Listenin' to Classical Music and Conversation

Now playing the following CD from my Haydn collection ...

 

London 410 253-1, issued 3/84. Recorded 5/5-6/83 (Scheherazade) and 9/22-23/83 (Capriccio), Church of Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada. Producer: Ray Minshull. Engineer: John Dunkerley.

 

This new cycle from DG is off to an impressive start.

 

I do. A number of years ago, I was invited to attend a fundraiser for the wolves, after a concert she gave.

 

After lots of early 1950s Ellington earlier tonight, I'm listening to this one again:

 

Excellent playing and sound.

 

On the turntable:

Istomin/Stern/Rose Trio - Schubert – Trio In E-Flat, Op. 100
Columbia Masterworks – MS 7419

 

Spinning in the CD player: Dipping back into this. I'm really impressed by the quality of these performances. Highly consistent even though the recordings were made between 1961 and 1970. Excellent. Highly recommended.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Géza Anda, Camerata Academica Des Salzburger Mozarteums – Die Klavierkonzerte • The Piano Concertos • Les Concertos Pour Piano
Deutsche Grammophon – 429 001-2

 

There’s plenty for you to chose from. Jando has made literally dozens of CDs for Naxos. Not sure but he may be their most recorded pianist.

 

I already have two sets by Buchbinder and Brautigam plus quite a number of other CD singles and as such, Haydn Piano Sonatas are already quite well represented in my collection ...

 

To end today's listening sessions and honor Liszt's birthday.

 

Splendid.

I bought the Royal Ballet / Ermler recording because I'm currently on a quest to buy all available CDs of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. I love that ballet and can't get enough of it. Once I've bought all the CDs, I'll probably start pestering the Blu-rays and DVDs.

I have a few Ermler CDs, but none of his opera recordings. I must see if I can find them (for a decent price).

 

Did not realise it was his birthday until I saw @Klavier's post above^.
Franz Liszt- "Orchestral Works", Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert Von Karajan, Deutsche Grammophon, 1986.

 

I'm developing a love for Kokkonen
The slightly mysterious 4th Symphony is a genuine marvel.

 

Sticking with fourth symphonies, Atterberg's is a little on the short side and probably considered "light," but there is a good dose of drama with some real punch to go along with all the fun.

 

Wakey Wakey!
Schroeder awakes the sleepy Snoopy with a tune

 

This morning-1981 recording at Abbey Road Studios:

 

CD

Zdeněk Fibich:
Othello, Op. 6
Zaboj, Slavoj a Ludek, Op. 37
Toman and the Wood Nymph, Op. 49
Boure (The Tempest), Op. 46
Vesna (Spring), Op. 13

Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Marek Štilec







"All who are already friends of Ma Vlast and the Dvorak late tone-poems will want to hear this and can expect to find new friends."

Zdenek FIBICH Orchestral Works - NAXOS 8.573197 [RB]: Classical Music Reviews - August 2014 MusicWeb-International

 

Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Ashkenazy with Boris Belkin on Violin. 1980 SXL 6953

One not in the playing on vinyl L&WT thread, I'm just enjoying this very damp afternoon from the era of UK sleeves and mastering but Dutch pressing.
Very impressive.

 

Listening to CD 2 from "Dowland / Byrd" performed by The Hilliard Ensemble on Erato Veritas.

William Byrd - Songs of Sundrie Natures

1987 recording / 2016 reissue

The Hilliard Ensemble:
Soprano – Gillian Fisher, Lynne Dawson
Countertenor – Ashley Stafford, David James
Tenor – John Potter, Rogers Covey-Crump
Bass – David Beavan, Paul Hillier

London Baroque:
Viol [Bass, Double Bass] – William Hunt
Viol [Tenor] – Richard Boothby
Viol [Treble, Bass] – Charles Medlam
Viol [Treble, Tenor, Bass] – Richard Campbell

 

24/96 download.

Joachim Raff:
Symphony No. 2, Op. 140 (1866) In C Major
Orchestral Prelude To Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', WoO 49 (1879) In G Minor
Orchestral Prelude To Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', WoO 50 (1879) In C Minor
Orchestral Prelude To Shakespeare's 'Romeo And Juliet', WoO 51 (1879) In D Major
Orchestral Prelude To Shakespeare's 'Othello', WoO 52 (1879) In D Major

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Neeme Järvi

 

Last night we attended Mahler 6 at Symphony Hall, with Andris Nelsons conducting the BSO. We were about halfway up in the orchestra section, dead center - sound was quite good, which is normal here as Symphony Hall has quite good acoustics, and we had a good vantage of the stage without needing to strain our necks.

Andris Nelsons conducts Mahler's Symphony No. 6 | BSO

It's hard to fully crystallize all of my impressions after just a single night of sleep when it comes to such an intense, demanding piece of music as this one. The symphony was alone on the program for the evening; quite honestly, this was the right choice, as no accompanying works would stand much of a chance alongside it. This performance was on the longer side, being slightly north of 90 minutes. Though long, the music never sagged, as Nelsons' interpretation was so dynamic and rhythmically pointed, one's attention had little opportunity to wander.

It's hard to put the interpretation into words when dealing with a work like this that covers such enormous emotional ground; suffice to say the interpretation was at times raw and savage, at other times dreamy and ethereal. This was not restrained, refined Mahler by any means - yet Nelsons maintains a strong enough grip that the performance never comes apart. Further to that- Nelsons somehow manages to marry together aspects of the clarity that a Boulez or an Inbal bring to this music with the some of the more fiery qualities of luminaries like Bernstein or Tennstedt. If that sounds contradictory, I'd have thought so too before hearing last night's performance. Somehow this seems a microcosm of the work itself, which is full of contradictions.

The opening allegro energico vacillates between the raw energy of the first subject and a sumptuously played second subject. The slow passage for woodwinds is particularly understated, as though Nelsons wished to underscore the difference in tone between it and the strident opening - it also helps segue into that lovely second subject seamlessly. It all builds to a wild climax built on the second theme, which is triumphant and jubilant but not destined to last, as we soon see in the movement immediately following it in this performance.

Nelsons opted to play the scherzo second, and the andante third. There's some dispute over the proper ordering, but it sounded quite natural last night. Nelsons makes the scherzo sound less mocking than many others do; here, it sounds more spine-tingling and sad than anything else. And having the andante precede the 30+ minute finale gives us something of a necessary respite. To me, the andante is the emotional heart of this symphony, and I thought Nelsons offered a performance that was lovingly shaped and sculpted. Nelsons uses the shepherd's bells in the 3rd and 4th movements, which adds a dreamlike quality to the quieter moments. I've heard some performances that use them and some that don't, but I've generally come to prefer the latter approach.

I don't really know how to characterize the finale; it's such a demanding, complicated piece of music that I can't hope to write anything cohesive about the entire half hour ordeal. I will point out that we hear the shepherd bells here again during the idyllic sequences; and that Nelsons opts to hit us with the "hammer blow of fate" three times, rather than with only two, as one hears in many other performances. The BSO is obviously a more than capable orchestra - but watching this finale, one could tell how demanding the music was to all of the different choirs of the orchestra. Every section is challenged here - be it the violins and violas and cellos with devilish competing passagework, sometimes between chairs (e.g. first violins are at times playing different things entirely), to the complex and varied percussion requirements, or the enormous demands put upon the brass and winds. You could see the musicians sweating; but also, obviously enjoying themselves and the challenge. I saw more than one smile. Most of these folks have probably played enough Mozart and Beethoven during their lifetimes that the music has become boring, or compulsory, for them to play, despite the fact audiences love to hear it. Playing a piece like this must be reinvigorating for many that have to treat musicmaking as way to make a living.

This was a really great performance. Not having heard Nelsons conduct Mahler before, I wasn't sure what to expect even though I knew he had a firm grasp in other "big" music - but this was excellent, and I want to hear more. It really makes me hopeful they will record some Mahler in the near future. Nelsons has proved to be capable with large scale works by Bruckner, Shostakovich, Strauss and others, and he clearly understands and has an affinity to this composer as well, IMO.

 

He's a fantastic player. DG recently signed him, and his debut on the label is due soon.

 

First listen to new arrival "Handel - Alcina" on Erato.

Renée Fleming (soprano), Susan Graham (mezzo-soprano), Natalie Dessay (soprano), Kathleen Kuhlmann (contralto), Les Arts Florissants (chorus)/William Christie