What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? IV

[smittims]

That's right, Dougie. around 1953 CBS ended their arrangement with EMI whereby CBS recordings appeared in Britain on EMI's Columbia label, and placed their European operations, including recordings, in the hands of Philips . This expains how Philips came to record the RPO and Beecham until 1955 when they returned to EMI. Stravinsky's recordings also appeared on the Philips label at that time, though of course they had been made by CBS in the USA.

.

[smittims]

Charles Ives: Symphony no.1. The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy.

I think this is one of the most impressive 'first symphonies' . Ives showed that he had that knack, in my view the mark of a true composer, of creating memorable themes. I often have the opening theme of the symphony goiong through my head, and the opening of the third movement is, uncannily, the same as Walton's 'Mariner Man' from Facade, though Walton could not have known the earlier work..

Earlier I was listening to what I think is another underrated work: Sullivan's Overture di Ballo. The recording I was listening to , conducted by Anthony Collins, plays the full work, whereas a later EMI version by Sir Malcolm Sargent , had a large cut in the development section, a mistake in my view, as this is , compositionally-speaking, one of the best parts of the work. Sullivan was a more interesting composer than many think . The recording is excellent for its age (Early 1950s) and was, I think, originally released as a HI-Fi demonstration disc.

[pastoralguy]

Continuing to doggedly work through my Brendel big box.

Beethoven sonatas today from disc 31.

[Stanfordian]

E.J. Moeran
Symphony in G minor
New Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult
Sinfonietta
Overture for a Masque
London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult
Recorded 1968-75
Lyrita, CD

Walton – ‘Choral Works’
The Twelve, Coronation Te Deum, Missa Brevis, Set me as a seal upon thine heart, Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis et al
Henry V: Touch her soft lips and part & Passacaglia Death of Falstaff et al
Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge / Christopher Robinson
Christopher Whitton (organ)
Recorded 2001 Chapel of St. John’s College, Cambridge
Naxos, CD

[Master Jacques]

Earlier I was listening to what I think is another underrated work: Sullivan's Overture di Ballo. The recording I was listening to , conducted by Anthony Collins, plays the full work, whereas a later EMI version by Sir Malcolm Sargent , had a large cut in the development section, a mistake in my view, as this is , compositionally-speaking, one of the best parts of the work. Sullivan was a more interesting composer than many think . The recording is excellent for its age (Early 1950s) and was, I think, originally released as a HI-Fi demonstration disc.

An underrated work by one of the great composers - Charles Mackerras used to wax indignant at the peculiarly British snobbery which patronised (and patronises) Sullivan, who was for him one of the greatest 19th century opera composers. Interesting yesterday, that few of the people paying tribute to Tom Lehrer's Elements Song seemed to realise that he hadn't written the music!

As for Di Ballo, yes - a full reading, with repeats and complete development section is absolutely necessary to appreciate its subtle beauties. I myself still prefer the old Charles Groves performance, though there's a good one from Boult ( on Linn). I think that only John Pryce-Jones's 1992 New D'Oyly Carte recording includes the two (rather important) passages which Sullivan deleted before publication.

[smittims]

Rachmaninov: Symphony no.2 in E minor: The S.Petersburg Philharmonic, Mariss Jansons.

Maybe having been written in Dresden made this the most 'classical' in formal terms, of Rachmaninov's symphonies, but I feel its also akin to another E minor Symphony, Tchaikovsky's fitth, in its use of a continuous motto theme.

I came to know this work by the old Kletzki recording, the first complete one I think, and Jansons' slowngs-down , though quite valid, still seem a little artificial to me. But it's splendidly played, especially the brass, whose scoring I always feel is one of Rachmaninov's strong points. .

[Stanfordian]

Delius
Double Concerto for Violin, Cello & Orchestra
Violin Concerto
Cello Concerto
Tasmin Little (violin),
Paul Watkins (cello),
BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sir Andrew Davis
Recorded 2010, All Saints Church, Tooting, London
Chandos, CD

Bryn Terfel – ‘The Vagabond’
Songs and song cycles by Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Butterworth & Ireland
Bryn Terfel (bass-baritone) & Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Recording 1995, Henry Wood Hall, London
Deutsche Grammophon, CD

[Pulcinella]

[SIZE=18px]Delius
Double Concerto for Violin, Cello & Orchestra
Violin Concerto
Cello Concerto
Tasmin Little (violin),
Paul Watkins (cello),
BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sir Andrew Davis
Recorded 2010, All Saints Church, Tooting, London
Chandos, CD

...

Interesting that Tasmin Little recorded the Double Concerto again, in July 1991, in Liverpool, with Raphael Wallfisch and the RLPO under Mackerras (for EMI).

[richardfinegold]

few of the people paying tribute to Tom Lehrer's Elements Song seemed to realise that he hadn't written the music!

.

It really dawned on me after airing a few of the Lehrer songs how musically indebted he was to G&S

[richardfinegold]

Rachmaninov: Symphony no.2 in E minor: The S.Petersburg Philharmonic, Mariss Jansons.

Maybe having been written in Dresden made this the most 'classical' in formal terms, of Rachmaninov's symphonies, but I feel its also akin to another E minor Symphony, Tchaikovsky's fitth, in its use of a continuous motto theme.

I came to know this work by the old Kletzki recording, the first complete one I think, and Jansons' slowngs-down , though quite valid, still seem a little artificial to me. But it's splendidly played, especially the brass, whose scoring I always feel is one of Rachmaninov's strong points. .

My favorite Jansons recordings are the ones he did in Russia and Oslo, although I don’t know this one

[richardfinegold]

I heard a local duo perform Cello Sonatas of Chopin and Prokofiev yesterday. I don’t own a version of either work and so it was an absorbing listen. Chopin first movement has the two players playing in parallel, not interacting thematically, although that interaction develops through the work. The Prokofiev reminds me of the War Sonatas and the Sixth Symphony, in that momentum is frequently interrupted to explore byways and tangents.

[Master Jacques]

It really dawned on me after airing a few of the Lehrer songs how musically indebted he was to G&S

Indeed so! One of the great things about American lyricists and composers, is that they were always enthusiastic and never snobbish about G&S, and fully acknowledged their debt - Gershwin quotes Trial by Jury at length in one of his Broadway shows, I forget which.

[LMcD]

K595 - Gulda/VPO/Abbado - simply wonderful!

[Stanfordian]

Rossini – ‘Semiramide’
Opera in 2 acts (1823)
Semiramide - Albina Shagimuratova (soprano); Arsace - Daniela Barcellona (mezzo-soprano);
Assur - Mirco Palazzi (bass); Idreno - Barry Banks (tenor); Oroe - Gianluca Buratto (bass);
Azema - Susana Gaspar (soprano); Mitrane - David Butt Philip (tenor); Nino’s ghost - James Platt (bass)
Opera Rara Chorus,
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Sir Mark Elder (conductor)
Recorded 2016 Henry Wood Hall, London
Opera Rara, 4 CD set

[smittims]

Elgar : Froissart and Cockaigne. The Scottish National Orchestra, Sir Alexander Gibson. A Chandos recording.

I was unaware of these fine perfomrances so it was a pleasure to catch up with them second-hand, and to hear the organ come in so well at the end of Cockaigne.

These artists recorded a fair amount of Elgar, including both symphnies, Gerontius and the first available recording of The Spirit of England. I don't think they've always had their due from the critics. I thought their Sibelius especially good