What Classical Music Are You Listening To?

[soulpope]

5 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Oh yeah.  In my book, Rozhdestvensky's Prokofiev recordings are without equal.  

We are sharing the same "book" ;-) .....

[soulpope]

[soulpope]

[soulpope]

[Peter Friedman]

Mozart - Serenades K.239 "Serenata notturna" & K.525 "Eine kleine Nachtmusik"    and  

Dvorak - String Quartet Op.96, "American"

[Referentzhunter]

22 hours ago, HutchFan said:

Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 / Rozhdestvensky, Moscow RSO (Melodiya)

i'am curious about this set.

[HutchFan]

4 minutes ago, Referentzhunter said:

i'am curious about this set.

Unfortunately, it's out of print -- and it fetches absurdly high prices in the used marketplace.  But downloads still are available.  Initially, I bought the downloads.  But I've enjoyed the music so much that, over time, I've tracked down the music on vinyl.  During the 70s, Melodiya partnered with various "Western" record labels to issue music outside of the USSR.  These Prokofiev Symphonies were issued on Angel/Melodiya.

I haven't heard any other conductor who captures the contradictory aspects of Prokofiev's music better than Rozhdestvensky. Lyrical and sarcastic. Innocent and knowing. Pounding and soft.  

If you'd like to sample, here's Rozh's performance of Prokofiev's Seventh Symphony:

 

[Peter Friedman]

[Referentzhunter]

3 hours ago, HutchFan said:

Unfortunately, it's out of print -- and it fetches absurdly high prices in the used marketplace.  But downloads still are available.  Initially, I bought the downloads.  But I've enjoyed the music so much that, over time, I've tracked down the music on vinyl.  During the 70s, Melodiya partnered with various "Western" record labels to issue music outside of the USSR.  These Prokofiev Symphonies were issued on Angel/Melodiya.

I haven't heard any other conductor who captures the contradictory aspects of Prokofiev's music better than Rozhdestvensky. Lyrical and sarcastic. Innocent and knowing. Pounding and soft.  

If you'd like to sample, here's Rozh's performance of Prokofiev's Seventh Symphony:

 

I don't want to be pretentious about my knowledge about these symphonies. I simply don't have a clue how they have to sound. I have the Weller set what i enjoyed more or less. Maybe Rohzdestensky's approach shedd more urgency. You mentioned; 'contradictory aspects' of Prokofiev's music, ... is that something he is wellknown for in general ? Interesting ...

[HutchFan]

39 minutes ago, Referentzhunter said:

I don't want to be pretentious about my knowledge about these symphonies. I simply don't have a clue how they have to sound. I have the Weller set what i enjoyed more or less. Maybe Rohzdestensky's approach shedd more urgency. You mentioned; 'contradictory aspects' of Prokofiev's music, ... is that something he is wellknown for in general ? Interesting ...

I have heard a few of Weller's Prokofiev recordings, and I think they're very good. 

But Rozhdestvensky seems to find much more complexity and nuance in his interpretations.  I think conductors from the Soviet Union (and Eastern Bloc in general) may have had insights into the music written by composers like Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and other Soviet composers.  Not always, of course.  It's not axiomatic.  But in interviews Rozhdestvensky talked about having to explain some aspects of the music to "Western" orchestras who had no idea what life like was like under Stalin & communism.

Of course -- unlike Shostakovich -- Prokofiev only returned to the USSR later in life.  I don't mean to simplify his music in any way, make it all about Stalin or politics or anything like that.  I just feel like Rozhdestvensky captures some sort of "Russian-ness" that's absent in many other interpretations I've heard.

One other particularity about Prokofiev's Seventh, which I shared above:  When it was written, Prokofiev had been denounced by the authorities in the USSR.  He wrote the Seventh Symphony to get back in their good graces.  Ostensibly, it was written as a "Children's Symphony" -- since proletarian simplicity was the order of the day.  And, on one level, it is simple music.  But, on another level, there's a darkness and a sadness that hangs over the music.  That darkness and ambiguity "seeps" through.  There's a double-meaning.  

Most wonderful art is paradoxical, and I think Rozhdestvensky mines this double-meaning-ness in Prokofiev's music more than others.

****************

One last thought: If you enjoy Weller's readings, keep riding that horse.  I don't mean to imply that I'm "right."  I've just found that I enjoy Rozh's interpretations of Russian music.  I'm a bit of Russia/USSR nerd, so digging about for these sorts of meanings is something that appeals to me.  I don't mean to convey anything other than, "Listen to this! You might enjoy it too!"   

 

Edited November 30, 2021 by HutchFan

[Peter Friedman]

Beethoven - Op.31/1      and     Schubert - D.780 "Moments musicaux"

[soulpope]

[HutchFan]

Disc 1 - Slavonic Dances, Opp. 46 & 72

[Referentzhunter]

12 hours ago, HutchFan said:

I have heard a few of Weller's Prokofiev recordings, and I think they're very good. 

But Rozhdestvensky seems to find much more complexity and nuance in his interpretations.  I think conductors from the Soviet Union (and Eastern Bloc in general) may have had insights into the music written by composers like Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and other Soviet composers.  Not always, of course.  It's not axiomatic.  But in interviews Rozhdestvensky talked about having to explain some aspects of the music to "Western" orchestras who had no idea what life like was like under Stalin & communism.

Of course -- unlike Shostakovich -- Prokofiev only returned to the USSR later in life.  I don't mean to simplify his music in any way, make it all about Stalin or politics or anything like that.  I just feel like Rozhdestvensky captures some sort of "Russian-ness" that's absent in many other interpretations I've heard.

One other particularity about Prokofiev's Seventh, which I shared above:  When it was written, Prokofiev had been denounced by the authorities in the USSR.  He wrote the Seventh Symphony to get back in their good graces.  Ostensibly, it was written as a "Children's Symphony" -- since proletarian simplicity was the order of the day.  And, on one level, it is simple music.  But, on another level, there's a darkness and a sadness that hangs over the music.  That darkness and ambiguity "seeps" through.  There's a double-meaning.  

Most wonderful art is paradoxical, and I think Rozhdestvensky mines this double-meaning-ness in Prokofiev's music more than others.

****************

One last thought: If you enjoy Weller's readings, keep riding that horse.  I don't mean to imply that I'm "right."  I've just found that I enjoy Rozh's interpretations of Russian music.  I'm a bit of Russia/USSR nerd, so digging about for these sorts of meanings is something that appeals to me.  I don't mean to convey anything other than, "Listen to this! You might enjoy it too!"   

 

Russian-ness, well spoken ! Thank you for giving some insights.

edit: just thinking about the contradictions in classical Russian music, the Jazz album by Shostakovich might be a idiomatic example.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Referentzhunter

[soulpope]

[Referentzhunter]

[Referentzhunter]

[Peter Friedman]

Derek Han -Mozart - Piano Concerto No.11, K.413    and    Boellmann - Piano Quartet Op.10  

[mikeweil]

Excellent recording of 17th century Italian violin music, with only lute as continuo.

Edited December 1, 2021 by mikeweil

[Peter Friedman]

Beethoven - Op.59/3      and     Mendelssohn - String Quartet Op.44/2

[soulpope]

[Referentzhunter]

Symphony No.1 (Fritz Rieger, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks) & 2 'Adagio for grosses Orchestra' (Rafael Kubelik, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks )

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by Referentzhunter

[Referentzhunter]

Symphony No.9

[Referentzhunter]

[soulpope]