What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? IV

[smittims]

It has a poor critical reputation but I've always enjoyed it. It was the first LP I bought , on Music for Pleasure in 1966.

Another love of mine is the Chausson Symphony in B flat, which I heard today played by the San Francisco Symphony and Pierre Monteux, a 1950 Victor recording. This symphony hasn't been recorded as many times as some others, but such recordings as it has had have always been superb: Monteux, Munch, Ansermet, and more recently Dutoit.

[Roger Webb]

Another love of mine is the Chausson Symphony in B flat, which I heard today played by the San Francisco Symphony and Pierre Monteux, a 1950 Victor recording. This symphony hasn't been recorded as many times as some others, but such recordings as it has had have always been superb: Monteux, Munch, Ansermet, and more recently Dutoit.

Another fan of the Chausson here....and not only the Symphony.....but for that I usually play the BBC Phil/Yan Pascal Tortelier.

As for other works by him 'Poéme de l'amour et de La Mer', in which Jesse Norman is majestic, but I recently bought the Véronique Gens on Alpha, which comes with another Sym in B flat!

Chamber music is a favourite with Chausson, his Piano Qt Op.30 being his masterpiece....not to be confused with the Concert. His early Pno Trio Op.3 is being done at Hellen's Manor next month...they will then have performed there all his music for Pno and strings over the last few years!

[AuntDaisy]

Thanks to MickyD & vinteuil on the Orlando Gibbons COTW thread, I'm listening to, & thoroughly enjoying, Christopher Hogwoood's Gibbons keyboard music (peculiar sleeve image aside.) His Frescobaldi CDs are up next.

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[MickyD]

Glad you got to hear the Gibbons, Aunt Daisy! Yes, the Frescobaldi set is good too, I seem to remember the instruments are of interest. Have you ever heard Hogwood's early recording of the Arne sonatas? Two splendid mid-18th century instruments there from the old Finchcocks collection - a Kirckmann and a Blasser.

[richardfinegold]

I've been tempted by the latest reissues in the boxes, but.....

That Tom didn't have a hand in the early CD reissue I have makes sense... it's quite course and flat compared to the original Lp.

I tossed my Paray CD box, their first CD incarnation, when the big box reissues came out, not wanting the shelf space duplication, so I can’t compare.

[Roger Webb]

I tossed my Paray CD box, their first CD incarnation, when the big box reissues came out, not wanting the shelf space duplication, so I can’t compare.

Shelf space per se is my problem, let alone duplication. I live in a small cottage, even by British standards, let alone American! Every inch of wall space is taken up with paintings, books, LPs or CDs...one reason for my conversion to streaming was a reduced need to buy so much.....well that worked up to a point!

[gradus]

Sibelius Pelleas and Melisande in Beecham's NYPO recording, imv even better than his later excellent RPO disc. He understood this music so well, the poignancy of the playing is truly remarkable especially in the Melisande movement.

[smittims]

Tommy had a great liking for 'incidental music', I think because it allowed him to pick his own 'plums' from the mix. He usually made his own selection rather than stick to the published suites. His Sibelius 'Tempest' is also splendid, he having given the British premiere at the 1934 Leeds festival, a performance which has wonderfully survived on disc and has been issued in the LPO's CD label, and his 'Snow-white' suite survives in a BBC recording; sadly he never took it into the gramophone studio. .

I was long puzzled by two items in the Sib. Pelleas and wondered where they fitted into the play; there's certainly no room for them in Debussy's opera. . The 'Three Blind Sisters' was actually Melisande's first song in Act Three, replaced by Mes longs cheveux, but what about the lively Entr'acte? Could it have been a prelude to Maeterlinck's original first scene, featuring servants washing the castle steps?

I've been catching up with Ernst Toch's symphonies on Spotify. The first six, interestingly, decrease progressively in duration , and the scoring gets thinner and thinner. Very original music in my experience, which I think will repay repeated listening. .

[AuntDaisy]

Glad you got to hear the Gibbons, Aunt Daisy! Yes, the Frescobaldi set is good too, I seem to remember the instruments are of interest. Have you ever heard Hogwood's early recording of the Arne sonatas? Two splendid mid-18th century instruments there from the old Finchcocks collection - a Kirckmann and a Blasser.

I've got them in the "English Music" box set, but haven't listened to Arne yet - so it's good to have your recommendation.

The Purcell & Byrd I really enjoyed.

[richardfinegold]

Looks like radio broadcast doesn't it....and with Gundula Janowitz and Matti Talvela in the 9th.

This is the one you have isn't it?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123767846679

I broke down and paid it. Will eat lentils and beans as penance for a week

[Petrushka]

I broke down and paid it. Will eat lentils and beans as penance for a week

I don't think you will regret it, Richard. I noticed that it mentions NHK on the discs so they did the recordings. The sound is so good that you will truly feel as if you are there and it's a set that deserves the widest circulation.

[Roger Webb]

I broke down and paid it. Will eat lentils and beans as penance for a week

Glad to have been of service to your CD collection......but disservice to your bank account!

[richardfinegold]

Glad to have been of service to your CD collection......but disservice to your bank account!

You and Petrushka will be allowed to contribute to my GoFundMe

[MickyD]

Just getting round to listening to some of the CDs I got in Marseille this week. I am truly astonished by the playing of the combined forces of the Concentus Musicus and Leonhardt Consort in double concertos by Bach's sons...period instruments recorded in 1967, but you'd never guess. The performance of the CPE Bach harpsichord and fortepiano concerto is the best I think I've heard of this work.

[Roger Webb]

Just getting round to listening to some of the CDs I got in Marseille this week. I am truly astonished by the playing of the combined forces of the Concentus Musicus and Leonhardt Consort in double concertos by Bach's sons...period instruments recorded in 1967, but you'd never guess. The performance of the CPE Bach harpsichord and fortepiano concerto is the best I think I've heard of this work.

The Bach 2x and 3x Concentus M Leonhardt doesn't seem be on Qobuz, but while looking, up popped Rachel P and Brecon Baroque doing same, so that's my evening sorted........after the football that is!