What classical music did you listen to today?

[Manuel]

I have listened to was intended to ask myself the fundamental question why some composers today are so much perceived as superior beings, as super-human composers.

I suppose that's not the case of Charles Villiers Stanford.

[rojo]

Today it was part of a work by Danish composer Ludolf Nielsen; the scherzo from his String Quartet No.2, played by the Danish Aros Quartet. I liked it; it had good drive.

[Kromme]

[quote=rojo;19502]Tahiti Trot, for orchestra (arr. of Youmans "Tea for Two"), Op. 16
Composed by Dmitry Shostakovich
Performed by Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam
with Peter Masseurs, Ronald Brautigam
Conducted by Riccardo Chailly/quote]
Wow that is spectacular...I just do not get tired of this music.If only Shostakovich had seen more democratic regimes than Soviet Russia and could write a bit more of sweet music.Do not get me wrong his bittersweet symphonies are also magnificent i can not live a day without listening to one of them but he also shows great talent for these kind of pieces.

[Ouled Nails]

Ernest Bloch:
Concerto Grosso No.1 for String Orchestra and piano obbligato (1925), and
Concerto Grosso No.2 for String Orchestra and String Quartet (1952), Howard Hanson, Eastman-Rochester Orchestra, 5 May 1959. LP Mercury Golden Imports.

Ernest Bloch:
Schelomo. Hebraic Rhapsody for 'Cello and Orchestra (1916), Sir Charles Mackerras, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ofra Harnoy, cello. CD RCA Red Seal (1991).

Ernest Bloch:
Baal Shem, for violin and orchestra (orchestrated by Nico Richter)(1939), Serebrier, Royal Phil. Orch., Michael Guttman, violin. CD ASV.

Ernest Bloch:
Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra (1954), L. Segerstam, Swedish Radio Symphony Orch., Christian Lindberg, trombone. BIS (1992).

Ernest Bloch:
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1938), Poems of the Sea (1922), Suite Symphonique (1944), Sakari Oramo, Malmo symfoniorkester, Oleh Krysa, violin. BIS (1995)

[Manuel]

Ernest Bloch:
Concerto Grosso No.1 for String Orchestra and piano obbligato (1925), and
Concerto Grosso No.2 for String Orchestra and String Quartet (1952), Howard Hanson, Eastman-Rochester Orchestra, 5 May 1959. LP Mercury Golden Imports.

Ernest Bloch:
Schelomo. Hebraic Rhapsody for 'Cello and Orchestra (1916), Sir Charles Mackerras, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ofra Harnoy, cello. CD RCA Red Seal (1991).

Ernest Bloch:
Baal Shem, for violin and orchestra (orchestrated by Nico Richter)(1939), Serebrier, Royal Phil. Orch., Michael Guttman, violin. CD ASV.

Ernest Bloch:
Symphony for Trombone and Orchestra (1954), L. Segerstam, Swedish Radio Symphony Orch., Christian Lindberg, trombone. BIS (1992).

Ernest Bloch:
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1938), Poems of the Sea (1922), Suite Symphonique (1944), Sakari Oramo, Malmo symfoniorkester, Oleh Krysa, violin. BIS (1995)

That's quite an over-bloch you have had today...

My list for today
Schumann: piano sonata Op. 11 (Pollini)
Tchaikovsky: Grand Sonata Op. 37 (Postnikova)
Schubert: sonata in a minor (Pollini)
Giordano: Andrea Chenier
(a bit of Rigoletto right now)

[Ouled Nails]

The violin concerto sounded a little too long to me, at 35 minutes. Most of the other pieces are shorter works which, taken together, amount to an opera But if you are suggesting by "over-bloch" that I should be saturated by the music I assure you that it is not the case. He's a fine composer who easily belongs in my non-pyramidal conception of "great" composers.

[Manuel]

My Menuhin takes 38...

Bloch is someone who doesn't visit my cd player frequently... I may play some of his solo cello works tomorrow, as a reconciliation. (I can make it a full solo-cello-sunday, filling some gaps with Britten's suites)

[Ouled Nails]

My Menuhin takes 38...

Bloch is someone who doesn't visit my cd player frequently... I may play some of his solo cello works tomorrow, as a reconciliation. (I can make it a full solo-cello-sunday, filling some gaps with Britten's suites)

With the vast number of worthy composers in the twentieth century alone, it's possible, indeed probable, that composers such as Shostakovich or Bartok or Prokofiev don't visit my CD player more than five or six days per year.

Edit: Oh, and in stating that the violin concerto was long at 35 minutes I did not suggest it was the musician's slow interpretation; I meant that the piece itself sounded long.

[rojo]

Recent addition at youtube-

Gubaidulina Viola Concerto (1996/97)
Parte 1 de 4

Bashmet (Viola) , Sinfônica de Colônia

Only had time for the first part. I`m intrigued though. I enjoyed the violist`s playing. Interesting instrumentation, including bass flute.

[Ouled Nails]

Quiet a few string quartets by Villa-Lobos (roughly half of his 17), the sixth symphony by Bruckner (Nagano, conducting), a guitar "symphony" by Alan Hovahness and his Katahdin Sonata (most relevant for a Mainer). A very strange "mix" if you ask me. It's like flying with a great deal of formality on Air Force One (Bruckner), enjoying company on a flight back from a conference where lots of passengers know each other (Villa-Lobos), and getting a really neat look at the world below in a Cessna (Hovahness).

[janny108]

Tchaikovsky Hamlet, Symphony 1 and 6.
Jan

[rojo]

Fantastic Scherzo for orchestra, Op 25
Composed by Josef (composer) Suk
Performed by English Chamber Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras

Enjoyed this work very much. It was composed in 1903. So no big surprise that I like it, I guess. (My fave works all seem to be from approx. 1890-1920.)

[rojo]

G. Ligeti - Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet

Enjoyed this one thoroughly as well. Fascinating work.

Well, the Suk and the Ligeti don`t make quite such a stange mix as ON`s, nevertheless...

[EgyptianConcerto]

George Whitfield Chadwick, Symphony #3 (Detroit Sym/Jaarvi).
a favorite!

[Manuel]

Puccini: Manon Lescaut (Callas, Di Stefano, Serafin)
Tosca (Pryce, Di Stefano, Karajan)
Glinka, Roslavets, Shostakovich: Viola sonatas (Bashmet
Copland: Appalachian Spring, original chamber version.