What Classical Music Are You Listening To Tonight?

[cma29]

Here is another recent acquisition...

Schmidt, F: Symphony No. 2 in E flat major
Strauss, R: Träumerei am Kamin (from Intermezzo)
Wiener Philharmoniker, Semyon Bychkov



First listen. Fresh music from a VPO cellist.

[eljr]

Freiburger Barockorchester
C.P.E. Bach: Hamburger Sinfonien & Concerte

Release Date August 26, 2011
Duration01:10:09
Genre
Classical
Styles
Symphony
Concerto

[eljr]

Sigiswald Kuijken / La Petite Bande
Arcangelo Corelli: Concerti Grossi, Op. 6

Genre
Classical
Styles
Concerto
Orchestral
Recording Location
Cedemsaal, Schloss Kirchheim
Run Time: 68 minutes
July 11, 2000

[eljr]

Johann Sebastian Bach • Igor Stravinsky - Tomova-Sintov* • Baltsa* • Schreier* • Luxon* • Chorus Of The Deutsche Oper Berlin* • Berlin Philharmonic* • Herbert von Karajan ‎– Magnificat • Symphony Of Psalms
Label:
Deutsche Grammophon ‎– 2531 048
Format:
CD
Country:
Europe
Released:
1979
Genre:
Classical
Style:
Baroque, Modern

[eljr]

Herbert von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Bach: Matthäus-Passion

Release Date August 31, 1987
Duration03:23:12
Genre
Classical
Styles
Choral

[eljr]

Originally Posted by cma29

I just got this disc delivered from England...

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Pathétique'
Musicaeterna, Teodor Currentzis

It is an excellent performance of this symphony. What you'll notice right away is that this is a symphony of silences and the silences here are as black as they get - very dramatic. The other detail that jumps out is the detail and weight of the strings, particularly the basses (9) and cellos (14) making for a very powerful sonic palette. The development section during the first movement is terribly exciting, packing an emotional and sonic punch which the Sony recording fully captures. This is good stuff. Recommended!

Presto Disc of the Week 27th October 2017
Presto Recordings of the Year Finalist 2017
The New York Times: Recordings of the Year 2017
Gramophone Magazine: Disc of the Month January 2018
BBC Music Magazine: February 2018 Recording of the month

Ordered.

[bart]

Listened to this in my practice:

John Dowland - The Complete Solo Lute Music
via Qobuz




Over 4 hours (there is an SACD of this, single disc, single layer!) of wonderful, calming lute music.
I put it in a loop and listened for 2 days in a row...

[cma29]

Originally Posted by bart

Listened to this in my practice:

John Dowland - The Complete Solo Lute Music
via Qobuz


Over 4 hours (there is an SACD of this, single disc, single layer!) of wonderful, calming lute music.
I put it in a loop and listened for 2 days in a row...

I believe that SACDs have the capacity to hold many hours of music in a single disc, similar to Blu-ray discs. I have a single Blu-ray disc that contains the whole Wagner Ring cycle, over 15 hours of music!

[cma29]

Just got this...

Boccherini: Cello Concertos, Vol. 1
Cello Concertos 1 - 4
Tim Hugh (cello)
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Anthony Halstead


I've always enjoyed the music from this composer and I decided to order the three Naxos discs that feature all 12 Boccherini cello concerti. Here is the first volume with concerti 1 through 4. Very beautiful music well played by the top-notch Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Tim Hugh. The only thing I wish were better is recorded sound which sounds a bit muffled.

Here is the Gramophone review:

This disc is a winner, the first of a series of all 12 Boccherini cello concertos, beautifully performed on modern instruments but with concern for period practice and superbly recorded.

Each concerto has its individual delights, but the formula in all four works is similar, with strong, foursquare first movements, slow movements that sound rather Handelian, and galloping finales in triple time. Many collectors will be concerned about the Boccherini Cello Concerto beloved of generations in Grützmacher's corrupt edition. Many years ago Jacqueline du Pré was questioned about choosing it for her recording: she promptly justified herself, saying, 'But the slow movement is so lovely.' She was quite right, as her classic recording makes clear, but that movement was transferred from another work, in fact No 7 in G, one of the four works here. Tim Hugh's dedicated account of this lovely G minor movement is a high spot of this issue, with rapt, hushed playing not just from the soloist but also from the excellent Scottish Chamber Orchestra under Anthony Halstead. Hugh offers substantial cadenzas not just in the first movements of each work, but in slow movements and finales too, though none is as extended as the almost two minute meditation in the G minor slow movement. Halstead, as a period specialist and a horn virtuoso as well as a conductor, matches his soloist in the dedication of these performances, clarifying textures and encouraging Hugh to choose speeds on the fast side, with easily flowing slow movements and outer movements which test the soloist's virtuosity to the very limit, without sounding breathless. Not just for those who know only the old Grützmacher concerto, all this will be a delightful discovery.

[bart]

Originally Posted by cma29

I believe that SACDs have the capacity to hold many hours of music in a single disc, similar to Blu-ray discs. I have a single Blu-ray disc that contains the whole Wagner Ring cycle, over 15 hours of music!

Carlos, this music is so beautiful that I almost clicked to buy the SACD.
But then I suddenly remembered I promised myself I wouldn't buy many CDs anymore, as I have 2 subscriptions to streaming services.
I didn't feel too happy, I realise I really like owning the physical media.

Anyway, via Qobuz (or Tidal), it all sounds very very decent.
I only notice real difference when I play my Japanese remasters and good SACDs.