What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? IV

[Master Jacques]

Here in Germany I would be inclined to say: it’s a bit hard to know how it would go down here because no one ever plays it! I’m glad to hear the Germans of your acquaintance liked it. The Germans I know haven’t a clue and I can’t really blame them. And you’d think it would be just the sort of thing the repertoire could do with, what with being both accessible and good.

On RVW and Germany. He is starting to get a foothold there now, though it used to be difficult in the 'Darmstadt Years'. I remember Malcolm Williamson talking about conducting a performance of the 5th Symphony in Hamburg. The Hamburg Phil weren't getting it at all, so he put down his baton, and talked them through the first movement, explaining it in terms of 'bogen form'. It was if the lights had gone on. From that moment the players got it, liked it, and performed it with great success.

My current two favourite versions of that 5th Symphony are from a German and Swiss-German orchestra respectively. I've talked about them both before here, so will just remind forumites of the details. (1) Brandenburg State Orchestra, Walter Hilgers (Genuin, 2006), (2) Argovia Philharmonic, Douglas Bostock (2016). The former has wonderful Brucknerian spirituality, the latter a delicious lightness of touch and sylvan delicacy of string tone.

[AuntDaisy]

"Christmas in Venice" - Giovanni Gabrieli - Musica Fiata / La Capella Ducale / Roland Wilson.
"Christmas in Venice" - Giovanni Gabrieli, Giovanni Bassano, Claudio Monteverdi - Monteverdi Choir / Philip Jones Brass Ensemble / John Eliot Gardiner.

[Pulcinella]

"Christmas in Venice" - Giovanni Gabrieli - Musica Fiata / La Capella Ducale / Roland Wilson.
"Christmas in Venice" - Giovanni Gabrieli, Giovanni Bassano, Claudio Monteverdi - Monteverdi Choir / Philip Jones Brass Ensemble / John Eliot Gardiner.
...

That JEG Decca CD has the Magnificat from the 1610 Vespers, featuring young teamsaint as one of the boy choristers!

[gurnemanz]

Be still my beating heart!



Hang on a tick…

Whoops.

[AuntDaisy]

That JEG Decca CD has the Magnificat from the 1610 Vespers, featuring young teamsaint as one of the boy choristers!

Thank you.
Recorded Jan 1974, St- Jude-on-the-Hill, according to the notes.

[HighlandDougie]

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

Anne Sofie von Otter (Mezzo)/Jonas Kaufmann (Tenor)/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Claudio Abbado

I can't remember who supplied me with this off-air file (it might have been B**n?) but I treasure it. I used to think that von Otter was almost too cool towards the end of the Abschied but, with Abbado clearly of the view that this approach was appropriate to the poem, I now find it somehow, 'right'. The orchestral playing is up to the usual stellar standards of the orchestra if not with that unique VPO sound. Kaufmann doesn't have to shout his way through the Trinklied. I'm not sure if the recording of this performance has ever been released commercially but it really is very special.

[smittims]

Some old Horowitz 78s , most rewarding:

Four Mendelssohn Lieder ohne Worter probably recorded at Abbey Road in the early 1930s, the contents of two sides . Possibly the most magical performances I've ever heard.

The famous 'Czerny Variations' recorded at Hunter College in 1940.

Liszt : Au bord d'une source and one of the shorter Hungarian Rhapsodies . These were on an early 1950s HMV LP but , like the Chopin on the rest of the disc, were probably late 1940s Victor recordings. More wonderful than his later Carnegie Hall recordings I think, but not free from occasional wrong notes espectially in the left hand.

I used to know a die-hard Horowitz fan who refused to accept that his idol had ever played wrong notes. I didn't tell him that in fact he was quite well-known for it. A uniquely-wonderful pianist all the same.

[richardfinegold]

Vaughan Williams used to be popular in America where several of his works had their first recordings. .

50 years of Concert Going here and I’ve only encountered Tallis and Lark Ascending on orchestra schedules.

[Barbirollians]

Beethoven VC - Vilde Frang

[Barbirollians]

Here in Germany I would be inclined to say: it’s a bit hard to know how it would go down here because no one ever plays it! I’m glad to hear the Germans of your acquaintance liked it. The Germans I know haven’t a clue and I can’t really blame them. And you’d think it would be just the sort of thing the repertoire could do with, what with being both accessible and good.

I am sure I read in Gramophone that young Tarmo Peltokowski had announced his second recording for DG would be of the Sea Symphony ! Has DG ever recorded a VW symphony before ?

[Barbirollians]

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde

Anne Sofie von Otter (Mezzo)/Jonas Kaufmann (Tenor)/Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Claudio Abbado

I can't remember who supplied me with this off-air file (it might have been B**n?) but I treasure it. I used to think that von Otter was almost too cool towards the end of the Abschied but, with Abbado clearly of the view that this approach was appropriate to the poem, I now find it somehow, 'right'. The orchestral playing is up to the usual stellar standards of the orchestra if not with that unique VPO sound. Kaufmann doesn't have to shout his way through the Trinklied. I'm not sure if the recording of this performance has ever been released commercially but it really is very special.

No ,not even it seems on Accentus DVD . I suspect that might be due to JK’s exclusive Sony contract . It used to be shown on Sky Arts from time to time.

[richardfinegold]

I had ordered the big Haitink and the Concertgebouw box several weeks ago from a European site and it arrived yesterday. I played one disc at random, the Brahms VC with Krebbers. I hadn’t heard it since it was originally released. Krebbers is really marvelous and this account goes to the top of my collection.

[smittims]

Janacek: Glagolitic Mass.

Brighton Festival Chorus (trained by Laszlo Heltay), Royal Philharmonic orchestra conducted by Rudolf Kempe.
Teresa Kubiak, Anne Collins, Robert Tear, Wolfgang Schone, John Birch (organ).

A Decca recording made in Kingsway Hall in 1973.

There have been many fine recordings of this sublime work but this vintage Decca LP has always been my favourite,and still sounds superb after 50 years.

[pastoralguy]

John Cage. In a Landscape.

Stephen Drury, keyboards.

[pastoralguy]

I had ordered the big Haitink and the Concertgebouw box several weeks ago from a European site and it arrived yesterday. I played one disc at random, the Brahms VC with Krebbers. I hadn’t heard it since it was originally released. Krebbers is really marvelous and this account goes to the top of my collection.

I remember buying this record on Lp when it was a mid-price issue. IIRC, Krebbers double dots a couple phrases in the slow movement which isn’t really what Brahms wrote. I must listen again to hear if my memory is false.