[Orfeo]

Adolfs Skulte
Symphony no. I
-The Latvian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Leonids Vigners.
Symphony no. II "Ave Sol"
-The Latvian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Choir/Leonids Vigners.
-Elza Zvirgzdina, soprano.
-Leonid Zarins, tenor.
Symphony no. IV
-The Latvian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Edgars Tons.
Symphony no. V
-The Leningrad Philharmonic/Jansons.
Symphony no. VI
-The Latvian State Symphony/Vasily Sinaisky.

Janis Ivanovs
Symphonies nos. VI & VII(*).
-Helsinki Radio Orchestra/Arvids Jansons.
-The Latvian Radio Symphony Orchestra/Leonids Vigners(*).

Janis Medins
Symphonic sketches "Imanta" & "Raven's Mill."
-The Latvian National Symphony/Imanta Resnis.

 

[Orfeo]

Russia's Cataclysm

Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony no. VI in B minor, op. 74.
-Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra/Takashi Asahina.

Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov
Symphony no. VIII in E-flat major, op. 83.
-Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra/Takashi Asahina.

Sergey Rachmaninoff
Symphony no. I in D minor, op. 13.
-The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Nikolai Myaskovsky
Symphony no. VI in E-flat minor, op. 23.
-The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Neemi Jarvi.

Dmitry Kabalevsky
Concerto for Cello & Orchestra no. II, op. 77.
-Raphael Wallfisch, cello.
-The London Philharmonic Orchestra/Bryden Thomson.

Alexander Scriabin
Symphony no. III in C minor "The Divine Poem", op. 43.
-The Philadelphia Orchestra/Riccardo Muti.

 

[Orfeo]

Giacomo Puccini
Opera in three acts "Turandot"
-Giovanna Casolla, Sergej Larin, Barbara Frittori, Bottion, Colombara, Allemano, Piccoli, Vitelli, et al.
-Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra & Bianche Choir/Zubin Mehta.

Franz Lehar
Operetta/Opera in five scenes "Giuditta"
-Edda Moser, Nicolai Gedda, Hirte, Baumann, Jung, Wiedenhofer, Pawels, et al.
-The Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra & Concert Choir/Willi Boskovsky.

 

[Orfeo]

Giacomo Puccini
Opera in two acts "Madama Butterfly."
-Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Lucia Danieli, Mario Borriello, Renato Ercolani, Carlin, Clabassi, Campi.
-Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Milano/Herbert von Karajan.
Opera in three acts "Tosca."
-Montserrat Caballe, Jose Carreras, Ingvar Wixell, Piero De Palma, Ramey, Elvin, Trimarchi, Murray.
-The Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/Sir Colin Davis.

Ferruccio Busoni
Piano Concerto in C Major, op. XXXIX.
-Marc Hamelin, pianist.
-The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Mark Elder.

 

[Orfeo]

Daniel Catán
Opera in two acts "Florencia en el Amazonas."
-Mark Doss, Ana Maria Martinez, Guzman, Vasquez, Gradus, Schuman, Shelton.
-Houston Grand Opera Orchestra & Chorus/Patrick Summers.
-->Really a wonderful score, heavy in a Puccini tradition, but no way a clone to Puccini's great works for the stage.

Then Jazz for the rest of the day (bebop giants like Charles Mingus, Lester Young, Horace Silver).
Happy Friday.

 

[Orfeo]

Anton Rubinstein
Symphony no. II in C Major "Ocean" op. 42
-The Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra/George Hanson.

 

[Orfeo]

Carl August Nielsen
Opera in three acts "Maskarade."
-Aage Haugland, Skovhus, Henriette Bonde-Hansen, Susanne Resmark, Marianne Rørholm, Ravn, Jensen.
-The Danish National Radio Synphony Orchestra and Choir/Ulf Schirmer.
Incidental music in five acts "Aladdin."
-Mette Ejsing (alto), Guido Paevatalu (baritone).
-The Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chamber Choir/Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

Hugo Alfven
Ballet pantomine in three acts "The Mountain King."
-The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Yevgeny Svetlanov.

Rued Langgaard
The Music of the Spheres.
-Inger Dam Jensen (soprano), Nanna Howmand (contralto), Henriette Elimar (contralto).
-The Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vocal Ensemble & Chamber Choir/Thomas Dausgaard.

 

[Orfeo]

English Spring:

• Spring Fire: Arnold Bax
• Idylle De Printemps & North Country Sketches - The March of Spring: Frederick Delius
• Enter Spring: Frank Bridge

Sir Mark Elder & the Halle Orchestra
View attachment 42812

A wonderful collection of music, the inclusion of Bax's Spring Fire along makes this a must have for me but the works of Delius and Bridge provide the icing and cherry on top. Listening to this never fails make me smile. Rich, evocative and gloriously melodic. English Spring indeed.

Nice. I love that!

 

[Orfeo]

Alberto Ginastera
Ballet "Panambi" (1937).
-The London Symphony Orchestra/Gisele Ben-Dor.

Heitor Villa-Lobos
Bachianas brasilieras nos. VII & VIII.
Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra "Momoprecoce."
-Cristina Ortiz, piano.
-The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Enrique Batiz.

 

[Orfeo]

Samuel Barber
Opera in three acts "Vanessa" (1954-1957, rev. 1964)
-Christine Brewer, Susan Graham, Wny-Rogers, Burden, Neal Davies, Birchall, Charlesworth.
-The BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Singers/Leonard Slatkin.

William Grant Still
Symphony no. II in G minor "Song of a New Race"
-The Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Neemi Jarvi.

William Levi Dawson
Negro Folk Symphony
-The Detroit Symphony Orchestra/Neemi Jarvi.

 

[Orfeo]

just had a look round the internet to see what opinions are 'kicking about' re Tubin-found some rather dismissive comments but equally found some very appreciative observations-I was involved in this because after repeated listenings to the 3rd I cannot help but conclude that it is in effect one of those 'underrated' works-it really does appeal, in a similar manner to Walton, Myaskovsky and other more conservative composers of the mid 20th century

Neeme Jarvi-Swedish Radio S.O.-Bis......for those with similar 'taste' who might not have heard this...go on, it really is rather good!

I'm not so sure what aspects of Tubin's music some people find dismissive (or objectionable). Tubin is a great composer and a very fine symphonist. And like Myaskovsky's music, the efforts to get to know it and its message is not difficult, and yet the music per se is not facile. His piano music is a very good place to start in getting to know (more) of his music.

Now that record labels have been releasing his works, he still need greater exposure in the halls (or in theatres, for his operas are interesting and well written). If one can appreciate Sibelius or even, say, Bax, I can't see why Tubin is any different as far as depth and quality in his music are concerned. But then again, as usual, politics, fashion/comfort-zone, profits, reputation, the economic slowdown and decreases in endowments, etc. are interfering with any prospects in getting his music performed live.

Good point though. Really.

 

[Orfeo]

Alexander Glazunov
Piano Concerto no. II in B Major.
-Daniil Trifonov, pianist.
-The London Symphony Orchestra/Valery Gergiev.
-->

--->Enjoy! It's a very fine performance of the composer's glorious, autumnal music.

 

[Orfeo]

Chevalier J.J.O. de Meude-Monpas
Violin Concerto no. IV in D Major (1786).
-Rachel Barton, violinist.
-The Encore Chamber Orchestra/Daniel Hege.

Chavalier de Saint-George
Violin Concerto no. V no. II in A Major (1775).
-Rachel Barton, violinist.
-The Encore Chamber Orchestra/Daniel Hege.

Albert Roussel
Bacchus et Ariane.
Le Festin de l'araignee.
-The BBC Philharmonic/Yan Pascal Tortelier.

Charles Koechlin
The Jungle Book(*), The Spring Running, The Meditation of Purun Bhagat,
The Law of the Jungle, & Les Bangar-log.
-Iris Vermillion, mezzo-soprano(*).
-Johan Botha, tenor(*).
-Ralf Lukas, tenor(*).
-The Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin & RIAS Kammerchor(*)/David Zinman.

Vincent d'Indy
Symphony no. II in B-flat Major (to Dukas).
-Iceland Symphony Orchestra/Rumon Gamba.

Cyril Scott
Piano Concerto no. II
Symphony no. III "The Muses" (1937).
-The BBC Philharmonic & The Huddersfield Choral Society/Martyn Brabbins.

 

[Orfeo]

Maximilian Steinberg
Symphony no. II in B-flat minor, op. 8.
Variations for Orchestra.
-The Gothenberg Symphony Orchestra/Neemi Jarvi.

Vladimir Scherbachov
Symphony no. V.
Suite "The Tobacco Captain."
-The St. Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra/Alexander Titov.

Nikolay Roslavets
Sonatas for Viola and Piano nos. I & II.
Piano Sonata no. V
-Andrey Gridchuk, viola.
-Alexander Blok, piano.
-Natalia Pankova, piano (piano sonata).

Nikolay Myaskovsky
Theme et Variations for Strings.
Two Pieces for Strings.
Napeve.
-The St. Petersburg Chamber Ensemble/Roland Melia.
String Quartet nos. VII & VIII.
-The Tanayev Quartet.

Vissarion Shebalin
String Quartet nos. VI, VII, & VIII.
-The Krasni Quartet.

 

[Orfeo]

Charles Koechlin: Le Doctor Fabricius, Op. 202
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart/Heinz Holliger

View attachment 43310 (1st time through this--pretty bored for the most part)

Charles Koechlin: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 72
Antigone Quartet

View attachment 43311 (I'm hot and cold about this 2nd time through)

I think his piano music is more interesting, much in the neighborhood of Debussy & Schmitt.

 

[Orfeo]

Kurt Atterberg
Symphony no. III "West Coast Pictures."
-The Radio-Philharmonie Hannover des NDR/Ari Rasilainen.

Hugo Alfven
Symphony no. IV "From the Outermost Skerries."
"A Legend of the Skerries."
-Christina Hogman, soprano.
-Claes-Hakan Ahnsjo, tenor.
-The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra/Neemi Jarvi.

Kalervo Tuukkanen
Symphony no. III "The Sea"
-Tuula-Marja Tuomela, soprano.
-Ton Nyman, tenor.
-The Jyvaskyla Symphony & Music Choir & Jyvaskyla Studio Choir/ Ari Rasilainen.

Joly Braga Santos
Symphony no. IV.
-The National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland/Alvaro Cassuto.

Erkki Melartin
Symphony no. IV in E major, Op. 80 "Kesäsinfonia" (Summer Symphony).
-Pia Freund, soprano.
-Lilli Paasikivi, mezzo soprano.
-Laura Nykänen, contralto.
-The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra/Leonid Grin.

Eduard Tubin
Symphony no. IV "Sinfonia Lirico."
-The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra/Arvo Volmer.

 

[Orfeo]

Reynaldo Hahn
Piano music (Le Rossignol eperdu (The Bewildered Nightingale), Juvenilia, Portraits de peintres, etc.).
-Cristina Ariagno, pianist.

Francis Poulenc
Piano music (Trois Mouvements perpetuels, Improvisations, Theme varie, etc.).
-Eric Parkin, pianist.

Cyril Scott
Piano music (Lotus Land, Solitude, An English Waltz, British Melodies, etc.).
-Leslie De'Ath, pianist.

Sir Lennox Berkeley
Piano music (Five Short Pieces, Three Pieces, Six Preludes, Improvisation on Theme of Falla, etc.).
-Christopher Headington, pianist.

 

[Orfeo]

Reynaldo Hahn
Piano music (Pieces d'amour et autres inedits, Premieres valses, Sonatine, Au Clair de lune, etc.).
-Cristina Ariagno, pianist.

Stephen Heller
24 Preludes, op. 81
20 Preludes, op. 150
-Jean Martin, pianist.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Symphony in F-sharp, op. 40.
Much Ado About Nothing, op. 11.
-The London Symphony Orchestra/Andre Previn.
-->Like Dohnanyi's Second Symphony, Korngold's is a tough nut to crack.

Antonin Dvorak
American Suite in A major, op. 98b(*).
Serenade for Strings in E major, op. 22.
Serenade for wind in D minor, op. 44.
-The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Antal Dorati(*).
-The London Philharmonic Orchestra/Christopher Hogwood.

 

[Orfeo]

View attachment 43530

Dame Gwyneth can be my Helen of Troy any day.

Do you recommend this recording over Botstein's (Telarc)? From what I read, this recording you were referring to has cuts.

 

[Orfeo]

Konstantyn Dankevych
Opera in four acts and 6 scenes "Bohdan Khmelnytsky" (1951).
-M. Grishko, V. Matveyev, B. Gmyrya, V. Borishchenko, N. Goncharenko, L. Rudenko, S. Kogan, et al.
-Orchestra, soloists, and choir of the Shevchenko Opera & Ballet House in Kiev/V. Piradov.

Boris Lyatoshinsky
Trio nos. I & II
-Oleh Krysa, violin.
-Natalia Khoma, cello.
-Tatiana Tchekina, piano.

Levko Revutsky
Symphony no. II (1927, rev. 1970).
-The Ukrainian SSR Symphony Orchestra/Nathan Rakhlin.

Yevgeny Glebov
Ballet "The Little Prince."
-The Belorussia SSR Television & Radio Symphony Orchestra/Boris Raisky.