What classical music did you listen to today?

Sybarite

New member
London Symphony or Royal Philharmonic??If it is not the latter Sybarite can you please tell me what do you think of the performance an from which label it is.His Royal Philharmonic accont is not the best ein deutsches requiem but definitely one of the better ones



Hi Kromme,

London Symphony Orchestra, recorded live at the Barbican, London, in 2000.

It's actually the LSO's own label – info here.

It's not a work I'd previously heard, but when I spotted it in Virgin Megastore last night, for the bargain price of £4.99, then it seemed too good to miss.

I certainly thought that the performance was a good one; generally a fine recording of a beautiful piece of music, in my opinion. :)
 

Kromme

New member
Thank you for both the information and the link,Sybarite...
I bet it is a good performance i like Previn's earlier interpretation of this magnificent work and this time the orchestra is even superior.I hope Turkish stores will one day sell recordings of live performances of an orchestra under its own label.Neither LSO nor Koninklijk Concertgebouw Orkest is available to the classical music lovers of Turkish Republic...:(:(
Still this is too good to miss as you said.I think i am going to order it from Amazon.com....;)
 

Kromme

New member
Also i forgot to mention James Levine & Metropolitan Opera's DVD recording of Wagner's Tristan&Isolde and Carlo Maria Giulini & Philharmonia Orchestra's recording of Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem.Although Tristan & Isolde is one of my favourite operas i could barely managed to stay awake till the end.Soloists was lackluster and the music couldn't get inside of me.But for the second it was just the opposite.Music was outstanding,interpretation was a bit slow as always the case with Giulini but it felt better actually and after one and a half hour i was still waiting for more to come because i felt as if only 15 minutes had passed since the music started
 

Sybarite

New member
Thank you for both the information and the link,Sybarite...

My pleasure. I hope you enjoy it when Amazon deliver. :)

This evening, I listened to Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs – Gundula Janowitz (what a voice), Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Phil – the final scene from Capriccio – Janowitz again, with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Karl Böhm – Tod und Verklärung – Statskapelle Dresden, Böhm. The Last Four Songs in particular are wonderful; quite gorgeous. All on a Deutsche Gramaphone complilation.

Then Tchaikovsky's Symphony No4 – Berlin Phil, HvK. Didn't really hit the right notes after the glories of the Strauss.
 

Kromme

New member
My pleasure. I hope you enjoy it when Amazon deliver. :)
Thanks.I'm sure i will.;)
Today it is Bartok with Miraculous Mandarin by Marin Alsop-Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Mahler with Symphony No.1"Titan" by Armin Jordan-Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.Bartok was thrilling and "hellish" as he described it.With this recording Marin Alsop proves women are also very capable of conducting.I wonder why Simone Young was chosen to be the first woman conductor to guest conduct Wiener Philharmoniker instead of Marin Alsop.Armin Jordan's Mahler is not the best but it is fine.Surprisingly good Mahlerian sound from the Swiss orchestra and wise interpretation...An underrated performance
 

Sybarite

New member
Dvorák's Slavonic Dances op46 and op72 – The Cleveland Orchestra under the baton of Christoph von Dohnányi; very light and enjoyable.

Beethoven's piano concerto nos 1 and 2 – Mitsuko Uchida, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, with Kurt Sanderling conducting. Lovely; Uchida's playing is delightful – so light.

Shaker Loops by John Adams and Façades by Philip Glass – London Chamber Orchestra under Christopher Warren-Green. Never imagined that I'd appreciate such modern 'classical' music, but I first encountered this (and the rest of the album Minimalist) in the summer and, having enjoyed some dance and house music in recent years, it felt like quite a natural progression. Haunting, quite soothing and almost hypnotic.
 

rojo

(Ret)
Speaking about modern classical music, I`ve just been listening to Schnittke`s Viola Concerto. This is the first work I`ve heard by him. Wow. Hmm. Interesting. I enjoyed it; in the allegro, about the middle, there`s a part that made me actually laugh- all of a sudden, after all this brutal dissonance, a clearly tonal reference to the classical era. Crazy, crazy Schnittke... :grin:

Anyone here know and/or like Schnittke? Any works in particular to be recommended?
 

Sybarite

New member
String Quartet in G minor, op10 by Debussy and Ravel's String Quartet in F, both played by the Orlando Quartet. Very good – the Debussy seems much more 'angular' and strident, if you will, than many of the more familiar works.

Schubert's Sonata in B flat, D960, played by Alfred Brendel. Beautiful – what more can one say?

Tchaikovsky's fifth and sixth symphonies, played by the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. The Pathétique is wonderful – or at least the first, second and fourth movements are.For some reason, the third doesn't really seem to fit to my ears.

Handel's Messiah on BBC TV from the Barbican, with the London Symphonie Orchestra and Sir Colin Davis. Very good. I wasn't much of a fan of Baroque music until recently and have got much more interested in the past months. The purity of the voices is wonderful.
 

Sybarite

New member
Missa Gloria tibi Trinitas by John Taverner – Taverner Choir, directed by Andrew Parrott. Absolutely beautiful; I think I’ve already mentioned that I am really just discovering early music and the purity of the choral works in particular is astonishing.

Concerto in D minor by Alessandro Marcello, Concerto in D by Giuseppe Sammartini, Concerto a cinque in G minor, Op9 No8 by Tomaso Albinoni, Concerto in A by Antonio Lotti and Concerto in C by Domenico Cimarosa – all played by I Musici, with Heinz Holliger.

La Mer by Debussy – Berlin Philharmonic and Herbert von Karajan. Something a little richer.

The Ring: highlights by Wagner. And something richer yet. :D
 

rojo

(Ret)
Hi Sybarite,

The second movement of the Marcello is so sad and moving, don`t you think? One of the very saddest in the repertoire. The Cimarosa is also a wonderful, beautiful work. Several of the Albinoni concertos are very good as well. I`ve played most of these works because I used to play the oboe. Can`t beat Heinz Holliger, imo. If you like oboe works, you may also like Poulenc`s Sonata for Oboe and Piano...

And of course, Debussy`s La Mer is my fave all-time piece of music, ever...
 

Kromme

New member
Strauss Family Waltzes,Polkas,Marsches and Galops by Herbert von Karajan-Mariss Jansons-Wiener Philharmoniker and then Richard Strauss.Don Quixote,Symphonia Domestica,Ein Heldenleben,Metamorphosen by Herbert von Karajan-Berliner Philharmoniker,Also Sprach Zarathustra,Don Juan,Last Four Songs(sung by Lucia Popp) by Klaus Tennstedt-London Philharmonic and Tod Und Verklarung by Wilhelm Furtwangler-Wiener Philharmoniker
 

Sybarite

New member
Hi Sybarite,

The second movement of the Marcello is so sad and moving, don`t you think? One of the very saddest in the repertoire. The Cimarosa is also a wonderful, beautiful work. Several of the Albinoni concertos are very good as well. I`ve played most of these works because I used to play the oboe. Can`t beat Heinz Holliger, imo. If you like oboe works, you may also like Poulenc`s Sonata for Oboe and Piano...

Hi Rojo,

Yes, I thought that the Marcello was lovely, but the Cimarosa was the revelation – absolutely beautiful.

I shall bear in mind your recommendation of the Poulenc – thank you.:)
 

rojo

(Ret)
I played the Cimarosa for my oboe exam at uni. Loved the work. Haven`t listened to it in a while; must dig it out one of these days...

I don`t think you`d be dissapointed with the Poulenc; you`re welcome! :)
 

Sybarite

New member
... I don`t think you`d be dissapointed with the Poulenc...

Thanks again; I haven't actually heard any Poulenc, so it's a good way to try something new – indeed, such recommendations and pointers were part of the reason that I joined this forum. :)

I listened to loads of carols yesterday – traditional, no orchestra or even organ; quite beautiful and an appropriate accompaniment to preparing wild boar and créme brûlèe. ;)

Later, some of Cosi fan tutti on the TV – the BBC were screening a performance from last summer's Glyndebourne; lovely.
 

Kromme

New member
Listened to 2 different versions of Holst's The Planets,Simon Rattle's new account and the account i admired as definitive by Adrian Boult.Of course Sir Simon was nowhere near Sir Adrian's understanding.I hope one day i can proudly post that Rattle's account of some work is the best around otherwise i am going to doubt the collective musical wisdom of Berliner Philharmoniker very seriously.(I already doubt it but not seriously:))
 

Sybarite

New member
Mahler's Symphony No1 in D, played by the Berlin Philharmonic under Bernard Haitink. Lovely – much of this feels fairly traditionally Romantic, with tunes that are reminiscent of the Russian nationalist composers of the era; until the third movement, that is, with its jocular funeral march and hints of Jewish music, suddenly brings us so much closer to the 20th century.

Jazz Suite No1, Jazz Suite No2, Tahiti Trot and Piano Concerto No1 in C minor, op35 (Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings by Shostakovich, played by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Chailly. Wonderful – music to put a smile on your face and set your feet tapping. Some of the waltzes have an eerie quality that is haunting and sensual at the same time, like an echo of beautiful decadence. Irresistable and intoxicating.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Yuri Simonov, playing excerpts from Khachaturian’s Gayane, Spartacus and Masquerade; more of the sounds of Russian nationalist music from the 19th century. Full of vibrancy and completely fascinating.

And whilst in Russian mode: Prokofiev’s L'Amour des 3 Oranges by Opera de Lyon, conducted by Kent Nagano.
 

Kromme

New member
Handel's Messiah by Charles Mackerras-English Chamber Orchestra and Water Music by Riccardo Muti-Berliner Philharmoniker.Muti's Handel is fine Mackerras' is even finer.Orchestras are first-class
 

rojo

(Ret)
Sybarite said:
Jazz Suite No1, Jazz Suite No2, Tahiti Trot and Piano Concerto No1 in C minor, op35 (Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings by Shostakovich, played by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Chailly. Wonderful – music to put a smile on your face and set your feet tapping. Some of the waltzes have an eerie quality that is haunting and sensual at the same time, like an echo of beautiful decadence. Irresistable and intoxicating.
Funny, I was just listening to Shostakovich`s Waltz No.2, which is from his Suite for Variety Stage Orchestra No1. It has some of those qualities as well.

Currently listening to Franz Schubert - Violin, Viola and Cello Trio. Nice.
 

rojo

(Ret)
Ok, this just came on the radio- Hector Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique; un bal (second movement.) I was under the impression that I was not crazy about this work. But now it comes on, and I am enchanted! I think something got mixed up in my brain there...
 

giovannimusica

Commodore de Cavaille-Coll
Dear Ms. RoJo,

I seriously doubt that something got mixed up in your brain. Berlioz only started to *reveal* himself to me five years ago. I really enjoy the conductor who lets the brass be highlighted when performing Berlioz's larger works. Berlioz's music is *cool.*

Cheers!

Giovanni :tiphat:
 
Top