What Classical Music Are You Listening To?

[soulpope]

[Balladeer]

Ballads of the Pleasant Life: Kurt Weill, Weimar and Exile 

Peter Coleman-Wright (baritone),Nexas Quartet (ABC Classics)

[erwbol]

I especially like the Schubert on this disc.

[HutchFan]

Mahler: Symphony No. 8 / Ozawa, Boston SO, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, et al (Philips)

[soulpope]

[alankin]

Gustav Mahler – Symphony No.7
— Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester – Gary Bertini (EMI Classics)

 

I guess it's time for a Mahler 7th.
 

[JSngry]

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 10:56 AM, JSngry said:

Gotten totally hung up on Disc 3 of this, which includes Mladi, Cappricio,Concertino Pohadka, & Presto. Such delightful music, full of surprises at every turn. Janacek was a baaaaaaad man!

[soulpope]

A new acquisition - stupendous performances by Sviatoslav Richter .... this may be my best buy of the year 2017 as of now ....

[HutchFan]

2 hours ago, alankin said:

I guess it's time for a Mahler 7th.

 

Over the last few days, I've listened to all five recordings of Mahler's Seventh that I now own:
-- Bernstein, NYPO (Sony)
-- Boulez, Cleveland O (DG)
-- Kubelik, Bavarian Radio SO (DG)
-- Levine, Chicago SO (RCA/Sony)
-- Rattle, City of Birmingham SO (Warner)

My favorite recording is by Kubelik, followed very closely by Boulez and Levine.

For me, Bernstein and Rattle are less persuasive.

I've ordered Abbado's recording with the Berlin PO. I'll have to see how it stacks up when it arrives.  

Edited July 7, 2017 by HutchFan

[soulpope]

2 hours ago, alankin said:

Gustav Mahler – Symphony No.7
— Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester – Gary Bertini (EMI Classics)

 

I guess it's time for a Mahler 7th.
 

Definitely a very good performance of the Mahler 7 ....

[HutchFan]

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Bruno Walter, NYPO, Mildred Miller, Ernst Haefliger (CBS/Sony)
I actually prefer this recording to Walter's more famous DLvdE with Kathleen Ferrier.

[Chuck Nessa]

2 hours ago, soulpope said:

A new acquisition - stupendous performances by Sviatoslav Richter .... this may be my best buy of the year 2017 as of now ....

 

Is this the material issued on 2 Memoria discs in the '90s?  They are terrific.

Edit to say I discovered they are the same recordings. Terrific, as I said.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Chuck Nessa

[erwbol]

2 hours ago, soulpope said:

A new acquisition - stupendous performances by Sviatoslav Richter .... this may be my best buy of the year 2017 as of now ....

I have put it in my Amazon DE cart for the coming months.

One question, though. Since this is a live recording, is there any coughing audible? I generally avoid classical live recordings for this reason. Why don't they simply cut out the coughing (between sections at least)?

Edited July 7, 2017 by erwbol

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, erwbol said:

I have put it in my Amazon DE cart for the coming months.

One question, though. Since this is a live recording, is there any coughing audible? I generally avoid classical live recordings for this reason. Why don't they simply cut out the coughing (between sections at least)?

As these performances were recorded in Japan you can rest assured that most of the attendees would have preferred to die before coughing  .... quite in the contrary if these would habe been Russian concert recordings ....

[erwbol]

3 hours ago, soulpope said:

As these performances were recorded in Japan you can rest assured that most of the attendees would have preferred to die before coughing  .... quite in the contrary if these would habe been Russian concert recordings ....

Then I guess Keith Jarrett has not toured Russia for a looooong time.

What's the situation like in Austria? From my limited experience attending classical concerts it can be pretty bad here. I don't get the impression most offenders give a fuck. The percentage of people past their fifties with a history of smoking in attendance mustn't help either. 

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, erwbol said:

Then I guess Keith Jarrett has not toured Russia for a looooong time.

What's the situation like in Austria? From my limited experience attending classical concerts it can be pretty bad here. I don't get the impression most offenders give a fuck. The percentage of people past their fifties with a history of smoking in attendance mustn't help either. 

As a regular visotor/subscriber to classical music in Austria I have (unfortunately) to report that domestic/tourist enriched audiences are very noisy. Even worse - as you mentioned - they take it for granted to behave like in their own living room .... it is disrespect to both the artis(s) and the fellow listeners at the same time ..... age may be an factor, but inappropriate behaviour is seemingly ageless ....

[erwbol]

1 hour ago, soulpope said:

As a regular visotor/subscriber to classical music in Austria I have (unfortunately) to report that domestic/tourist enriched audiences are very noisy. Even worse - as you mentioned - they take it for granted to behave like in their own living room .... it is disrespect to both the artis(s) and the fellow listeners at the same time ..... age may be an factor, but inappropriate behaviour is seemingly ageless ....

The most perplexing and infuriating thing I witnessed was two men with a front row seat next to me having a conversation directly behind the back of Alexander von Schlippenbach. It took at least twenty minutes for them to remove themselves to the back of the room. Luckily the Schlippenbach Trio will play the Bimhuis again this December.

[soulpope]

Earlier today .... :

My favourite recording of the Brahms String Quintets ....

[JSngry]

I like this. It's not "great", but it's...not asshole-y. Some are, ya' know.

Interesting (enough) interview here: http://www.bruceduffie.com/read3.html

[HutchFan]

Mahler: Symphony No. 8 / Sinopoli, Philharmonia O, et al (DG)
Trying again to find my way into my least favorite Mahler symphony. I like it. But -- unlike all of the others -- I don't love it.

[mikeweil]

http://www.brilliantclassics.com/articles/e/erotica-antiqua-neapolitan-villanellas/

This is great. A singer that has as much experience in Neapolitan folkore as in Early Music and traditional theatre, and an ensemble that is keenly aware of the Spanish connection in the Naples music scene over the centuries. Finally a group that properly understand the intricate, Arabian inspired rhythms of this music and plays them in a relaxed, natural and grooving manner. The singer's use of vibrato and other embellishments is very defined and based on the sung texts - what else can ask for?

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

http://www.brilliantclassics.com/articles/e/erotica-antiqua-neapolitan-villanellas/

This is great. A singer that has as much experience in Neapolitan folkore as in Early Music and traditional theatre, and an ensemble that is keenly aware of the Spanish connection in the Naples music scene over the centuries. Finally a group that properly understand the intricate, Arabian inspired rhythms of this music and plays them in a relaxed, natural and grooving manner. The singer's use of vibrato and other embellishments is very defined and based on the sung texts - what else can ask for?

Thnx for the hint, looks interesting .... not sure whether the "sexyfied" cover and title will increase sales though ....

[mikeweil]

At least it's done with taste and some Italianitá ....

That said - Brilliant Classics has been consistently adding to period performances in recent years, including many "Complete Works" projects, including this one I'm listening to right now:

http://www.brilliantclassics.com/articles/j/jm-bach-jc-bach-complete-organ-music/

Nice Thuringian organ, very well played. An overdue recording. The Italian keyboarders are the most interesting and active in recent years. Molardi's complete J.S. Bach Organ Music is also highly recommended.

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

At least it's done with taste and some Italianitá ....

Agreed .... there were much worser attempts to transport this "flavour" ....

[soulpope]