What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[jayne lee wilson]

Marvellous accounts of scarcely over-recorded works; even if you have an earlier one, you must hear this.....
Maybe I can have Martinu for Christmas....

Mes favoris
Cet élément a bien été ajouté / retiré de vos favoris.Martinů: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 - Bartók: Sonata for Solo Violin

Jakub Hrusa, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Frank Peter Zimmermann

• Released on 06/11/2020 by BIS
• QOBUZ 24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo
• SACD out now.

[Suffolkcoastal]

Score following - Days 200-202

F Liszt:
Via Crucis
Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat major
Piano Concerto No 2 in A major
Les Preludes
Dante Symphony
A Faust Symphony

Lutoslawski:
Venetian Games
Mi-parti

[gradus]

Schumann Symphonic Studies, live Zoom recital inc the posthumous and unfinished vars., by Yuri Paterson Olenich from his home. So powerful an experience to hear and see live playing again.

[BBMmk2]

The SACD Recordings
SACD 7
Mahler
Symphony No.7 in E minor
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Mariss Jansons

[Pulcinella]

Marvellous accounts of scarcely over-recorded works; even if you have an earlier one, you must hear this.....
Maybe I can have Martinu for Christmas....

Mes favoris
Cet élément a bien été ajouté / retiré de vos favoris.Martinů: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 - Bartók: Sonata for Solo Violin

Jakub Hrusa, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Frank Peter Zimmermann

• Released on 06/11/2020 by BIS
• QOBUZ 24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo
• SACD out now.

Lined up for later, and looking forward to it.
I have the Suk/Czech Phil/Neumann CD on my shelves, and it gets lots of spins.
He doesn't look very happy, though, does he?

PS: Curious running order, with number 2 first.
I wonder why.

[richardfinegold]

Aspects OF America: Pulitzer Edition. Carlos Kalmar/Oregon SO on Pentatone. A high res version is available on Qobuz
Piston Symphony #7
Morton Gould StringMusic
Howard Hanson Symphony 4

I really enjoy this disc. I am a great admirer of the music of Piston, but the Seventh Symphony has been somewhat elusive to obtain in a first rate performance. This easily out classes the previous versions available, but for me the bonus has been the other two works. The Gould in particular, written in 1995 to celebrate the end of Rostropovich tenure in Washington, is a strong work, easily my favorite composition by Gould. I had heard the Hanson before, I believe the composer conducting the Eastman Rochester Orchestra, but this version bursts forth from the speakers unapologetically staking a claim in the Romantic Symphonic tradition.
Unusually for Pentatone, this disc is not an SACD. Their web site states that they will now be issuing a mix of SACD and PCM CDs. The sound is beyond criticism, and I hadn't realized that it wasn't a SACD u.ntil I tried to play in in a surround sound system. In 2 channel it is superb

[richardfinegold]

Lined up for later, and looking forward to it.
I have the Suk/Czech Phil/Neumann CD on my shelves, and it gets lots of spins.
He doesn't look very happy, though, does he?

PS: Curious running order, with number 2 first.
I wonder why.

I like the Martinu VCs a lot more than the rest of the bulk of what I've heard by that Composer. I have never been motivated to move beyond Suk/Ancer, so this will be added to my Qobuz favorites for a listen

[jayne lee wilson]

Lined up for later, and looking forward to it.
I have the Suk/Czech Phil/Neumann CD on my shelves, and it gets lots of spins.
He doesn't look very happy, though, does he?

PS: Curious running order, with number 2 first.
I wonder why.

As Salieri almost said to Mozart in Amadeus, probably wanted to start with a bang! That dramatic neo-Romantic opening.......
Usually I do start with the neoclassical 1st (amazing story behind that one, right?) so I got caught out once or twice! But that was good, it really compelled my attention......

Other lovely, more expressively subtle alternatives to the Suk, (good as it is it wouldn't be my top choice) include Faust/Behlolavek in No.2, and the Matousek/Hogwood Violin Works intégrale....

But this new one is a stone cold instant classic for obsessive Martinovians...and probably the best sound of all...
I thought Zimmermann's expression on the cover was....an inward smile, head bowed in contemplation of beauty.....he may be communing with his instrument (Stradivarius, Cremona 1711, ‘Lady Inchiquin’): thanks, you served me well there, I hope I did the same for Martinu...

(or perhaps someone had just offered him a compliment..)

[Pulcinella]

More Martinu:

Cello concertos 1 and 2
Concertino

Raphael Wallfisch/Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Belohlavek
(Chandos)

They both look a bit happier.

[jayne lee wilson]

More Martinu:

Cello concertos 1 and 2
Concertino

Raphael Wallfisch/Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Belohlavek
(Chandos)

They both look a bit happier.

Deservedly So! Great record!

[Pulcinella]

Aspects OF America: Pulitzer Edition. Carlos Kalmar/Oregon SO on Pentatone. A high res version is available on Qobuz
Piston Symphony #7
Morton Gould StringMusic
Howard Hanson Symphony 4

I really enjoy this disc. I am a great admirer of the music of Piston, but the Seventh Symphony has been somewhat elusive to obtain in a first rate performance. This easily out classes the previous versions available, but for me the bonus has been the other two works. The Gould in particular, written in 1995 to celebrate the end of Rostropovich tenure in Washington, is a strong work, easily my favorite composition by Gould. I had heard the Hanson before, I believe the composer conducting the Eastman Rochester Orchestra, but this version bursts forth from the speakers unapologetically staking a claim in the Romantic Symphonic tradition.
Unusually for Pentatone, this disc is not an SACD. Their web site states that they will now be issuing a mix of SACD and PCM CDs. The sound is beyond criticism, and I hadn't realized that it wasn't a SACD u.ntil I tried to play in in a surround sound system. In 2 channel it is superb

Looks interesting: lined up for later!
I've not knowingly heard Piston 7, but I have Hanson 4 in the Delos recording by the Seattle Symphony under Gerard Schwartz.

[Leinster Lass]

Looks interesting: lined up for later!
I've not knowingly heard Piston 7, but I have Hanson 4 in the Delos recording by the Seattle Symphony under Gerard Schwartz.

As have I.

[jayne lee wilson]

The new Martinu Violin Concertos playing again now.... slow movement of No.2 so lovely, and the echt-Martinovian upward sweeps near the end so perfectly idiomatic.... Hrusa and the Bamberg Orchestra are as much stars here as the soloist....sonics just perfect.......terrific record! BaL winner for sure.

One of the great joys of Martinu is the constant flow of self-references.....sound-signatures all over, I'd not noticed the rhythms of the 4th Symphony Scherzo right there at the end of the 2nd Violin Concerto (Concerto 1943, 4th Symphony 1945).... if you can really immerse yourself in his oeuvre it is richly rewarding...

(Haven't even started on the Bartok yet....)

[bluestateprommer]

Besides all the on-line streaming videos (like the LSO concert about to start in 5 minutes), I'm in the homestretch of listening to the London (Decca) 8-CD Ansermet/OSR set of Stravinsky recordings, including his mid-1950's complete Firebird). I actually purchased it from a used record store which has gotten a huge influx of classical in the past few years, but the owner knows nothing about classical (he's more of an Elvis / classic rock kind of fellow). So even though I didn't really "need" this set, I bought it to take it off his hands. It's been very interesting to hear, and probably also the most single concentrated burst of Stravinsky listening that I've ever done.

[Pulcinella]

Besides all the on-line streaming videos (like the LSO concert about to start in 5 minutes), I'm in the homestretch of listening to the London (Decca) 8-CD Ansermet/OSR set of Stravinsky recordings, including his mid-1950's complete Firebird). I actually purchased it from a used record store which has gotten a huge influx of classical in the past few years, but the owner knows nothing about classical (he's more of an Elvis / classic rock kind of fellow). So even though I didn't really "need" this set, I bought it to take it off his hands. It's been very interesting to hear, and probably also the most single concentrated burst of Stravinsky listening that I've ever done.

I hope I'm remembering correctly, but I think it might have been his recording of the Pulcinella suite c/w The song of the nightingale on Decca Ace of Diamonds that was influential in getting me hooked!