowed from our Public Library. The artist was Zino Francescatti. It's still available as is his recording of the Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, Op 28, which I also heard around the same time--possibly the two were on one disc, but I'm not certain of that. Anyhow, his performances left an indelible imprint on me.

But what I have been listening too is a recording of that Third Violin Concerto on a Naxos CD No 8.550752. The disc is a good buy including not only the Concerto but the Introduction and Rondo mentioned above, the Romance in C Maj, Op. 48, Caprice andalous in G. Maj, Op. 122 and Morceau de concert in G Major, Op. 62. The latter is mentioned in the rather sketchy CD insert as being in effect the equivalent of an opening movement of a violin concerto.

The violinist is Doug-Suk Kang, violin and the Polish Nationale Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antoni Wit.

These performances are very well recorded and played with panache, though they certainly don't eclipse those early Francescatti performances--but I've not heard them for quite a while and perhaps memory flatters. But it is worth considering this set for it is a handy way of getting five excellent violin pieces spanning the composer's life on a single CD.

josé echenique · Post by **josé echenique** » Thu Nov 08, 2012 7:59 pm

"Drama Queens" is Joyce DiDonato´s new recital for Virgin Classics. It features arias of distressed women by Monteverdi, Cesti, Keiser, Hasse, Handel, Orlandini, Porta and Haydn. DiDonato can do no wrong for me, and I think she is outstanding in everything. If one is very strict one might want more bite in the Italian pronunciation, especially in the great Ottavia monologue from Poppea, but everything is sung with dedication, superb sense of style and that absolutely marvelous voice.
Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco give excellent support.

Joyce DiDonato and Il Complesso Barocco will perform this same program at Carnegie Hall on November 20th, and guess what, I HAVE TICKETS!!!

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 11:23 am

Mozart: Piano Concertos 20-23
Philharmonia Orchestra
Wolfgang Sawallisch (21, 22); Adrian Boult (20, 23)
Annie Fischer, piano
EMI

Mozart: Piano Concertos 24 & 27
New Philharmonia & Efrem Kurtz
Annie Fischer, piano
EMI

While the orchestral accompaniment is somewhat variable depending on who is conducting, Fischer's interpretations of the Mozart concertos are quite marvelous. Clean runs, unaffected playing and a refreshing lack of fussiness from Fischer make these discs some of the finest versions available in terms of soloist performance. Some will quibble with her choice of cadenzas (myself included), but these interpretations straddle the fine interpretive line between the overmuscular (see Barenboim or Ashkenazy) and the mincing (Uchida, Perahia and any number of more recent releases). In fact her interpretations remind me of Anda's famous recordings, with just a shade more sensitivity displayed, yet without sacrificing smoothness or fluidity of the solo lines. Highly recommended!

Ricordanza · Post by **Ricordanza** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 4:18 pm

Fifty years ago, in 1962, Sviatoslav Richter embarked on a concert tour in Italy, and the resulting album, "Richter in Italy" is still one of my treasured LPs. I never had the opportunity to hear Richter in concert, but the three selections on this album--Schumann's Papillons, Sonata in G minor, Op. 22, and Carnival of Vienna--are all taken from live performances. Every time I listen to this album, I marvel at the genius of this pianist. His ability to shape a phrase, his wonderful way of bringing out the creative gift of the composer (the contrasting but complimentary themes in the right and left hands in the conclusion of Papillons), and his unparalleled virtuosity (the Finale of the Sonata, as one example), all combine to make his pianism unforgettable.

(I tried, unsuccessfully, to post an image of the record cover. Someone with more technical expertise may wish to do so.)

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:55 pm

Shostakovich XIII: Kondrashin, Artur Eizen (bass), Moscow Philharmonic

Extraordinarily authoritative, this is the Russian Premiere recording form 1967, issued here on Everest. Ormandy made the U.S. Premiere recording with Simon Estes a few years later. Both discs are extraordinary documents of a great work.

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:21 pm

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=lVPpFdQ4 ... VPpFdQ4JAg

Helene Boschi, piano. Czech PO, Alois Klima, cond. Mozart Piano Concerto No 22, originally on Supraphon lp (1953).

ContrapunctusIX · Post by **ContrapunctusIX** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:48 am

Reiner time!

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
Chicago Sym & Fritz Reiner
RCA

Dvorak: New World Symphony
Chicago Sym & Fritz Reiner
RCA

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:52 pm

Brahms' Fourth (Klemperer.....live, w/Royal Danish Orch.)
Gershwin's An American In Paris (de Waart)

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:50 pm

Exquisite Bach, from master musicians. Decidedly non-HIP, this is a brave effort to stem the tide, and it works wonderfully.

scififan · Post by **scififan** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 6:10 pm

Glazunov's Fourth symphony-- Russian State Symphony Orcheatra conducted by Valeri Polyansky--very, very beautiful!

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 9:07 am

"Kander & Ebb"

Track One
My Coloring Book
Dear Love - Flora, The Red Menace
Willcommen - Cabaret
Cabaret - Cabaret

Track Two
I Don't Remember You - The Happy Time
Old Folks - 70 Girls, 70
All That Jazz - Chicago
Colored Lights - The Rink

Track Three
Open - The Scottsboro Boys
I Miss The Music - Curtains

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Sun Nov 18, 2012 6:20 pm

Columbia ML 5058
Zino Francescatti and Artur Balsam play the complete music for violin and piano by Maurice Ravel on this monaural Columbia LP. Never on CD.

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 10:44 am

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 5:45 pm

scififan wrote:Glazunov's Fourth symphony-- Russian State Symphony Orcheatra conducted by Valeri Polyansky--very, very beautiful!

Yes, it is.

maestrob · Post by **maestrob** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:29 pm

Seán wrote:
scififan wrote:Glazunov's Fourth symphony-- Russian State Symphony Orcheatra conducted by Valeri Polyansky--very, very beautiful!
Yes, it is.

Hi, Sean: welcome back!

Brahms Opp. 117, 118, 119: Paul Badura-Skoda.

Sensitive playing, not as good technically as some others I've heard.

jserraglio · Post by **jserraglio** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:34 am

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 8:30 am

maestrob wrote:
Seán wrote:
scififan wrote:Glazunov's Fourth symphony-- Russian State Symphony Orcheatra conducted by Valeri Polyansky--very, very beautiful!
Yes, it is.
Hi, Sean: welcome back!

Hello maestrob and thank you.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 2:44 pm

Recent listening:

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 7
New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein - conducting.

What an extraordinary symphony this is.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 2:45 pm

I am in a Seventh Heaven phase as I listen to all Mahler Sevens in my collection.

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 7
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Bernard Haitink - conducting.

This is a powerful and hugely enjoyable performance by the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 2:46 pm

Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet No. 7 Opus 59 No. 1
Quartetto Italiano.

I love to listen to this music performed by my favourite string quartet, the Quartetto Italiano. Collectively and individually they create a gorgeous sound and Paolo Borciani's tone is particularly attractive I feel.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 3:01 pm

maestrob wrote:

This series is simply the best Debussy on record.....

They are on my wish list.

Seán · Post by **Seán** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 3:09 pm

ContrapunctusIX wrote: Debussy, Ravel: String Quartets
Quartetto Italiano

It is a lovely cd.

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