What Classical Music Are You Listening To?

[jeffcrom]

Charles Ives - A Radical in a Suit and Tie (El):

Three Places in New England (American Recording Society Orchestra/Walter Hendl, 1953)
Symphony No. 3: The Camp Meeting (National Gallery Orchestra/Richard Bales, 1950)
Piano Sonata No. 1 (William Masselos, 1953)

These were the first recordings of these three pieces. To borrow Bev's analogy - even though these were the first bus drivers to drive these routes, and even though the buses may occasionally seem slightly rickety over 60 years later, these guys were sure of the route, and give us a very satisfying ride.

Edited September 4, 2016 by jeffcrom

[JSngry]

Did not know about that one, $7.51 @ Amazon, no-brainer oneclick  Thanks, Jeff!

[A Lark Ascending]

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

Listening and watching:

a wee bit hypey, maybe, but such are the times, so ok. Certainly just a wee bit and not one bit more. Beautiful Faure. Plus, captioning on for Mysteries Of The Macabre = beautifully a-HA. Plus rehearsal/practice/workshop footages always a treat. Plus, Concrrt Romanesc, I had no idea.

It left me better than it found me, so hey, thank you, dvd.

Give these a listen. 

Others will tell you about the quality of the singing but I keep my eye out for her recordings because she regularly skates way off piste. 

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Sunday morning wakey-wakey music:

[paul secor]

9 hours ago, jeffcrom said:

Charles Ives - A Radical in a Suit and Tie (El):

Three Places in New England (American Recording Society Orchestra/Walter Hendl, 1953)
Symphony No. 3: The Camp Meeting (National Gallery Orchestra/Richard Bales, 1950)
Piano Sonata No. 1 (William Masselos, 1953)

These were the first recordings of these three pieces. To borrow Bev's analogy - even though these were the first bus drivers to drive these routes, and even though the buses may occasionally seem slightly rickety over 60 years later, these guys were sure of the route, and give us a very satisfying ride.

Have that one. Interesting to compare with later performances.

[JSngry]

Hannigan finitely on the radar now.

Yesterday's Saturday night at the movies also included this double feature from Mode:

two French documentaries from 1965-66, both fascinating beyond my expectations. Lol'ed at Varese himself saying that if people do not like his work that they have a right to vomit it, but before they vomit it, they have to swallow it.

Massive amounts of performance/rehnearsal footages too, and seeing the people that Stockhausen hired in 1965 to prtfom Momente...it's almost Python-esque.

[soulpope]

Earlier today .... :

[psu_13]

Skrowaczewski, the Beethoven 9 from this set.

https://www.amazon.com/Stanisaw-Skrowaczewski-90th-Birthday-Collection/dp/B00EXS4OVQ/

[A Lark Ascending]

16 hours ago, JSngry said:

Hannigan finitely on the radar now.

Yesterday's Saturday night at the movies also included this double feature from Mode:

two French documentaries from 1965-66, both fascinating beyond my expectations. Lol'ed at Varese himself saying that if people do not like his work that they have a right to vomit it, but before they vomit it, they have to swallow it.

Massive amounts of performance/rehnearsal footages too, and seeing the people that Stockhausen hired in 1965 to prtfom Momente...it's almost Python-esque.

If you like music documentaries try and track down the series Simon Rattle did on 20thC music - I think it was the 80s or 90s. Called 'Leaving Home' (a reference to tonality amongst other things), it shows its age (I watched it a few years back) but covers a wide area of 20thC music including the names you mention with substantial 'gobbets' performed by Rattle and the CBSO. Details:

http://docuwiki.net/index.php?title=Leaving_Home_-_Orchestral_Music_in_the_20th_Century

As ever, Rattle's un-donnish enthusiasm infects you and makes you want to hear things you might have been scared of.

There's one of the London Barbican 'Total Immersion' days on Varese in early 2017 that I have my eye on, only knowing his music superficially. Usually three varied concerts and various films, talks etc. 

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Excellent piece - sits nicely alongside the big ballet music of Prokofiev, Ravel, Falla, Debussy, Stravinsky etc. From a later era but has that same feel. 

Don't know Barry at all well but this one held my interest. Reminded me a little of Messiaen - I don't know if it's his normal approach but the music here seems made up of blocks of very rhythmic music rather than pieces that flow throughout a movement. I've one of his operas heading my way ('The Intelligence Park') to try and get more of a grip.

 

Three symphonies - have never really grabbed me. Much prefer Balakirev and Rimsky from that era. Though the string quartet is a beauty and the Polovtsian Dances are great fun (My Dad was very fond of the Prince Igor music - part of his utterly random and totally unschooled record collection. I think quite a bit of it was used in a film around the 50s).

 

[soulpope]

[soulpope]

[soulpope]

[A Lark Ascending]

Berlioz - King Lear; Colin Matthews - Berceuse for Dresden; Mahler - Das Lied von der Erde.  Mark Elder and the Halle (BBC iPlayer)

 

A Prom I went to three weeks back that is on the iPlayer currently. Fascinating to watch it on screen with the key instruments spotlighted at the right moments. In the Royal Albert Hall (or where I was sitting) the tenor was almost overwhelmed by the orchestra - here the balance was perfect. They obviously do some patching too - Das Lied opened with a really sour fluff from one of the horns; totally vanished here (along with the clapping after the first couple of movements by some of the audience who had not read their concert decorum instructions). Das Lied was, as ever, overwhelming.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[StarThrower]

[soulpope]

2 hours ago, StarThrower said:

Magnificent ....

[A Lark Ascending]

Lyric Symphony off the second. 

[soulpope]

[soulpope]

[A Lark Ascending]

Actually disc 1 from the DG Henze box that has Symphonies 1, 5, 6 but that cover on the mini-sleeve.

From the dark and sardonic (well, maybe not the Korngold) to the roots of contemporary film/TV music:

[Balladeer]

Sergio Monteiro plays  Henrique Oswald (Grand Piano)

[soulpope]

Earlier today .... :

[A Lark Ascending]

[A Lark Ascending]

2, 3, 4 of the Henze

[alankin]

William Lawes – Suite for 2 Lutes in D major
Ferdinando Carulli – Duo for 2 Guitars in G major Op.34
Fernando Sor – Duet for 2 Guitars Op.34 "L'encouragement"
Isaac Albéniz – Cantos de España Op.232/4 Córdoba
Enrique Granados – Goyescas: Intermezzo
Manuel de Falla – La vida breve: Spanish Dance No.1
Maurice Ravel – Pavane pour une infante défunte
— Julian Bream (guitar), John Williams (guitar) (RCA Red Seal / Sony Classical)

   
 

Edited September 8, 2016 by alankin

[A Lark Ascending]

Edited September 8, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[soulpope]

Earlier today ....:

Magnificent ....