What are you listening to now?

[Roehre]

Some random dances from Beethoven's WoO 7, 8, 14, and 17 sets of dances, as well as WoO 1, WoO 2a, and WoO 3. Why do I have so many recordings of these?

Remarkable. Times have changed, as in the mid-70s I had trouble to find them: then there were basically only the Eastgerman Eterna recordings, and Telefunken started a 3LP series with them in 1976. And that was it.
Even a really complete Prometheus did not appear until 1974 (Schwann 2LP, side 4 filled with WoO 1).

[Chris]

Yes - at first, looking for a CD of the orchestral dances I bought a disc called Beethoven: Dance by John Storgårds and the Tapiola Sinfonietta that has very good recordings of WoO 1, 2a, 3, 7, 8, and 14. Light and quick, and excellent sound. The only problem with it is that the "refrain" of WoO 1 is played unbearably slowly.

But it didn't have WoO 17, so I bought a Naxos disc called "Beethoven: Mödlinger Dances; Contradanses; German Dances; Minuets" by Oliver von Dohnanyi and the Capella Istropolitana. I'm not sure I like this CD very much. Tempos can be a bit on the slow side here, and the sound isn't that great, especially compared to the previously-mentioned disc. So I got WoO 17, but also duplicates of WoO 7, 8, and 14 here.

Then I bought the Eterna Unknown Beethoven recordings you mentioned (mostly because of the canons) and wound up with another set of WoO 7, 8, 14, and even 17 (I think WoO 1 and 3 are on here too). I think the WoO 17 dances here are better than on the Naxos disc.

Then at some point I sought out Volume 3 of the DGG Complete Beethoven edition for some unrelated things and got yet another round of WoO 1, 2a, 3, 7, 8, and 14. These are pretty good, but they are older recordings and the sound isn't that great, and the orchestra seems rather large for these works.

Finally, I bought Volume 4 of the Inedita Beethoven Rarities series (for the Hess 15 piano concerto) and got WoO 1, 3, and 17 again. I don't think the orchestra that plays on these recordings is as good as the others, though.

Basically, I was going through these to see if I might have obsoleted some of my older discs with my newer purchases. I am keeping the Eterna, DGG, and Inedita discs, of course, because they each have their own special treasures. I was thinking I might give away the other two, which have nothing unique, so that some friends or students of mine could discover these charming pieces. But the Dance CD is so good I might keep that one. The Naxos disc, though...I don't know. Maybe I'll give it another listen later today and see if I think better of it.

[Roehre]

I bought all those CDs in approximately the same order and for the same reasons. The Mödlinger Tänze WoO 17 seem to be less recorded nowadays, most likely not being by Beethoven (but the humor, and the aprochryphical story behind them, make them attractive anyway).
What will happen with the German Dances WoO 14, now it is likely that these are by two Beethovens, and not only by Ludwig?

[Roehre]

Today:

Mahler:
Symphony no.5: Adagietto (VPO/Walter, rec.16/01/1938)

Barber:
Knoxville: Summer of 1915 op.24 (1947)l

Takemitsu:
And then I knew 't was wind

Poulenc:
Sonata for horn, trumpet and trombone (1922)

Beethoven:
Rondo from Quintet in E flat major Op.16 (arr.Parkes for horn, trumpet, trombone and piano 2010)

Stravinsky
Pulcinella - suite (excerpts, arr. Parkes for horn, trumpet, trombone and piano 2010)

Daniel-Lesur
Le Cantique des colonnes (1954/’57)

Casals:
Pastorale for cello and piano
Sardana for cello Orchestra
Rêverie, for cello and piano
Full d'àlbum (Album Leaf) for cello and piano
El cant dels ocells
Romance for cello and piano
Poème for cello and piano
Sant Martí del Canigó

[Chris]

What will happen with the German Dances WoO 14, now it is likely that these are by two Beethovens, and not only by Ludwig?

Good question. I suspect they will live on. Ludwig was at least involved, and there are some nice melodies in the set, including the very popular one in No. 7 used in the Eroica symphony and other places.

It can't be as bad as WoO 12, which to my knowledge has never been recorded, unless they were done for the two newer complete Beethoven sets.

Do you have an opinion on the Naxos disc?

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Larsson: Bassoon Concertino, op. 45, No. 4

Vaughn Williams: Bass Tuba Concerto in F

[Roehre]

Good question. I suspect they will live on. Ludwig was at least involved, and there are some nice melodies in the set, including the very popular one in No. 7 used in the Eroica symphony and other places.

It can't be as bad as WoO 12, which to my knowledge has never been recorded, unless they were done for the two newer complete Beethoven sets.

Do you have an opinion on the Naxos disc?

I've never heard any of the WoO 12 dances, and I haven't seen any announcement the set has been recorded either.

I do like the Naxos CD, though I think it all could have been done at bit more lively. After all it IS music to dance, and the Mödlinger are a kind of Cafe music.... (whoever wrote them)

Btw, I've never heard Kaspar Karl's Sonata for piano 4-hands in D either....

[Roehre]

Today:

Stojowski:
Symphonic Rhapsody for piano and orchestra op.23 (1901)
Symphony no.1 in d minor op.21 (1898)

Paderewski:
Nocturne in B flat major Op.16/4 (1887)

Delius:
Over the Hills and Far away

Moeran:
Symphony no.2 (compl.Yates) (R3)

[Chris]

Beethoven - WoO 2b from the aforementioned Volume 3 of the DGG Complete Beethoven Edition. I love this little orchestral piece (conceived for an early version of Fidelio). And unlike the other pieces I was talking about, including WoO 2a, there are not many recordings of this one out there! When I am wealthy I think I shall hire an orchestra to play this piece to announce my presence every time I enter a room.

[Roehre]

Beethoven - WoO 2b from the aforementioned Volume 3 of the DGG Complete Beethoven Edition. I love this little orchestral piece (conceived for an early version of Fidelio). And unlike the other pieces I was talking about, including WoO 2a, there are not many recordings of this one out there! When I am wealthy I think I shall hire an orchestra to play this piece to announce my presence every time I enter a room.

Or just to have it inserted in the very first version of Leonore (i.e. the premiere version Hess 109) in its right place, as prelude to the 2nd act.

I only know of two commercial recordings: DGG and the Cascade blue "complete" sets.

[Roehre]

Today:

Rachmaninov:
Piano concerto no.2 in c op.18 (1902)
Symphonic Dances op.45 (1940)
The latest BBC MM CD. Respectable performances, enjoyable.

[Roehre]

Today:

Zimmermann:
Trumpet concerto “Nobody knows the trouble I see” (1955)
Oboe concerto (1952)

Maderna:
Oboe concerto no.3 (1973)

Hamburg:
Oboe concerto “Ruach” (2003)
David – 5 Psalms (1999)
String Quartet no.2 “Hashkivenu” (2002)
3 Jewish Songs (2002)

[Chris]

Some of the AMB Notebook. Once again I am comparing recordings, because I have three of these. One by Kipnis, One by Belder, and one from the Hanssler Edition. They all have different advantages and disadvantages. The Hanssler has no clavichord, which, while a realistic choice for this music, I do not especially like, but on the other hand it doesn't include all of the verses. The Belder, while the least complete, has the best sound and performances. And the Kipnis employs a viola da gamba in the continuo, which I like, but it has a lot of clavichord, and Kipnis' playing seems odd, with strange rhythms and tempo issues at times.

And speaking of comparisons, I am reversed my opinion on the Naxos version of the WoO 17 dances - that disc does have better sound than the Eterna recordings, and some of the dances are indeed played better.

[Peter]

Haydn complete piano sonatas played by Bart Van Oort on fortepiano.

[altsimian]

The ninth Christian Thielemann and the Wiener Philarmonica.