What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[Anastasius]

I rarely have the opportunity to simply just sit and listen. However, music is nearly always in the background. But once in a while, there is the occasional treasured moment when what I am listening to causes me to stop whatever I am doing and to just simply sit and listen.

One such as Saturday - Record Review - Rachmaninov Vespers for All-male choir. Sublime.

[smittims]

Vivaldi : The Four Seasons. Alfredo Campoli, the Boyd Neel String orchestra. Decca , 1939.

I think this must be the first complete recording of this indestructible favourite: at any rate I've been unable to find one earlier. With a small orchestra, double continuo, imaginatively played on harpsichord and organ probably by Arnold Goldsborough, and lively tempi and rhythms, I think this performance would satisfy many a modern critic, once one gets used to the antique sound (being rather antique myself it gave me no trouble). It's on YouTube, though you may have to search for each concerto.

[pastoralguy]

Mendelssohn. Piano Trio No.1. Dvorak. Piano Trio in e minor, Op.90.

The Beaux Arts Trio.

Manahem Pressler, piano. Daniel Hope, violin & Antonio Meneses, ‘cello. Warner Classics, 2004.

Terrific playing from iirc, the last line up of this great trio. 50p charity shop find.

[Pulcinella]

Chavez Sinfonia India (Symphony 2)
Diamond Symphony 4
NYPO/Bernstein

[smittims]

Bach :Easter oratorio, the 1964 EMI recording with Patricia Johnson and conducted by Wolfgang Gonnenwein.

I don't know how celebrated Gonnenwein is in German-speaking countries. He's little known in Britain. But I regard him as among trhe finest interpreters of Bach's choral music. He brings out the grandeur .

[silvestrione]

Bach :Easter oratorio, the 1964 EMI recording with Patricia Johnson and conducted by Wolfgang Gonnenwein.

I don't know how celebrated Gonnenwein is in German-speaking countries. He's little known in Britain. But I regard him as among trhe finest interpreters of Bach's choral music. He brings out the grandeur .

I went for St John Passion (Harnoncourt live) Part I, last night preceded by ;Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Sagen', (Herrewege) because I adore the Sinfonia and first chorus.

[pastoralguy]

Debussy. Preludes.

Steven Osborne, piano. Hyperion.

[pastoralguy]

Kurt Atterberg. Symphony No.2

Neemi Jarvi conducting the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Chandos.

Interesting music.

[smittims]

I know only the contrversial 6th, with its amusing history and first recording.

Today, Bach's Mass in B minor: the Westminster recording conducted by Herman Scherchen. This may have been the first stereo recording (1959) and producer Kurt List went all out to exploirt the left-right antiphony. After being statled by Scherchen's fast tempi in Beethoven it's a surprise to hear him so slow in Bach : 14 minutes for the opening Kyrie. Come back Klemperer , all is forgiven.

[rauschwerk]

I have been exploring some 20th century British music which seems not to be played or sung any more. Prompted by singing a carol of his (with words by Mary Wilson) last Christmas, I started with Malcolm Williamson's The Musicians of Bremen, originally commissioned by the King's Singers and recorded by them on their 'Wonderland' album. This is one of a number of Williamson's pieces intended for children (either to listen to or to perform).

I then progressed to Williamson's organ concerto. This was written in honour of Adrian Boult, who conducted the first performance and whom Williamson described as having, "...the intellect of a razor and the heart and soul of a musician." Williamson and Boult went on to record the piece (many thanks, Lyrita!).

Finally, the concert suite from Our Man in Havana. This was well enough received in the 1960s to run for two seasons at Sadler's Wells. What are the chances of revival now? Pretty slim, I fear.

I very much enjoyed all this music. Why isn't more of Williamson's stuff played nowadays?

[oliver sudden]

I saw Our Man in Havana in Melbourne in a semi-professional performance in the… early 1990s I think? Very effective as I remember it. It would be lovely if there were a recording from the original performances, excavating that would presumably be an easier business than reviving it.

[Master Jacques]

I saw Our Man in Havana in Melbourne in a semi-professional performance in the… early 1990s I think? Very effective as I remember it. It would be lovely if there were a recording from the original performances, excavating that would presumably be an easier business than reviving it.

Trinity College did Our Man in Havana - very creditably - about a decade ago. It's a wonderful piece. I do have a rather piecemeal recording of the BBC broadcast from the original run, which needs serious audio work which I haven't got around to doing: it's on my constant "to do" list, I'm afraid!

(Fortunately, I've been able to remaster his two later (and I think greater) Sadler's Wells / ENO operas sprucely enough, from my own reel-to-reel mono tapes, made in my teens.)

He's a great composer, whose time will come again - once Australia has taken him back to her bosom. It is starting to happen.

[Stanfordian]

Rossini
'Il Signor Bruschino' one act farsa (prem. 1813)
Kathleen Battle (Sofia), Samuel Ramey (Gaudenzio), Claudio Desderi (Bruschino padre),
Octavio Arévalo (Bruschino figlio), Michele Pertusi (Filiberto), Jennifer Larmore (Marianna),
Frank Lopardo (Florville)
English Chamber Orchestra / Ion Marin
Recorded 1991 Henry Wood Hall, London
Deutsche Grammophon, single CD

Beethoven
Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23
Sonata No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30/2
Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 96
Corey Cerovsek (violin) & Paavali Jumppanen (piano)
Recorded 2006, Salle de Musique, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Claves, CD 3 of 3

[smittims]

I could never understand why Malcolm Williamson's music wasn't more successful. Every now and then someone makes an effort to revive it, but it never seems to last.

Another neglected composer who's a favourite of mine, and whose music has been much more available on disc than Williamsons' , is Alan Rawsthorne. I' ve just been listening to one of his later works, Theme, Variations and Finale, conducted by Barry Wordsworth.

[pastoralguy]

Korngold. ‘Das Wunder der Heliane’.

Fabrice Bollon conducting the forces of Freiburg Theatre. Naxos recording from 2017.

I’d never heard of this opera, which Korngold thought his masterpiece, until I paid 50p for this Naxos set this morning. Theres no libretto so I only have a broad description of the drama from Wikipedia but it’s not really grabbing me.

I probably need to become much more familiar with it.