What are you listening to now?

[teamsaint]

Either of you got CDs by the recently late Donna Summer on your shelves?

TBH I never really got the Donna summer thing. Didn't mind the best singles,(and she certainly had style and class) but rather passed me by. When she was running the scene, I was digging the Stranglers , and The Jam !!

A sad, and untimely end.

[Beef Oven]

Either of you got CDs by the recently late Donna Summer on your shelves?

No, certainly no Donna Summer CDs on my shelf!

Her music meant little to me, but she was always there during my teenage years - it's sad that she's no longer with us, and she was not old either. R.I.P.

[cloughie]

No, certainly no Donna Summer CDs on my shelf!

Her music meant little to me, but she was always there during my teenage years - it's sad that she's no longer with us, and she was not old either. R.I.P.

I own up to some being there Bad Girls, Enough is Enough (with Streisand), liked her MacArthur Park - good voice, could hold the note! Must have a listen!

[Beef Oven]

I own up to some being there Bad Girls, Enough is Enough (with Streisand), liked her MacArthur Park - good voice, could hold the note! Must have a listen!

It's a free country cloughie, that's all I can say!

[EdgeleyRob]

Donna Summer free zone here too,very sad news though.RIP.

Driving home from work this evening ,stuck in traffic,managed to listen to the whole of the Bartok music for strings percussion and celesta (Solti) whilst travelling about 2 miles.

George Lloyd 8th symphony later.

[teamsaint]

Donna Summer free zone here too,very sad news though.RIP.

Driving home from work this evening ,stuck in traffic,managed to listen to the whole of the Bartok music for strings percussion and celesta (Solti) whilst travelling about 2 miles.

George Lloyd 8th symphony later.

as a 40k miles a year person, I certainly agree that some good tunes can be very helpful in stressy traffic. Certainly better than getting wound up by the clowns on 5 live.

My last traffic jam was certainly helped along by the Britten Violin concerto !
(And at least you can hear the music when you are in a Jam, at 70 mph you need a system like Bob Marley might have used ).

[EdgeleyRob]

as a 40k miles a year person, I certainly agree that some good tunes can be very helpful in stressy traffic. Certainly better than getting wound up by the clowns on 5 live.

My last traffic jam was certainly helped along by the Britten Violin concerto !
(And at least you can hear the music when you are in a Jam, at 70 mph you need a system like Bob Marley might have used ).

Every cloud!
Perhaps we should start a favourite stuck in traffic music thread.

[teamsaint]

Every cloud!
Perhaps we should start a favourite stuck in traffic music thread.

good idea. I can never get the bartok "stings celesta " music loud enough on the move. But its there in the passenger footwell.. just waiting........Bristol tomorrow so a better than even chance of being static for hours

[Petrushka]

Beethoven: Violin Concerto

Dvorak: Symphony No 7

Herman Krebbers (violin)
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam
Bernard Haitink

(The Dvorak was Haitink's first ever recording, made in 1959, and is easily the best on disc in my opinion).

[Suffolkcoastal]

The latest installment through my symphonic journey.

A bit more listening the last couple of days as I've had to put my feet up due to another Gout attack.

1895
Gernsheim: Symphony No 4 in B flat
Glazunov: Symphony No 5 in B flat
R Hermann: Symphony No 1 in C major
Kallinikov: Symphony No 1 in G minor
Martucci: Symphony No 1 in D minor
Rachmaninov: Symphony No 1 in D minor
Reinecke: Symphony No 3 in G minor

1896
Alfven: Symphony No 1 in F minor
Beach: Symphony in E minor 'Gaelic
Bruckner: Symphony No 9 in D minor
Coleridge-Taylor: Symphony in A minor
Dukas: Symphony in C
Glazunov: Symphony No 6 in C minor
Magnard: Symphony No 3 in B flat minor
Mahler: Symphony No 3

1897 (beginning)
Cowen: Symphony No 6 in E major 'Idyllic'
Hamerik: Symphony No 6 in G major 'Symphonie Spirituelle'

Gernsheim's 4th and final symphony is up to the standard of its predecessors. Expertly written with individual touches inspite of occasional Brahmsian touches well worth seeking out.
The 5th Symphony of Glazunov is among his finest works expertly written and making a very satisfactory whole with a delightful scherzo and thought provoking slow movement.
The Swiss composer Hermann's 1st Symphony isn't a strong work. It has at times a charming lightness of touch with folk like elements, but the long slow movement is rather tedious and clumsily put together.
Kallinikov's 1st Symphony is a delight, the occasional formal shortcomings are outweighed by the delightful invention, especially that glorious 2nd subject in the first movement, once heard you can't get it out of your head for days. Yes Tchaikovsky is a strong influence but there is enough individuality to mark what could have become a substrantial composer if illness and relatively early death not intervened.
Martucci 1st Symphony, is a very fine work and worth seeking out, The invention is distinguished and inspite of Brahmsian and occasional Schumanesque touches there is enough of individuality and memorability to make this work stand out.
Rachmaninov's 1st Symphony is a striking almost demonic work in places, the disasterous first performance of which seriously affected the composer. Many commentators have marked that he may have become a proficient and finer symphonist if the first performance hadn't been such a distaster. This may be true as he takes the Tchaikovskyian symphony to an even more extreme level of tension that is quite striking.
Reinecke's 3rd and final symphony followed over 20 years on from its predecessor. Though heavily criticised for its Schumannesque and Mendelssohnian influences this work is quite a good one, plenty of energy in the 1st movement and well written throughout and he is certainly aware of Brahms who influence occasionally strays in.
Alfven's 1st Symphony is a pleasant work and improves as it goes along especially when folk-like elements are introduced, not top-notch but worth a hearing.
Amy Beach's 'Gaelic Symphony' has become more popular in recent years and its easy to hear why, as it is a charming and fresh work with attractive ideas and very nicely orchestrated too. Bruckner's final and incomplete symphony is a superb work which I love especially the mysterious almost unworldly slow movement. I had a listen to the 2005 completion of the unfinished finale which was interesting, I'm unsure at present whether or not I feel this is satisfactory.
Coleridge-Taylor's only symphony is a youthful effort, the finale was written no fewer than 4 times. The central movements come off best are delightful clearly showing the future mature composer. Dukas's only symphony follows the model of the Franck and Chausson symphonies being in three movements. I admire this work, it isn't really memorable but despite this is very satisfactory. The energy of the 1st movement is infectious and the slow movement is most moving.
Glazunov's 6th Symphony is an interesting work more subdued than its predecessors and formally different in its central movements having a theme and variations and intermezzo. This symphony has a certain melancholic quality and understatement that makes it most appealing.
Magnard's 3rd Symphony like its predessors is well worth investigating. At times its sound strikingly 20th century and is highly individual. The opening is very unusual almost for a moment reminding me of Shostakovich 11th. The slow movement is moving and the wholework is totally fascinating.
I can't say much about Mahler's enormous 3rd Symphony, I'm afraid it doesn't appeal to me in the slightest and as usual bores me. I do feel sorry for the boy' choir who have to wait for 70 minutes for their few minutes of fame. Still it of course has some quite startling orchestral and harmonic writing and was as adventurous as any other composer of the time with the possible exception of Richard Strauss.
Cowen's 6th Symphony is a far better work than his 3rd. The invention is actually quite attractive and there is a certain openess of sound that adds to the attraction. The unexpected quite ending adds to the interest. Finally Asgar Hamerik's 6th Symphony. Again not of the top-rank but rather attractive in places and one can hear the influence of Grieg at times and is scored for strings alone which adds to the general lightweight appeal of the work.