What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[Stanfordian]

Stéphanie d’Oustrac - ‘Invitation au Voyage’ - Mélodies Françaises
Mélodies from Duparc, de la Presle, Debussy, Boulanger, Hahn
Stéphanie d’Oustrac (mezzo-soprano) & Pascal Jourdan (piano)
Recorded 2014, Espace culturel C.J. Bonnet, Chapel of Jujurieux, Ambronay
Ambronay Éditions

Pierre Boulez - Debussy
3 Nocturnes for Orchestra
Première Rhapsodie for clarinet and orchestra
Franklin Cohen (clarinet)
Jeux
La mer
Cleveland Orchestra / Pierre Boulez
Recording 1993 Masonic Auditorium, Cleveland, USA
Deutsche Grammophon

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The box set of all the works played by the Vienna Philharmonic in their New Year’s Day concerts up to 2020.

26 CDs.
I may be some time.

[teamsaint]

The box set of all the works played by the Vienna Philharmonic in their New Year’s Day concerts up to 2020.

26 CDs.
I may be some time.

I bet the time flies by.......

Now:
Peer Gynt Suites 1 and 2
Sibelius : Pelleas et Melisande.

HvK/BPO.

Later

Rachmaninoff Symphony no 1 and Symphonic Dances.
Yannick N-S / Philadelphia Orchestra

Looking forward to that immensely.

[Petrushka]

Bruckner: Symphony No 8
Berliner Philharmoniker
Günter Wand

[Pulcinella]

I bet the time flies by.......

Now:
Peer Gynt Suites 1 and 2
Sibelius : Pelleas et Melisande.

HvK/BPO.

Later

Rachmaninoff Symphony no 1 and Symphonic Dances.
Yannick N-S / Philadelphia Orchestra

Looking forward to that immensely.

But what about that final wallop on the tam-tam?

[BBMmk2]

I bet the time flies by.......

Now:
Peer Gynt Suites 1 and 2
Sibelius : Pelleas et Melisande.

HvK/BPO.

Later

Rachmaninoff Symphony no 1 and Symphonic Dances.
Yannick N-S / Philadelphia Orchestra

Looking forward to that immensely.

How was the Rachmaninov?

Yesterday’s listening session.

Elgar
Sea Pictures
The Music Makers
Linda Finne
Robert Elms
LPO Choir
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Bryden Thomson

English Music for Strings
Britten
Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge, Op.10
Frank Bridge
Lament
Sir Lennox Berkeley
Serenade for Strings, Op.12
Bliss
Music for Strings
Sinfonia of London
John Wilson.

Escales French Orchestral Works
Chabrier
Espagna
Durufé
Trios Danses, Op.6
Saint-Saens
Le Rouet d’Omphale, Op.31
Debussy
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Ibert
Escales
Massenet
Thaïs, Méditation
Ravel
Rapsodie Espagnole
Sinfonia of London

Eric Coates Orchestral Works vol.1
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
John Wilson.

[MickyD]

I like the elegant and subtle London Haydn Quartet recordings, but I also like the more grainy and rough Festetics ones. I don't think I've listened to the Chiaroscuri playing Haydn, but their Schubert and Mozart are excellent. And the Mosaïques of course mustn't be forgotten; I got to know the op 20 pieces from their recordings. As far as I'm concerned none of the above is more or less true to Haydn than any of the others. I'm grateful that they all exist.

I've just spent an hour or so comparing the LHQ and the Festetics online. I think I may have been unduly harsh on the LHQ and will go on collecting their series as one thing is certain for me, I much prefer the more spacious acoustic afforded to them by Hyperion as opposed to the closer sound of the Festetics. And the fact that there is only one remaining copy of the latter going for 300 euros puts it out of court! Still, it's been fascinating to listen and compare. I just wish the Mosaiques had done a complete cycle - and who knows, maybe the Chiaroscuros will get round to it.

[Stanfordian]

Reynaldo Hahn - ‘Chamber Music’
String Quartet No. 1 in A minor
Romance in A major for violin and piano
String Quartet No. 2 in F major
Variations chantantes sur un air ancien, for cello and piano
Two Improvisations on Irish Airs for cello and piano:
a) The Little Red-Lark; b) The Willow-Tree
Quintet for piano and strings in F sharp minor
Dania Tchalik (piano)
Quatuor Tchalik
Recorded 2019, La Seine Musicale, Île Seguin, Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris
Alkonost Classic - new CD

‘La Francesina - Handel’s Nightingale’
Tribute to ‘La Francesina’ French soprano Élisabeth Duparc,
known as Handel’s Nightingale
Opera and Oratorio arias from: Faramondo, Serse, Deidamia,
Imeneo, Semele, Hercules, Saul, Joseph and his Brethren
Instrumental pieces from Belshazzar, Semele and The Occasional Oratorio
Sophie Junker (soprano)
Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu / Franck-Emmanuel Comte (direction / harpsichord)
Recorded 2019 Temple Lanterne, Lyon, France
Aparté, new CD

[Alison]

The box set of all the works played by the Vienna Philharmonic in their New Year’s Day concerts up to 2020.

26 CDs.
I may be some time.

Wonderful set.

[Bryn]

I've just spent an hour or so comparing the LHQ and the Festetics online. I think I may have been unduly harsh on the LHQ and will go on collecting their series as one thing is certain for me, I much prefer the more spacious acoustic afforded to them by Hyperion as opposed to the closer sound of the Festetics. And the fact that there is only one remaining copy of the latter going for 300 euros puts it out of court! Still, it's been fascinating to listen and compare. I just wish the Mosaiques had done a complete cycle - and who knows, maybe the Chiaroscuros will get round to it.

The Festetics complete Haydn SQs (Op. 9 to 77) is an out and out bargain on QOBUZ, (£20.99).

[teamsaint]

But what about that final wallop on the tam-tam?

Stays, hit, doesn’t it ?! Not really as per score, I’d say !!

[cloughie]

Stays, hit, doesn’t it ?! Not really as per score, I’d say !!

Be interesting to compare with Ormandy and the same orchestra.

[rauschwerk]

Be interesting to compare with Ormandy and the same orchestra.

Yes indeed. I once owned that on LP but can't remember how the ending went. The score seems clear enough to me, though.

[jayne lee wilson]

But what about that final wallop on the tam-tam?

"NS opts for prolonged resonance of the tam-tam at the very close. A direct parallel with that pre-coda moment in the 1st symphony."
ES in G., 2/21.
He does comment on the score indications, and says he "prefers the brutality of the abrupt cut-off", but still made it Record of the Month....

When I used to listen the piece often, I always preferred the drifting halo of resonance-into-silence as much more atmospheric. But as ES comments, this would always be difficult with a live audience...

[gradus]

Yes indeed. I once owned that on LP but can't remember how the ending went. The score seems clear enough to me, though.

Some let it sound eg Jurowski/LPO, others dampen it eg Maazel/BPO. I prefer to final smash to ring for a while.