What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[Edgy 2]

Taneyev

String Quintets 1 & 2

Martinu Quartet, Jiri Barta, cello (No 1), Jitka Hosprova, viola ( No 2)

[BBMmk2]

Taneyev

String Quintets 1 & 2

Martinu Quartet, Jiri Barta, cello (No 1), Jitka Hosprova, viola ( No 2)

Looks interesting!

Today I’m marking a belated birthday to Sir Arnold Bax.playing, perhaps, my favourite wink by him, Spring Fire.

Bax Orchestral Works Vol.2
Spring Fire
Northern Ballad No.2
Prelude for a Solemn Occasion, Northern Ballad No.3
Mediterranean
Symphonic Scherzo
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Vernon Handley.

[richardfinegold]

Brahms Symphony 4, Manfred Honeck with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orch.

Wow! This is something else. Vividly imagined and played, you get swept up. The third movement more transcendent than 'giocoso'! A live recording, with some rough edges.

I listened to that on Qobuz last week. You do get swept up. I find Honeck can be difficult to take sometimes with his high octane approach but it works well here

[richardfinegold]

Barbirolli and the Berlin Philharmonic together in Mahler 9, a truly great performance up there with Walter's magnificent stereo remake but completely unlike Walters approach, it almost sounds as though the BPO have never played it before but this is the BPO and under JB's inspired conducting they make a magnificent sound in his interpretation. I don't have the original release (3 sided?) but CFP pressings fit it on four sides to do justice to a terrific recording.

I really dislike J.B. In the Sixth (was that also with Berlin?). The first movement in particular evoke images of a geriatric home for Nazis sitting around in their wheelchairs reminiscing about the good old days overrunning Poland. Perhaps J.B. World Weary approach resonates more in the Ninth

[Stanfordian]

Jacques Ibert – Kammermusik
Deux mouvements for flute, oboe, clarinet & bassoon (1922)
Trio for violin, cello & harp (1944/45)
Trois pièces brèves for wind quintet (1930)
Deux Interludes for flute, violin & harp (1949)
Cinq pièces en trio for oboe, clarinet & bassoon (1935)
Capriccio for ten instruments (1936-38)
Ensemble Arabesques
Recorded 2018 Kulturforum Planegg, Munich
Farao Classics - recent new release

Handel Arias - Magdalena Kožená
Alcina, Hercules, Agrippina, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Joshua, Ariodante,
Theodora, Amadigi di Gaula, Orlando, Ariodante, Rinaldo
Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano)
Venice Baroque Orchestra/Andrea Marcon
Recorded 2006, Gustav Mahler Saal, Kulturzentrum Grand Hotel, Toblach
Archiv Produktion

[gradus]

I really dislike J.B. In the Sixth (was that also with Berlin?). The first movement in particular evoke images of a geriatric home for Nazis sitting around in their wheelchairs reminiscing about the good old days overrunning Poland. Perhaps J.B. World Weary approach resonates more in the Ninth

No, it was the New Philharmonia; colourful description of the first movement performance but why link these performers to Nazis? It simply strikes me as slower than usual. The ninth is anything but World Weary imv except where needed but different strokes ...

[jayne lee wilson]

I listened to that on Qobuz last week. You do get swept up. I find Honeck can be difficult to take sometimes with his high octane approach but it works well here

See #15855 above.... you really need to hear that 1997 Harnoncourt Brahms 4 on the new ICA Live.....

Barbirolli's Mahler 6th is all his own, one of the greatest and most individual.
I recall Riccardo Chailly expressing great admiration for it in a Gramophone interview. The reference to Nazis and the Genocidal Tragedy of Poland in a metaphorical evocation of the recording (especially given Mahler's own well-known biography) is, to say the very least, unfortunate....

There is of course a live Berlin PO recording of the 6th from 1966 on Testament, with faster and more varied tempi, especially in (i), but the orchestral response is somewhat imperfect....(see Gramophone, 9/2004).

[RichardB]

Barbirolli and the Berlin Philharmonic together in Mahler 9, a truly great performance up there with Walter's magnificent stereo remake but completely unlike Walters approach, it almost sounds as though the BPO have never played it before but this is the BPO and under JB's inspired conducting they make a magnificent sound in his interpretation. I don't have the original release (3 sided?) but CFP pressings fit it on four sides to do justice to a terrific recording.

I agree, that's a wonderful recording that stands out even among the many beautiful 9ths on record.

[BBMmk2]

Must hear more of Manfred Hoeneck, I think. Gosh, there’s a lot out there!

Barber
Toccata Festiva, Op.36
Poulenc
Concerto for Irgan, Strings & Timpani in G minor, FP 93
Saint-Säens
Symphony No.3 in C minor, Op.78
Olivier Latry (organ)
Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach.

Sibelius
Symphony No.2 in D major, Op.43
Symphony No.7 in C major, Op.105
Philadelphia Orchestra
Eugene Ormandy.

Riccardo Muti Conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra
Beethoven Symphony No.6 in F major, Op.68 “Pastoral”
Chabrier España
Ravel Rapsodie Espagnole
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in C major, Op.48
Rimsky-Korsakov Sheherazade, Op.35
Respighi Pini di Roma
Beethoven Symphony No.2 in D major, Op.36
Philadelphia Orchestra
Riccardo Muti.

[Bryn]

. . . Poulenc
Concerto for Irgan, Strings & Timpani in G minor, FP 93
. . .

https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.10513 ?

[pastoralguy]

Handel. Water Music

I’m not a great Handel fan but I’m really enjoying this recording from The Academy of Ancient Music directed by Christopher Hogwood. Absolutely superb playing!

[Joseph K]

Mozart - Serenade no. 9 in D major - COE/Harnoncourt

[Suffolkcoastal]

Score following - Days 443-446

W Walton:
Facade (complete)
Facade Suite No 2 (2 pf score)
Overture: Portsmouth Point
Sinfonia Concertante for Orchestra with Piano obbligato (rev version)
Concerto for Viola & Orchestra
Belshazzar's Feast (vocal score)
Symphony No 1 in B flat minor
Coronation March: Crown Imperial
In Honour of the City of London (vocal score)
Concerto for Violin & Orchestra
Ser me as a seal upon thine heart
Prelude & Fugue 'The Spitfire'

[BBMmk2]

Veritable treasure trove there, SC!

This week I’ve decided to focus my attention some of the orchestras in thee USA.

Riccardo Muti Conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra
A fabulous set this. Unfortunately no Scriabin.

[MickyD]

Handel. Water Music


I’m not a great Handel fan but I’m really enjoying this recording from The Academy of Ancient Music directed by Christopher Hogwood. Absolutely superb playing!

Recorded back in 1978, just after they presented it at the Proms...I remember very well what a sensation it caused.