What are you listening to now?

[kishnevi]

Some of Biber's music is very fascinating (at times in a very Gesualdo/Schnittke way), not a fan no, but he is one of the most interesting I have found from the Baroque.

Vivaldi?  Can't stand him at all, so considerably better

Try Gunnar Letzbor's recordings: he's done several CDs focusing on German-Austrian music for solo violins, including Vilsmayer  and Biber.

TD
Liszt
More stuff from the EMI Piano Collection set, this installment featuring  Andre Watts playing the Paganini Etudes and Andsnes playing three of the Mephisto Waltzes.

[Todd]

Finished up a first go-round.  The First might be just a tad too long, but other than that, this disc ends a far better than anticipated cycle.  The widely different style of the two quartets here makes the disc that much more enjoyable.

[Todd]

D940.

[Que]

Another from this set with Gustav Leonardt's Philips recordings:

[asin]B00T65T6YQ[/asin]

Q

[Que]

OK, I like the look of that one Q. I think that I will add it to my List.

Not going to be easy to find it for a reasonable price, but it is worth the effort.
Great performance under Christopher Rousset.

I have two others for you....




This one is really good. The music is beautiful and some of the accompaniments are wonderful. The artists speak for themselves. Recommended.




Obviously, given the nature of the Miserere the tone of the music is obviously not up beat but is still quite enchanting. The Sei Duetti Sacri are of interest. The performances are fine but not of the highest standard.

Thank you! 

Q

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Shostakovich's last work, the viola sonata, played by Rachlin/Golan.

In approaching this work, I can't imagine what the preparation must be like for musicians, attempting to digest forty minutes' worth of music devoid of anything resembling a tangible center. No surprise since there's no real starting point, either, and what ending there is (a lament on Beethoven's death) almost seems to continue on even as the last notes fade away.

There's undefined and then there's Shostakovich's undefined. Fortunately for us Shostakovich's undefined isn't the type to shy away from. Sticking it out means the sheer will behind the notes eventually makes itself known. Rachlin and Golan seem to have the gift of mastering this great undefined. And wouldn't you know, it's a thing of beauty after all.



[asin]B0009JM42E[/asin] 

[Harry]

Second reruns, yesterday and today.

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2017/05/vocal-music-from-french-reformation-and.html?spref=tw

[Florestan]

Lively, energetic and tuneful music for an unusual combination of instruments (oboe, violin and bassoon), from one of the greatest 18th century oboe virtuosos.

[nodogen]

Nielsen
Symphony 4 + 5

LSO, under Colin Davis.

(courtesy of Spotify)

[SimonNZ]

Victoria Poleva's  Null - Volodymyr Sirenko, cond.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EPU78TDoTc

[Harry]

http://walboi.blogspot.nl/2017/05/francaix-jean-1912-1997-orchestral-works.html?spref=tw

The scoring is so delicately done, that you hear the tapering of feet by dancing nymphs on stage.

[Wakefield]

Stephan Möller plays Beethoven op 106, using a percussive and colourful 1830 Bosendorfer, a proper Beethoven piano, and  well worth hearing this if you like this sort of music. Very good to hear all the usual traces of tearful sentimentality eradicated from the Adagio of op 106. And very good to hear the opening allegro of the Hammerklavier played fast on an instrument with little sustain and superior clarity. From the point of view of the performance and the instrument and the sound this is top tier.

In my experience the highlighted part is a good brief of qualities that piano aficionados hate about period instruments. 

[Florestan]

Although the instrumental combinations might suggest lightweight works, they are anything but. This is serious music with some quite dramatic passages. Lyricism aplenty, too. Entertainment as well, but not of the shallow kind. Classicaly crafted but with distinct Early Romantic overtones. The best of the two worlds, actually. Highly recommended if you are into this stuff.

[Wakefield]

Bach: Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord
Lucy Russell, violin
John Butt, harpsichord

[asin]B00VRLJXKY[/asin]

I hated it almost from the very beginning. It was probably the very unfavorable comparison to Höbarth/Häkkinen... who knows. But I felt this set as tame, lame, boring and lifeless, nothing to do with Butt's previous attempt joined to Elizabeth Blumenstock. 

[Madiel]

Streaming some unknown bits of Stravinsky:

Renard (James Conlon conducting) - fascinating music this!
Three Stories for Children (Olga Romanko)
Five Easy Pieces for piano duet (Karis, Lubin)

[HIPster]

Bach: Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord
Lucy Russell, violin
John Butt, harpsichord

[asin]B00VRLJXKY[/asin]

I hated it almost from the very beginning. It was probably the very unfavorable comparison to Höbarth/Häkkinen... who knows. But I felt this set as tame, lame, boring and lifeless, nothing to do with Butt's previous attempt joined to Elizabeth Blumenstock.

Hi Gordo! 

Thanks for the review.  That bad, huh?

Thread duty ~

[asin]B00O4DRAPW[/asin]

[prémont]

Bach: Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord
Lucy Russell, violin
John Butt, harpsichord

I hated it almost from the very beginning. It was probably the very unfavorable comparison to Höbarth/Häkkinen... who knows. But I felt this set as tame, lame, boring and lifeless, nothing to do with Butt's previous attempt joined to Elizabeth Blumenstock.

Thanks, also taken ad notam. By the way I have avoided the Russel/Butt set until now, so much more since I culled his recent rushed and pointless WTC.

[Wakefield]

Hi Gordo! 

Thanks for the review.  That bad, huh?

Hi, Dave!

Yes, I think so. Just to be sure, this morning I listened to Butt/Blumenstock, and it's astonishingly superior to this one. 

[HIPster]

Hi, Dave!

Yes, I think so. Just to be sure, this morning I listened to Butt/Blumenstock, and it's astonishingly superior to this one. 

Thanks my friend! 

Good to see you posting.

I must look into Butt/Blumenstock.

Cheers! 

[Wakefield]

Thanks, also taken ad notam. By the way I have avoided the Russel/Butt set until now, so much more since I culled his recent rushed and pointless WTC.

I purchased his WTC as a high quality download, and my opinion was similar. Outstanding sound quality, but arbitrary interpretation.