What are you listening to now?

[Megan]

Telemann, Trio Sonata.

[AeolianHarp]

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no 2...brilliant! Testing a CD bought for my Mum for Mother's Day- we both like Rachmaninov a lot.
I love this concerto, very beautiful!

And after this on the CD is the stunning Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini- one of Mum's favourites, and mine too.

The recordings are vintage; conducted by Leopold Stokowsky in 1929 and 1934.

[Enrique]

Listening to A Midsummer's Night Dream complete. If I were an expert and were told Mendelsohnn wrote that magical music (magical, as it becomes the theatrical work), I mean the overture but the rest of the music is equally lovable at seventeen, I wouln't believe it. I am not, and so cannot understand what the necessary degree of "craftmanship" is. Neither am I a jugde to pass statements about its technical perfection. But either way I would place this as one of the perfect things we have on earth to set our eyes on.

[AeolianHarp]

Listening to A Midsummer's Night Dream complete. If I were an expert and were told Mendelsohnn wrote that magical music (magical, as it becomes the theatrical work), I mean the overture but the rest of the music is equally lovable at seventeen, I wouln't believe it. I am not, and so cannot understand what the necessary degree of "craftmanship" is. Neither am I a jugde to pass statements about its technical perfection. But either way I would place this as one of the perfect things we have on earth to set our eyes on.

You got me intrigued now Enrique- don't think I know this...oh the Rachmaninov CD has me getting the hankies out..the 18th variation is to die for.....something about those violins the way they played them back in that 1934 recording...not heard them like that before... and that is one of the perfect things on this Earth.

OMG- Just seen on the CD that it was Rachmaninov himself playing the piano on these recordings!

We need heart smileys on here!!!!!

[Harvey]

I just copied the heart smiley from my gmail and posted it as an image:

Awkward way to do it but it seems to work. I have also borrowed smilies off other bulletin boards:

[AeolianHarp]

I just copied the heart smiley from my gmail and posted it as an image:

Awkward way to do it but it seems to work. I have also borrowed smilies off other bulletin boards:

How'd you get the smilies from other boards on here?

[Rocco]

Copy the image url and post it using the image function.

[AeolianHarp]

Copy the image url and post it using the image function.

Of course... obvious now I think of it...been a bit too emotional to think- that's Rachmaninoff's music for you..and also our dear Maestro's anniversary!

[Chris]

On with the Cascade Beethoven Premium Edition today:

Symphonies No. 9
Piano Concerto No. 1
Triple Concerto

Not a bad recording of the Ninth. The concertos are performed pretty well so far, but the recording quality is not the best.

[Sorrano]

This morning:
Carulli: "Concerto-Allegro" for Guitar and Orchestra
Chopin: "Allegro de Concert," Op 46

[Rocco]

Yesterday:
Brahms German Requiem
Handel's Messiah
Handel's Music for the Chapel Royal
Handel's Israel in Egypt

[Michael]

All this recent talk of complete Beethoven editions has reminded me that I purchased something the "Ludwig van Beethoven: Premium Edition" some time ago and never listened to it. It seems to be 40 discs pulled from the Cascade Complete Beethoven Edition.

Today:

Symphonies Nos. 1, 6, 2, 4

Chris: The very first disc in the complete Cascade edition is Symphony No. 1, conducted by Eugen Duvier. When I bought the set back in 2009 or so, I noticed that the first two notes of the symphony were missing!

A few people on various forums queried this and one of them was told that it was "an artistic decision by the conductor". (More likely an inartistic botch-up by Cascade!)

I'm curious to know if it's the same recording and if it has been rectified.

[Chris]

More Cascade Beethoven Premium Edition:

Piano Concertos Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5

[Chris]

Chris: The very first disc in the complete Cascade edition is Symphony No. 1, conducted by Eugen Duvier. When I bought the set back in 2009 or so, I noticed that the first two notes of the symphony were missing!

A few people on various forums queried this and one of them was told that it was "an artistic decision by the conductor". (More likely an inartistic botch-up by Cascade!)

I'm curious to know if it's the same recording and if it has been rectified.

This is the same recording, and the notes are still missing. I didn't mention it because it is a well-known issue with these discs (among others), but it's a good point to remember if these are the only recordings of these pieces a person may have.

There's no way this was an artistic decision, of course. Legitimate artistic decisions do not include omitting entire chords, especially ones written by one of the greatest composers in history. And even if they did, this one makes no musical sense at all. Obviously it's an editing error. And a major one at that. How do you screw up the very first notes of the entire project!?

[AeolianHarp]

There's no way this was an artistic decision, of course. Legitimate artistic decisions do not include omitting entire chords, especially ones written by one of the greatest composers in history. And even if they did, this one makes no musical sense at all. Obviously it's an editing error. And a major one at that. How do you screw up the very first notes of the entire project!?

How strange!