Current Listening Vol IX [2023]

386064 Views 19807 Replies 172 Participants Last post by elgar's ghost, 21 m ago

Art Rock

Discussion Starter · 5 mo ago

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Here we go again. In the past, this popular thread had to be re-started a number of times because the files got to big for the software used. The latest restart was with volume VIII, which accidentally practically coincided with the start of the new year 2022. Many members thought this was actually a good idea to pick a new year for a new thread, so with 2023 upon us (already or soon, depending on where you live), we are starting a new thread.

Links to previous Current Listening threads:
Current Listening Vol I
Current Listening Vol II
Current Listening Vol III
Current Listening Vol IV
Current Listening Vol V
Current Listening Vol VI
Current Listening Vol VII
Current Listening Vol VIII

A few suggestions (as if anyone bothers reading this):

Many members appreciate if you would not just post a CD cover or an embedded YouTube link. It would be helpful if you would post at least a short description (like composer, work, performers). This holds especially for videos, because not all YouTube videos can be seen in every country, and they tend to disappear over time.

It would be even better if you can post a little bit about your own take on what you are listening to. No need for extensive reviews, but a few lines would make the thread clearly more valuable to other members.

These are suggestions, not rules. They are not subject to intervention by the moderating team.

Have fun, Happy New Year, and enjoy listening to classical music as always!

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12621 - 12640 of 19808 Posts

Tsaraslondon

· #12,621 · 2 mo ago (Edited)

Callas's second recital for EMI was a demonstration of her versatility, with one side of lyric-dramatic arias and one associated with light coloraturas. This obviously makes for more variety than the all Puccini disc, and there are some classic performances here, including La mamma morta, which became an unexpected hit when it was used at a key moment in the movie Philaldelphia. I have a fuller review on my website.

Maria Menghini Callas sings Operatic Arias

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Tsaraslondon

· #12,622 · 2 mo ago

Neo Romanza said:
A magnificent recording and my own reference for Das Lied.

It was always mine too, until I heard the live Kubelik from Munich, also with Baker. Have you heard it?

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janwillemvanaalst

· #12,623 · 2 mo ago

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Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-19843): Piano concerto no.2 in C minor, op.18 (1900), as recorded live in 2004 by Stephen Hough (piano) with the Dallas symphony orchestra, conducted by Andrew Litton.

This year marks Rachmaninov's 150th birthday; a good reason to replay what might very well be my all-time favorite piano concerto. I've tried many other artists/recordings, but in the end I keep coming back to Stephen Hough, even though he seems to begin the opening movement slightly too enthusiastic.

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Art Rock

Discussion Starter · #12,624 · 2 mo ago

Robert Schumann: Complete Chamber Music (Alberni Quartet et al, Brilliant Classics, 7 CD's)

Continuing with this box that I bought last Monday at a thrift shop for 2 euro. Today the fourth CD, containing the Piano Quartet and the Piano Quintet, played by Thomas Rajna and the Alberni Quartett (licensed from CRD).

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janwillemvanaalst

· #12,625 · 2 mo ago

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Robert Schumann (1810-1856): Fantasiestücke für cello und pianoforte, op.73 (1849), as recorded by Martha Argerich (piano) and Natalia Gutman (cello).

From Wikipedia:
Fantasiestücke for clarinet and piano, Op. 73, were written in 1849 by Robert Schumann. Though they were originally intended for clarinet and piano, Schumann indicated that the clarinet part could be also performed on viola or cello. Robert Schumann wrote the pieces over just two days in February 1849, and originally entitled them "Soirée Pieces" before settling on the title Fantasiestücke. The title is one Schumann was fond of, since he used it in several works. This poetic title promotes the fundamental Romantic notion that creative expression is the product of the artist's unrestricted imagination. In addition, the connotations of "fantasy" justify the sudden mood changes.

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MartinDB

· #12,626 · 2 mo ago

A new (to me) recording of Schnittke's string trio, and Schnittke cello sonatas.

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Enthusiast

· #12,627 · 2 mo ago

Ulalume!Ulalume! said:
Yehudi Menuhin & The Bath Festival Orchestra
Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante K.364 / Haydn: Violin Concerto in C Major
I'm making an introductory Classical playlist for a friend—to be sequenced chronologically— featuring only the best versions of each piece— no silly-fast tempos, no coughing! etc. It's currently 628 tracks long and is unlikely to be under 1000 when finished. I'm sourcing a lot of the Mozart from Menuhin. I'm also wondering if I should keep it a purely instrumental thing— classical singing often being quite off-putting to newcomers—if I start including vocal music it might very well triple in length.

You could always include just a very few vocal pieces. I'm not sure what your view on "the best versions of each piece" will be but those new to classical music often enjoy "vocal gymnastics" - perhaps Bartoli doing some Vivaldi? - and one of those ensembles from a Mozart Da Ponte opera. And it can't be that hard coming up with a Romantic piece or two. I guess a further question is whether to include choral music (lots of possibilities from the earliest to the contemporary).

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Kiki

· #12,628 · 2 mo ago

Serge Prokofiev ▪ Symphony No. 6 Op. 111
Leningard Philharmonic Orchestra ▪ Evgeny Mravinsky
Rec. 1958 ▪ Profil

This is the only studio recording of Mravinsky's Prokofiev #6. It is a bit slower and a bit more relaxed than some of his live recordings, but the Mravinskian efficiency is still apparent. The 1958 mono sound is decent.

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Tsaraslondon

· #12,629 · 2 mo ago

Recorded in 1955, this album was supposed to be a memento of operas Callas was singing at La Scala around that time (Medea in 1953, La Vestale in 1954 and La Sonnambula in 1955). However Callas never approved the Sonnambula arias and release was delayed until 1958, with EMI adding arias from her complete recordings of I Puritani and La Sonnambula. Apparently Serafin objected to the intricate ornamentation Bernstein had added for the La Scala performances and the result, in the cabalettas at least, is a little studio bound and lacking in excitement, which might be why Callas refused to allow their release. The Medea aria is likewise a little stiff, compared to performances in some of her live recordings, though it is beautifully shaped. The best performances on the disc are the arias from La Vestale; Tu che invoco brims with drama and significance, and the other arias benefit from her supple line and deep legato. Perhaps not one of the most essential Callas recital discs, but valuable for the Spontini arias at least.

Callas at La Scala

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Lisztianwagner

· #12,630 · 2 mo ago

Happy 150th birthday to Rachmaninov:

Sergei Rachmaninov
Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini

Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)
Bernard Haitink & Philharmonia Orchestra

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Malx

· #12,631 · 2 mo ago

J S Bach, Brandenburg Concertos Nos 4-6 BWV 1049-51 - Isabelle Faust (violin), Antoine Tamestit (viola), Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.

Sparkling accounts of these works.

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Monsalvat

· #12,632 · 2 mo ago

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 6
Claudio Abbado: Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1980)

I'm quite fond of this performance. I also like Abbado's later Berlin recording, but I've been drawn to this earlier one lately.

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VitellioScarpia

· #12,633 · 2 mo ago (Edited)

A good collection and a great bargain. However, in spite of the title, it does not contain all of Respighi's orchestral music.

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CD1: Feste Romane, Fontane di Roma, Pini di Roma
CD2: Gli Uccelli, Suite for Strings, Suite in G
CD3: Impressioni brasiliane, Trittico botticelliano, Vetrate di chiesa
CD4: Concerto a cinque, Poema autunnale, Concerto all'antica
CD5: Concerto gregoriano, Toccata, Adagio con variazioni
CD6: Sinfonia drammatica, Fantasia slava
CD7: Antiche danze ed arie per liuto, Rossiniana
CD8: Concerto in modo misolidio, Metamorphoseon modi XII

Soloists: Vadim Brodski (violin), Andrea Noferini (cello), Chiara Bertoglio (piano), Désirée Scucuglia (piano), Antonio Palcich (organ)

Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Francesco La Vecchia (conductor)

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elgar's ghost

· #12,634 · 2 mo ago

Paul Hindemith - operas and other vocal/choral works with orchestra
part two for early afternoon.

Cardillac is a rather grim tale of a master goldsmith in 17th century Paris who kills his customers because he can't bear to let his beloved artefacts go. His daughter and her beau come to suspect he is the murderer, but the man is drawn to defending Cardillac because he has been given Cardillac's blessing to marry his daughter. The Gold Merchant accuses Cardillac of the crimes but the public are dismissive, such is the goldsmith's high standing in the community. Cardillac eventually gives himself away - almost willingly, it seems - and is strung up.

By this time Hindemith's music had become more cool and streamlined but there are still some strong expressionist elements here.

Cardillac - opera in three acts, after the short-story Das Fräulein von Scuderi
by E.T.A. Hoffmann op.39 [Libretto: Ferdinand Lion] (1925-26 - rev. 1952):

with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (bar. - Cardillac), Leonore Kirschstein (sop. - Daughter), Donald Grobe (ten. - Officer, and the fiancé of Cardillac's daughter), Karl Christian Kohn (bass - Gold Merchant) a.o. and the Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester and choir/Joseph Keilberth

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janwillemvanaalst

· #12,635 · 2 mo ago (Edited)

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Lorenzo Perosi (1872-1956): Missa Pontificalis secunda (1897), as recorded in 2000 by the Coro Polifonico Castelbarco di Avio & I Virtuosi Italiani, conducted by Arturo Sacchetti.

Continuing my exploration of newly discovered Italian choral composer Don Lorenzo "The priest" Perosi, I've now heard this Missa Pontificalis (secunda) for the first time. The mood is Molto adagio e dolcissimo throughout, with few exceptions. This is almost meditative music for places with a sacred atmosphere. There's simply no ego here. Some might find it boring, but it gets me in a state of inner peace I've been seeking for a long time. So I'm glad I found Perosi, and I will be checking out other material by him.

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haziz

· #12,636 · 2 mo ago

SS 1.04.23 - Kalinnikov Symphony #2

The Saturday Symphony

A brilliamt and tuneful symphony. A pity he died too young to write any further masterpieces. It, together with the first symphony, has been a favorite of mine since I discovered the composer 12 years ago.

I will play the Ukraine NSO/Kuchar recording, which has been my preferred recording, but will probably listen to the entirety of the recorded survey of this symphony.

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Enthusiast

· #12,637 · 2 mo ago

The Choral from the earlier Norrington Beethoven set is (IMO) an excellent one. In my mind I compare this set with Gardiner's - which came out around the same time - and have always preferred Norrington's. Norrington's 9th is one of the reasons for this.

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haziz

· #12,638 · 2 mo ago

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janwillemvanaalst

· #12,639 · 2 mo ago

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Zygmunt Stojowski (1870-1946): Le printemps (Spring) for choir and orchestra, op.7 (1891), as recorded in 2008 by Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Choir, Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marcin Nalecz-Niesiolowski.

Every time I hear a piece by Stojowski, be it concertante, orchestral, choral, piano, or chamber music, I am reminded of just how gifted a composer he was. Too bad he's all but forgotten nowadays.

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Bourdon

· #12,640 · 2 mo ago

Bach

Sonata (II) BWV1014
Partita a-moll BWV 1013

Always returning to this great music as captivating and impassionedly performed as here.

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