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What (classical) are you listening to right now #2?

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A superb recital. The Mahler and Handel are real lump-in-throat stuff.
 
R3

Elgar: Enigma Variations
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein (conductor)
DG 413 490 2


Slooooooooooooooooooooooooooow
 
I've been revisiting some of the pieces by Sofia Gubaidulina broadcast by Radio 3 in the Gubaidulina weekend in January. Some of them come across very well, especially the mammoth Triptych Nadeyka, which didn't receive universally good reviews at the time. There is a very appealing mixture of devotion, seriousness and naivity, which is not dissimilar in some respects to Messiaen. The only living composer that is in any way similar is James MacMillan - I've also been relistening to his choral / orchestral work Quickening (from R3 yet again), which is very impressive.
 
Mahler 5th Symphony, Solti on Decca.

Only part of the first movement before I had to go and help with horses, but I had forgotten how much I like this in a technicolour film score kind of way.
 
The recent Virgin Classics release of Vivaldi cantatas with the countertenor Philippe Jaroussky. The ease with which he sings these -- WAY UP in the soprano range some of the time -- is amazing.
 
They say that. I own the 26-31 on EMI and I particularly like the 29. But for the others I cannot say that the performance is worth the bad sound quality - probably I just don't get it.

Too bad Maurizio Pollini recorded the whole set three times but never gave his OK for publishing. He reminds me of Carlos Kleiber at times.
 
Hi Cheese, interesting.

I have 1-7, 8-15, 16-22&24 and 23& 25-32 all on EMI vinyl (HMW Treasury) and sound quality is anything but bad, I'd say astonishingly good given it's age, transfers from 78's and all that. Certainly good enough to appreciate his playing. Are yours CD?

Carl
 
No, vinyl on HMV Treasury. There are worse recordings but well, they've been made in the thirties yeah ? Whilst the few-mikes-approach of the day has its appeal, the recordings could need a little more dynamics. And I just find that essential on Beethoven.

On the other hand I am currently listening to Brahms 4 by Furtie conducting Berlin in 1948. The recording is, oh well, and the [italian] pressing probably the worst of my entire collection. It still knocks my socks off.
 
Let's agree the sound quality of the transfers varies quite a bit - I also have a few of the Schnabel Beethoven Piano Concerts and although 10-15 years younger they universally sound a lot worse than the Sonatas.

Carl
 
This afternoon on R3

2.00pm

A recording of Zeffirelli's lavish production of Verdi's Aida from the opening night of the latest season at La Scala in Milan.

Verdi: Aida
Aida ...... Violeta Urmana (soprano)
Amneris ...... Ildiko Komlosi (mezzo-soprano)
Amonasro ...... Carlo Guelfi (baritone)
Radames ...... Roberto Alagna (tenor)
Ramphis ...... Giorgio Giuseppini (bass)
King of Egypt ...... Marco Spotti (bass)
A Messenger ...... Antonello Ceron (tenor)
Priestess ...... Sae Kyung Rim (soprano)
La Scala Chorus
La Scala Orchestra
Riccardo Chailly (conductor)
 
Cheese said:
Too bad Maurizio Pollini recorded the whole set three times but never gave his OK for publishing. He reminds me of Carlos Kleiber at times.
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I have heard none of these - hardly surprisingly! - but would certainly like to. Pollini is, I think, the last surviving pupil of Benedetti Michelangeli and I rate him highly.

Years ago I heard Backhaus playing most of the Sonatas and, despite a few bum notes to which he occasionally was prone, he was electrifying; a wonderful Beethoven pianist. There have been others but for my money and the complete cycle to which I keep returning is the 1960's Brendel. The recordings are not perfect - a little bass-heavy - but quite acceptable and, of course, the playing is superb; but so was Arrau, Kempff et al.

Wouldn't life be easy if there was just one defining recording of something?

Richard.
 
:D

I can see why you'd think so, but no.

Just been listening to Rattle in Das Lied von der Erde. I don't know if it's an issue of familiarity but I'm not at all convinced that one can do without a female soloist.

regards, Tam
 
I know what you mean, Kindertotenlieder from the Sinopoli set is sung by Bryn Terfel and although very good, seems slightly odd not being sung by a woman.
 
Yes, I'd forgotten about that. Of course, I struggle rather with Kindertotenlieder when sung by anyone other than Ferrier (though I heard a pretty good reading at a festival a couple of years ago - can't remember who the singer was though).

regards, Tam
 
Tam Pollard said:
No - it would be terribly, terribly boring.

regards, Tam
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Well, Tam, "easy" is not necessarily synonymous with "boring". Nevertheless, I don't disagree with you.

I was just musing about the ease which might accompany the choice of these things if they were not attended by the myriad perspectives complicating such a subjective matter as the appreciation of music.

Of course, there is no "definitive" performance but it is fun searching for it which, I think, is the point you were making. Like Cheese, I am disappointed that Pollini can't be included in this particular search.

Richard.
 
That's a fair point Richard.


Currently listening to a little Sibelius (the first symphony) from Barbirolli and the Halle earlier and now from Oramo and the CBSO.

regards, Tam
 
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