What Classical Music Are You Listening To?

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

Goldberg magazine does not exist anymore, right? Knew about it but there was no dealer for it where Ilived at the time  .... 

I believe it ceased around 2008 .... I had a personal sub via the importer in Austria - but when he left for good to work for Harmonia Mundi in Southern France in 2005 so did my subscription ....

[HutchFan]

8 hours ago, soulpope said:

A great Bruckner 4 for sure .... we  are lucky to have a number of different - and excellent - Bruckner interpretations on offer ....

Absolutely!   My "gateway" into Bruckner's Fourth was Klemperer's recording in a Time-Life LP set called The Opulent Era.  That's still a special record for me.

I've also enjoyed Skrowaczewski's recording with the Hallé and Jochum's earlier recording on DG with the Berlin PO.

 

This morning, I've been listening to Mahler's Fourth with James Levine, the Chicago SO, and Judith Blegen:

Beautiful! For me, the M4 is the highlight of this set. 

[HutchFan]

Richard Goode Plays Brahms (Nonesuch)
- Eight Piano Pieces, Op. 76
- Seven Fantasies, Op. 116
- Four Piano Pieces, Op. 119

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

Absolutely!   My "gateway" into Bruckner's Fourth was Klemperer's recording in a Time-Life LP set called The Opulent Era.  That's still a special record for me.

I've also enjoyed Skrowaczewski's recording with the Hallé and Jochum's earlier recording on DG with the Berlin PO.

If being in the mood for another worth hearing Bruckner 4 performance you should try this one :

nowadays also available as budget release :

[Peter Friedman]

Strauss -Piano Quartet

Mozart - Piano Concerto No.22

[l p]

 

[A Lark Ascending]

Op 87 off first.

Edited September 12, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[HutchFan]

Brahms: Symphony No. 2; Tragic Overture / Stokowski, National PO (Columbia)
This record was made in 1977, the last year of Stokowski's life. Something interesting to consider: Stokowski was born in 1882. Brahms died in 1897. So Stokowski was already 15 years old (!) when Brahms died. I suppose that doesn't give Stokowski any special authority when it comes to Brahms. (This isn't even my "first choice" for this work.)  Even so, that kind of direct link with the past does seem like something special -- especially when it occurred as recently* as 1977.

 

*In 1977, I was nine years old.  I suppose the fact that I was alive in 1977 is the only reason that I can refer to something that occurred in 1977 as "recent."  It probably doesn't seem all that recent to someone who was born in the 80s or 90s, much less the new millennia. Oh well. Like Einstein said, time is relative. 

[l p]

1958 & 1959

Edited September 12, 2016 by l p

[HutchFan]

Prompted by LP's transcription disc above:

Bach-Busoni: Piano Transcriptions / Peter Rösel (Berlin Classics)

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

Prompted by LP's transcription disc above:

Bach-Busoni: Piano Transcriptions / Peter Rösel (Berlin Classics)

Very, very good performance by Peter Rösel ....

[HutchFan]

Brahms: String Quintets, Op. 88 & Op. 111 / Brandis Quartett, Brett Dean (Brilliant Classics, originally released on Nimbus)

[A Lark Ascending]

[soulpope]

Yesterday evening .... still sounds as good as the new release I`ve bought 15+ years ago ....

[soulpope]

[soulpope]

I`ve been (lucky enough) subscriber of the Alban Berg Quartett seasonal concerts for more than a decade .... and Schubert was never in better hands than with these guys ....

[soulpope]

[HutchFan]

Schubert: Lieder / Janet Baker, Gerald Moore, Geoffrey Parsons (EMI)

[A Lark Ascending]

Brahms Op 101

Bach: 79, 192 (change at Clapham) and 80. 

Have had 2 1/2 Dove records for a few years without them jumping out at me. But after a radio programme a few days back re-listened and really took to them. The name Britten comes up very quickly when he's mentioned - his emphasis on vocal music, commitment to community music and music that can connect widely. There's also a gentle minimalism in there too - more Adams than Reich or Glass. Looking forward to hearing a couple of his operas - he's written loads!  (The other pieces on the flute record are lovely too)

Edited September 13, 2016 by A Lark Ascending

[HutchFan]

7 hours ago, soulpope said:

I`ve been (lucky enough) subscriber of the Alban Berg Quartett seasonal concerts for more than a decade .... and Schubert was never in better hands than with these guys ....

Yes, the ABQ is tremendous.  I'm JEALOUS that you get to see/hear them in person frequently.  

I think their Beethoven is even better than than their Schubert!

 

[soulpope]

2 hours ago, HutchFan said:

Yes, the ABQ is tremendous.  I'm JEALOUS that you get to see/hear them in person frequently.  

I think their Beethoven is even better than than their Schubert!

 

Hard to tell .... they were superb with Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Bartok and Janacek but also with 20th century composers like Rihm, Einem, Lutoslawski and Berio .... unfortunately their spiritual leader Thomas Kakuska died in 2005 - the three remaining members tried to go on with a pupil of Kakuska, but the magic was gone and they finally disbanded in 2008 ..... unfortunately the Alban Berg Quartett never was recorded adequately .... I can asssure you that on stage they were in another league - attending these concerts was similar attending a high mass .... those were the days ....

Edited September 13, 2016 by soulpope

[Peter Friedman]

Op.55/1 & Op.55/2

[HutchFan]

Ballades, Op. 10; Rhapsodies, Op. 79, and other short works

[jeffcrom]

Albert Schweitzer playing Bach in the 1930s. Surprisingly good recordings and transfers.

[HutchFan]

Carlo Maria Giulini - Great Conductors of the 20th Century
Pulled this out so I could hear Giulini's Beethoven 7 with the Chicago SO.  It's a superb rendition.

Edited September 14, 2016 by HutchFan