What are you listening to now?

[Megan]

I was listening to this as well Megan, but I confess I was preparing a pasta dish as well at the time!

That's funny, I was preparing dinner as well whilst listening. I like to hear the Papageno parts! All in all I thought it was a very good production.

[Roehre]

Today:

Lehár (R3: CotW):
Fieber - tone poem (1915)
Das Furstenkind - Resignation (intermezzo)(1909)

Markevich:
L’Envol d’Icare (1932)

Britten:
A Ceremony of Carols op.28

Van Dieren:
6 sketches for piano opus 4a

Ton de Leeuw:
Pastorale

Jurriaan Andriessen:
Trois Pièces de Noël (1985)

Felderhof:
Berceuse de Noël (1985)

Badings:
Trois Images de Noël (1985)

[Megan]

BACH: Contrapunctus 1-4 from 'The Art of Fugue' BWV 1080

BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No 13 in B flat Op 130; String Quartet in B flat Op 133 ('Grosse Fuge').

.

[Roehre]

Today:

Lehár:
Paganini - Introduction & violin solo (R3: CotW)

Markevitch:
Pseaume (1933)

Liszt:
Dante Symphony

Holliger:
Indüüchlen

[Chris]

Bach:
Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051
Concerto for violin and oboe in C minor, BWV 1060
Concerto for two harpsichords in C minor, BWV 1062
Concerto for 3 violins in D minor (arranged by Hogwood from BWV 1064)

AAM/Hogwood

Not really my favorite recordings of these works (Pinnock's works is my favorite here, I think), but still good, and particularly interesting as the Brandenburgs use the rarely-heard earlier versions BWV 1046a and 1050a.

[Preston]

Listening to Beethoven's 5th symphony. This is probably my "favorite" of all his symphonies. The 1st mov. has always that very dark and serious sound, but as of now (i'm pretty well tore-back) it sounded much more dark and serious. As though my mind went to a level of a higher realism.

I find it fascinating that some of the catchier and more popular classical pieces have so much emotion in them at the same time. I guess I think that because of all the pop - not that it isn't diverse - but it lacks such a depth when compared to some of the catchier music of the great masters of classical music.

Anyway, I am not entirely sure if what I just wrote is coherent, though I hope it is, .

Am fascinated that Beethoven takes a theme of unimaginable darkness and makes it one the most popular pieces of "classical". I mean, I am asking myself how is that possible? Fascinating.

[Sorrano]

Last night, on my way home from work, the radio was playing the 5th Symphony, as well, but I only caught the first movement and a part of the second.

[Roehre]

Today:

Rachmaninov ( with added violin part by Kreisler):
Two Songs (R3: TtN)

Finzi:
Dies Natalis opus 8

Markevitch:
Lorenzo Il magnifico (1940)

Honegger;
Une Cantate de Noël

Hendrik Andriessen:
Hodie Christus natus est

Sweelinck:
Ons is gheboren

Cor de Groot:
Nuit de Noël

Orhtel:
Christmas carol with vatiations

Strategier:
Cantica pro Tempore Natali

D Matthews:
Violin concerto no.1 op.31 (1980/’82)

JSBach
Cantata BWV 28: Gottlob! Nun geht das jahr zu Ende

[Chris]

Beethoven - Early Works for String Quartet - Quartetto Paolo Borciani
String Quartet, Hess 32 (Early version of Op. 18, No. 1)
Prelude and Fugue in C major, Hess 31
Prelude and Fugue in F major, Hess 30
Prelude in a D minor (fragment)
Prelude in B-flat major from Handel's Solomon, Hess 36
Minuet in A-flat major, Hess 33
String Quartet, Hess 34 (Arranged from Piano Sonata Op. 14, No. 1)

[Roehre]

Beethoven - Early Works for String Quartet - Quartetto Paolo Borciani
String Quartet, Hess 32 (Early version of Op. 18, No. 1)
Prelude and Fugue in C major, Hess 31
Prelude and Fugue in F major, Hess 30
Prelude in a D minor (fragment)
Prelude in B-flat major from Handel's Solomon, Hess 36
Minuet in A-flat major, Hess 33
String Quartet, Hess 34 (Arranged from Piano Sonata Op. 14, No. 1)

Nice CD is this, isn't it.
Those preludes and fugues, and that earlier version of op.18/1, a treasure trove if you take the trouble to listen very carefully and to compare the two versions of op.18/1.
My only less positive thought is, that the menuet in Hess 34 is a bit too slow IMO.

[Peter]

New year's day concert from Vienna.

[Chris]

Nice CD is this, isn't it.

Indeed it is. I believe we had some tracks from this disc featured many years ago on our Rare Beethoven page, which is how I found out about it, though I only purchased it recently.

Those preludes and fugues, and that earlier version of op.18/1, a treasure trove if you take the trouble to listen very carefully and to compare the two versions of op.18/1.

In fact, I had all the pieces on this disc on other discs already, except for Hess 31 and Hess 32, but I considered it worth the purchase for Hess 32, in order to make just such a comparison. A very interesting exercise.

My only less positive thought is, that the menuet in Hess 34 is a bit too slow IMO.

I agree. In fact, the whole of Hess 34 felt a bit slow to me.

[Roehre]

Today:

Beethoven:
Glück zum neuen Jahr (Canon WoO 165)

Schumann:
Neujahrscantate opus 144

Sweelinck:
Chansons (p.1597-1608)

D.Matthews:
Oboe concerto op.57 (1991/’92)
Violin concerto no.2 op.74 (1997/’98)

[Sorrano]

Today: Rossini's incomparable Stabat Mater.

[Chris]

Beethoven, a disc called Works for Chorus and Orchestra, on Koch. I believe I was talking about this disc with Roehre a while back, as it includes the 1822 version of Opferlied.

Meeresstille und gluckliche Fahrt, Op. 112
Opferlied, Op. 121b (1822 version)
Opferlied, Op. 121b (1824 version)
Bundeslied, Op. 122
"Wo sich die Pulse jugendlich jagen" from "Die Weihe des Hauses", WoO 98
Incidental music for "Leonore Prohaska", WoO 96
Triumphal March for "Tarpeja", WoO 2a
March for Military Band, WoO 18
March for Military Band, WoO 19