What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[pastoralguy]

Sibelius. Overture I E Major. Sćene de Ballet, JS162 (1891). Belshazzer’s Feast JS48 (1906)

Turku Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leif Segerstam. NAXOS.

I found this for 50p in a charity shop yesterday and am really enjoying music by the great Finn that is unfamiliar to me. Superb playing by an unfamiliar ensemble.

[Pulcinella]

Chicago Symphony on Saturday night. Semyon Bychkov conducted. Dvorak Carnival Overture, Brahms Fourth Symphony, and Saint-Saens VC3 (Benjamin Beilman replaced indisposed Renault Capucon. An unfamiliar name for me, despite the fact that he grew up 5 miles from where we live). A very enjoyable concert. Another highlight was the pre concert lecture given by principal violist Max Raimi, who is a fantastic speaker.
The Saint-Saens used to be a frequent repertoire piece that seems to be less prevalent now. Personally I would like to see a concert of his shorter works, such as the Introduction and Rondo and Havanaise

I love what I assume is an auto-correct occurrence here. Does his brother drive a Citroën by any chance?



(To my shame, I hadn't even realised that SS had written one violin concerto, let alone more than one!)

[silvestrione]

From my Bernstein box, the Royal Danish Orchestra in Nielsen's Sinfonia Espansiva, not a work I knew. A brilliant, original piece superbly played and recorded.

[Ian Thumwood]

I have been playing a double CD of Enescu's Orchesral suites by Monte-Carlo PO. Ensecu is a bit of a discovery for me. Last year I was addicted to Luiza Boruc's complete solo piano works by this composer and I feel that the orchestral works are equally has impressive. He was a seriously under-rated composer. I think that Vilde Frang's recording of the Octet is incredible too - this is an absolute materpiece,

[Stanfordian]

Verdi
'Il trovatore'
Franco Corelli, Gabriella Tucci, Robert Merrill, Giulietta Simionato,
Ferruccio Mazzoli, Luciana Moneta, Angelo Mercuriali, Mario Rinaudo,
Coro e Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma / Thomas Schippers
Recorded 1964 Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
(Orig EMI mono, 1990 digital remaster)
Warner Classics, CD

[richardfinegold]

I love what I assume is an auto-correct occurrence here. Does his brother drive a Citroën by any chance?



(To my shame, I hadn't even realised that SS had written one violin concerto, let alone more than one!)

Yes, auto mistake strikes again.
Yesterday my wife and I were at a Holiday themed recital in a venue near our home given by 4 singers from Lyric Opera of Chicago. The soprano, mezzo, tenor and bass took turns doing solo turns and then united for a cappella arrangements of carols. A lot of fun.

[smittims]

Brahms, Lieder op.32: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hertha Klust. This early '50s HMV recording shows the young Dieter gently lyrical, before he started to be accused of 'barking'.

[Pulcinella]

Yes, auto mistake strikes again.
Yesterday my wife and I were at a Holiday themed recital in a venue near our home given by 4 singers from Lyric Opera of Chicago. The soprano, mezzo, tenor and bass took turns doing solo turns and then united for a cappella arrangements of carols. A lot of fun.

Particularly apt, I suppose!

[gurnemanz]

Have you heard Dubois' recent recording of Winterreise, accompanied by Anne Le Bozek on a 1905 Bechstein? I'd only heard, and admired, him in French repertoire, but I think this new Winterreise is really excellent.

I have now. Thanks for the tip. I've just listened on Spotify and I enjoyed it very much. Firm, pleasing tone and precision of diction with a very slight French tinge. His winter wanderer sets off fairly fast by comparison with others and continues confidently rather than self-pityingly. I have very many Winterreise recordings and love sampling new ones. It's one of the best.

[smittims]

Prince Igor, the 1955 Decca recording made in Belgrade by James Brown and Roy Wallace: the first and for many years the only complete recording.

The Decca team recorded several complete operas in a few hectic weeks , in very vivid early stereo, though only the mono versions were issued originally. I well recall the issue of the stereo versions on 'Ace of Diamonds' over 50 years ago. In a delightful memoir, Wallace recalls the sessions , which took place in a cinema at night after the films had finished and the seats moved, sometimes going on till 8 am. The fervency of the performances is lasting proof of the keenness of the Belgrade opera company under Oskar Danon.

[Stanfordian]

Mahler
'Kindertotenlieder'
Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Richard Strauss
'Tod und Verklärung', Op. 24
Münchner Philharmoniker / Sergiu Celibidache
Recorded live 1979 (Strauss) & 1983 (Mahler) Herkulessaal, Munich
Münchner Philharmoniker own label CD

[DoctorT]

It’s almost Christmas, so…
Handel
Messiah
Auger, Von Otter, Chance, Crook, Tomlinson
The English Concert and Choir
Trevor Pinnock

[HighlandDougie]

Mahler
'Kindertotenlieder'
Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano)
Richard Strauss
'Tod und Verklärung', Op. 24
Münchner Philharmoniker / Sergiu Celibidache
Recorded live 1979 (Strauss) & 1983 (Mahler) Herkulessaal, Munich
Münchner Philharmoniker own label CD

That Fassbaender/Celibidache Kindertotenlieder performance is, IMUO, one of the great Mahler recordings of all time.

[pastoralguy]

Tchaikovsky. String Serenade. Op.48.

Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Gerard Korsten. DG.

I hadn’t come across this disc before when it popped up on eBay. One of those gorgeous high production value CDs from Deutsche Grammophon with lovely artwork.

The performance is first rate , my only reservation being that the first movement is just a tiny bit careful in the high violin writing. My absolute favourite performance of this marvellous piece is Herbie and his band in his first recording where he pushes the Berlin Philharmonic’s fiddles to their absolute limit. A shade untidy but extremely exciting!

Anyway, Korsten and his COE players have shown me a few details I’ve not noticed before. The end of the slow movement really foretells Verklarte Nacht’s strangeness.

[gurnemanz]

That Fassbaender/Celibidache Kindertotenlieder performance is, IMUO, one of the great Mahler recordings of all time.

Agree. I quite recently got to know it as a download and appended a quote I found online:

'Brigitte Fassbaender deserves a medal for not just getting through this reading, but for making it a uniquely gripping collaboration with Sergiu Celidibache - famous for his slow tempos, obsessive attention to detail, and general dislike of Mahler.'

Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgehen is nearly two minutes longer than her account with Riccardo Chailly and nearly 3 minutes longer than Ferrier/Walter