What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? IV

[pastoralguy]

Shostakovich. The String Quartets.

The Fitzwilliam Quartet. DECCA.

I’ve not heard these classic recordings afaicr. They’re certainly very powerful!

I found this set in a charity shop for £2 in a charity shop. Alas, the second disc looks like someone has taken a knife to it and so it’s pretty much unplayable. I did my usual trick of trying to copy it to a cd using the computer but it’s so badly damaged it won’t download properly. I’ll download the affected track from Presto’s website and burn a cd copy. I Usually dislike anything to do with downloading but needs must.

[smittims]

Nearing the end of Monteux' San Francisco years, I listened this morning to the Debussy 'Images' and Brahms' Song of Destiny, and yes, it was sung in English by the Stanford University Choir. I hadn't heard Holderlin in Engish before but I gather it was quite normal to sing choral works in English translation until recently.

[Stanfordian]

Richard Strauss – 'Der Rosenkavalier'
Die Feldmarschallin - Marianne Schech (soprano); Baron Ochs - Kurt Böhme (bass); Octavian - Irmgard Seefried (soprano); Faninal - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone); Sophie - Rita Streich (soprano); Marianne - Ilona Steingruber (mezzo soprano); Valzacchi - Gerhard Unger (tenor); Annina - Sieglinde Wagner (soprano)
Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden,
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden / Karl Böhm (conductor)
Recorded 1958, Lukaskirche, Dresden
Deutsche Grammophon, 3CD set

[Stanfordian]

Jodie Devos – 'Bijoux Perdus'
Opera airs from Victor Massé, Ambroise Thomas, Fromental Halévy, Adolphe Adam, Daniel-François-Esprit Auber & Giacomo Meyerbeer
Jodie Devos (soprano)
Flemish Radio Choir,
Brussels Philharmonic / Pierre Bleuse
Recorded 2022, Studio 4, Flagey, Brussels
Alpha Classics, CD

A favourite album that I'm playing in tribute to the young Belgium coloratura soprano Jodie Devos who has recently died aged 35.

[smittims]

Mozart, String Quintet in G minor . Jascah Heifetz, William Primrose, Gregor Piatigorsky and friends.

All these famous Heifetz/Piatigorsky recordings are notorious for their fast tempi. I was inclined to dismiss them at first for this reason, but working my way through them year later I'm finding much to admire. There's a lovely 'finish' to the ensemble.

And to follow 'The Kora Dances' by James Forsyth from this morning's 'Through the Night.. The Kora is an African harp. This music reminded ms. me of Priaulx Rainier's earlier works, inspired partly by her childhood on the Veldt in South Aftrica: lits of ticking rhythms.

[Pulcinella]

Honegger
Cello concerto (**)

Shostakovich
Cello concerto no 1 (*)

Miloš Sádlo
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Karel Ančerl (*)
Václav Neumann (**)

Chanced upon while hunting for Ančerl Shostakovich recordings.

https://www.discogs.com/master/1005505-Honegger-Shostakovich-Miloš-Sádlo-Czech-Philharmonic-Orchestra-Karel-Ančerl-Václav-Neumann-Violo

[smittims]

The Honegger is a most beautiful work. There is a recording conducted by the composer, with Maurice Marechal as soloist, in remarkably good sound for 1931.

I've just been listening to Gladys Swarthout singing Chausson's Poeme de l'amour et de la mer, which she recorded at the age of about 54. When I first heard this recording many years ago I didn't like it, as she sounded out of tune compared with Victoria de los Angeles in a wonderful French EMI version, though in fact Swarthout does hit the beginning of every note in tune, which I think is the test of a true singer (Emma Kirkby is an outstanding example). It's certainly a very heartfelt performance. Apparently (I didn't know this ) she was a well-loved opera singer in America .

[Roger Webb]

The Honegger is a most beautiful work. There is a recording conducted by the composer, with Maurice Marechal as soloist, in remarkably good sound for 1931.

I've just been listening to Gladys Swarthout singing Chausson's Poeme de l'amour et de la mer, ...........

My favourite version by far of the Chausson is that by Jesse Norman....I know the worst that can be said against this one: over the top Wagnerian. But, that's not too far out for Chausson's most Tristanesque work - he was after all a disciple of the Master, as is apparent to those who know his opera 'Le Roi Arthus'.

But as an alternative to Jesse the newish Véronique Gens is tremendous on Alpha label c/w Chausson's Symphony, which I mentioned elsewhere the other day.

[Pulcinella]

The Honegger is a most beautiful work. There is a recording conducted by the composer, with Maurice Marechal as soloist, in remarkably good sound for 1931.
...

It is indeed.
I have two versions on my shelves, both with Rostropovich as soloist: one is a live performance with the USSR State SO under Victor Dubrovsky (EMI Classics), and the other with the LSO under Kent Nagano (Warner elatus). But the Czech version I streamed earlier is I think better than either.

[Mandryka]

Thanks to MickyD & vinteuil on the Orlando Gibbons COTW thread, I'm listening to, & thoroughly enjoying, Christopher Hogwoood's Gibbons keyboard music (peculiar sleeve image aside.) His Frescobaldi CDs are up next.

NDItNDM1Ni5qcGVn.jpg

The other outstanding harpsichord CD from that series is the Louis Couperin. You've already discovered the Byrd and Fitzwilliam Book stuff I think.

[Roger Webb]

Lovely Tartini flute double CD by Respighi Ensemble with Massimo Mercelli on Tactus. Recorded in beautiful acoustic (the booklet doesn't say where) in 24bts Hi Res...but only delivered in 16/44.1 on Qobuz...shame.

[smittims]

I'm catching up on the Derek Solomons Haydns, nos, 54 - 57. Wonderfully impressive playing; so good to hear these recordings made available to us after so many years in the vault. Thank you, SONY.

[Stanfordian]

Handel Arias – Magdalena Kožená – 'Ah! mio cor!'
Arias from Alcina, Hercules, Agrippina, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Joshua, Ariodante, Theodora, Amadigi di Gaula, Orlando & Rinaldo
Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano)
Venice Baroque Orchestra / Andrea Marcon
Recorded 2006, Gustav Mahler Saal, Kulturzentrum Grand Hotel, Toblach
Archiv Produktion, CD
Glorious singing!

[Roger Webb]

Bach played on the Rauwolf lute by Jacob Lindberg in this wonderful BIS recording.

Listen to the release Bach on the Rauwolf Lute by Jakob Lindberg on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/album/ltm4k065fhpia

[Barbirollians]

Brahms 1 Halle/Loughran