[science]

Pleased with the surprising (to me) result of poll #1, I now apply simian digits to keyboard in the making of a second totally random poll.

The question is, of the recordings listed, which do you think should be the highest priority for me as a listener? Or, if you don't think I should have priorities, or that "should" has any place, or whatever, please feel free not to participate, or to vote for a recording on some other grounds or anything! I'd be very impressed if anyone has heard all of the recordings I'm about to list. You can vote for things based on your personal experience, your own wishes for yourself, what you've heard about them, whatever.

There is no good explanation or excuse for this poll (or its predecessor, or its successors should there be any). As before, this is not a very serious thing. It is not an attempt to discover the absolute truth about the objectively greatest whatever whatever whatever whatever. I'm just curious. I just want to put the question to the community here and see what the results are. It's nothing more than that.

 

[science]

Some album covers:

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[science]

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[science]

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[SimonNZ]

Of the ten I've heard the MacKerras Martinu and the Henry's Eight Gombert I'd recommend to absolutely anyone as the first priority, though they're all worthy, or seem so.

Science: this isn't a loaded question, and I'm not going to follow it up in any way but: what was it that surprised you with the response to the previous list?

 

[MoonlightSonata]

That ASLSP recording - it's not the full length organ version is it...?

 

[KenOC]

That ASLSP recording - it's not the full length organ version is it...?

If it's the one being done in Germany, my quick numbers say it will be issued on a set of 4.8 million CDs. I'll wait for the budget download, thanks.

 

[science]

Of the ten I've heard the MacKerras Martinu and the Henry's Eight Gombert I'd recommend to absolutely anyone as the first priority, though they're all worthy, or seem so.

Science: this isn't a loaded question, and I'm not going to follow it up in any way but: what was it that surprised you with the response to the previous list?

Mostly, I definitely didn't expect Messiaen's "Des canyons" to do so well. It got more than half of the votes, twice as many as anything else on the poll. I hadn't realized it was that popular.

I'd guessed that Boulez's recording of the choral works of Schoenberg would win. It came in tied for second, but still, "Des canyons" dominated it.

Even though Kashkashian's Kurtag/Ligeti album tied for second, I expected it to do better.

The Bruch recording did a lot better than I would've expected.

I expected Tüür's Magma to do better. I thought that was fairly popular.

 

[Gaspard de la Nuit]

Well I had to go with Hanson and Mussorgsky......Hanson has less-than-imaginative moments but is a shockingly good neo-romantic composer and the recording is a good one.

 

[ArtMusic]

What another nice thread. I voted the first one, the Boccherini concertos and symphonies. Boccherini is an often underrated composer.

 

[Guest]

Cage/Golijov/Henze/Martinu this time.

 

[Weston]

I have that Martinu Field Mass recording and don't recall being too impressed with it, though I usually love Martinu. So I voted for a different Field, the Nocturnes. I know O'Conor handles the Field sonatas superbly so you probably can't go wrong with this one.

I also voted for the Henze Requiem just because it looks cool and I want a review if it wins.

 

[quack]

Liebner's ASLSP made my wireless headphones turn off.

 

[science]

I also voted for the Henze Requiem just because it looks cool and I want a review if it wins.

Wikipedia.

"Nine spiritual concerti for solo piano, concertante trumpet and large chamber orchestra" - instrumental rather than vocal.

A fun work, moody (maybe a little angry at times, with something like a sense of determination, definitely a work of grief without resignation) but without much lingering, lots of percussion, almost like a march sometimes. I would never disagree with Ensemble Modern, who premiered the work, but there are other recordings. Rattle performed it in Berlin last month; hopefully he'll record it too.

 

[joen_cph]

Voted Henze and Martinu. Boccherini is a great composer, but personally I´d go for other recordings though. Should have clicked Boccherini too, however.

 

[Oscarf]

Voted for the three I am more familiar with. The Mussorgsky/Stokowski (been listening to quite a few of Stokowski transcriptions recently and they are really enjoyable), the Lauridsen (somewhat light music but it is ok) and the Martinu (not familiar with these actual Works but I really enjoy his symphonies)

 

[Nereffid]

Field, Glass, and Martinu.
Just 'cos.

 

[GioCar]

I voted for the Julian Bream album. Bream is my favorite guitarist of his generation, imo more refined than his fellow John Williams (the guitarist).

I also voted for the Henze (I'm developing a growing interest for his music) and the Mussorgsky/Stokowski (nice comparison with the Ravel)

 

[brotagonist]

None of those grab me all that much (ok, Henze, Golijov, Boccherini, Martinů could be worth exploring one day ), but this is not about me, it's about you Since you're asking me, I'll tell you.

I think you should listen to what you enjoy the most the most. You don't get extra points for spending hours with things you're not fond of or not much interested in. Listening to music is not a competition to see who has heard the most unknown or obscure composers. (For most listeners) It's about enjoyment.