What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[Bryn]

No - Jurowski just puts the rejected Blumine movement after the First Movement, Bbm; otherwise it's just the First Symphony as usually performed and recorded. Hengelbrock's is the first (and, I believe, so far the only) recording of the two-part, five-movement Symphonic poem Titan, which is quite a bit different, particularly in respect of the orchestration: there are a couple of moments when the Timps rock you off your seat if you're expecting the more familiar things to happen.

What about Wyn Morris? He recorded the original scoring of 'Titan' decades ago (New Philharmonia) and there has been at least one other since.



There was also a recording, conducted by Ruud, on the Simax label.

The three surviving movements of the Budapest version have also been recorded. I will try and search out my CD-R of that recording (bulked out with the other two movements in their Hamburg version). [See http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...tan#post544305 . The link to an erstwhile source of mp3s of that recording is no longer functional.]

[BBMmk2]

No - Jurowski just puts the rejected Blumine movement after the First Movement, Bbm; otherwise it's just the First Symphony as usually performed and recorded. Hengelbrock's is the first (and, I believe, so far the only) recording of the two-part, five-movement Symphonic poem Titan, which is quite a bit different, particularly in respect of the orchestration: there are a couple of moments when the Timps rock you off your seat if you're expecting the more familiar things to happen.

Pet's right - I hadn't encountered Thomas Hengelbrock before (nor in the two years since I bought the disc) but on this showing, he's a considerable force:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-No.../dp/B00IGJOWTM

Thanks for that Ferney! Duly ordered!

Debussy
Nocturnes*; Jeux; Prélude à l’apres-midi dun faune; La Mer.
Collegium Musicum Amsterdamamense, Concertgebouw Orchestra,
Bernard Haitink.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

What about Wyn Morris? He recorded the original scoring of 'Titan' decades ago and there has been at least one other since.
There was also a recording, conducted by Ruud, on the Simax label.

I had the Morris on LP - and I'd forgotten that you'd mentioned the de Vriend/Ruud a couple of years ago. Does either of the latter two use the New Critical Edition of the score - there's no reference to it on the CD covers?

[Bryn]

I had the Morris on LP - and I'd forgotten that you'd mentioned the de Vriend/Ruud a couple of years ago. Does either of the latter two use the New Critical Edition of the score - there's no reference to it on the CD covers?

I have no information to offer re. whether or not the critical edition was used by de Vriend or Ruud, though I think the Rudd almost certainly pre-dates it. I have the de Vriend on order and will advise on whether there is any indication regarding the critical edition when it arrives.

Just to further muddy the waters, try making head or tail of the claims to disc content, and customer reviews, here.

[Richard Barrett]

I think I'm right in thinking RB said he wasn't over-keen on the chamber concerto.

This is true - that concerto and the piano sonata and Wozzeck are things I've never been able to get on with. Everything else by AB is up there with my favourites.

Yesterday evening I was feeling very tired and decided to have a Qobuz listening session because I wasn't up to doing any kind of work and madame was out carousing, but I found it very difficult to settle on anything for more than a few minutes before deciding it wasn't the right thing and moving on. To cut a long and tedious story short, I eventually got into the CD on Neos of orchestral music by Franco Donatoni, conducted by Yoichi Sugiyama, a new name to me. I have a soft spot for Donatoni and his music; while his large number of solo pieces for diverse instruments tend to be the ones that are most often played and recorded, I find his orchestral music much more original and attractive. Nothing else sounds quite like it, although somehow it seems related to the neoclassical Stravinsky, without being in any way neoclassical, I don't know what I'm saying really, give it a listen.

[Beef Oven!]

This is true - that concerto and the piano sonata and Wozzeck are things I've never been able to get on with. Everything else by AB is up there with my favourites.

Yesterday evening I was feeling very tired and decided to have a Qobuz listening session because I wasn't up to doing any kind of work and madame was out carousing, but I found it very difficult to settle on anything for more than a few minutes before deciding it wasn't the right thing and moving on. To cut a long and tedious story short, I eventually got into the CD on Neos of orchestral music by Franco Donatoni, conducted by Yoichi Sugiyama, a new name to me. I have a soft spot for Donatoni and his music; while his large number of solo pieces for diverse instruments tend to be the ones that are most often played and recorded, I find his orchestral music much more original and attractive. Nothing else sounds quite like it, although somehow it seems related to the neoclassical Stravinsky, without being in any way neoclassical, I don't know what I'm saying really, give it a listen.

I've heard two or three chamber and orchestral works by Donatoni and liked what I heard. It's odd that while for nearly 30 years, I have been familiar with the works of contemporaries like Luigi Nono and Bruno Maderna, Donatoni is a relatively recent composer for me.

[Bryn]

As a sort of follow-up to last evening's 'lecture' (more like a series of reminiscences) at City University, Michael Nyman's Symphony No. 2 (first time of hearing). I could not help chuckling to myself as the final movement chugged away in decidedly The Little Train of the Caipira style. Oh for a further performance/recording of A Handsome, Smooth, Sweet, Smart, Clear Stroke: Or Else Play Not At All It was only perfromed the once, and despite being very loud and relentless, was hard to hear over the protestation of the European avant-guarde audience. Only an extract from that performance ever made it to Radio 3. I guess I will have to make do with Think Slow, Act Fast.

[Joseph K]

This is true - that concerto and the piano sonata and Wozzeck are things I've never been able to get on with. Everything else by AB is up there with my favourites.

Thanks for the clarification - I thought Beef meant that particular recording.

Now - Debussy - Images for orchestra - Cleveland orchestra/Boulez.

[Stanfordian]

No - Jurowski just puts the rejected Blumine movement after the First Movement, Bbm; otherwise it's just the First Symphony as usually performed and recorded. Hengelbrock's is the first (and, I believe, so far the only) recording of the two-part, five-movement Symphonic poem Titan, which is quite a bit different, particularly in respect of the orchestration: there are a couple of moments when the Timps rock you off your seat if you're expecting the more familiar things to happen.

Pet's right - I hadn't encountered Thomas Hengelbrock before (nor in the two years since I bought the disc) but on this showing, he's a considerable force:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphony-No.../dp/B00IGJOWTM

Hello ferny,

Coincidently I've just been reading about the evolution of Mahler's First Symphony. I can fully understand why Mahler dispensed with Blumine. I once heard the Liverpool Phil play it as a standalone tone poem. It seems of an inferior quality to the other movements in the First Symphony.

[cloughie]

Hello ferny,

Coincidently I've just been reading about the evolution of Mahler's First Symphony. I can fully understand why Mahler dispensed with Blumine. I once heard the Liverpool Phil play it as a standalone tone poem. It seems of an inferior quality to the other movements in the First Symphony.

...but a pleasant tune. Could well be nicked for a pop song!

[Richard Barrett]

I've heard two or three chamber and orchestral works by Donatoni and liked what I heard. It's odd that while for nearly 30 years, I have been familiar with the works of contemporaries like Luigi Nono and Bruno Maderna, Donatoni is a relatively recent composer for me.

Although he belonged to the same generation as them, his characteristic output didn't really get under way until the mid-1970s. I don't recall much if any of his music being available in recorded form or being on R3 when I was growing up.

[Serial_Apologist]

I had no idea that Post Minimalism was a thing.

although it does appear that I own at least one post minimalist CD......

Let me guess - you got it in the post!

[Serial_Apologist]

Although he belonged to the same generation as them, his characteristic output didn't really get under way until the mid-1970s. I don't recall much if any of his music being available in recorded form or being on R3 when I was growing up.

I remember my father recording a R3 programme of Italian avant-garde string quartet music for me on reel-to-reel somewhere around '68 or '69, which included a Donatoni piece alongside works by Aldo Clementi and Berio's stunning "Sincronie". Dad occupied his fresh retirement time not spent on the Times x-word and the stock market pages marking up Radio Times for music by any composer living in the 20th century - which would have included eg Dvorak and Grieg! - and marking up the works to be played, timings 'n' all, the latter then being available if not always accurately observed. He didn't like much of it, so, boy, was I privileged!

[teamsaint]

Let me guess - you got it in the post!

Indeed. Its a first class disc.....

[jayne lee wilson]

Schumann Symphony in G Minor "Zwickau" (1832-3); Symphony No.4 (1841 Original).
ORR/JEG. DG Archiv Collectors Edition CDs 2014 rec. 1996/7.

Terrific performances of fiery precision (the remarkable "Zwickau" - Schumann striving to break free of Beethoven and finally succeeding - gets the performance of its life, really leaps out of the speakers like a stormy Romantic tone-poem) and of marvellous lightness and grace too - those winds in the 4th's scherzo will lift you way, illuminate the night or the day...
Swedish CO/Dausgaard has much to offer in the 4/1841 as well; more on the Schumann 4 thread soon...
I do feel the listener should treat the two 4ths as - just that: two wonderful symphonies to fall in love with independently, like some of the Bruckner editions and revisions. (But Brahms himself preferred 1841 and so do I!)

Holmboe
Concerto No.8 "Sinfonia Concertante" (1945); No.10 "Wood, Brass and Gut" (1945-6). Concerto Gioconda e Severo (1977)
Aalborg SO/Arwel Hughes. BIS CD 2003.

One of the best Holmboe "singles", gathering up all of his "concertos for orchestra".
The catchy, strikingly Hindemithian (Holmboe catchy? You'd better believe it...) 10th Chamber Concerto could easily drop in for that ubiquitous concert-piece, the Hindemith Weber Metamorphoses. And is quite as much fun.
Just try the opening on your streamer somewhere - that broad, striding, noble melody in those almost Brahmsian-largamente strings....once heard, etc....
(The Aalborgers are quicker, more virtuoso; Koivula/Da Capo more poetic and exploratory..)