What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[DracoM]

On https://yle.fi/radio/yleklassinen/suora/
NOW Solti / Nilsson / Uhl etc Tristan und Isolde.

[Stanfordian]

Mozart
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K550
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K551, ‘Jupiter’
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century/Frans Brüggen
Recorded live, 1985/86 The Netherlands
Decca - From 'Brüggen conducts Mozart' 11 CD box

[Beef Oven!]

Inspired by today's new year new music on R3 .....

Esa-Pekka Salonen - Violin Concerto
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Salonen (conductor) Leila Josefowicz (violin).

[BBMmk2]

Inspired by today's new year new music on R3 .....

Esa-Pekka Salonen - Violin Concerto
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Salonen (conductor) Leila Josefowicz (violin).

This look promising?

How was the Barenboim B6?

[Beef Oven!]

How was the Barenboim B6?

I really enjoyed it, BBM. As a director, Barenboim takes the orchestra through a fairly uncontenscious performance in terms of tempo, dynamics and phrasing. He's a little quicker here than in his previous BPO recording, even though the finale is longer.

It's the orchestra that's worthy of note. They have a beautiful sound which to my ears is smooth and muscular at the same time. Smooth, but with just the right amount of rustic feel, especially the strings and brass,if I may put it like that. The woodwinds I find most compelling. I don't know how much of that is due to the recording, but they are sweet and fulsome (!).

I guess I'm surprised I enjoyed it so much. Probably surprised due to, forgetting what an amazing musician Barenboim is and always has been; what an excellent symphony #6 is; that the best orchestras aren't necessarily the big names.

The more interesting dip into this cycle, the more I seem to enjoy it.

[BBMmk2]

I really enjoyed it, BBM. As a director, Barenboim takes the orchestra through a fairly uncontenscious performance in terms of tempo, dynamics and phrasing. He's a little quicker here than in his previous BPO recording, even though the finale is longer.

It's the orchestra that's worthy of note. They have a beautiful sound which to my ears is smooth and muscular at the same time. Smooth, but with just the right amount of rustic feel, especially the strings and brass,if I may put it like that. The woodwinds I find most compelling. I don't know how much of that is due to the recording, but they are sweet and fulsome (!).

I guess I'm surprised I enjoyed it so much. Probably surprised due to, forgetting what an amazing musician Barenboim is and always has been; what an excellent symphony #6 is; that the best orchestras aren't necessarily the big names.

The more interesting dip into this cycle, the more I seem to enjoy it.

Thanks. Have you that Haitink B6

[Conchis]

Currently listening to lots of Zappa -

Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar
We're Only In It For The Money
Joe's Garage
Sheikh Yerbouti
The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life

[Petrushka]

Thanks. Have you that Haitink B6

I'd earnestly beg you to hear the new Bruckner 6 from Haitink, Beefy! It is, for me, the finest Bruckner 6 to have appeared for many a year and is my record of 2017.

[Beef Oven!]

Thanks. Have you that Haitink B6

Yes, I bought it as a Hi-Res download from Qobuz. It's very good, albeit unadventurous (compared to say, Celibidache/MPO). The sound quality is gold standard, in my opinion.

Edit. Ok, I'm being a tad mischievous when I say it's unadventurous. It's a wonderful performance. Totally unidiosyncratic, as you'd expect from such a humble servant as Haitink. The same approach is what makes his latest M3 such an amazing performance, imho (live and studio).

I'm going to spin Haitink's Bruckner 6 again tonight.

[Beef Oven!]

I'd earnestly beg you to hear the new Bruckner 6 from Haitink, Beefy! It is, for me, the finest Bruckner 6 to have appeared for many a year and is my record of 2017.

Yes, I bought it as a Hi-Res download from Qobuz. It's very good, albeit unadventurous (compared to say, Celibidache/MPO). The sound quality is gold standard, in my opinion.



Edit. Ok, I'm being a tad mischievous when I say it's unadventurous. It's a wonderful performance. Totally unidiosyncratic, as you'd expect from such a humble servant as Haitink. The same approach is what makes his latest M3 such an amazing performance, imho (live and studio).

I'm going to spin Haitink's Bruckner 6 again tonight.

[jayne lee wilson]

Mozart
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K550
Symphony No. 41 in C major, K551, ‘Jupiter’
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century/Frans Brüggen
Recorded live, 1985/86 The Netherlands
Decca - From 'Brüggen conducts Mozart' 11 CD box

QUELLE COINCIDENCE....

MOZART Symphony No.40; No.41. Orchestra of the 18th Century/Frans Bruggen.
Recorded Live 1985/86 The Netherlands. (Sounds like the Vredenburg to me...)...
Decca Japan CD 2009.

Don't have the original Philips issues to compare, but the sound on this is beyond compare...present, spacious, transparent and very detailed with a great sense of the hall. I do have the two issues of No.38, and the Japanese Decca shows the classic Japanese-mastering sonic gains over the 1990 CD...(though nothing is mentioned on the inlay). As a benefit of this the resonant acoustic seems bigger and more vivid, the orchestra larger and beefier within it; very excitingly "present".
Some Vredenburg tapings on Philips (e.g Bruggen's Haydn London Symphonies) can be a just a tad distant and hollowed-out.
Not cheap though - phew...

Bruggen is rather Apollonian in No.41, with a tendency to end-of-section rhetorical emphasis or diminuendo, in fact almost reminded of Klemperer at times in his steadiness, austerity and authority, the unidiosyncratic guiding hand over what is, in this performance, an all-repeat epic nearly 40 minutes long.
But in 40, he encourages more passion and urgency, to great, but still "objective" effect. When the finale theme fragments at the start of the development, it is very dramatic but never loses its shape or poise. The applause is very enthusiastic for both performances.

[BBMmk2]

Brahms
String Sextet No.1 in Bb, Op.18
String Sextet No.2 in major, Op.36
Renaud Capucon(violin), Christoph Konz,
Gerard Causse, Marie Chilemm,
Gautier Capucon, Clemens Hagen.

[Pianorak]

Schumann: Violin Sonatas 1-3
Anthony Marwood and Aleksandar Madzar
rec. live at Wigmore Hall

[pastoralguy]

Brahms
String Sextet No.1 in Bb, Op.18
String Sextet No.2 in major, Op.36
Renaud Capucon(violin), Christoph Konz,
Gerard Causse, Marie Chilemm,
Gautier Capucon, Clemens Hagen.

One of my top 3 CDs of 2017!

[mahlerei]

Some more Jansons...

Sergei Rachmaninov
The Bells, Op. 35
Symphonic Dances, Op. 45
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Mariss Jansons
BR Klassik 900154

UK release: 2 February 2018

What are forumites' preferred recordings of these showpieces?