What Are You Listening to Now?

[King Stephen]

Originally posted by urtextmeister:
I don't usually chime in here, but listening seems to more and more important to me these days. Here are some things:

Music by Albert James Fillmore
(A friend of mine put together this recording of piano, vocal, string music by this American composer. Very pleasant, nostalgic sort of stuff).

Prokofiev Concerto #1 with Argerich.
(I am a sucker for this concerto. That first theme always sends chills).

Schubert #9 with Norrington.
(Could it be that Schubert and Bruckner are not that far apart? Big, broad chunks of music that just won't go away. Kind of like inviting someone for the weekend and two months later they are still there.)

Urtextmeister,
Schubert's 9th symphony truly is justified in being called "Great". His previous 7+ symphonies are nothing like the ninth with, like you so aptly put, large broad ckunks of music. The only difference in the case of Bruckner was his affinity to the organ. The man was, for lack of another example, the Franz Liszt of the organ, it was his instrument. Hence the big broad rolling themes that Bruckner uses to such great success in his symphonies seem to emulate the organ. I can understand people not liking Bruckner but I cannot understand them calling him second rate. This man was and is one of the great symphonic composers of the 19th century.

[Gurn Blanston]

King,
You are indeed the King of Obscurities! That all sounds highly interesting to those of us who prefer the Classical Style above all. And yourguidance has led me to discover so many more composers from that age than I knew existed. Thanks!

Amalie,
Well, glad you could get it. Did you not also find that concerto on there to be superior? I love the lower tonal range of that basset clarinet! And finally, Op 102 #2, the work that sets the standard for Cello Sonatas for all time, IMHO. And so adumbral of his late period style.

Chris,
Wilkommen! I haven't heard Barenboim play Mozart, now it sounds as though I need to. I have liked his Beethoven, although that is not the universal opinion it seems. Thanks for the tip, something to look into.

Sorrano,
Yes, Bruckner may be long and involved, but he is unfailingly positive, which suits my particular needs far more than morbidity. I have not listened to a lot of Sibelius, only a little actually. To be fair I would like to give him a better chance than I have, perhaps I can warm up to him a bit more. OR maybe he doesnt' want that?

Urtextmeister, (may I call you Ur in this context?)
Oh, I like that Argerich / Prokofiev. Her playing has that joie de vivre that suits Prokofiev well.
That is an interesting idea about Bruckner and Schubert. Especially in the 9th, such a large work. It would have served Bruckner well as a model, perhaps it did. Certainly the long developements are similar, and it is hard to see another symphonist of that early period that one would nominate in Schubert's place here. As long as they keep their feet off the furniture, we'll let them stay a bit longer!

For me, it is a bit back in time, to Francois Gossec. Gossec was the head of the Concert des Amateurs in Paris in the early 1770's, and took over the Concert Spirituels shortly after Mozart's appearance there in 1778. He writes a mean symphony, typical of the period, uses the winds a lot in the French fashion, a lot of bouncing the theme back and forth from strings to winds. This is the Symphony in F major - Op 12 #6 (B59) by the London Mozart Players. Very pleasant listening!


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Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[Chris]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
Chris,
Wilkommen! I haven't heard Barenboim play Mozart, now it sounds as though I need to. I have liked his Beethoven, although that is not the universal opinion it seems.

Danke! If you look this set up at Amazon.com, there are tons of samples.

Anyway, I am midway through the second disc now, and I am really loving it.

[Gurn Blanston]

Chris,
I will do that, thanks. Your recommendation of AAM/Hogwood for the Mozart Symphonies was so good, I can't afford not to follow up!

Right now though, it is the Symphony in Bb - #18 - Carlos Baguer (ba-GAY) (1768-1808). London Mozart Players / David Juritz. Unquestionably a voice of the Classical era, his music lacks the dramatic impact of Beethoven's, but has the wonderful modulations and melodies of Mozart and Haydn, while managing to avoid sounding like an imitator of them. A very interesting addition to the rota of obscure and sadly forgotten composers!


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Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 10-12-2004).]

[King Stephen]

Back to the Masses. Charles Gounod's Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cecile. This performance is an EMI re-issue from an Angel recording first released in 1963 and for my liking the best of the three that I have heard. Gounods melodies are so infectious as to bring tears to ones eyes. A superb mass from the romantic period with a superb cast;
Pilar Lorengar - Soprano, Heinz Hoppe - Tenor and Franz Crass - Bass. The Orchestre de la Societe des du Conservatoire is conducted by Jean-Claude Hartemann. For those of you who favor liturgical music this is a must.

[This message has been edited by King Stephen (edited 10-12-2004).]

[Rutradelusasa]

In the last few days I've been listening to all my recordings of the 9th. That is, Gardiner, Hogwood, Karajan (84), Klemperer, Masur, Harnoncourt and lo! Alberto Lizzio, a guy I don't know, to a label I never heard of with the Prager Festival Chorus and Orchestra, a very worthy of hearing recording. I realized that if I want nobility, I shall go to Klemperer; if I want power, Hogwood (8-O, but those horns HAVE TEH power); Accuracy, virtuosism, the wow! effect, Gardiner; this Karajan left me down, but has some nice touches to it; if I want balance and a good period informed performance on a very good modern orchestra, Harnoncourt. What about Lizzio on the ? label? It's natural, happy to be recording. Something like an every-sunday concert that has been brought to disc. I liked it very much.

Maybe this should go to a new topic, but what are your feelings regarding recordings of the ninth?

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"Wer ein holdes weib errungen..."

[This message has been edited by Rutradelusasa (edited 10-12-2004).]

[Amalie]

Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela, 0p. 22 no.3
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night's Dream,
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

[Gurn Blanston]

King,
Well, liturgical music is not my cup of tea, but Gounod is. I have greatly enjoyed his symphonies, and am looking around to see what else he has out there. I would bet he has some chamber music too.

Rutrl,
I have most of those performances, and a few more to boot. Jochum is very interesting. You don't mention which of the 3 Karajan's you have, but as you didn't seem too impressed, I would guess it wasn't the '63 one. Lizzio is a new one on me, too, but your description is intriguing, given my personal "every Sunday" ritual of a 9th! Anyway, that topic is certainly not out of place here, this is what we DO here! If that is what you are listening to. Other performances that you may like are Zurich Tonhalle/Zinman, modern instruments mainly but Barenreiter score, zips right along, that's for sure! Or VPO/Bernstein 1981 or 82 (?) which is a classic of the traditional performance genre. One of MY main criteria is that the singing be very good, that "Oh Freunde..." needs to smack me hard, so these all have that in common.

Amalie,
So, what is that Sibelius? Like a tone poem? Classic performance of the Mendelssohn, too. Great!

For me, I have just finished listening to some symphonies by Leopold Kozeluch, Viennese Classicist, and am now working on Adalbert Gyrowetz. Symphony in Eb, Op 6 #2. Gyrowetz showed up in Vienna at 20 years old with a roll of symphony manuscripts under his arm and knocked on Mozart's door unannounced. "I am a composer, here are some grand symphonies I have composed". Mozart looked them over and, being sorely in need of some space fillers for one of his Akademie that was coming up soon, declared that they would do admirably, welcome to the family dear boy &c.. He lived til 1850, right through the heart of the great age of music!


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Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 10-12-2004).]

[Rutradelusasa]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:


Rutrl,
I have most of those performances, and a few more to boot. Jochum is very interesting. You don't mention which of the 3 Karajan's you have, but as you didn't seem too impressed, I would guess it wasn't the '63 one. Lizzio is a new one on me, too, but your description is intriguing, given my personal "every Sunday" ritual of a 9th! Anyway, that topic is certainly not out of place here, this is what we DO here! If that is what you are listening to. Other performances that you may like are Zurich Tonhalle/Zinman, modern instruments mainly but Barenreiter score, zips right along, that's for sure! Or VPO/Bernstein 1981 or 82 (?) which is a classic of the traditional performance genre. One of MY main criteria is that the singing be very good, that "Oh Freunde..." needs to smack me hard, so these all have that in common.

I did mention which Karajan, but I don't mind mentioning it again . It's the 84 one with Agnes Baltsa, José van Dam and others-whose-name-I-don't-recall, not THAT good, but alright. I'm still waiting for mine with DFD and Fricsay to arrive. I shall certainly look into those you mentioned, I see them mentioned a lot, so they might be worthy of my time .

Listening now to Der Vampyr, Marschner, with the always-good-at-german-rôles Josef Protschka.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, the one that smacks me the most of "O Freunde..." is certainly Theo Adam with Masur, who does it without the appogiatura, just like the cellos and basses at the beggining of the movement. Interestingly though, that's what states the manuscript at the Berlin Bibliotech (available online) - no (the oh-so-famous) appogiatura. I forgot to mention Masur's recording with Peter Schreier and Theo Adam in that list. Not much special here, aside from these two marvelous guys, so you get a very very good recitativ and a even better "Froh, froh..".

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"Wer ein holdes weib errungen..."


[This message has been edited by Rutradelusasa (edited 10-13-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

Rutrl,
Oh, so you did! That is what I get for showing off carrying 4 posts in my head! Well, there you go, I have never heard the 84 myself because it has universally been spoken badly of. Whether that is true is up to someone else to say. The '77 (?) is good, but the '63 is superior to it, IMHO. Now what you say makes me very interested in the Masur. May I assume the Leipzeigers on this? As much as everyone talks about having the perfect playing of a 9th, I have felt that many have excellent playing, but I still search for perfect singing. This one sounds like I must give it a try. Oh, one other I must mention to you is Hanover Band/Goodman. This is a most acceptable performance, one of the best when all things are added together. And we haven't even yet touched upon Historic Performances, such as Furtwängler/Bayreuth 1954 or the wartime 1942 performance, or Toscannini which many will swear by. I was looking last month on Arkiv and they had 185 performances to choose from! That is a lot of Sunday mornings, my friend

Right now, it is the lovely Sonata in c minor for Fortepiano - #14 - K 457 - Amadé Mozart. Paul Badura-Skoda in a simply lovely performance. I must thank Rod for making me aware of this chap, I have yet to hear him play anything I didn't like.


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Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 10-13-2004).]

[Haffner]

Wow, it is hard to keep up with all the posts in this thread!

Geratlas,
Well, perhaps the Handel thing was an overstatement but his vocal music has always turned me off. It is slightly on the "showy" side though his orchestral music, such as the suites and the concerti, is quite appealing. I suppose I just resent the fact that Messiah is the most popular oratorio in the world since I have always thought F. J. Haydn's "The Creation" deserved that title.

As for Berlioz, his memoirs are really interesting. I just finished reading about his first encounter with Harriot Smithson (inspiration for the Fantastique), and his first exposure to Shakespeare and Beethoven, his two greatest artistic influences. Have you heard his symphony Romeo and Juliet? If not drop what you are currently doing and do what is necessary to obtain a recording! If you liked the Fantastique, you will love Romeo and Juliet. It is a "Dramatic Symphony" for chorus and orchestra which is over 2 hours in duration! As well as haunting orchestral writing and thematic richness, this work, in the first act, features quite possibly the greatest melody ever composed. I won't reveal too much, it is best to be surprised!

Gurn,
Yes, the Masur is wonderful. I especially love the entrance of the full chorus after the German march and fugal section. This is taken at a much slower, more majestic tempo than usual and to me, is more stirring than any recording of the Ninth. For Symphonies 1-6 I turn to the 1963 Karajan but for 7-9, it is Masur. Especially 7, I have yet to hear a 7th which compares to his.

Currently I am listening to the Works for Piano and Orchestra by Franz Liszt, Disc 3 which features the Grande Fantasie Symphonique on Lelio of Hector Berlioz, the Fantasy on "The Ruins of Athens" of LvB, and the Malediction. This 4 disc set is on the Brilliant label (which is often quite questionable) and features such greats as Jeno Jando and Alfred Brendel; they are really great recordings and absolutely dirt cheap. Later it will be the great Violin concerto of Max Bruch.

[atserriotserri]

It's been Gould's LVB Piano Concertos no. 1 and no. 4 all over the morning.
I think I'll move on this evening to Bach's multiculturality: English & French suites and the italian concerto.

[Gurn Blanston]

Haffner,
Well, that's another good recommendation. I shall have to see if I can find this one. It was everywhere when i wasn't particularly interested, now of course it will be a collector's item! Too bad your experience with Brilliant doesn't seem to have been as positive as mine. I have had great luck so far. Ah, let me see, the "great VC of Bruch"? This would be #2 in d minor?

atserri,
Well you have moved in the right direction with Mr. Gould, that Bach is quite good. Have you listened yet to Rod's posting of the Concerto #4 by Badura-Skoda? Now, there is what that work needs to sound like!

For me, it is another listen to the recent release from the "Obscure Classical Composers Society", Leopold Kozeluch (1747-1818) wrote 11 authentic symphonies that have survived, likely many more that haven't. He was that rarity among composers of the time, he was actually a critical and financial success! This is his Symphony in g minor, a lovely work reminiscent of other great works in g minor in this time like Mozart's K 550. Overall though, he doesnt' speak with Mozart's voice, or Haydn's either, just with his own.


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Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Sorrano]

King, I believe I have the Messe Solennelle of Gounod but on an lp. I very much liked his liturgical music.

Gurn, Sibelius' Second Symphony is one of his more accessible and a good one for starters.

This morning I awakened to the finale of Schubert's 2nd Symphony. When it was announced prior to playing it I thought he had said Schumann so when it started I wondered what was going on as it didn't sound quite right.

[atserriotserri]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
atserri,
Well you have moved in the right direction with Mr. Gould, that Bach is quite good. Have you listened yet to Rod's posting of the Concerto #4 by Badura-Skoda? Now, there is what that work needs to sound like!

It's curious that the last Bach work Gould ever recorded was the Italian Concerto, a piece that he recognized he could not abide, and just before, the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor (BWV 903) that he detested too (he called it a "monstrosity"). I can't understand it but love it anyway.

No, I haven't yet listened to the concerto no. 4 yet, tomorrow may be a good day