What Classical Music Are You listening to Now? III

[BBMmk2]

Radio 3 in Concert: Sir Simon Rattle's Inaugural Concert with the LSO

Finally getting round to hearing this. Not disappointed! There's a lot of concerts I am going to try and catch up with.

[Lat-Literal]

A different side of Leonard Bernstein here this afternoon.

Latin American Fiesta
NYPO/Bernstein (one of the Sony Bernstein Century series)

Copland: Danzón cubano
Copland: El salón México
Fernández: Batuque
Guarnieri: Dansa brasileira
Villa-Lobos: Bachiana brasileira 5 (Netania Davrath, soprano; Carl Stern, solo cello)
Revueltas: Sensemayá
Chávez: Sinfonía india

Great 'swing' in the Copland, particularly.

Very interesting - thank you.

All of those composers are now in my small classical music collection.

(well, it is around 300 discs which isn't bad, starting almost from scratch - and on a tight budget)

And so are these:

Osvaldo Golijov - How Slow the Wind - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTEFiudeDyg
Alberto Ginastera - Triste - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc0MWZrHYaw
Manuel Ponce - Estrellita - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtW5886_ZRE
Alberto Nepomuceno - Coração Triste - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H18y-NKvfw

(the sense of priority - off centre - and the need to prioritise - already give it a certain uniqueness)

[pastoralguy]

I've finally caught with Beatrice Rana's Prom debut. She played the Schumann concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis in the Sir Malcolm Sargent Tribute Prom. Looking back on the Proms thread I see some were less than enthusiastic about this performance but I still think the Albert Hall isn't exactly the venue for an intimate work like the Schumann concerto. I listened on the radio and I've posted that I enjoyed but, re-watching on YouTube, I can hear where the comments about lack of poetry come from.

[pastoralguy]

I finally splurged on the Mandelring Quartet's cd of the two Brahms String Sextets op. 18 & 36.

These are works I'm extremely fond of and I've been looking forward to comparing it with the Erato cd of an ad hoc ensemble led by Renaud Capuçon. (Probably my cd of the year!)

However, there's a really odd moment in the second movement of the op. 18 sextet where I honestly thought our smoke detector had gone off! However, after ascertaining the house wasn't on fire, I played the movement again to discover the sound was on the cd! Most odd. (And, inevitably, no mention of it in the Gramophone's review which raises again the question of what quality of equipment reviewers use). I may email audited and ask if this is a production flaw or if their studio caught fire during the sessions.

[gurnemanz]

I finally splurged on the Mandelring Quartet's cd of the two Brahms String Sextets op. 18 & 36.

These are works I'm extremely fond of and I've been looking forward to comparing it with the Erato cd of an ad hoc ensemble led by Renaud Capuçon. (Probably my cd of the year!)

However, there's a really odd moment in the second movement of the op. 18 sextet where I honestly thought our smoke detector had gone off! However, after ascertaining the house wasn't on fire, I played the movement again to discover the sound was on the cd! Most odd. (And, inevitably, no mention of it in the Gramophone's review which raises again the question of what quality of equipment reviewers use). I may email audited and ask if this is a production flaw or if their studio caught fire during the sessions.

Favourite works of mine also. Just listening to CD5 of Brahms Complete songs on cpo - great performances. (just appeared on Presto)

[Lat-Literal]

Randall Thompson:

Frostiana : Seven Country Songs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqotLc73va0
The Peaceable Kingdom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1gL_4YDyes

Gabriel Dupont:

Les Heures Dolentes XIII - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lhzbWrS9-g

Samuel Barber:

Excerpts from The Lovers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IimI8Jbqyf8

Charles Tournemire:

Excerpts from L'Orgue Mystique - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL3GEBqBVWo

[Stanfordian]

Beethoven
Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 3 ‘Eroica’
Wiener Symphoniker/Philippe Jordon
Recorded live 2017 Goldener Saal, Musikverein, Vienna
Solo Musica
New release.

Schubert
Mass No. 6 in E flat major. D950
Mozart
Vesperae solennes de Confessore, K339
Genia Kühmeier (soprano); Christa Mayer (alto); Timothy Robinson, Oliver Ringelhaln (tenors), Matthew Rose (bass)
Staatsopernchor Dresden,
Staatskapelle Dresden/Sir Charles Mackerras
Recorded live 2008 Frauenkirche, Dresden
Carus

[Pulcinella]

Varèse
Ecuatorial
Déserts
Intégrales
Hyperprism
Octandre
Offrandes
Density 21.5

Ensemble intercontemperain/Boulez

(Prompted by a friend who had been to the recent BBC Singers concert, specifically to hear the Byrd Lamentations, in which Octandre featured. From comments on that thread, I should listen to the whole concert.)

[gurnemanz]

Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat, Op. 27 No. 1
Schumann - Fantasy in C, Op. 17
Schoenberg - Drei Klavierstücke, Op. 11

Beautiful Claudio Arrau disc on this just issued BBC Legends box - a treasure trove.

[BBMmk2]

Salute to Grainger

Various Artists.

[silvestrione]

Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat, Op. 27 No. 1
Schumann - Fantasy in C, Op. 17
Schoenberg - Drei Klavierstücke, Op. 11

Beautiful Claudio Arrau disc on this just issued BBC Legends box - a treasure trove.

Yes, a treasure trove I agree: I have the first two, 'live', from another source, an Italian label, and they are favourites of mine. I had no idea he ever performed Schoenberg.

[jayne lee wilson]

I finally splurged on the Mandelring Quartet's cd of the two Brahms String Sextets op. 18 & 36.

These are works I'm extremely fond of and I've been looking forward to comparing it with the Erato cd of an ad hoc ensemble led by Renaud Capuçon. (Probably my cd of the year!)

However, there's a really odd moment in the second movement of the op. 18 sextet where I honestly thought our smoke detector had gone off! However, after ascertaining the house wasn't on fire, I played the movement again to discover the sound was on the cd! Most odd. (And, inevitably, no mention of it in the Gramophone's review which raises again the question of what quality of equipment reviewers use). I may email audited and ask if this is a production flaw or if their studio caught fire during the sessions.

Intrigued, I sought this out on Qobuz HIFI and there's no funny noise on the lossless stream of the andante ma moderato ... Gramophone's AF-C may well have listened to a different format - a file, or a pre-release review CD etc.... what's the timing of the alarming noise on your disc?

[teamsaint]

Mozart.
Missa Solemnis KV337/ Coronation Mass.

From the ever reliable Chamber Choir of Europe/ Nicol Matt.

[pastoralguy]

Intrigued, I sought this out on Qobuz HIFI and there's no funny noise on the lossless stream of the andante ma moderato ... Gramophone's AF-C may well have listened to a different format - a file, or a pre-release review CD etc.... what's the timing of the alarming noise on your disc?

Hi Jayne. Thanks for your reply. It's track 2 between 2" 21 & 2" 23. It really sounds like a smoke alarm. I've been too busy to email audite today but will do tomorrow. I'll write in German (or at least get my Frau to do it!) and report back.

There's a moment in the Szell/Cleveland Orchestra Prokofiev 5 where the studio 'phone goes off. It actually fits quite well...

[jayne lee wilson]

Hi Jayne. Thanks for your reply. It's track 2 between 2" 21 & 2" 23. It really sounds like a smoke alarm. I've been too busy to email audite today but will do tomorrow. I'll write in German (or at least get my Frau to do it!) and report back.

There's a moment in the Szell/Cleveland Orchestra Prokofiev 5 where the studio 'phone goes off. It actually fits quite well...

OK - just to confirm, at that point (and throughout) the stream is clean.... Qobuz HiFi is a clear clean stream.... I guess it must be a pressing/batch fault....?
AS FOR the Brahms Sextets, the Mandelringers were a bit rich for me (a South African 15% Shiraz when what you want is... an elegant Barolo) - so allegiance unshifted to..... Hausmusik London. (Signum). But I seem to want Period Instruments in almost all the 18th and 19th Century Chamber Music I'm obsessed with, except for.... the Vegh Quartet back then, and the Leipziger Streichquartette now....

e.g...
Haydn String Quartets Op.20 4-6. Chiaroscuro Quartet. BIS 2017.
Brahms. Piano Quartet op.25; Piano Quintet Op.34. "Tones of Romantic Extravagance". Ironwood. ABC 2016. (This one is a bit.... outrageously individual...well, not just a bit.... . Portamento much...? You haven't heard portamento till you've heard this...what are they on?)
Schumann Piano Quintet Op.44. La Gaia Scienza. Winter & Winter 2005.
Schumann Piano Quintet Op.44; Piano Quartet Op.47. Michelangelo Piano Quartet. Chandos Chaconne 2003.

All streamed via Qobuz HiFi....but La Gaia Scienza Für Meine Clara then purchased as CD, in that lovely, yellow ridged cardboard, hardback book presentation.
Lately the Chandos Michelangelo release also purchased as 2ndhand CD. Truly lovely.