What Classical Music Are You Listening To?

[Peter Friedman]

[HutchFan]

Disc 1 - Rösel's recordings of Brahms' First Piano Sonata and Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118

[soulpope]

21 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Disc 1 - Rösel's recordings of Brahms' First Piano Sonata and Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118

(IMO) an exemplary reading ....

[HutchFan]

9 minutes ago, soulpope said:

(IMO) an exemplary reading ....

I agree. 

I definitely prefer Rösel's Brahms over the more well-known Katchen set.

 

[soulpope]

1 minute ago, HutchFan said:

I agree. 

I definitely prefer Rösel's Brahms over the more well-known Katchen set.

 

My alternative to Rösel remains Radu Lupu (of course he recorded only parts of the Brahms euvre for piano) .... 

[HutchFan]

My favorite pianists focusing on Brahms' solo repertoire (aside from Rösel) are Dmitri Alexeev and Rubinstein.

I understand why many love Lupu's Brahms. He's just not my cup of tea. 

[soulpope]

29 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

My favorite pianists focusing on Brahms' solo repertoire (aside from Rösel) are Dmitri Alexeev and Rubinstein.

I understand why many love Lupu's Brahms. He's just not my cup of tea. 

Dmitri Alexeev  is excellent (Chopin !!).... 

[HutchFan]

1 minute ago, soulpope said:

Dmitri Alexeev  is excellent (Chopin !!).... 

Yes. Alexeev is subtle, maybe even understated -- there's nothing on display except the music -- so I think some overlook him. 

In that regard, Alexeev sort of reminds me of a younger Geza Anda. 

[soulpope]

11 minutes ago, HutchFan said:

Yes. Alexeev is subtle, maybe even understated -- there's nothing on display except the music -- so I think some overlook him. 

Variations on the theme by Bach "Weinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen". Live from the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, November 22nd, 1981.

[HutchFan]

6 minutes ago, soulpope said:

Variations on the theme by Bach "Weinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen". Live from the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, November 22nd, 1981.

Wow!

Has this ever been issued on CD or vinyl???

 

[soulpope]

Just now, HutchFan said:

Wow!

Has this ever been issued on CD or vinyl???

 

https://www.discogs.com/de/sell/release/3733272?ev=rb

[HutchFan]

1 hour ago, soulpope said:

https://www.discogs.com/de/sell/release/3733272?ev=rb

Thank you!!!

 

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

Thank you!!!

 

😀 ....

[Peter Friedman]

[JSngry]

Totally inappropriate inner-response to this record (Disc 3 of the new box) I hear it with my Blue Note ears never leaving. Kay's piece reminds me - somehow - of Wayne Shorter's last few records for the label & Walker's trombone concerto of Grachan Moncur III, not it its overall writing, just the trombone part. I can easily imagine/hear Grachan playing those notes in that sequence. Wrong? No doubt. We come to where we are from where we have been. Oh well.

Walker I began exploring a few years back, but Kay is a totally new name to me, one I must explore more if the work here is in any way typical. Strong stuff that I can "follow" now, with no real "understanding" (at least after these few listens) of the elements being used. To me, that speaks of a strong spirit, and although I was surprised to lean that he was King Oliver's nephew, I was not surprised, if you know what I mean.

This is turning out to be a fascinating series, fascinating and valuable, shining a light on a world that is still one of the more underground of the musical undergrounds.

[Mark Stryker]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

Totally inappropriate inner-response to this record (Disc 3 of the new box) I hear it with my Blue Note ears never leaving. Kay's piece reminds me - somehow - of Wayne Shorter's last few records for the label & Walker's trombone concerto of Grachan Moncur III, not it its overall writing, just the trombone part. I can easily imagine/hear Grachan playing those notes in that sequence. Wrong? No doubt. We come to where we are from where we have been. Oh well.

Walker I began exploring a few years back, but Kay is a totally new name to me, one I must explore more if the work here is in any way typical. Strong stuff that I can "follow" now, with no real "understanding" (at least after these few listens) of the elements being used. To me, that speaks of a strong spirit, and although I was surprised to lean that he was King Oliver's nephew, I was not surprised, if you know what I mean.

This is turning out to be a fascinating series, fascinating and valuable, shining a light on a world that is still one of the more underground of the musical undergrounds.

A landmark set of recordings. The Detroit Symphony was important participant — Paul Freeman was the orchestra’s assistant conductor at the time and the DSO appears on a couple of the LPs. As it happens, I moderating a panel later this month about the late Walker, whom the DSO is honoring. The nice thing is that this is not posthumous window dressing; no orchestra played more of George’s music over the last 40 years. The panel will include the comooser’s son, Gregory, an excellent violinist, and the DSO’s principal trombonist Ken Thompkins, who played the trombone concerto with the orchestra a few years back and will be playing it on a recital with piano accompaniment as part of the ceremonies. Looking forward to all this. 

Coda: I can recommend George’s interesting memoir. https://www.amazon.com/Reminiscences-American-Composer-Pianist-George/dp/0810869403/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549078289&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=george+walker&dpPl=1&dpID=41MeNT0bNDL&ref=plSrch

 

 

[T.D.]

[soulpope]

Earlier today .... :

[Larry Kart]

10 hours ago, Mark Stryker said:

A landmark set of recordings. The Detroit Symphony was important participant — Paul Freeman was the orchestra’s assistant conductor at the time and the DSO appears on a couple of the LPs. As it happens, I moderating a panel later this month about the late Walker, whom the DSO is honoring. The nice thing is that this is not posthumous window dressing; no orchestra played more of George’s music over the last 40 years. The panel will include the comooser’s son, Gregory, an excellent violinist, and the DSO’s principal trombonist Ken Thompkins, who played the trombone concerto with the orchestra a few years back and will be playing it on a recital with piano accompaniment as part of the ceremonies. Looking forward to all this. 

Coda: I can recommend George’s interesting memoir. https://www.amazon.com/Reminiscences-American-Composer-Pianist-George/dp/0810869403/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549078289&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=george+walker&dpPl=1&dpID=41MeNT0bNDL&ref=plSrch

 

 

Admirer of Walker's music. A good deal of it can be found on the Albany label, often at Berkshire.

[Peter Friedman]

[Alexander Hawkins]

On Brahms, I think this op.116 is pretty mind-blowing: 

 

And in a totally different reading of the composer (though I guess there are*certain* similarities), I love the Glenn Gould Brahms...

[soulpope]

2 hours ago, Alexander Hawkins said:

On Brahms, I think this op.116 is pretty mind-blowing: 

 

And in a totally different reading of the composer (though I guess there are*certain* similarities), I love the Glenn Gould Brahms...

I`m partial to the  Pollini + Quartetto Italiano performance of Brahms Piano Quintet op. 34 ....

[Peter Friedman]

Ludvig Norman String Quartet Op.42

Vitezslav Novak - String Quartet Op.22

[Alexander Hawkins]

8 hours ago, soulpope said:

I`m partial to the  Pollini + Quartetto Italiano performance of Brahms Piano Quintet op. 34 ....

How strange - literally 5 minutes before reading this, I finished listening to the Janáček Quartet/Bernathova recording of op.34!

Yes, love that Pollini/Quartetto Italiano version too.

[Peter Friedman]

Mozart - Symphony No.41 "Jupiter"