What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[Serial_Apologist]

Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No 5, Piano Sonata No 8, Visions Fugitives 3,6,9
Richter, Warsaw National PO, Rowicki
DG Originals

Wonderful, all of it!

[Mario]

MOZART W A

S No 40 in G min K 550

Comparing

Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana – Arigoni A
VPO - Furtwängler W (1948)
English Baroque Soloists – Gardiner J E
NPO – Guilini C M
BPO – Karajan H v (1977)
Mozart Akademie Amsterdam – Linden J T (without cl)
Mozart Akademie Amsterdam – Linden J T (with cl)
NBC S O – Toscanini A (1937)
NBC S O – Toscanini A (1938)
NBC S O – Toscanini A (1948)
NBC S O – Toscanini A (1950)
Cleveland O – Szell G

Mario

[BBMmk2]

MOZART W A

S No 40 in G min K 550

Comparing

Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana – Arigoni A
VPO - Furtwängler W (1948)
English Baroque Soloists – Gardiner J E
NPO – Guilini C M
BPO – Karajan H v (1977)
Mozart Akademie Amsterdam – Linden J T (without cl)
Mozart Akademie Amsterdam – Linden J T (with cl)
NBC S O – Toscanini A (1937)
NBC S O – Toscanini A (1938)
NBC S O – Toscanini A (1948)
NBC S O – Toscanini A (1950)
Cleveland O – Szell G

Mario

That’s some marathon!

Bryan George Kelly
Improvisations on Christmas Carols
Victor Huely-Hutchinson
A Carol Symphony
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
Gavin Sutherland.

[Mario]

It is BBMmk2!

But I find it utterly fascinating to see the different approaches conductors take to a well-known work.

Some approaches work, some don't.

Best wishes,

Mario

[Bryn]

Not right now but when I get back from a shopping trip, later this afternoon, my Saturnalian present to myself, which was delivered a few minutes ago:



Brabbins made a very good fist of The Gothic, so I have high hopes of this.

[Quarky]

Merry Christmas everyone.

Following a prompt from TTN, I've been listening to Orpheus / Stravinsky. This had previously defeated me, but I'm happy to have made some progress. The narrative is a little complex, and it might have helped me greatly if there were DVDs available of a performance by a Ballet Company. However there seems to be very few, the only one I came across was an original Balanchine recording in Black and White, and in PAL format!

[Joseph K]

I'm currently listening to Barraqué's Le temps restitué, having listened to the first work - the Concerto - on this, the first disk of the complete works, a few hours previously. I think, if I had to pick a preferred piece out of the two it would be this one, I find his style is more attractive with a full orchestral forces, including much effective percussion writing and a choir. Maybe the klangfarbenmelodie works better with more timbres or perhaps the greater drama of crashing, glittering percussion contrasting with more chamber-like utterances helps. The last movement is a thing of beauty especially. There is a lot to Le temps restitué, I highly recommend it. I will certainly give the Concerto at least another listen, though, and see if I can warm to it more - I don't doubt some of its subtleties might have escaped me on first listen.

[Edgy 2]

Vaughan Williams

Fantasia on Christmas Carols, Hodie

LSO, Hickox et al

[RichardB]

I'm currently listening to Barraqué's Le temps restitué, having listened to the first work - the Concerto - on this, the first disk of the complete works, a few hours previously. I think, if I had to pick a preferred piece out of the two it would be this one

Interesting - I never really warmed to it, not yet anyway, not in comparison with the Concerto or Au delà du hasard.

[Serial_Apologist]

Just now Peteris Vasks' Third String Quartet on Hear and Now. I really should make myself more knowledgeable of Vasks' rather wonderful and deeply felt music.

[RichardB]

Just now Peteris Vasks' Third String Quartet on Hear and Now. I really should make myself more knowledgeable of Vasks' rather wonderful and deeply felt music.

I wouldn't have thought that sort of thing was really up your street, S_A! I say "that sort of thing", I know next to nothing about Vasks and his work.

Today I listened to a large amount of Messiaen organ music: La Nativité du Seigneur, Live du Saint Sacrement, Mess de la Pentecôte and my favourite Livre d'orgue - in the recordings by Olivier Latry of course. And also more Graupner: various discs of Christmas cantatas on CPO.

[BBMmk2]

Playing CDs I received for Christmas.

J S Bach
Magnificat BWV 243
Cantata, BWV 80
Barbara Schlick (soprano I)
Agnès Mellon (soprano II)
Gérard Lesne (counter-tenor)
Howard Crook (tenor)
Peter Kooy (bass)
Collegium Vocale
La Chapelle Royale
Phillipe Herreweghe.

Liszt Complete Piano Music Vol.4
Douze Études Transcedante, S139 (1852)
Mariotte- Valse de Marie (W/out S number) c. 1840
Adagio in C ((W/out S number 1841
Élégie S162 1842/1852
Leslie Howard (piano)

Sibelius
Lemminkainen Suite, Op.22
The Wood Nymph, Op.15
Lahti Symphony Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä.

Stravinsky, Bartok - Ballet Music
CD 1 Stravinsky
The Firebird (1910 version)
(Wiener Philharmoniker, Christoph von Dohnányi)
Le Sacre du Printemps (1921 version)
(Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel)

[jayne lee wilson]

Ravel
Piano Concerto in G; Piano Concerto in D for the left hand.
Cecile Ousset/CBSO/Rattle. EMI Angel CD 1991.

One of the best I know, has a fine classical poise but great refinement, power and incisiveness, quicksilver rhythmic responses and a vast dynamic range...a true classic.

[teamsaint]

Not listening to, but interested in “ The Green Children” by Nicola LeFanu.
Anybody ever heard it, or remember it ?
From about 1990 I think.

[Serial_Apologist]

Not listening to, but interested in “ The Green Children” by Nicola LeFanu.
Anybody ever heard it, or remember it ?
From about 1990 I think.

I don't, so maybe not much use. That said Nicola Lefanu is a very good composer from the little I've heard of her music or read about her, BBC please note; she was, of course, the daughter of Elisabeth Maconchy, another fine British composer.