What Classical Music Are You Listening To?

[Peter Friedman]

Mozart - Piano Concerto No.17, K.453

Dvorak - String Quartet No.1, Op.2

[soulpope]

2 hours ago, Peter Friedman said:

Dvorak - String Quartet No.1, Op.2

Beneath the Smetana Quartet (though they recorded only a couple of these quartets ) a top choice ....

[T.D.]

 (best image I could find)

Edited December 31, 2016 by T.D.

[A Lark Ascending]

19 hours ago, StarThrower said:

That 2nd symphony by Schnittke is some of the darkest stuff I've ever listened to. I play it a couple times a year.

Only started listening to Schnittke a couple of years back - I have a CD of his Fifth I bought in the 80s but it left me cold for years. Then, as often happens, something clicked. Yesterday:

The third is one of the most impressive symphonies I've heard in a long while - seems to be aiming at a more conventional flow through the music than 1 + 2 which appear to be built with violent contrasts between sections within movements (not a criticism). Love to hear that live. First hearing (on Spotify) for the second disc - enjoyed the very Shostakovich O; not so engaged by Nagasaki which seemed a bit shouty - maybe I was Schnittked-out.

 

The Leigh is a pleasant if not particularly exciting collection in a vaguely English neo-classical vein. He never got a chance to develop as he was killed in North Africa during WWII. 

Edited January 1, 2017 by A Lark Ascending

[StarThrower]

Re: Schnittke The 3rd is a favorite. I have the BIS recording.

[Peter Friedman]

[StarThrower]

Premiere recordings of no.1, an early work dating from 1923, and no.2 which dates from 1937. The 3rd is from 1946. The two Krenek Toccata label CDs I just picked up feature superb sonics! A very realistic open and dynamic sound similar to some of the MDG recordings I've listened to.

[mikeweil]

In constant rotation during the last few days: One of the best harpsichord recordings in the past years, Orpheus Descending by Mark Edwards - since I took part in the crowdfunding I already have a copy. Go to his Kickstarter pages for more info. It is beautifully conceived and played ...

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/406456280/orpheus-descending

[StarThrower]

Gonna try to listen to all five this holiday weekend.

[Peter Friedman]

Mazurkas Op.41, 50, 56, 59, 63 ,67 ,68

[A Lark Ascending]

What do you do when the Sunday after Xmas is also New Year's Day? Went for Sunday after Xmas - 152/122/28/190 and Motet 225.

 

Bruckner is my first call on particularly dark, rainy, winter days (Schnittke fits right in there too).

 

'Das Rheingold' off latter (Janowski + Staatskapelle Dresden). When I bought it about 25 years ago it was the only cheap Ring on CD. Today you can get scores of them for sixpence. Haven't listened to it for over ten years, exploring DVD versions (one bought, one rented) instead. Really enjoyed it yesterday - dug out the book I have with the libretto where I scribbled all the leitmotifs whilst doing an ear-opening evening class back in 1990. Music and a story line that never grows tired (as long as you leave suitable gaps between listens!) 

Gorgeous record - the Chamber Symphony (1935) doesn't sound remotely Russian; in fact it constantly brings to mind the two Schoenberg chamber symphonies. The tone poem (1913) is more in the style of those lurid late-Romantic pieces by the likes of Scriabin, early Bartok or Szymanowski. 

This morning:

No. 4. 

 

 

Edited January 2, 2017 by A Lark Ascending

[alankin]

Now playing, CD 24:
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco – Concerto for Guitar No.1 in D major Op.99
Malcolm Arnold – Serenade for Guitar and Strings Op.50
Stephen Dodgson – Concerto for Guitar No.2
— John Williams (guitar) — English Chamber Orchestra – Sir Charles Groves (Columbia Masterworks / Sony Classical)

 
 

[Peter Friedman]

Op. 20/3 and Op.20/4

[soulpope]

Earlier today .... :

[StarThrower]

CD 1 Pieter-Jan Belder Harpsichord K520-K535

[alankin]

Edvard Grieg – Symphonic Dances Op.64, Piano Concerto Op.16, Wedding Day at Troldhaugen Op.65
— Garrick Ohlsson (piano) – Academy of St Martin in Fields – Sir Neville Marriner (Hanssler Classic)

Edited January 2, 2017 by alankin

[Peter Friedman]

Trio Op.1, No.3 and Violin Sonata  in A Major

[A Lark Ascending]

13 hours ago, alankin said:

'Wedding Day at Troldhaugen' is one of the few things I remember about music lessons were school. I had no active interest in music at the time (must have been about 12) but that (and something by Falla in another lesson) really caught my attention. Otherwise my school musical education was a disconnected disaster with no sense of a curriculum and most lessons filled in with random singing. And this was in a 'grammar' school (a selective school based on an exam at 11), something our current PM wants to resuscitate in her 'Back to the Empire' enthusiasms!

New Year's Day - 141/41/16/171

 

If you'd played me the Korngold Sinfonietta blind I'd have placed it in the 30s/40s - it sounds very Hollywood. Actually from just before WWI. Prefer Sursum Corda.

 

Edited January 3, 2017 by A Lark Ascending

[soulpope]

[JSngry]

[Peter Friedman]

Brahms - Piano Trio No.3, Op.101

Dvorak - String Quartet No.2

[JSngry]

[A Lark Ascending]

No 5 of the Sib. Overture, Tamara and Symph 2 off latter.

 

Edited January 4, 2017 by A Lark Ascending

[soulpope]

Earlier today .... :

[Peter Friedman]

Schubert - Piano Sonata D.157

Schumann - Violin Sonata  No.1, Op.105 & Romances for Violin & Piano Op.94