What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[schneice]

Thanks for the warm welcomes. I'm looking forward to exploring your recommendations!

[AudioNut]

Listening to . . . The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I

Glenn Gould - Solo Piano, recorded about 50 years ago and released by Sony on CD in 1994.

It's rather amazing today, when recordings of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier practically fall of the shelves, to recall just how unusual it was back in the 1960s for a pianist to undertake to record this amazing work. It's probably fair to say that until Glenn Gould got his fingers around it, Bach's music was used for teaching purposes more than anything else. What Gould proves in this essential set is that Bach is decidedly not just a threat to hold over the head of budding pianists but a joy to listen to. One of Gould's very greatest recordings. --David Hurwitz

I really enjoy the Well Tempered Clavier and Gould did it extremely well. This is an excellent recording and one I have listened to a good many times over the 20+ years I've owned it.

Book II completes the set and is excellent also.

[cma29]

Here is a recent acquisition...

Bach, C P E:
Magnificat in D, Wq. 215 (H772)
Heilig (Te Deum Laudamus), Wq. 217 (H778)
Symphony in D major, Wq. 183/1 (H663)
Elizabeth Watts (soprano), Wiebke Lehmkuhl (alto), Lothar Odinius (tenor) & Markus Eiche (bass)
RIAS Kammerchor & Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Hans-Christoph Rademann



...which recently won the 2014 Gramophone Award in the Baroque Vocal category. CPE Bach is a neglected composer who is recently getting some recognition for his really enjoyable compositions. This performance has plenty of energy and is a great listen. The recorded sound is fine (7/10).

[schneice]

Originally Posted by cma29

CPE Bach is a neglected composer who is recently getting some recognition for his really enjoyable compositions.

+1

[AndyPandy]

Lazic, Dejan - piano
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Petrenko, Kirill - conductor


Here is a review, with which I entirely agree. The body of the review encapsulates my thoughts exactly. I wondered what the hell was going on in the opening Allegro - having grown up with Richter's I was scratching my head and thinking - this doesn't sound like the Rach 2 I know...but Lazic I agree began to hit his strides in the Adagio and it became more immersive after that. The band is particularly good. Very tight. Kirill is of course superb at the helm.

Anyone got the Andrei Gavrilov/Riccardo Muti version from the 80's, before Gavrilov retired from the public eye? Would love to find a copy of that: Edit - found one on mdt.co.uk.

Review by James Leonard [-]
Is the opening Allegro of Dejan Lazic's performance of Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto from May 16, 2008, a failure or a fake-out? At the start, Lazic seems overly restrained and out of step with tradition. The famous series of introductory piano chords are a simple crescendo, the first theme is almost inward, and the march at the development's climax is a tad held back. It's not that one could doubt Lazic's ability: his roiling arpeggios, crashing octaves, and racing arabesques are ideally articulated. But one might, based on the evidence of the opening Allegro, question his commitment to this romantic warhorse.
Lazic begins to show his hand in the central Adagio sostenuto, which broods deeply at its start, takes flight in its climax and cadenza, and then unexpectedly pulls back into itself at the close. This brief efflorescence predicts the concluding Allegro scherzando's electrifying volte-face. At last, Lazic spurs on the work and he rides it to glory, tearing through thickets of thirty-second notes, bolting over barrages of eight- and ten-note chords, and charging with reckless courage through the colossal coda to emerge victorious. Aided and abetted by the talented Kirill Petrenko and the stalwart London Philharmonic Orchestra, Lazic's Second surely deserves to enter the pantheon of great Seconds.
As a generous and appropriate coupling, Lazic has added Rachmaninov's Moments Musicaux, the set of solo piano six works published just prior the concerto, in beautiful studio performances of great strength and greater sensitivity. Channel Classics' super audio sound is vivid and colorful, with a wonderful sense of place in the live recording.

[AudioNut]

Listening to . . . . Mozart - Symphony No. 1 from the box set
Mozart The Symphonies
Prague Chamber Orchestra - Sir Charles Mackerras, Conductor - Volume 1

Also on this disc are Mozart's Symphonies 3, 4, 5, 6. "55", 7, 8, and his Symphony in F major - K19a.

This symphony, written by Wolfie Mozart when he was a wee lad of EIGHT years old . . . is probably better than the symphony I wrote when I was 8. In fact, it is probably as mature sounding as a lot of symphonies I listen to that were written by really old men.

Kidding aside, this is very nice music, not nearly so complex or mature sounding as Mozart's later stuff, but very pleasant to listen to.

Now for the sound of the complete Mozart Symphonies from which this disc is taken .. it is really excellent. Sir Charles Mackerras was a superb conductor and worked magic on this little orchestra from Prague.

THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS SET OF MOZART'S SYMPHONIES IS THAT IT MAY BE HAD FROM AMAZON - TEN (10) DISCS FOR THE PRINCELY SUM OF $30.34 (USD) OR $3.00 A DISC - AND IT IS AN EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT SET. Amazon.com: Mozart The Symphonies: Music

[Antonmb]

Early morning on what's shaping up to be another beautiful day in the PNW

Listening to
Copland - Third Symphony
"Aaron Copland conducts The London Symphony Orchestra in his Third Symphony"
Everest Records, 24/192 reissue

I love Copland and this is one of my favorites. This is a brilliant performance, and excellent sound to go with it.

[bart]

Originally Posted by bart

Listening to disc 1 (Symphony 1, 2, 3) of this set:



I own quite a few complete sets of B's symphonies, and a lot of albums with one or 2 symphonies.
I consider this Blu-ray box as one of my favourites already.

Listening to Symphony 4 (on disc 2).

I don't know how it is for you guys, but Ludwig's symphonies always make me feel a little better...

[bart]

We couldn't stop listening to Beethoven...
Symphony 5 (with an encore from Haydn) and Symphony 6 "Pastorale".
This is seriously good.

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by schneice

I will have to check it out. The full orchestra can be quite stunning; a wall of very complicated sound. It is one of my reference recordings. There is tremendous complexity in the large passages and the recording captures the detail. I find that a lot of very good systems could not keep things cleanly separated. If I had a complaint is would be that I think the engineer boosted the some of the quite parts. Given the range, I understand why the did it. But I'd love to hear a more balanced version. On the 4th movement, I come down decidedly for its inclusion. There is some real magic. There is a good video on the Berlin site with Simon Rattle talking about how it was reconstructed. A bit long (20m) but worth it. Maybe a little morose, but I find the symphony particularly engaging when I consider that Bruckner knew he was dying when he wrote the piece. I think you can hear him wrestling with his mortality and fate.

Thoughtful review - welcome to the classical thread.