What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[cma29]

Originally Posted by parsifalcor

I'm about to queue up Szell's interpretation of Brahms piano concerto Nr. 1 with Sir. Clifford Curzon and London Symphony on Tidal right now (I'm abroad and will be listening to them on my bose noise-cancelling headphones, yeah, I know...)

Fantastic recording and interpretation by two great MASTERS of their craft! I'm a total sucker for anything George Szell!

Originally Posted by Antonmb

Parsifalcor, welcome to the classical thread, and nice choice for your fist post here. It doesn't matter how you're listening, we're always glad to have insights into great classical recordings.

+1. Great to see you here sharing in our love for some of the best music composed.

[cma29]

Here is the perfect music to start the work day...

Brahms: Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115
Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A major, K581
Karl-Heinz Steffens (clarinet)
Scharoun Ensemble Berlin



The quintets are well-played by these guys, all members of the Berlin Philharmonic. The Swiss label Tudor SACD recorded sound is detailed and atmospheric.

[cma29]

Up next more Mozart...

Mozart:
Horn Concerto No. 1 in D major, K412 (K386b)
Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major, K313
Bassoon Concerto in B flat major, K191
Oboe Concerto In C major, K314
Jacob Slagter, Emily Beynon, Gustavo Nunez & Alexei Ogrintchouk
Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra



This is an outstanding Pentatone SACD featuring principal players from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The music is light on its feet, the playing is superb and the recording is extremely well done. Recommended

[Antonmb]

CPE Bach to start the day:
Hamburger Sinfonien WQ 182
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
Hänssler Classic (2014)

Excellent performance and recording.

[AudioNut]

Listening to . . . . J. S. Bach - Three Keyboard Concertos

English Chamber Orchestra
Andras Schiff - Piano

Nice to hear Bach's sublime keyboard music being played on a piano - rather than on one of those tinkly, awful sounding harpsichord things . . . (IMHO!)

Anyway, I usually play some nice "gentle" baroque music when first I arise in the A.M., and I am enjoying this beautiful recording immensely.






And I can only imagine just how awful the following recording must sound . . . egads, yuk, P.U. FOUR HARPSICHORDS playing together in the same room -

Think I'll turn off my hearing aids before I throw-up.

[AudioNut]

And, I just realized that I've got to start posting here again . . .

Bart is about to catch up with me, and I can't have that, can I?

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[AudioNut]

Originally Posted by Antonmb

CPE Bach to start the day:
Hamburger Sinfonien WQ 182
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
Hänssler Classic (2014)

Excellent performance and recording.

And, Tony, I usually agree with just about anything you post here, but I can't imagine spending an hour or so, listening to a symphony dedicated to a hamburger . . . and old C.P. E. must have had a slow day to write such a thing.


And I like a good hamburger as well as anyone . . but a SYMPHONY !!!! of all things!

. . . . . This CD seems like a waste of good plastic to me . . . . .

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by AudioNut

And I like a good hamburger as well as anyone . . but a SYMPHONY !!!! of all things!

I would play Wagner's "Der Frankfurter Ring" in your honor, if only I could abide Wagner. And don't let Bart catch you!

[cma29]

Today I'm feeling like enjoying an opera...

Verdi: La Traviata
Ileana Cotrubas (Violetta Valery), Stefania Malagu (Flora Bervoix), Helena Jungwirth (Annina), Placido Domingo (Alfredo Germont), Sherrill Milnes (Giorgio Germont), Walter Gullino (Gastone), Bruno Grella (Barone Douphol) Alfredo Giacomotti (Marchese d’Obigny), Giovanni Foiani (Dottore Grenvil), Walter Gullino (Giuseppe)
Bayerischer Staatsopernchor & Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Carlos Kleiber
(recorded 1977)



An extraordinary performance by Carlos Kleiber impeccably played by the Bayerisches Staatsorchester. The SACD remastering is clear and atmospheric but the volume needs to be turned up higher than usual.

[cma29]

Originally Posted by cma29

Here is a new acquisition...

Mussorgsky / Ravel: Pictures From An Exhibition
Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite. 1919
Riccardo Muti, The Philadelphia Orchestra



I've been looking for a spectacular version of this work and I've seen this recommended. It's hard to find, but it just became available in Japan and got a copy from CD Japan. Here is what they say: "Reissue. Newly produced with a master from outside Japan." Not an SACD or SHM-CD. It's a good performance from 1979 and the sonics are good, but not the audiophile, huge dynamic range spectacle I was hoping for.

Revisiting this disc today. For some reason, it sounds much better to me now. Intense playing, nicely captured in a dynamic, natural, detailed recording. The volume must be turned up higher than usual to enjoy it, but that's why I have huge Class A monoblock amps.