What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[bart]

One of the great contemporary piano players.
Unfortunately for my US friends, he doesn't leave Europe:



He plays this with the exactly right touch (at least for me he does ).

[Antonmb]

Chopin to start the day: Chopin: Études, Op.10; Barcarolle, Op.60; Sonata No.2 - Nelson Freire on a Decca recording.

Freire is technically very good - his touch and dynamics on the slower movements are beautiful, but some of the faster movements are just too fast for my taste, almost like he's showing off. Beautiful recording and tone, even on the CD layer of this SACD.


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[cma29]

I had a very stressful morning today. To relax, I'm playing...

Corelli: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (12, complete)
The Avison Ensemble, Pavlo Beznosiuk



Very beautiful baroque music, nicely played by the Avison Ensemble and stunningly recorded by Linn.

[Robert_Anderson]

Sheffield Labs "The Moscow Sessions" - The CD isn't as good as the LP, but the performance and sound are still very good.

[Toccata]

Originally Posted by cma29

I had a very stressful morning today. To relax, I'm playing...

Corelli: Concerti grossi, Op. 6 (12, complete)
The Avison Ensemble, Pavlo Beznosiuk



Very beautiful baroque music, nicely played by the Avison Ensemble and stunningly recorded by Linn.

Agreed. Linn has just released Corelli's Op.2&4 together, and 1&3 will follow shortly--both sets played by he Avison. I love this Op.6 recording...as well as Op. 5.

[Robert_Anderson]

Shostakovitch Symphony #5 conducted by Leonard Bernstein. My first introduction to Shostakovitch given to me by my dad when I was little. It still remains one of my favorites.

[Toccata]

The postman brought me more goodies today! First up, this fantastic Mozart SACD, which is now out of print and a little pricey. It's a pity that Philips (and all major labels, of course) quit making SACDs, as this one has wonderful sound. As always, Brendel's playing is magnificent.

[cma29]

Before the family returns home tomorrow, I have one last chance to listen to music late at night.

Lalo: Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra in D Minor
James Levine conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Matt Haimovitz 'cello



The Lalo cello concerto may not be well known, but it should be! I find it an invigorating listen with a prominent part for the orchestra fully utilizing the brass section. The Chicago brass takes full advantage to show what they can do. Haimovitz's solo contribution is confident and he sounds special here (what happened to this guy?).

The DG sound is quite excellent: full, detailed, wide dynamic range and vibrant. One of their better engineering efforts in my opinion.

[bart]

Originally Posted by cma29

Before the family returns home tomorrow, I have one last chance to listen to music late at night.

Lalo: Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra in D Minor
James Levine conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Matt Haimovitz 'cello



The Lalo cello concerto may not be well known, but it should be! I find it an invigorating listen with a prominent part for the orchestra fully utilizing the brass section. The Chicago brass takes full advantage to show what they can do. Haimovitz's solo contribution is confident and he sounds special here (what happened to this guy?).

The DG sound is quite excellent: full, detailed, wide dynamic range and vibrant. One of their better engineering efforts in my opinion.

Carlos, these are fine cello concertos!
I have interpretations by Jacqueline Du Pré, not bad either.

Julian, page 1000 in this thread.
I hope you're ready to post the 10000th post!

[cma29]

Enjoying...

Heinichen: Dresden Concerti
Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel



This set is a great find and just a plain delight to hear. Johann David Heinichen was a contemporary of Bach and one of an important group of musicians employed by the Dresden court during the 1720s and 1730s.

Here is quote from a Gramophone review:
"Your attention will be held from start to finish. Much of the credit for this must go to Reinhard Goebel and his impeccably drilled Musica Antiqua Köln. Some of these pieces might well seem less entertaining in the hands of less imaginative musicians and it would be untruthful to claim that everything is of uniform interest. Each concerto fields its own distinctive wind group drawing variously upon recorders, flutes, oboes, bassoons and horns, the latter always in pairs, in addition to concertante parts in many of them for one or more violins and cellos. There's little need to say more."

Gramophone Awards 1993, Baroque Category

The 1992 Archiv recording is superb capturing the bloom of this enchanting Baroque music and the acoustic space where it was performed. This is one of my favorite discs. I promise you will like it after one hearing. No acquired taste kind of music these Dresden Concerti.