What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[jayne lee wilson]

Mahler: Symphony No 3 in D minor

Jadwiga Rappé (Mezzo-soprano), Children's and Women's Voices of the Chorus of Radio (East) Berlin, Symphony Orchestra of Radio (East) Berlin, Heinz Rögner

I saw this on the JPC website at a pretty low price so added it to the other treasures to which Hafod et al had drawn our collective attention. Along with Jean Martinon in Chicago (en route), it's an addition to my Mahler 3 library - still nowhere near the size of Petrushka's mighty stash but growing. Apart from the solo trumpet in the third movement sounding disconcertingly like Miles Davis at times (but not in a bad way), it's very good indeed. Rögner may have had zilch exposure in the UK (I may be wrong), unlike Japan, but, on the evidence of his Bruckner and this lively Mahler, we clearly didn't know what we were missing.

Ever heard his live Weitblick Boxes, HD? This one -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ブラームス-交響曲全集、シェーンベルク-2番、浄夜、五つの管弦楽組曲、交響詩「ペレアスとメリザンド」-Heinz-Rögner/dp/B001RSXTQQ/ref=sr_1_24?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1507563268&sr=1-24&keywords=heinz+rogner

has an extensive sequence of wonderfully individual Schoenberg performances, and Brahms Symphonies swift, exciting and straight-from-the-hip. Having the beautiful Berlin Radio Symphony to play on doesn't hurt... (oh those strings, such a range of colour, weight & attack...). The Leipzig RSO join in for some of the Schoenberg. AS so often with German Radio, you get a great sense of the hall around each orchestra (including St. Davids Cardiff for the Brahms 2!)

The live Bruckner set has remarkable readings of 4, 6 (a deal livelier than the Berlin Classics one), 7 and 9 (3 movements only of course, not much over 51') - again, often swift but very expressive, neither Rogner nor his orchestra hold back on the vibrato, to very striking effect in the Bruckner 7 adagio; nor are they afraid to vary the tempo (subtly!), to dramatic effect given the swift speeds - and some fascinating acoustics too, from the beautiful and immediate (Metropol Berlin) to the er, more idiosyncratic spaces of the Philharmonie Riga.
Off-the-beaten, sure, but marvellous listening for the insatiably curious....

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Bruckner-1824-1896_000000000019429/item_Symphonies-Nos-4-5-6-7-8-9-Rogner-Berlin-Radio-Symphony-Orchestra-1978-1990-Stereo-6CD_5703055

(slightly disappointing, interpretatively uncertain (Haas) 8th, never played the 5th...)

[HighlandDougie]

Ever heard his live Weitblick Boxes, HD? This one -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ブラームス-交響曲全集、シェーンベルク-2番、浄夜、五つの管弦楽組曲、交響詩「ペレアスとメリザンド」-Heinz-Rögner/dp/B001RSXTQQ/ref=sr_1_24?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1507563268&sr=1-24&keywords=heinz+rogner

has an extensive sequence of wonderfully individual Schoenberg performances, and Brahms Symphonies swift, exciting and straight-from-the-hip. Having the beautiful Berlin Radio Symphony to play on doesn't hurt... (oh those strings, such a range of colour, weight & attack...). The Leipzig RSO join in for some of the Schoenberg. AS so often with German Radio, you get a great sense of the hall around each orchestra (including St. Davids Cardiff for the Brahms 2!)

Thanks, Jayne. Brahms/Schönberg duly ordered - as a used copy so hope it'll be OK (it's from a Japanese seller so it should be). I'll think about the Bruckner - my newly arrived JPC order (various boxes which seem to contain, gulp, 43 CDs) needs to be assimilated first. Olga Neuwirth next.

[Pulcinella]

Earlier today, an EMI Great recordings of the century CD.

Walton
Viola concerto (Primrose/Philharmonia/Walton)
Sinfonia concertante (Sellick/City of Birmingham Orchestra/Walton)

RVW
Flos campi (Primrose/BBC Chorus/Philharmonia/Boult)
Violin concerto (Concerto accademico) (Menuhin/LPO/Boult)

I was struck by the speed of the middle movement of the Walton Viola concerto: 3’44”

Checking against other versions I have, it is remarkably quick.
I know that Walton revised the work in 1961, but that was just orchestral rescoring wasn't it?

On the other recordings, it takes Neubauer (Decca) 4’12”, Imai (BBC MM) and Basmet (RCA) 4’16”, Tomter (Naxos) 4’35”, and Menuhin (EMI), interestingly enough with Walton conducting again, 4’37”.

Is there a cut I didn't spot?

[teamsaint]

Earlier today, an EMI Great recordings of the century CD.

Walton
Viola concerto (Primrose/Philharmonia/Walton)
Sinfonia concertante (Sellick/City of Birmingham Orchestra/Walton)

RVW
Flos campi (Primrose/BBC Chorus/Philharmonia/Boult)
Violin concerto (Concerto accademico) (Menuhin/LPO/Boult)

I was struck by the speed of the middle movement of the Walton Viola concerto: 3’44”

Checking against other versions I have, it is remarkably quick.
I know that Walton revised the work in 1961, but that was just orchestral rescoring wasn't it?

On the other recordings, it takes Neubauer (Decca) 4’12”, Imai (BBC MM) and Basmet (RCA) 4’16”, Tomter (Naxos) 4’35”, and Menuhin (EMI), interestingly enough with Walton conducting again, 4’37”.

Is there a cut I didn't spot?

This looks at the issue of tempo throughout the work. including a ( the ?) recording by Primrose.

https://www.thetutorpages.com/tutor-article/viola/william-waltons-viola-concerto/7934

[Pulcinella]

This looks at the issue of tempo throughout the work. including a ( the ?) recording by Primrose.

https://www.thetutorpages.com/tutor-...-concerto/7934

Thanks, looks very interesting.
Did you know this already or chance upon/search for it?

[Petrushka]

Karajan's First Beethoven Cycle 1951 - 1955

Beethoven: Symphony No 1*

[interval]

Beethoven: Symphony No 3**

Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan

Recorded in November 1953* and November 1952**

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Karajan's First Beethoven Cycle 1951 - 1955

Beethoven: Symphony No 1*

[interval]

Beethoven: Symphony No 3**

Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan

Recorded in November 1953* and November 1952**

That is a remarkably fine set - I recently acquired a copy, having last heard them umpteen (no! Sorry - umpty-odd) years ago in a late '70s LP incarnation, but I hadn't remembered how electric the 45-year-old maestro and his orchestra's performances were. Nos 6, 7, and 9 particularly good - and that Eroica is terrific.

[teamsaint]

Thanks, looks very interesting.
Did you know this already or chance upon/search for it?

Found it , good old fashioned googling.

[Beef Oven!]

That is a remarkably fine set - I recently acquired a copy, having last heard them umpteen (no! Sorry - umpty-odd) years ago in a late '70s LP incarnation, but I hadn't remembered how electric the 45-year-old maestro and his orchestra's performances were. Nos 6, 7, and 9 particularly good - and that Eroica is terrific.

And a reminder, symphonies 1-9 plus some overtures are available as a newly remastered 24 bit/96.00 kHz Hi-Res download from Qobuz for just £7.49 !!!!

http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/search?q=Beethoven+karajan&i=boutique

[Petrushka]

That is a remarkably fine set - I recently acquired a copy, having last heard them umpteen (no! Sorry - umpty-odd) years ago in a late '70s LP incarnation, but I hadn't remembered how electric the 45-year-old maestro and his orchestra's performances were. Nos 6, 7, and 9 particularly good - and that Eroica is terrific.

And they come up sounding remarkably fresh in the latest Warner box. You have to pinch yourself to believe that they weren't recorded yesterday. This set will keep me occupied for the next few evenings.

[EdgeleyRob]

Russia - Part 2

Those born between 1891 and 1914. This includes Lourie's remarkable "Concerto Spirituale", albeit with poor sound quality, and Obukhov's "The Third and Last Testament", one of the first pieces to include electronics. Khrennikov is omitted for being unapologetically Stalinist and so too Ornstein as his origins were really Ukrainian and he was effectively an American. Also, there is no Shostakovich or Khachaturian here for the reason that they are obvious and there are no Tcherepnins as I have been ploughing that particular furrow for a while.

Alexander Mosolov - Tractor's Arrival at the Kolkhoz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptgKwz7-Ej0
Vissarion Shebalin - Five A Cappella Choruses - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGu6ijMEmPc
Arthur-Vincent Lourié - Concerto Spirituale - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtDdBbHuXYA
Ivan Wyschnegradsky - Sonata for Violin & 2 Pianos - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-Qk43FStjo

Vaivara Gaigerova - Suite for Viola and Piano Op 8 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHkmhwkEstE
Igor Markevitch - Cantique d'Amour - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1qsTRSwO4c
Nikolai Golovanov - Mercy of Peace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_U_u4jZxzs
Dmitry Kabalevsky - Childrens' Music - Piano Pieces - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctBZiZMz5A4

Evgeny Golubev - Piano Concerto No 1 in A minor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zfFPtr44Ug
Alexander Veprik - Kaddish Op 6 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEQP8arJLmU
Gavriil Popov - Symphony No. 6 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2coPLN9WPtw
Nikolai Obukhov - The Third and Last Testament - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOTRsrk5rH8

I have been listening to some of these Lat,very interesting.
Golubev and Shebalin I've been aware of for a while.
Try the former's 5th Symphony and Harp Quintet and any of the latter's String Quartets (he wrote a zillion of them),plenty on you tube.
Kabalevsky's Piano music is fantastic.
I have a book of those children's () Easy ( )pieces which I'm trying to learn to play
This however will probably always be beyond me

[Lat-Literal]

I have been listening to some of these Lat,very interesting.
Golubev and Shebalin I've been aware of for a while.
Try the former's 5th Symphony and Harp Quintet and any of the latter's String Quartets (he wrote a zillion of them),plenty on you tube.
Kabalevsky's Piano music is fantastic.
I have a book of those children's () Easy ( )pieces which I'm trying to learn to play
This however will probably always be beyond me

Thank you for sampling them, Rob, which I really appreciate - and for your recommendations which I will be following up on.

I think Lourie is my current favourite in that group although I did enjoy quite a few of them.

Next, those born between 1915 and 1933 which I have almost completed and admit I found in places somewhat challenging!

[Pulcinella]

In preparation for tonight's Wigmore Hall concert.

Janacek: String quartets 1 and 2
Haas: String quartets 1, 2, and 3

Pavel Haas Quartet

[BBMmk2]

Karajan's First Beethoven Cycle 1951 - 1955

Beethoven: Symphony No 1*

[interval]

Beethoven: Symphony No 3**

Philharmonia Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan

Recorded in November 1953* and November 1952**

This set is rather good, is it not?

Tchaikovsky
Symphony no.4 in F minor, Op.36
Symphony no.5 in e minor, Op.64
London PO, Jurowski.

Piano concerto No.2 in G major, Op.44
Denis Matsuev(piano), Mariinsky Orchestra,
Valery Gergiev.

Violin concerto in D, Op.36; Serenade melancolique, Op.26
Valse Scherzo, Op.34.
Joshua Bell, Cleveland Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy.

[Stanfordian]

‘Eternamente’ – The Verismo Album – Angela Gheorghiu
14 Arias and Songs from Mascagni, Donaudy, Puccini, Boito, Mascheroni, Refice, Ponchielli, Giordano
Angela Gheorghiu (soprano)
Prague Philharmonic Choir,
PKF - Prague Philharmonia/Emmanuel Vilaume
Recorded 2016 Smetana Hall, Municipal House, Prague
Warner Classics

J.S. Bach
6 Sonatas for harpsichord and violin in B minor, BWV 1014-19
Giuliano Carmagnola (baroque violin) & Andrea Marcon (harpsichord)
Recorded 2000 Sala del Conclave, Isola di San Giorgio, Venice
Sony Classical