What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[bart]

Tim, Graham, indeed, the Concertgebouw Brugge has a wonderful programme every season.
Imagine this: we've seen the London Symphony Orchestra this year, Jordi Savall, now the BFO.

I heard a comment on the radio today that totally confirms our impression: a very very solid performance.
This conductor knows what he's doing (he doesn't even need sheets, it's all in his head), and the musicians clearly enjoy playing together.
Just like last year, the encore was a vocal piece of Brahms, brought by a choir, consisting of... all the musicians.
It brought tears to our eyes...

They're here for 3 consecutive nights.
We're going back tomorrow: Mozart and Mendelssohn.
With Maria Joao Pires!!

This is him again, with his warm smile. He speaks a lot of languages, also ours, Dutch.

[cma29]

Originally Posted by bart

Mahler - Symphony no. 9 Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer Just back from Bruges where we saw this fantastic orchestra playing Brahms' 1st and 2nd Symphony. Mister Fischer was kind enough to sign afterwards.

^^^^ That's excellent, Bart. Thanks for sharing.

[Toccata]

This is my introduction to Stankovych's music, and boy do I like it! Picture a humorless, more angst-ridden Shostakovich with a dash of Schnittke here and there--but still tuneful! Very power stuff that deserves to be better known. Superb playing and sound.

[Toccata]

Grimaud playing Ravel...'nuff said! Great sound, too.

[Antonmb]

Mahler - Symphony No. 5
Ivan Fischer & the Budapest Festival Orchestra
Channel Classics

As others have pointed out, so far all of Fischer's Mahler symphonies on Channel Classics are worth having. This is a wonderful performance, and sound quality is up to the usual Channel Classics standards.

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by bart

Tim, Graham, indeed, the Concertgebouw Brugge has a wonderful programme every season. Imagine this: we've seen the London Symphony Orchestra this year, Jordi Savall, now the BFO. I heard a comment on the radio today that totally confirms our impression: a very very solid performance. This conductor knows what he's doing (he doesn't even need sheets, it's all in his head), and the musicians clearly enjoy playing together. Just like last year, the encore was a vocal piece of Brahms, brought by a choir, consisting of... all the musicians. It brought tears to our eyes... They're here for 3 consecutive nights. We're going back tomorrow: Mozart and Mendelssohn. With Maria Joao Pires!! This is him again, with his warm smile. He speaks a lot of languages, also ours, Dutch.

I'm envious, how wonderful to be able to see such great performances so close to home.

[AudioNut]

Originally Posted by audiot servant

+1 on the wow! Bart, how cool to enjoy Mr Fischer playing in the local neighbourhood...

Graham,

It has been two years and two months since you last posted in this thread, in which you were one of the very best, most well informed, nicest and friendliest, members of this minor brotherhood . . .

I/we have missed you a bunch and hope that your recent post is the start of another series of some of the best posts most of us will ever experience.

Welcome home and please come again often.

Julian

[Steady339]

Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C Minor
Wiener Philharmoniker & Carlos Kleiber

[Toccata]

Another searingly intense performance by the PHQ. Fabulous sound. Oh how I wish they'd record a Bartok and a Shostakovich cycle--they would be frighteningly brutal--in the right places! (A Beethoven cycle would be nice, too.)

[audiot servant]

Hey Julian,

Many, many thanks for your gracious and completely kind words... though of course now I'm also a tad scared to post again for fear that the efforts may be considerably less than previously advertised lol.

Yes, I have been way, way too wayward and am also taken aback on your mention that it's been a couple of years (where did they go???) since last and yes, I do intend to come home more often to my very favourite music thread and enjoy more of the classical brotherhood's musical journeying. It is the richest part of all.

Now just where did I put that Shostakovich...