What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[Bryn]

Well, Gergiev is (IIRC) the only recording of "the real thing(s)" - Semkow's is the 1872 version, but includes the scene from 1869 where the Simpleton talks to Boris (removed in '72) and so Semkow has to cut the twenty-nine bars from the final scene (between figs 21 - 25 in the OUP vocal score) which are an exact repetition of the scene where the Urchins nick his coin. I suppose this makes dramatic sense (although, having the coin stolen twice in exactly the same way would bring out the "simple" in "Simpleton"!) but Musically means that a diminished seventh chord instead of falling from F to E (and introducing the Simpleton's ostinato F - E "whinging" accompaniment) now sticks on F, and moves to F minor (instead of A minor).

That digression from the 1872 text aside, I love the way this performance presents the Music of Boris in all its different characterisations: Talvella actually sings the notes Musorgsky wrote for the part - there's none of that hammy, histrionic over-acting of certain earlier "interpretations". And that is true of the performance as a whole - there is a terrific realization of the different moods in this great opera; comedy, gentleness, cynicism, lyricism, as well as psychological terror and cruelty. I nearly didn't buy the set because some online reviews described it as "under-powered": I think they mean that they'd prefer a one-dimensional "exciting" performance - but that would lose so much subtlety that Semkow hears in the score.

For genuine Musorgsky, Gergiev is the only recording that gives us exactly what the composer wrote (in both versions) - and they're pretty damn fine performances, too, with authentic Russian forces. But Semkow is terrific, too.

Belated thanks. The Gergiev 1869 and 1872 set of CDs (or downloads) will have to wait. I did, however, order and have since taken delivery of the Gegiev DVD of the 1872 version to add to my Abbado CD set.

[Stanfordian]

Jonas Kaufmann - Wagner
Scenes and arias from Rienzi, Die Walküre, Siegfried, Tannhäuser, Die Meistersinger, Lohengrin & Wesendonck-Lieder
Jonas Kaufmann (tenor)
Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin/Donald Runnicles
Recorded Berlin 2012
Decca

Brahms
String Quartet No’s 1-3
Piano Quintet in F minor, Emerson String Quartet
Leon Fleisher (piano)
Recorded 2005/07 American Academy of Arts & Letters, New York
Deutsche Grammophon

[BBMmk2]

Florent Schmitt
La Tragodie de Salome, symphonic poem, Op.50
Le palais hante,Op.49; Psalm No.47, Op.38.
Susan Bullock, Sao Paulo SO & Choir,
Yan Pascal Tortelier.

Ravel
Daphnis et Chloe, complete. LSO & Chorus, Andre Previn.

[Pulcinella]

Puccini: Il tabarro
(Well, we probably won't even get an excerpt tomorrow, will we?)

The BBC MM cover CD I mentioned on the BaL thread.
A 2008 Proms performance under Gianandrea Noseda.

Seems good enough for me!

[cloughie]

Florent Schmitt
La Tragodie de Salome, symphonic poem, Op.50
Le palais hante,Op.49; Psalm No.47, Op.38.
Susan Bullock, Sao Paulo SO & Choir,
Yan Pascal Tortelier.

Ravel
Daphnis et Chloe, complete. LSO & Chorus, Andre Previn.

What taste you have Bbm!

[Joseph K]

Very happy that there's a video online of this amazing work.

[ahinton]

Very happy that there's a video online of this amazing work.

It is of course the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra (in answer to the YouTube questioning of it being the Boston SO as shown on the video there). One of his finest works, I think but also one his most challenging to bring off successfully. Amusing to see "Mæstro" for "Mæstoso" for the third section", though!...

[jayne lee wilson]

This reviewed exceptionally well a few months ago... I don't recall much mention of it here...?
I never gave the time to it that I wanted, but from what I heard it is exceptional indeed....

[teamsaint]

Mozart.
K450 and K453

Bernstein/CSO.

Just dug this out of one of the huge Bernstein boxes, and very glad I did.

Earlier in the weekend:

Luigi Nono : Prometeo

Metzmacher et al.

Not listening for the fainthearted, in the sense that it requires a substantial investment of time, and listening energy . I don't feel for a moment that I have even scratched the surface of it. But it is nonetheless fabulous music to just hear.

An excellent guide here

Oh yes, also this weekend:

Which was enjoyable, but felt a little bit predictable, at the big level.

[Richard Barrett]

This reviewed exceptionally well a few months ago... I don't recall much mention of it here...?
I never gave the time to it that I wanted, but from what I heard it is exceptional indeed....

I had a listen to it the other day, somewhat cursorily to be sure, but it seemed very hard to tell the pieces apart. I'll be coming back to it when I have the chance to give it more attention, I generally find late Carter much to my taste.

[Petrushka]

Bax: Rogue's Comedy Overture
BBC Philharmonic
Vernon Handley

Arnold: Symphony No 4
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Vernon Handley

[interval]

Orff: Carmina Burana
Sheila Armstrong (soprano), Gerald English (tenor), Thomas Allen (baritone)
St Clement Danes Boys' Choir
London Symphony Orchestra Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra
Andre Previn

[EdgeleyRob]

Bax: Rogue's Comedy Overture
BBC Philharmonic
Vernon Handley

Arnold: Symphony No 4
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Vernon Handley

[interval]

Orff: Carmina Burana
Sheila Armstrong (soprano), Gerald English (tenor), Thomas Allen (baritone)
St Clement Danes Boys' Choir
London Symphony Orchestra Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra
Andre Previn

Cracking 1st half Pet.
By coincidence I listened to the Bax just the other day when working through the wonderful Handley Symphony set.

[Petrushka]

Cracking 1st half Pet.
By coincidence I listened to the Bax just the other day when working through the wonderful Handley Symphony set.

Blame Suzy Klein for the 2nd half! Haven't played Carmina Burana for absolutely ages so decided it needed an airing after the trashing it got from SK.

[EdgeleyRob]

Blame Suzy Klein for the 2nd half! Haven't played Carmina Burana for absolutely ages so decided it needed an airing after the trashing it got from SK.

Yep I'll blame her then

[Alison]

The Handley Fourth could hardly be more different from Sir Malcolm's own recording.

A work that has long fascinated me, feel like giving it a spin