What Classical Music Are You Listening To?

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, OliverM said:

Those Webern and Boulez pieces are new to me, fantastic!

A remarkable recording ....

[alankin]

Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No.3 in E flat major Op.20 "First of May"
— WDR Sinfonieorchester & Rundfunkchor  – Rudolf Barshai (Brilliant Classics)

 

[Peter Friedman]

Op.5o/3, Op.50/4, Op.50/5

[A Lark Ascending]

I frequently read about Bush - a devoted communist who got into regular hot water with the establishment (and who RVW made a stand for in 1941) - but have heard little of his music. Had this a few years and it's never made much of an impact - quite conventional music. However, enjoyed it more yesterday.

David Matthews is a great favourite - prolific composer who very much ploughs his own furrow regardless of classical music fashion. He declares Beethoven as his prime inspiration in the quartets but you hear much 20thC music in them - Bartok, Britten, Tippett etc. Tonal, accessible but knotty and challenging. Listened to this twice.

 

Watched this for a second time yesterday. Absolutely delightful staging from Paris - bright bold colours, imaginative representations of the animal characters. Elena Tsallagova is utterly bewitching as the vixen.  My favourite Janacek opera - more earworm melodies than you can shake a conductor's baton at. And a wonderful running commentary on the foibles and vanities of humans running through the tale. 

Edited October 12, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[soulpope]

[mikeweil]

3 hours ago, soulpope said:

The best Satie, IMHO.

I just had the best Frescobaldi (IMHO):

[soulpope]

2 hours ago, mikeweil said:

The best Satie, IMHO.

I tend to agree ....

[Peter Friedman]

Piano Trios No.37, 40, &   41

[mikeweil]

Very nice - played on the copy of a Henri Hemsch harpsichord, an appropriate choice. These sonatas were published inFlorence in 1783.

Edited October 12, 2016 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

This will keep me busy for a while .... Simone Stella plays three historic Italian organs and a copy of an early Ruckers harpsichord. A major achievement, considering he recorded all this in only two years. Except for the manuscript recently auctioned at Sotheby's he covered all known sources. From what I have listened to so far, very well done. It will not replace Bob van Asperen's excellent recording on the Aeolus label but stand alongside - the latter used a wider variety of instruments and is the crowning work of van Asperen's career. Whoever loves Froberger's music will get both, anyway.

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

This will keep me busy for a while .... Simone Stella plays three historic Italian organs and a copy of an early Ruckers harpsichord. A major achievement, considering he recorded all this in only two years. Except for the manuscript recently auctioned at Sotheby's he covered all known sources. From what I have listened to so far, very well done. It will not replace Bob van Asperen's excellent recording on the Aeolus label but stand alongside - the latter used a wider variety of instruments and is the crowning work of van Asperen's career. Whoever loves Froberger's music will get both, anyway.

Bob van Asperen`s Froberger Edition on Aeolus is - at least the one`s I`ve heard - terrific ....

[mikeweil]

Yes, it is unsurpassed. Stella plays very, very well, but van Asperen is a notch better, and the sound of his instruments is perfectly captured. I completed my set recently when Aeolus offered the older volumes at bargain price because the series was completed. (Right now they offer only a complete package at reduced price: https://www.aeolus-music.com/Alle-Tontraeger/Bundles/AE80004-Complete-Froberger-edition)

Stella has a few more variants; but van Asperen recorded the rarely heard liturgical piece, too. Stella is a excellent choice for fans with a limited budget. 

Edited October 17, 2016 by mikeweil

[A Lark Ascending]

No 2 off the Matthews. 12-15 off the 'adyn. 

[soulpope]

[soulpope]

[soulpope]

[alankin]

Now playing:
Martha Argerich and Friends Live from the Lugano Festival 2009 – Chamber Music - CD 1 (EMI Classics)
Robert Schumann – Phantasiestücke for Piano Violin and Cello Op.88
— Gautier Capuçon (cello), Martha Argerich (piano), Renaud Capuçon (violin)
Felix Mendelssohn – Midsummer Night's Dream Overture in E major Op.21
— Christina Marton (piano), Martha Argerich (piano)
Frédéric Chopin – Introduction and Polonaise for Cello and Piano in C major Op.3
— Gautier Capuçon (cello), Martha Argerich (piano)
Felix Mendelssohn – Sextet for Piano and Strings in D major Op.110
— Jorge Bosso (cello), Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg (viola), Khatia Buniatishvili (piano), Dora Schwarzberg (violin), Lida Chen (viola), Enrico Fagone (double bass)

 

[alankin]

Now playing, Decca Sound CD 40:
Tielman Susato – Dansereye 1551
— New London Consort – Philip Pickett (L'Oisseau-Lyre / Decca)

  
 

[l p]

maria callas
2/1969,  3/1969:
Recording sessions, EMI: Paris, Salle Wagram: Orchestre du Théâtre de l’Opéra, Paris; maestro direttore Nicola
Rescigno

 

[Peter Friedman]

[soulpope]

[Balladeer]

Ruby Hughes (soprano)  & Joseph Middleton (p) - Nocturnal Variations (Champs Hill)

[soulpope]

[soulpope]

[A Lark Ascending]

Op 127 of the Beety-boy. Disc 3 of the Nancarrow. 

No. 6. Another contemporary piece that could become more widely popular given a chance. Partly generated from RVW's 'Down Ampney', which makes a full appearance towards the end. The short 'scherzo' reminds me of the 'Purgatorio' movement in the Mahler 10 reconstruction. As a young lad Matthews (along with brother Colin) worked as assistants to Deryck Cooke on that.     

This morning:

Edited October 14, 2016 by A Lark Ascending