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The classical what are you listening to now ? thread.

gustavm said:
I hope you didn't have to pay £121.96 for it, especially as they can't even spell "Mahler" properly (Marler!)
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haha, I never noticed that - thankfully, it's just the webpage that's at fault. And thankfully, I didn't pay top dollar for it. It wasn't cheap, but it wasn't crazy expensive either.
 
Hmmm Mahler 10. Had a look and I've got 7 recordings of it. I struggle a bit with the two scherzos, they can sound too contrived, too much like exercises in counterpoint, I can't imagine Mahler leaving them like that.
Just been enjoying this one - maybe not the most powerful or dramatic but beautifully played. Think I'll try to give Rudolf Barshai and the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie a spin soon, in Barshai's own completion of the score
 
Very enjoyable couple of days listening to some wonderful music from Vivaldi in between my gardening and a lot of outside painting.
This is a 27 cd collection which I bought a few years ago for approx. £45
This has definitely been one of my better expensive buys...very lighthearted but very satisfyingly mellow.
https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B019977E0S/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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I picked up the first disc of the Ebene's cycle (Op 59, Nos 1 & 2) when it was released and was bowled over. I was prepared to buy individual releases at premium price. When the box set was issued instead, I happily plumped for it. I'm through disc four now, and it has every indication of becoming my new reference cycle. Playing is impeccable throughout, and the interpretations lean toward the romantic, serious, and moving, making everything sound middle and late period. Phenomenal.
 
Stockhausen CD No2 1951 and 1952 compositions performed by his troup. Formel, Punkte, Spiel and Schlagtrio. Formel sounds a bit like this cover,


The 1951 original sounds much better though, magic.
 
Carmen. De Los Angeles, Beecham.

This is the the recording that converted me to Carmen, playing it tonight instead of the R3 Glyndebourne recording as I remember listening to it first time round and realising why I didn`t used to like Carmen.
 
Todd A said:
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I picked up the first disc of the Ebene's cycle (Op 59, Nos 1 & 2) when it was released and was bowled over. I was prepared to buy individual releases at premium price. When the box set was issued instead, I happily plumped for it. I'm through disc four now, and it has every indication of becoming my new reference cycle. Playing is impeccable throughout, and the interpretations lean toward the romantic, serious, and moving, making everything sound middle and late period. Phenomenal.
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I'm also very impressed with what I've heard so far, and am tempted by the full set. Could you just elaborate a bit - I notice recordings are at multiple venues and (presumably) live, so is the recording quality uniform ? I like what I sampled, so presume it's good throughout...Out of interest, what was your previous 'reference' cycle ? Like the sonatas, I've always made up a cycle out of many singles, but there are a few quartet recordings (like this one) that make better value buying the whole. Thanks
 
pianoman said:
I'm also very impressed with what I've heard so far, and am tempted by the full set. Could you just elaborate a bit - I notice recordings are at multiple venues and (presumably) live, so is the recording quality uniform ? I like what I sampled, so presume it's good throughout...Out of interest, what was your previous 'reference' cycle ? Like the sonatas, I've always made up a cycle out of many singles, but there are a few quartet recordings (like this one) that make better value buying the whole. Thanks
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Sonics are close enough between venues to not even be a consideration when listening. I haven't listened through headphones yet, so maybe some material differences will arise, though I doubt it. The cycle as a whole is up to snuff sonically for live recordings. In terms of playing, the Ebene tend to make everything sound more serious, elevate, and closer to late period than normal, even in Op 18, and especially in the slow movements. It's romanticized and quite effective. The late quartets themselves are uniformly great.

I will say that this is now my reference digital cycle, supplanting the Prazak. For analog stereo, the Vegh remain first choice, and for mono, the first Budapest cycle remains first choice.
 
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About half way through the Kuss Quartet's new LvB quartet cycle. It is not as good as the Ebene, but it is very good indeed. It's a bit interventionist, with rubato and notable dynamic contrasts throughout, but that just adds a little color.
 
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