What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? IV

[Master Jacques]

Alexandre Tansman
Symphony No.5; Stèle in memoriam d'Igor Stravinsky; Four Movements for Orchestra
Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra (Košice)
c. Meir Minsky
(Marco Polo CD 8.223379)

How to explain why Tansman has become one of my favourite composers? The 5th Symphony makes as good as case as anything, with its motoric rhythmic string energy cross-cut with gentle, calm woodwinds, perfect symmetries and lean lack of padding. And, contrary to what many people try to tell me, I think Tansman's music sounds like ... well, Tansman. Of course his great friend Stravinsky is in there. So is Roussel. So for that matter is Arnold Bax. But the symphonies really inhabit their own world which isn't quite like anything else.

This pioneering version on Marco Polo isn't quite so well-played as the Chandos recording under Oleg Caetani (part of his complete set) but it is atmospheric and taut, while the rest of the programme - especially the magical, three movement Stèle with which Tansman celebrated the life and art of Stravinsky in a conscious homage - is not available elsewhere, and repays multiple hearings. Just like this enjoyable, fresh and kaleidoscopic symphony.

[Ian Thumwood]

Amazed to read about Tamsman in here as his name cropped up when I was looking for some guitar music for my niece. I had never heard of him before but was surprised that he once had quite a high profile. Since finding the book.on Amazon, his name keeps cropping up. 2nd time in a week for me.

I will keep a look out for his work.

[Serial_Apologist]

Amazed to read about Tamsman in here as his name cropped up when I was looking for some guitar music for my niece. I had never heard of him before but was surprised that he once had quite a high profile. Since finding the book.on Amazon, his name keeps cropping up. 2nd time in a week for me.

I will keep a look out for his work.

I'm trying to recall if he was Shostakovitch's teacher - or one of them.

[Ian Thumwood]

He was a neo classicist from Poland but part of the circle of composers in pre war Paris that included Prokoviev , Enescu and Martinu etc. He was friends swith Stravinsky who he met in America after marking the daughter of French composers Jean Cras.

It seems strange that his profile has diminished but certainly someone I will check out.

[Pulcinella]

Alisa Weilerstein is one brilliant cellist.

Listened to the two DSCH concertos last night: pretty impressive but not BaL choices for me (though I'll listen again to make sure!).

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8161196--shostakovich-cello-concertos-nos-1-2

[oliver sudden]

I don’t know if this is of interest to anyone here but there is a group of Haydn maniacs on Bluesky listening to a Haydn symphony each day in a random order until they’ve heard them all. If you’re on Bluesky, have a look at the hashtag #A-Haydn-A-Day. They’re about six symphonies in but that seems not unrealistic to catch up should one be so minded.

(I am also attempting this but in best-guess chronological order since I want to use something like this to squeeze more listening into my life but want my first Haydn odyssey to be in the order he wrote them rather than random. Picky picky.)

[smittims]

I don't think anyone has equalled Rostropovich in the Shostakovitch concertos, although there was a chap called Mikhail Khomitser who came to Bournemouth to play what may have been the British premiere of the second concerto, before it was available on disc here.

I was delighted to find a nice clean copy of SOL 60045, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields' first disc, of Italian concertos . The cover is a lovely night-time photo of St. Martin's church , though I've heard that the clergy were disppointed that, after pinching their name, the orchestra hardly ever played there, and I think none of their recordings was made there.

[french frank]

Lunchtime (eating not cooking) listening: Winchester Cathedral Choir, Orlando Gibbons. Including the sing-a-long-LOUDLY-with track: This is the Record of John:

Art thou the prophet? Art thou the prophet? And he answerèd NO!
I am the voice of one that crieth in the wilderness ...

Top stuff

[Hitch]

Prokofiev - Chout, Ballet Suite, op.21a
LSO/Abbado
Decca

I remain surprised that this slice of prime Prokofiev has failed to make an impression on concert schedules. It's so chock-full of sprightly dances that it could almost be an extra act from Romeo & Juliet.

[AuntDaisy]

Lunchtime (eating not cooking) listening: Winchester Cathedral Choir, Orlando Gibbons. Including the sing-a-long-LOUDLY-with track: This is the Record of John:

Art thou the prophet? Art thou the prophet? And he answerèd NO!
I am the voice of one that crieth in the wilderness ...

Top stuff

Was it this Hyperion CD with Robin Blaze? (The ASV "Golden Age of English Cathedral Music" also has that Gibbons piece but with Michael Liley.)

[Sir Velo]

I don’t know if this is of interest to anyone here but there is a group of Haydn maniacs on Bluesky listening to a Haydn symphony each day in a random order until they’ve heard them all. If you’re on Bluesky, have a look at the hashtag #A-Haydn-A-Day.

A case of Haydn Seek?

[Sir Velo]

Prokofiev - Chout, Ballet Suite, op.21a
LSO/Abbado
Decca

I remain surprised that this slice of prime Prokofiev has failed to make an impression in concert schedules. It's so chock-full of sprightly dances that it could almost be an extra act from Romeo & Juliet.

Thanks...queued for listening on the evening commute!

[french frank]

Was it this Hyperion CD with Robin Blaze? (The ASV "Golden Age of English Cathedral Music" also has that Gibbons piece but with Michael Liley.)

Have just paused the R4 Free Thinking prog flagged by ol' Caliban elsewhere (R3u?) - good stuff. ASV, Winchester, with Michael Liley, 1990. Now back to Nietzsche ...

No, not R3u - 'Late-evening pleasures'. Same diff'rence.

[pastoralguy]

I don't think anyone has equalled Rostropovich in the Shostakovitch concertos, although there was a chap called Mikhail Khomitser who came to Bournemouth to play what may have been the British premiere of the second concerto, before it was available on disc here.

I was lucky enough to hear Rostropovich play the first DSCH concerto with the RSNO under Neemi Jarvi. I’ve never heard string playing like it! After the interval, Jarvi conducted a Tubin symphony with Rostropovich joining the last desk of the ‘cellos with a young lady straight out of college who was trialing for the orchestra.

[smittims]

Tubin is a composer who deserves more hearings, I think. He used to be played from time to time on Radio 3 but I suspect his works are too long for today's climate. If only he had written 'award-winning flm scores' instead of symphonies he'd be on every week.

Someone who did write award-winning fim scores and symphonies was Vaughan Williams. I was listening today to Sinfonia Antartica, the 1969 HMV disc with Sir Adrian Boult and the LPO. I think this is the most profound and moving performance I know.

I can't remember when I last listened to it; it must have been a good few years ago. . Some of the brass palying is a bit rough by today's prerecise standards, but Norma Burrowes was an excellent choice . She has a keen edge to her voice in the 'chilling' wind music, and the Kingsway Hall organ's outburst in the Landscape is terrifying. There have been several brilliant and dramatic recordings since but none quite so penetrating, I think, as this.