What classical music did you listen to today?

[Ouled Nails]

Joseph Jongen, Symphonie concertante pour orgue et orchestre, op. 81. Michael Murray, Ruffati Organ at Davies Hall, Edo da Waart, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Also Jongen's Concert à cinque with members of the Atlantic Sinfonietta.

I gather from the review of one music critique that, while Murray is up to the task, the Ruffati organ did not measure up, in terms of comparable recordings from Europe. Impossible for me to say if that's a justified criticism. I do know that this is Jongen's finest orchestral work and that the organ parts are all magnificent. The work is in four movements.

[rojo]

Hector Berlioz - Rêverie et Caprice

Very nice, charming.

[rojo]

Borodin`s In the Steppes of Central Asia, played by the Minnesota S. O.

What a great melody and work.

[rojo]

C. Franck.
Prélude, Choral et Fugue.
Murray Perahia, pia.
(SONY SK47180).

Excellent.

[rojo]

The very famous and lovely Pavane by Gabriel Fauré - version for orchestra with choir op. 50.
Ch. du Festival de Tanglewood. Boston Symph. Orch. Seiji Ozawa, dir.
(DG 4230892).

[Krummhorn]

Joseph Jongen, Symphonie concertante pour orgue et orchestre.

That is one of two of my most favorite Organ/Orchestra composition. I have the recording with Virgil Fox. Heard it last, live, in Salt Lake City in 2003

The other is Francis Poulenc, Concerto for Organ, Strings & Tympani in G minor.
The recording I have is with Maurice Durufle at St. Etienne du Mont. (sp?)

[Ouled Nails]

I am right with you about these two choices, Krummhorn! My Poulenc concerto pour orgue, orchestre à cordes et timbales is with Marie-Claire Alain, orgue Gonzalez, studio ORTF, with Jean Martinon leading the ORTF National Orchestra. It's coupled on a beautiful Erato LP with Poulenc's harpsichord "pastoral" concerto, Robert-Veyron Lacroix at the harpsichord. The organ is such an instrument of choice among French and Belgian composers.
Best regards.

[rojo]

D. Shostakovich.
Symphony n° 15 : 1st movement "allegro" op. 141.
Chicago Symphony Orch. Georg Solti, dir.
(DEC 4589192).

Yes, the one that quotes Rossini`s William Tell Overture!

[Sybarite]

Yesterday: Schumann's first two symphonies, Berlin Phil, Herbert von Karajan. Fascinating to listen to Schumann as the continuation of Beethoven; there's still a lingering sense of the Classical era, but with hints to the more overtly Romantic future.

Monteverdi's Vespers. Beautiful stuff.

Richard Strauss's Eine Alpensimfonie, Berlin Phil and von K again. Not as lush as Also Sprach Zarathustra, but still wonderful. Even if you didn't know what picture Strauss was painting, it's difficult to imagine a listener not regognising the storm and dawn and even the moment when the climber reaches the summit. And as Schumann was a link in his day, one hears the influence of Wagner in the third-from-last movement here.

Today so far: Chopin piano pieces on the way to the office.

[Kromme]

Bruckner Symphony No.4 by Karajan/Berliner Philharmo****r,not bad but not the best either.I like Riccardo Muti's account with the same orchestra better.Then Bruckner Symphony No.5 by Franz Welser-Möst/London Philharmonic.Experimental Bruckner in a very fast tempo takes only 68 minutes while Thielemann who is not known as a slow conductor goees well over 80 minutes mark and Celibidache who is notoriously slow takes it to 100 minutes.Welser-Möst is not bad he manages to be emotional and passionate but still i would prefer a less unorthodox performance or Celibidache.

[Ouled Nails]

Lots and lots of Charles Ives songs, some patriotic ("He is there!"), some nationalist ("Lincoln, great commoner"), some romantic ("His exaltation"), some spiritual ("Camp meeting"), some... iconoclastic.

[rojo]

That is one of two of my most favorite Organ/Orchestra composition. I have the recording with Virgil Fox. Heard it last, live, in Salt Lake City in 2003

The other is Francis Poulenc, Concerto for Organ, Strings & Tympani in G minor.
The recording I have is with Maurice Durufle at St. Etienne du Mont. (sp?)

I am right with you about these two choices, Krummhorn! My Poulenc concerto pour orgue, orchestre à cordes et timbales is with Marie-Claire Alain, orgue Gonzalez, studio ORTF, with Jean Martinon leading the ORTF National Orchestra. It's coupled on a beautiful Erato LP with Poulenc's harpsichord "pastoral" concerto, Robert-Veyron Lacroix at the harpsichord. The organ is such an instrument of choice among French and Belgian composers.
Best regards.

ON and Krummhorn (may I call you Kh from now on?); I just heard that work (the Poulenc) for the first time yesterday, and on the very first listen, I thought it was absolutely fabulous! I`ll go see if I can dig out who performed it...

Makes me extremely curious about the Jongen, which I have not heard. Yet.

[rojo]

Yesterday: Schumann's first two symphonies, Berlin Phil, Herbert von Karajan. Fascinating to listen to Schumann as the continuation of Beethoven; there's still a lingering sense of the Classical era, but with hints to the more overtly Romantic future.

Monteverdi's Vespers. Beautiful stuff.

Richard Strauss's Eine Alpensimfonie, Berlin Phil and von K again. Not as lush as Also Sprach Zarathustra, but still wonderful. Even if you didn't know what picture Strauss was painting, it's difficult to imagine a listener not regognising the storm and dawn and even the moment when the climber reaches the summit. And as Schumann was a link in his day, one hears the influence of Wagner in the third-from-last movement here.

Today so far: Chopin piano pieces on the way to the office.

Which piano pieces, Sybarite? And who was playing?

[rojo]

Ok, I think it was this one; heard it on the radio-

Concerto for organ, strings & timpani in G minor, FP 93
Composed by Francis Poulenc
Performed by Boston Symphony Orchestra
with Simon Preston, Everett Firth
Conducted by Seiji Ozawa

[rojo]

I found this Chorale by Jongen-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7CXuwra9j8

Ooh, me likes!