What classical music are you listening to?

[Covenanter]

This morning, Mozart's symphony in C major K200 in the AAM/Hogwood recording, still sounding fresh after many years. It's from the box set of the complete symphonies, which is rarely far away from my CD player. I love to dip into this set and marvel at the inventiveness and sheer beauty of this master's music. Heard on period instruments, you really get the transparency that is missing on some "full fat" recordings.

Absolutely agree. I have the Pinnock, English Concert, set and the period performances show much more of Mozart's ideas IMO.

Chris

 

[Covenanter]

On a romantic, post-romantic trip right now so yesterday the Rachmaninov Sym. 1 Litton, RPO and this morning Grieg Piano Concerto, Perahia, David, BRSO. After lunch who knows?

Chris

PS After lunch the Grieg again this time played by Radu Lupu, Previn, LSO on Decca Legends. A wonderful fiery performance, not the gloss of the Perahia but somehow more spiritual. The remastered recording is excellent and anyone who wants the Grieg should try it.

 

[Webern]

On a romantic, post-romantic trip right now so yesterday the Rachmaninov Sym. 1 Litton, RPO and this morning Grieg Piano Concerto, Perahia, David, BRSO. After lunch who knows?

Chris

PS After lunch the Grieg again this time played by Radu Lupu, Previn, LSO on Decca Legends. A wonderful fiery performance, not the gloss of the Perahia but somehow more spiritual. The remastered recording is excellent and anyone who wants the Grieg should try it.

Ah, that answers my cheeky question on another thread. (Grieg)

 

[Webern]

This morning, Mozart's symphony in C major K200 in the AAM/Hogwood recording, still sounding fresh after many years. It's from the box set of the complete symphonies, which is rarely far away from my CD player. I love to dip into this set and marvel at the inventiveness and sheer beauty of this master's music. Heard on period instruments, you really get the transparency that is missing on some "full fat" recordings.

Absolutely agree. I have the Pinnock, English Concert, set and the period performances show much more of Mozart's ideas IMO.

Chris

I had the Pinnock set too, but lent it to someone and never got it back - I thin I prefer it overall to the Hogwood.

 

[Webern]

This afternoon, a collection of more or less obscure pieces by Sibelius, including the Wood Nymph and Swan White - Osmo Vanska and the Lahti on BIS. Love their performances of the symphonies and the recorded sound is gorgeous too.

 

[steve_1979]

Giuliano Carmignola - String Rarities of the Italian Baroque

http://open.spotify.com/album/5Zcgwsr12pfxkErOaVgLWJ

 

[Covenanter]

This morning the Bruch VC, Kyung Wha Chung. This afternoon Schubert Impromptus, Radu Lupu on Decca Legends.

Chris

PS I can't speak too highly of the Decca Legends digital remasterings. They make a splash of them being "96kHz 24-bit" but I've no idea if that is significant. All I can say is that they are very good!

 

[Tear Drop]

Picked up my first complete Ring cycle on LP, a near mint (according to the ebay seller) copy of Böhm's live Bayreuth recording on Philips. Eagerly anticipating delivery and first listening. Seen a few of the complete wooden boxed Solti cycle on ebay recently but these are starting at around £250, whereas the Böhm set was only £50 (for 19 LPs).

 

[matt49]

Picked up my first complete Ring cycle on LP, a near mint (according to the ebay seller) copy of Böhm's live Bayreuth recording on Philips. Eagerly anticipating delivery and first listening. Seen a few of the complete wooden boxed Solti cycle on ebay recently but these are starting at around £250, whereas the Böhm set was only £50 (for 19 LPs).

Good luck with that! You'll have fun changing the disks.

Matt

 

[Tear Drop]

Picked up my first complete Ring cycle on LP, a near mint (according to the ebay seller) copy of Böhm's live Bayreuth recording on Philips. Eagerly anticipating delivery and first listening. Seen a few of the complete wooden boxed Solti cycle on ebay recently but these are starting at around £250, whereas the Böhm set was only £50 (for 19 LPs).

Good luck with that! You'll have fun changing the disks.

Matt

When I first considered getting a TT I thought it would drive me crazy but in fact it has never bothered me at all.

 

[matt49]

Picked up my first complete Ring cycle on LP, a near mint (according to the ebay seller) copy of Böhm's live Bayreuth recording on Philips. Eagerly anticipating delivery and first listening. Seen a few of the complete wooden boxed Solti cycle on ebay recently but these are starting at around £250, whereas the Böhm set was only £50 (for 19 LPs).

Good luck with that! You'll have fun changing the disks.

Matt

When I first considered getting a TT I thought it would drive me crazy but in fact it has never bothered me at all.

Actually I can imagine that when you're in for the long haul (e.g. a Ring cycle session), standing up every 25 mins or so could be a good thing.

 

[Covenanter]

Picked up my first complete Ring cycle on LP, a near mint (according to the ebay seller) copy of Böhm's live Bayreuth recording on Philips. Eagerly anticipating delivery and first listening. Seen a few of the complete wooden boxed Solti cycle on ebay recently but these are starting at around £250, whereas the Böhm set was only £50 (for 19 LPs).

Good luck with that! You'll have fun changing the disks.

Matt

When I first considered getting a TT I thought it would drive me crazy but in fact it has never bothered me at all.

Actually I can imagine that when you're in for the long haul (e.g. a Ring cycle session), standing up every 25 mins or so could be a good thing.

I have to admit that I don't like Wagner (which is not to knock those who do). I think he is the true "marmite" composer. His work has prodcued some fantastic quotes though:

Monsieur Wagner has good moments, but awful quarters of an hour! -- Rossinni

I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start to get the urge to conquer Poland. - Woody Allen

I have been told that Wagner's music is better than it sounds. - Mark Twain (I believe)

Chris

 

[matt49]

I have to admit that I don't like Wagner (which is not to knock those who do). I think he is the true "marmite" composer. His work has prodcued some fantastic quotes though:

Monsieur Wagner has good moments, but awful quarters of an hour! -- Rossinni

I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start to get the urge to conquer Poland. - Woody Allen

I have been told that Wagner's music is better than it sounds. - Mark Twain (I believe)

Chris

I have mixed feelings about Wagner. Over the last 5 years or so the music has really grown on me, especially since seeing a few productions at the ROH. But the Wagner cult thing makes my flesh creep, and I can't stomach the libretti at all. The text of the Ring cycle is bombastic nonsense written in a medievalizing cod German that's simply embarrassing. IMO.

Matt

 

[Covenanter]

This afternoon another Decca Legend, Clifford Curzon playing the Brahms PC1 with the LSO under Szell. A wonderful performance and great piano tone. The orchestral tone is a bit "glassy" IMO but it's not a major issue. This is the version I used to have on vinyl back in the day and it stands up very well to modern performances.

Chris

 

[Reijer]

Canto Ostinato, Simeon ten Holt. 3 piano's and 1 organ or with 4 piano's.

 

[Covenanter]

This morning yet another Decca Legend (they should pay me for advertising their product!) Brahms PC2 played by Backhaus, VPO, Bohm. Until I read the sleeve notes I hadn't known that Backhaus actually met Brahms and heard him conduct both of his Piano Concertos so we have a direct link from performer to composer, which is quite astonishing.

This is a marvellous performance by the 83 year old pianist. The recording is pretty good too so well worth having.

Chris

 

[Webern]

Last night, the Beethoven Violin Concerto - Veronika Eberle and the LSO under Rattle, on Radio 3. Unfortunately through a DAB radio, but too good to miss all the same. Also three of the Haydn Op 33 String Quartets played by the Mosaiques Quartet on Auvidis; a lovely disc this one and a favourite.

 

[Covenanter]

This morning Tchaikovsky 5th with Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra.

This afternoon I'm going to start to listen to Previn's Vaughan Williams' Symphony cycle.

Chris

 

[Covenanter]

Last night, the Beethoven Violin Concerto - Veronika Eberle and the LSO under Rattle, on Radio 3. Unfortunately through a DAB radio, but too good to miss all the same. Also three of the Haydn Op 33 String Quartets played by the Mosaiques Quartet on Auvidis; a lovely disc this one and a favourite.

I agree about the Mosaiques disc.

Chris

 

[Webern]

That's interesting - I didn't know about Backhaus seeing Brahms conduct either. How extraordinary to think of him seeing and hearing the great master. I grew up with the Gilels/Jochum pairing on vinyl which I bought on CD and is one of my most treasured sets.

 

[MrReaper182]

I'm listening to the readers digest classical world of music ten vinyl box set which i brought in a charity shop for something like 5 quid in mint condition. I am listening to vinyl ten which is the music from Bohemia (I know Bohemia is not a country anymore but they call the Czech republic Bohemia on this vinyl box set for some reason). Currently on side one track 3 which is the piece Slavonic Dance in G minor by Dvorak.

 

[matt49]

More 18th-century stuff here. C. P. E. Bach's Cello Concertos Wq. 170-72 (Tim Hugh, Richard Studt, Bournemouth Sinfonietta / Naxos). I love the dynamism and unpredictability of C. P. E. Bach. The performances are fast paced but well controlled. A real energizer on a rainy afternoon.

 

[matthewpiano]

This morning yet another Decca Legend (they should pay me for advertising their product!) Brahms PC2 played by Backhaus, VPO, Bohm. Until I read the sleeve notes I hadn't known that Backhaus actually met Brahms and heard him conduct both of his Piano Concertos so we have a direct link from performer to composer, which is quite astonishing.

This is a marvellous performance by the 83 year old pianist. The recording is pretty good too so well worth having.

Chris

Backhaus was a wonderful pianist, a model combination of restraint and subtlety but nevertheless with a vast range of tonal and dynamic colour in his playing. I love his solo recordings best, but his Brahms 2 is beautiful.

Currently working my way back through Ashkenazy's complete Chopin, starting tonight with the Preludes. Rich, dramatic and communicative playing throughout.

 

[matt49]

Olli Mustonen playing Preludes by Shostakovich and Alkan. This is a 1992 Decca recording re-released by Presto Classical (bravo!).

The Shostakovich is alarmingly good. The Alkan, from c. 1850, reads like a cross between Chopin and Liszt. A really interesting set.

 

[Webern]

Returning to familiar territory with Mozart - early symphonies including the k45a symphony "Alte Lambach", from the Hogwood/AAM set.The disc opens with the "Odense" symphony, which was hailed as being by the young Wolfgang when a copy of the score emerged in Denmark in the early 1980's (I remember the fuss at the time), and was included by Hogwood in his complete symphonies box, but is now thought not to be by Mozart. I've always liked this piece, whoever wrote it - its exuberance and invention put me in mind of CPE Bach. The unusual key of A minor would have given it a special position on Mozart's symphonic output. It's extraordinary to think that there are still (probably) undiscovered manuscripts resting hidden in libraries across Europe that may change our understanding and appreciation of the great composers.

On DVD I enjoyed the delightful Divertimento k113, a miniature masterpiece full of charm and wit with colourful writing for the wind instruments. It's like a perfect little wind concerto. The concluding Allegro is of such stunning simplicity it sounds almost as though it had been constructed from a bird song, but the overriding emotion is sheer unadulterated joy. The performance is from a public concert by Helmut Haenchen with the CPE Bach Chamber Orchestra; a hidden gem this one, from a Medici Arts box with the slightly offputting title of "The Essential Mozart".