What are you listening to now?

[Schenkerian]

I have the complete recordings of Klaus Tennstedt- a wonderful conductor. I've kept this one out of my plastic tubs for our house move, along with a handful of others, and listened to it today; Overture to Wagner's "Rienzi". Tennstedt loved the LPO and they loved him. In this recording they're playing exceptionally well.

A little known fact about Klaus Tennstedt; he endured WW2, of course, and at 16 or 17 his job was to work for the Dresden fire service retrieving charred corpses from the rubble of that indescribable horror. It affected him for the rest of his life, leaving him a jittery and anxious chain smoker. Kleiber admired Tennstedt and this is significant because Kleiber seldom commented on his fellow conductors.

And "Rienzi" is a suitable form of aversion therapy for our new neighbours here, who have 2 huge dogs up on their veranda - which bark when a leaf moves. Before I move from this house in mid January they're going to get a crash course in classical music - at very loud volume.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2JjnB45D34

Another wonderful performance: Popp/Tennstedt's"Vier Letzte Lieder" with the same orchestra. I prefer Popp in this repertoire to, say, Jessye Norman who's voice was incredible but it just overwhelmed this music IMO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y63k4LfMem0

[Schenkerian]

I'm listening to a tenor accompanying a piano in Schubert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fZCNfonuzQ

[Megan]

[Quijote]

It's been a while, but now listening to Beethoven's Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, the "Hammerklavier". Played here by Igor Levit.
Very fast 1st movement, I find it overall convincing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erD1Yy-4F5M

PS: Do you have to suffer a couple of YouTube ads before you get to hear the work? If so, is there any way to avoid that?

[Megan]

It's been a while, but now listening to Beethoven's Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, the "Hammerklavier". Played here by Igor Levit.
Very fast 1st movement, I find it overall convincing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erD1Yy-4F5M

PS: Do you have to suffer a couple of YouTube ads before you get to hear the work? If so, is there any way to avoid that?

Do you mind if I try an upload experiment to eliminate the adds, Quijote?

[Megan]

Beethoven: Romance Cantabile for Piano, Flute and Bassoon accompanied by Two Oboes and Strings in E Minor, Hess 13 ? Patrick Gallois ? Pascal Gallois ? Myung-Whun Chung ? Philharmonia Orchestra Beethoven: Triple Concerto; Romance in E minor; Violin Romances Opp.40 & 50 ℗ 1997 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin

[Arciom Nesterovich]

This is my favorite category in this forum! I've started to listen to some songs with big orchestral parts and today it is track by Unkle- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pwCgBhvck8.
I think it is beautiful seconds part of song and strings there pretty well composed. It feels like classic music!

[Schenkerian]

Engerer and Maisenberg playing Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances, Op. 45. The menu at the side has the movements in separate sections. My CD of this recording is hidden in a plastic tub so I've had to resort to U-Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDey...cery8&index=20

I must say I adore the lushly orchestrated version of this work- from memory it was one of the last things Rachmaninov completed before he died.

[Peter]

Engerer and Maisenberg playing Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances, Op. 45. The menu at the side has the movements in separate sections. My CD of this recording is hidden in a plastic tub so I've had to resort to U-Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDey...cery8&index=20

I must say I adore the lushly orchestrated version of this work- from memory it was one of the last things Rachmaninov completed before he died.

Yes and isn't that alto saxophone solo just gorgeous!

[Schenkerian]

Absolutely ravishing. This orchestrated version from the Berlin Philharmonic is a very fine one, especially compared with most I found on U-Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3uWZFJ6EOI

[Schenkerian]

Having listened to the Rachmaninov during the day I'm now turning my attention to Sibelius; Symphony No. 2. And this great work has Rachmaninov in its DNA, especially the first movement. Sibelius seemed to become more symphonically austere has he progressed but this work is still lyrical and tinged with sadness and rustic themes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXU8EXL7a_4

[Sorrano]

Having listened to the Rachmaninov during the day I'm now turning my attention to Sibelius; Symphony No. 2. And this great work has Rachmaninov in its DNA, especially the first movement. Sibelius seemed to become more symphonically austere has he progressed but this work is still lyrical and tinged with sadness and rustic themes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXU8EXL7a_4

I always hear Bruckner in the brass writing of this symphony.

[Schenkerian]

I always hear Bruckner in the brass writing of this symphony.

Yes, and the broad stokes of Bruckner are also found in this and other symphonies by Sibelius. For me, this 2nd has a very Russian aesthetic and I hear not just Rachmaninov but also Tchaikovksy and Rimsky-Korsakov. Also Grieg and, at the beginning of the second movement in particular, Wagner!! As follows, albeit Sibelius is of a much slower tempo. Okay, one is bowed and the other plucked, but the ideas and sounds are similar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncbHEKkdxIM

Composers are like sponges, absorbing all the things around them.

[Schenkerian]

For a change of pace, Ravel: an exquisite work, the String Quartet in F Major.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieRQyyPowH0

[Daphnis]

Brahms Piano Pieces op. 118. Wonderful, should try to play them again by myself.