What is the last piece of classical music you listened to?

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

6 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Is there any particularly good bargains I should know about? Haven't had time to browse through the entire sale.

 

Oh alright then, here's what I ordered:

• Asger Hamerik: Symphonien Nr.1-7
• Krzysztof Penderecki: Symphonien Nr.1-8
• Rued Langgaard: Antichrist (Eine religiöse Mysterien-Oper)
• Claudio Monteverdi: Madrigali Libro 8
• Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols op.28
• Ron Goodwin: Orchesterwerke
• Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Filmmusik: Ein Sommernachtstraum (Filmmusik)
• Michael Nyman: Mozart 252
• Paul Hindemith: Mathis der Maler
• Swedish Chamber Choir - Shakespeare Songs and Sonnets
• Filmmusik: Star Wars / Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

I just went through the sales lists and picked stuff that was a) stuff I'd been interested in for a while and that seemed reasonably priced, b) interesting and reasonably cheap, or c) potentially interesting and really cheap. Plus the Gerhardt disc that I'd been meaning to get for months.

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

6 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

I just went through the sales lists and picked stuff that was a) stuff I'd been interested in for a while and that seemed reasonably priced, b) interesting and reasonably cheap, or c) potentially interesting and really cheap. Plus the Gerhardt disc that I'd been meaning to get for months.

 

Thanks for the list, I did basically the same. I've gotta say you've got good taste.

 

In addition to my recent recommendations of early music and Wagner, the ones I've got from your list (either in this sale or earlier) are the Hamerik (that requiem!), Monteverdi, Goodwin, Korngold, Nyman, and Williams. Thinking about the Penderecki box. Langgard's Antichrist is new territory to me - have you heard it live?

 

I also recently got these (some of the prices have now increased):

 

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Edvard-Grieg-1843-1907-Music-For-Piano-Duo/hnum/6427388

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Ouvertüren-für-die-Hamburger-Oper/hnum/7567045

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/russische-klaviermusik-vol-14/hnum/9636079

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/russian-piano-music-vol-13/hnum/9558467

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Domenico-Scarlatti-1685-1757-Klaviersonaten/hnum/1579279

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Chor-des-Bayerischen-Rundfunks/hnum/3408325

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/irish-chamber-orchestra-and-katherine-hunka/hnum/9737406

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

I know virtually nothing about Hamerik other than the name, but I like trying out more Scandinavian composers, Dausgaard seems to be the man to go for in these cases, and the snippets I heard on YouTube sounded promising. I thought it was time to finally check out some Penderecki (I only know his stuff from its use in various films/series).

 

The Goodwin has Drake 400, which I love in the other recording I have, and that Swedish choir album has Mäntyjärvi's Shakespeare songs, of which I have another recording, and which we're planning to do in full in our next choir season!

 

I haven't heard the Langgaard opera before (but I think one of the works on the Langgaard albums I do have is based on bits from it). I love much of his stuff though, the wackier the better, and this one seems to fit the bill pretty well (also, Dausgaard again, and Nylund should be good, too).

 

I *have* seen that production of Hindemith's Mathis. I never picked up any recording of that opera, so it was a nice surprise to see that this has been filmed and released.

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

13 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

I know virtually nothing about Hamerik other than the name, but I like trying out more Scandinavian composers, Dausgaard seems to be the man to go for in these cases, and the snippets I heard on YouTube sounded promising. I thought it was time to finally check out some Penderecki (I only know his stuff from its use in various films/series).

 

The Goodwin has Drake 400, which I love in the other recording I have, and that Swedish choir album has Mäntyjärvi's Shakespeare songs, of which I have another recording, and which we're planning to do in full in our next choir season!

 

I haven't heard the Langgaard opera before (but I think one of the works on the Langgaard albums I do have is based on bits from it). I love much of his stuff though, the wackier the better, and this one seems to fit the bill pretty well (also, Dausgaard again, and Nylund should be good, too).

 

I *have* seen that production of Hindemith's Mathis. I never picked up any recording of that opera, so it was a nice surprise to see that this has been filmed and released.

As a frequent listener to Scandi/Nordic composers, I highly recommend exploring the works of Kalevi Aho and Vagn Holmboe, two of my favourite near contemporary composers.

[bollemanneke 3,348]

Handel, Semele, Gardiner 2020. Hearing Semele and Somnus is pleasure beyond measure, but Juno's accent is insufferable and the ending is pretty fucked up. Why should I be happy? I don't care about the child, I want Semele to be happy. And ah me, is it worth wondering why nobody thought they should do something about the endless repetitions back then?

[JTN 2,012]

Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World”, Rafael Kubelik, Berliner Philharmoniker (Deutsche Grammophon)

[Brónach 1,302]

bah, they changed the numbering twice

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

On 10/06/2023 at 1:03 PM, Brónach said:

bah, they changed the numbering twice

 

Twice? I know it used to be No. 5 (as published) and is No. 9 now. What else?

[JTN 2,012]

Benjamin Britten: Violin Concerto - English Chamber Orchestra, Mark Lubotsky 

[Brónach 1,302]

52 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

Twice? I know it used to be No. 5 (as published) and is No. 9 now. What else?

 

if i'm not mistaken some of these had an earlier number following the writing order

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

16 minutes ago, Brónach said:

if i'm not mistaken some of these had an earlier number following the writing order

 

It was published as No. 5 (the first four symphony were not published (or counted?) at the time - the first was not even performed during Dvorak's lifetime) and counted as such until the 1970s, according to Wikipedia. I remember my grandmother had an LP (probably the Fricsay recording) that listed it as No. 5.

[karelm 2,913]

Dallapiccola il prigioniero.  If you like Bartok or Henri Dutilleux, you will find much to love here.  Rich, evocative 20th century dramatic and colorful music!

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

On 05/06/2023 at 8:59 AM, Jurassic Shark said:

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/madrigals-songs/hnum/8710414

 

JPC has free shipping to a couple of countries until Sunday, so I placed another order with some stuff I forgot last time, and included this one; it seems to contains some stuff we've sung in the choir in past seasons, e.g. this one:

(See what I did there? I finally found a reason to plug one of our recordings)

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

6 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

JPC has free shipping to a couple of countries until Sunday, so I placed another order with some stuff I forgot last time, and included this one; it seems to contains some stuff we've sung in the choir in past seasons, e.g. this one:

 

Good choice. Among other great recordings you get Monty's 4th and 5th books of madrigals with the unsurpassed Emma Kirkby.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

We had a 4th book Monty in that same concert, but listening to that recording now, it sounds a bit shaky to me, so I didn't post that.  

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

2 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

(See what I did there? I finally found a reason to plug one of our recordings)

 

Speaking of which, did I ever post this?

 

Mauersberger was a German composer and most notably director of the Dresdner Kreuzchor from 1930 until his death in 1971. His only somewhat well-known work seems to be Wie liegt die Stadt so wüst (a motet written after the destruction of Dresden in 1945; I haven't heard that yet). The rest of his output is virtually unknown and pretty obscure. There seems to be only one other recording of the piece I linked, and that's hard to find, so our version has the distinction of being the only version on YouTube and apparently the only one that's easy to find at all. A weird but powerful piece.

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

1 hour ago, Marian Schedenig said:

The rest of his output is virtually unknown and pretty obscure.

 

I sense you like buttered bacon. 

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

Que?

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

So this is where Goldenthal got Sphere from!

 

 

Also ends pretty much like Jurassic Park does - and the symphony was completed in 1993.

 

I'm slowly making my way through the Penderecki box, and I must say I'm very pleasantly surprised: Much of it is much, much more listenable than I'd expected, and I'm loving it.

[JTN 2,012]

Haydn: The “Paris” Symphonies, Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti (Decca)

[bollemanneke 3,348]

Currently Mozart 38, Karajan and the Philharmonia. Way better than the Berlin one and the sound is mind-blowing. Why do movies from that era sound like garbage when this was possible?

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

1 hour ago, bollemanneke said:

Currently Mozart 38, Karajan and the Philharmonia. Way better than the Berlin one and the sound is mind-blowing. Why do movies from that era sound like garbage when this was possible?

 

When was it recorded?

[bollemanneke 3,348]

58, the box says.

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

The EMI box?

[bollemanneke 3,348]

Yes.

[Schilkeman 963]

On 16/6/2023 at 4:32 AM, JTW said:

Haydn: The “Paris” Symphonies, Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Doráti (Decca)

I’ve been listening to the same symphonies, but the Kuijken set. That group continues to have the definitive Haydn sound for me.

[JTN 2,012]

4 minutes ago, Schilkeman said:

I’ve been listening to the same symphonies, but the Kuijken set

I don’t know those. But I adore the symphonies. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,527]

Ralph Vaughn Williams.

A twofer, of SYMPHONY 3, and SYMPHONY 5. The RPO, conducted by Roger Norrington.

Sublime.

[Omen II 1,235]

20 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Ralph Vaughan Williams.

A twofer, of SYMPHONY 3, and SYMPHONY 5. The RPO, conducted by Roger Norrington.

Sublime.

 

Same here, but the LSO conducted by Richard Hickox.  Anyone English who doesn't love the fourth movement of the third and the third movement of the fifth should be deported immediately for treason and be thankful that they have been shown a degree of clemency.

 

I went to a nice concert on Thursday at St. Giles-without-Cripplegate, the finale of the annual Summer Music in City Churches festival.  The first half was Haydn's Nelson Mass which I know well, but I was completely unfamiliar with Sir Arthur Bliss's Pastoral: "Lie Strewn the White Flocks" which made up the second half of the concert.  It was rather good - here is one of the movements, which includes some great lines such as:

 

Boil the lentils better, thou miserly steward; take heed lest thou chop thy fingers when thou'rt splitting cumin-seed.

 

We've all been there.

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,527]

@Omen II, how would you compare the Norrington, with the Hickox? Also, how would you rate either/both, against Vernon Handley?

The Chandos LONDON with Hickox and the LSO, is my LONDON of choice.

[bollemanneke 3,348]

Bartok, random notes for orchestra, Karajan EMI. Please nobody tell me I'm just listening to the wrong performance, it's garbage.

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

1 hour ago, bollemanneke said:

Bartok, random notes for orchestra, Karajan EMI. Please nobody tell me I'm just listening to the wrong performance, it's garbage.

 

The concerto for orchestra?

[bollemanneke 3,348]

Yes and after that the one for celesta and orchestra. What a load of shit.

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

2 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Yes and after that the one for celesta and orchestra. What a load of shit.

 

Lots of Bartok's music isn't very accessible to me, but the concerto for orchestra is not among those. It has at least two very good movements!

[bollemanneke 3,348]

I'm sure it has, if you're on the right medication. Tomorrow it's good old Beethoven piano concertos.

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

6 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

I'm sure it has, if you're on the right medication. Tomorrow it's good old Beethoven piano concertos.

 

You just haven't heard the right recording...

[JTN 2,012]

4 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Lots of Bartok's music isn't very accessible to me

I’m Hungarian but I don’t listen to Bartók. I should. 

[Glóin the Dark 1,221]

4 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

Yes and after that the one for celesta and orchestra.

Brilliant, both of them!

 

11 hours ago, Omen II said:

the fourth movement of the [VW] third

I love the other three movements; the last one not quite so much.

 

9 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

how would you compare the Norrington, with the Hickox? Also, how would you rate either/both, against Vernon Handley?

Hickox reigns supreme (for the symphonies).
 

My earliest acquaintance with all of them was when Hickox performed the complete cycle in 1996 (I think it was with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, but could be mistaken), so I may be biased in that respect.

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

15 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

Lots of Bartok's music isn't very accessible to me, but the concerto for orchestra is not among those. It has at least two very good movements!

It's a running joke with an old school friend who, when we were at school, always used to ask if I'd listened to any Bartok recently, assuming that I had a taste for complex 20th century classical... obviously I was at home listening to Jurassic Park and The Lion King. Now he no longer asks when I now do regularly listen to Bartok, especially the Concerto for Orchestra (for which I have a worrying 7 versions...) and the Music For Strings, Percussion & Celesta. I enjoy the piano and violin concertos too, but don't know them as well (although, again, I have a startling number of recordings of each). I do have the Karajan Concerto for Orchestra but have only listened to it once, my go-to recordings are mostly Reiner in Chicago or the Fischer in Hungary. BBC Music Magazine's latest edition has the CfO as its work of the month and their top recommendation was conducted by Fischer, but is a different orchestra, so might have to seek that one out. And the recording on BIS which I gather is excellent. Ugh...

 

10 hours ago, Glóin the Dark said:

Hickox reigns supreme (for the symphonies).
 

My earliest acquaintance with all of them was when Hickox performed the complete cycle in 1996 (I think it was with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, but could be mistaken), so I may be biased in that respect.

I recently picked up the Hickox RVW cycle on Chandos and enjoyed it very much. As I bought it as the set, it didn't have the original couplings so I bought most of them separately as they seemed to have some nice pairings. I also have the classic Previn cycle (when I used to rip loads of stuff from our local library, which sadly no longer has a CD section - I loved discovering classical music there) as well as the Naxos cycle, which is also pretty great. Until I got the Chandos cycle I hadn't listened to much RVW so it was a great excuse to get reacquainted.

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

I've got EMI's 30 CD box with Handley's cycle. I need to listen more to this box.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,527]

There are better recordings of RVW's symphonies, from a technical point of view, but Handley really does bring out the emotion in them.

[karelm 2,913]

1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

There are better recordings of RVW's symphonies, from a technical point of view, but Handley really does bring out the emotion in them.

 

This.  The greatest interpretation I've heard is Boult's 1950's cycle but are mostly mono so not everyone will be able to get past that.  They were done either with Vaughan Williams' cooperation or just after he died.  A good second choice is Boult's 1960's stereo recording which are very good, stereo, not quite as great interpretations as the '50's cycle though.  Previn is from the late '60's and early 70's and was on fire during this time and it's the third great Vaughan Williams cycle.  Haitink should be avoided EXCEPT for his magnificent 1st (Sea Symphony).  Hickox is pretty good, a great expanded Symphony No. 2 but his cycle is incomplete.  Symphonies 7 and after were conducted by the lifeless Andrew Davis.  Very sad because Hickox did a great Symphony No. 9 in concert.  They should have used his concert recordings instead of Davis and just cleaned them up.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,527]

What the actual, @bollemanneke

CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA is among the greatest pieces of music - any music and not just classical - of the twentieth century!

[bollemanneke 3,348]

I'm sure it is. I just really don't like it.

[Loert 2,511]

Bartok is my favourite composer but I wouldn't say Concerto for Orchestra is my favourite work of his (still very good, mind you). E.g. I think the Dance Suite is better, and more accessible as well.

[karelm 2,913]

What do you folks think of Howard Hanson's music?

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

Poor man's John Williams. 

[Schilkeman 963]

7 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

I'm sure it is. I just really don't like it.

I think there's a difference between "I don't like it," and "load of shit." As stated elsewhere, I'm no fan of Wagner, but I would never call his music crap.

[bollemanneke 3,348]

Well, I would, because I genuinely think it was crap. I never understood why you're supposed to repsect certain pieces of music just because they're supposed to be of quality. That CD took over an hour to finish and I disliked every minute of the music. Even my ormaliser was no match for the noise.

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

9 hours ago, karelm said:

What do you folks think of Howard Hanson's music?

I really enjoy it, although have to admit that I've not listened to any of his stuff for a while. A good excuse to become reacquainted though!