What are you listening to now?

[Michael]

Missa Solemnis - Klemperer.

[Roehre]

Roehre, your Berlioz choices intrigue me. Unfortunately, I hear so little of his music, particularly on the radio.

These are vocal works which formed part of last week's BBC Radio 3 Composer of the Week series. Among many well known (fragments of) works, like the Fantastique, some of the overtures, Romeo, Damnation, Nuits d'Eté, there were a couple of vocal works which I didn't recall ever have heard them (though all of these seam to stem from just two different CDs). Listened to them through BBC radio 3 iPlayer.

[Sorrano]

These are vocal works which formed part of last week's BBC Radio 3 Composer of the Week series. Among many well known (fragments of) works, like the Fantastique, some of the overtures, Romeo, Damnation, Nuits d'Eté, there were a couple of vocal works which I didn't recall ever have heard them (though all of these seam to stem from just two different CDs). Listened to them through BBC radio 3 iPlayer.

I will have to explore this BBC radio 3 iPlayer. The selections look interesting.

[Roehre]

Today:

Mortelmans:
Lyrisch gedicht (1890s)

de Boeck
Nocturne (1931)

Alpaerts
Avondmuziek (1916)

de Vocht:
Towards a Higher Light (1925/’31)

Benoit:
Overture to Charlotte Corday (1876)

van Hoof:
Symphony no.1 in A (1938)

Tchaikovsky:
Symphony no.1 in g op.13 “Winter Dreams”

[Enrique]

Missa Solemnis - Klemperer.

I have a Vox recording by Klemperer, in a state of complete ruin as I have played it so many times.

[Sorrano]

This morning:

J. C. Bach: Two Clavier Sonata,Op. 15, No. 5

Ravel: Bolero, arranged for two pianos

[Chris]

Ravel: Bolero, arranged for two pianos

Does that work well? It seems to me like without the varying instrumentation, the piece would be far too repetitive.

[Enrique]

I think the core of the Bolero is the continuous crescendo, got by the piling up of instruments. Two pianos offer a good dynamic range.

[Sorrano]

Does that work well? It seems to me like without the varying instrumentation, the piece would be far too repetitive.

Agreed. I think I fell asleep during part of it. The repetition will continue in my head for probably the rest of the day.

[Roehre]

Today:

Tchaikovsky:
Symphony no.2 in c op.17 “Little Russian” (1872 rev 1890)
Serenade for strings in C op.48

Ayres:
No. 9 MacGowan (1991)
No. 46 (2010/’11)

Dinev, Petar [1889-1980]
The Angel Cried Out
It is Truly Meet in the 7th mode
A Mercy of Peace No.6
It is Truly Meet in the 5th mode
The Father & the Son
A Mercy of Peace No.7
The Trisagion Hymn
The Lord's Prayer
A Mercy of Peace No.5
Troparion of the Nativity
My Whole Trust
Praise the Name of the Lord
Two Folk Songs from South-Western Bulgaria
The Judicious Villain (all R3iPlayer :TtN)

Last Saturday’s Proms Matinee (R3 iPlayer)
Finnissy:
Piano Concerto No. 2 (1975/’76)

Ferneyhough:
Prometheus (1957)

Birtwistle:
Gigue Machine (2010/’11)

[Sorrano]

This morning:

Rossini: La Boutique fantasque (arr. by Resphigi)

Resphigi: Ancient Airs and Dances for the Lute (piano version)

Rachmaninoff: Marche, op.39, no. 9 (orch. by Resphigi)

[Quijote]

Beethoven Op 109 (Malcolm Bilson, on a period instrument). I really can't get away from this one for the moment. It's not that it is a great performance compared, say, to Pollini, Stephen Bishop-K and so on, but there is something that won't let me move on. One review I read of this CD collection was that one had the fanciful impression of "Beethoven playing" as opposed to "A big star playing Beethoven".

[Quijote]

The same applies for the numerous recordings of Bruckner. Personally, I'm pretty happy with listening to Tintner and his use of non Premier league orchestras (your not quite 'Chelsea FC' or 'Real Madrid FC').

[Quijote]

Totally off-topic, I know, but as a good marketer I know where the consumers are to be found !!
So, isn't it time for a new LvB quiz or somesuch? I think Peter / Chris / He who sits on park benches / Roehre could come up with something, surely?

[Sorrano]

The same applies for the numerous recordings of Bruckner. Personally, I'm pretty happy with listening to Tintner and his use of non Premier league orchestras (your not quite 'Chelsea FC' or 'Real Madrid FC').

There is something about a sincerity of a performance that you know it wasn't simply recorded to make money. Granted that many of the money makers in the business do well at it, you just cannot get past the performance of someone who's interest is more purely in the music itself.