What are you listening to now?

[Harvey]

Finished the Walter Beethoven symphony cycle. Now am into the Wand cycle. After that, I plan to listen to the Hanover Band cycle, Leibowitz cycle, and then the NAXOs set (Edlinger with Halasz for 3 & 6). Trying to see which ones to keep on my MP3 player. So far Walter (though good) loses out to Wand. Hanover will definitely be on the player as it is unique among my cycles. So the only others in quesion are Leibowitz and Edlinger. I may simply swich out between Wand, Leibowitz and Edlinger periodically. Edlinger may not get played as much but will be kept because of the Beethoven portraits on the discs. Walter is looking for a new home as I don't plan to play it anymore.

[Decrepit Poster]

Already this morning I watched / listened to Valentina Lisitsa perform B's "Pathetique" and Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 via YouTube.

Yesterday I heard a selection of Bach for solo instruments (cello, violin, harpsichord) along with snatches of Beethoven and Mahler symphonies while fruitlessly trying to coax decent sound from my living room audio system. I replaced the Paradigms that normally serve as mains with Polk Studio 70s that normally serve as surround speakers. That did provide a more solid center fill, but those Polks are just too loose (in comparison to the Paradigms...when those work) to provide satisfactory long term listening. I woke at 0200 this morning and put the Paradigms back in place, hopeless as that seems to be. (I won't calibrate them until the neighbors are up and about.)

Finished the Walter Beethoven symphony cycle. Now am into the Wand cycle. After that, I plan to listen to the Hanover Band cycle, Leibowitz cycle, and then the NAXOs set (Edlinger with Halasz for 3 & 6). Trying to see which ones to keep on my MP3 player. So far Walter (though good) loses out to Wand. Hanover will definitely be on the player as it is unique among my cycles. So the only others in quesion are Leibowitz and Edlinger. I may simply swich out between Wand, Leibowitz and Edlinger periodically. Edlinger may not get played as much but will be kept because of the Beethoven portraits on the discs. Walter is looking for a new home as I don't plan to play it anymore.

I've owned three of the Wand symphony disks since the eighties: 1&7, 3, and 9. The 1&7 combo is one of my favorites for those symphonies. My only quibble is that while the timpani have satisfactory presence I prefer a crisper timpani sound. I'm quite fond of the Ninth too, but not quite as enraptured with No.3. Not sure why I never bought the entire series.

[Harvey]

Wand is recommeded as the bottom line in this list.

[Decrepit Poster]

Yesterday I watched / listened to B's seventh symphony as performed by the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado. I must say that, as I whole, I am quite taken with Abbado's 2001 DVD symphony cycle. My one great disappointment is its Ninth, which coincidentally happens to be the only symphony not recorded in Rome. For that work, my current video choice is the earlier of the two commercial Karajan/BPO filmings, on EuroArts DVD. (As an interpretation I'm also rather fond of the Bernstein/VPO video ninth, which I own on Laserdisc.)

As to the Abbado, the cycle features good sound quality and visuals (as seen via my Oppo's upscaling to 1080p). I'd deem interpretations to fall solidly in the "HIP-informed" camp. Timpani are, for the most part, satisfactorily prominent and crisp. My one quibble throughout the cycle is that horns don't always speak with as much authority as I'd prefer.

[Decrepit Poster]

AH's Clementi link having whetted my curiosity for that composer, I listened to his Piano Sonata Op.40 No.3 played by Rina Cellini. I enjoyed it and will explore more of Clementi's sonatas.

Also heard, Bach's fourth Brandenburg Concerto, a work I used to unsuccessfully struggle with to master the second recorder part. (In private, not performance...LOL.There were some tricky fingerings I simply could not play up to speed.)

[Peter]

Mendelssohn symphony no.2 'Lobgesang'

[Harvey]

Mendelssohn symphony no.2 'Lobgesang'

A remarkable work!

Now I am certain that of my Beethoven cycles, Wand is the best. Leibowitz is pretty good, but perhaps a bit too fast in places. Walter just doesn't do it for me, either too slow, or not as good of sound quality as Wand. The Naxos set (Edlinger/Halasz) is competent, but ordinary, though worth it for the Beethoven portraits on each disc. However, I just ordered the Szell cycle and anticipate it is going to the top of my list. Gardiner is supposed to be the best HIP but I have Hanover Band and like it a lot.

[Chris]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxFYKYm3TPA[/YOUTUBE]

I was thinking about seeing this on the Andy Griffith Show when I was a kid.

I wonder what Beethoven would have done with it?

[Sorrano]

This morning:
Offenbach:
"Les Brigands", Aria, "Quand tu me fis"
"Les Brigands", Overture
Verdi: "I Masnadieri"
Liszt: "El contrabandista"

Nothing like starting the week off with a bit of skullduggery.

[Decrepit Poster]

I'm listening to Mozart's Serenade No.10 in B-flat major for winds and string bass, the "Gran Partitia", as I type. For good or ill I became so engrossed in it I forgot until just now that I am supposed to be on a grocery/errand run this morning.

[Sorrano]

I'm listening to Mozart's Serenade No.10 in B-flat major for winds and string bass, the "Gran Partitia", as I type. For good or ill I became so engrossed in it I forgot until just now that I am supposed to be on a grocery/errand run this morning.

Recently, I've listened through most, if not all, of Mozart's various serenades and have really enjoyed them. Much of the music is petty light-hearted and just a lot of fun to listen to.

[Sorrano]

This morning:
Sibelius: Violin Concerto in d, Op 47

[Michael]

Beethoven: Harp, Razumovsky 3 and F minor string quartets, all played by the Italianos.
I should get out more. (String quartets, I mean...)

[Sorrano]

This morning:
Schubert: "Wanderer" Fantasy in C, D 760

I wonder where all those notes wandered.

[Sorrano]

This morning:
Moleiro: "Children's Suite", "The Birds"
Respighi: "Gli uccelli (The Birds)"

The day has just started (here) and it's already gone to the birds.