What are you listening to right now? (VOL I)

The Bear Sympphony (No 82! Thanks Tam!!)

Austro-Hungariand Haydn Orchestra on Nimbus. Yes this is worth the trouble of finally finding a performance that actually gets under the surface alright. I bet it would make a big contrast to Bernstein in NY, as this is very much the style of Central European string playing that is robustly into the string, which I prefer to the more off the string style prevalent in England in Haydn. This style used to be heard in East German Orchestras, and is to be found in Baranboim,s recordings at the Birlin State Opera from the present time.

Takes me back to the concert in the RFH (Philharmonia under Lovro von Matacic) where it was in the first half and then the Choral Symphony after the interval. This was as a Memorial for Eugen Jochum. I think it was the best concert I ever went to. It was broadcast, and I wonder if the BBC will ever release it.

Fredrik

Just listened to Brahms' Fourth Symphony. LPO, Boult from the mono set made for Pye in 1954.

This should be issued again as it is a remarkable blend of classicism, and sheer passion. It is dangerous playing, at the edge of what any fine orchestra could do. But never actually forced or rough... I think Boult was possibly the most under-appreciated conductor to reach the front rank from these shores. I always end up returning to these venerable, fiery readings, which hardly match with Boult's slightly Colonel Blimp image or that of English reserve in the Orchestral style. It is fasciating to me that Boult achieves considerably more tension than Toscanini managed, without ever frightening his orchestra into nervousness, with the result that the orchestra plays like the very devil, but with a big warm sonority and vast range of expressive tone colours, just as Furtwangler achieved in this music.

Precision of expressive timbre is an art altogether lost in the modern craze for Histrorically Informed Performance practice, and yet we know that Brahms was very concerned about it. He was prone to be very critical of performances that iron out this aspect (and also performances that were too solidly steady in tempo), so I think there may still be some value in studying and enjoying these older readings from Boult, Weingartner, Furtwangler, Walter and others, whose learning stemmed from the first generation of Brahmsian musicians. Weingartner was actually part of that geneartion, and was highly praised by Brahms for a performance of the Second Symphony which the composer attended, and that from a rather prickly man on occasion!

There has been something of a Brahmfest going on here over the last week!

ATB from Fredrik

Dear Fredrik:

Could this be the Adrian Boult Brahms mono set?

http://www.silveroakmusic.com/hr705412.html

How would you compare his approach to the fourth symphony to say Carlos Kleiber?

Best regards
Espen

Maria Joao Pires / Mozart Sonatas for Piano / Denon

Currently


Got the house to myself at the moment so indulgently having a loud vinyl only session.

Nic

Was Berlioz Syphonie Fantastique - Karajan with the Berlin Philharmonic

Now Beethoven Symphony No 1 in C and No 5 in C minor - Bruno Walter with the New York Philharmonic, both charity shop purchases.

Stirring stuff

Nic

This a.m I have been listening to Steve Earle-Guitar Town and Dave Alvin-Ashgrove.

Matt

Townes van Zandt - Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, TX



Great song-writing, entire moviescapes in 4 minute sound bites.

"Now here's what this story's told
if you feel like Mud you'll end up Gold
if you feel like lost, you'll end up found
so amigo, lay them raises down"

after a fatiguing family fest ("Konfirmation" of my 14 yo sweetie), finally relaxing with



cheers
Stefan

Let's stay with the trumpet

cheers
Stefan

All day vinyl fest has continued with more charity shop purchases

Bach - Brandenburg Concertos - Harry Newstone & Hamburger Kammerorchester
Mahler - Das Lied Von Der Erde Paul Kletzki & The Philharmonia Orchestra
Tchaikovsky - The Sleeping Beauty Ballet Suite - George Weldon & The Philharmonia Orchestra

Currently Chopin 24 Preludes fur Klavier op. 28 - Igor Shukow

Nic

Elvis Costello-Brutal Youth

The bonus disc with demos and alternative takes actually.

Matt

A 'trip' down memory lane:

quote:

Originally posted by sjust:
after a fatiguing family fest ("Konfirmation" of my 14 yo sweetie), finally relaxing with



cheers
Stefan

Stefan,

How many sweeties do you have?

Haim

A slight change of genre

Terry Callier - Lifetime. Have been inspired to revisit his back catalogue in my LP / CD collection because of his recent collaboration with Massive Attack

Chopin According to Fei ping Hsu / MA Recordings M007A

Elgar Violin Concerto - Sitkovetsky, Royal Philharmonic, Menuhin.

EW

massaging my brain after a hectic day at work..



PACE

On my humble LP12.

Back to chillin'. Had to spin this again as i forgot how damn good it was. Sounds even better now




Quote: 'No computer on this record'.

Ralph Towner - Solstice


Sounding very good on first listen



SJB

the crystal method - vegas

kicking it up a notch with a mug of joe.

quote:

Originally posted by fishski13:


the crystal method - vegas

woooo.
Turn up the Hi Roller!

E,W&F: Gratitude
Ramsey Lewi's Sun Goddes LIVE!

This collection starts well (the first CD is excellent), but the standard is not maintained, perhaps the second CD takes time.

Oh well, give him a flower