Records Recently Heard of music composed after 1791.

Several years ago I bought a recording of the two Cello Sonatas by Brahms, performed by Stepehn Kovacevich and Lynn Harrell. Brahms is always one of my favourite composers and I was therefore surprised to find myself not caring very much for them.

But last week I saw a newish recording of them in the shop, played by Natalie Klein and Charles Owen, on the Bargain Classics for Pleasure label.

This recording has changed my opinion of the works... superb passionate performances and wonderful recording.

Also got Paul Lewis's first Beethoven disc of the three op.31 sonatas, after seeing good reviews. The recording is excellent, very rich and full toned. The performance sounds good too, maybe a bit deliberate compared to Murray Perahia's recording of the Tempest that I'm used to, but worthwhile.

Also recently went back over some discs I bought years ago but only listened to once or twice - Szymanowski's 2nd and 4th Symphonies on Chandos with BBC Phil and Siniasky. I strongly recommend these to lovers of late romantic and 20th century music, the lush 2nd symphony is very close to Richard Strauss and Reger, while the 4th is very coloured by Polish and oriental music and much more individual and original.

 

Just finished listening to this:

Concerto Italiano's version of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". Some critics have raved over it, and I bought it on the strength of that and the fact that I'd liked their Brandenburg Concertos (reported elsewhere).

First the good points; beautifully, clearly, crisply played and very nicely recorded. Now (to me) the bad point; the stop-start method of playing, also on show in the Brandenburgs, but somehow more obtrusive here. I really don't care for what seems to be arbitrary slowing down and speeding up. Now this is probably my being used to other recordings that don't do this, so it'll take a few more listenings to absorb it. If it was for dramatic effect, it didn't work on me.

The CD comes with a bonus CD with excerpts of other Concerto Italiano recordings. Haven't got around to listening to that yet.

 

Vivaldi! Vivaldi! and this thread is supposed to be for non-baroque! Honestly, some people.

(Evil laugh)

 

Last night.. bit of a session - Bruckner 8th, Karajan/BPO 1958 version, could be my favourite.
Followed by Shostakovich 9th, Haitink/LPO - a wee bit unsmiling.
Then Schumann 2nd, Kubelik BPO. Very good.

 

:shame: Sorry, mea culpa. Clearly dozing on the job. I repent in sackcloth and ashes

 

Is it appropriate to discuss pre-baroque keyboard music (for example William Byrd) in this thread?

 

No

 

How about W.F or CPE Bach's keyboard music?

 

Baroque, that's (in musical history) from 1600 to 1750. So Byrd's early keyboard works ought to be OK. :MILD:

 

You guys are insufferable,do you not long for a bit of oomph instead of the musical equivalent of needlework

 

Anyway, what's Byrd got to do with music after 1791?

<more evil laughter>

 

There is plenty of oomph in early music and baroque music (if someone preferring the musical equivalent of cream cake is unaware of this) .

 

Not much, I am afraid, except that he was an important composer, who's influence lasted many years after his death. Excuse me for hinting at anything else.

 

My wife makes the most fantastic cream cakes, light and airy sponges with the most delicious fillings, home made jam in this one
Much as I love Bach he can be much improved by the addition of a little romantic flair. The Stokowski arrangements are a wonder to behold. The BBC Philharmonic recordings of them are highly recomended. Just been listening to one now, his arrangement of the Chaconne from the fiddle suites is stunning

 

And then there's what Respighi managed to do with the Passacaglia and Fugue... and Schoenberg's version of the St. Anne.... Now that's what I call quite good.

 

Can't leave it alone can you! Maybe yet another thread called "Records Recently Heard of music composed after and not in any way derivative of music composed before 1791" (cue discussion of how everything is in some way derivative etc etc)?

Anyway, was ferreting through my CDs last night and came across a Naxos Walton Violin Concerto which I'd never actually got round to listening to (common problem for me with impulse Naxos purchases). Can't comment on the relative merits of the interpretation as I've not heard another version, but it was very enjoyable and very well recorded. I've always thought Naxos do a good production job on small scale chamber work but some of their orchestral recordings have been pretty dodgy - I recall a Dvorak 7 that sounded like it was recored outside the concert hall.. This one is well worth it's fiver.

 

I heartily agree! Stokowski's own 1974 LSO recording of his Chaconne arrangement is wonderful. The portamento down to the last note - a stroke of genius, which bestows a tragic grandeur.

Only ever available on CD in a huge box of re-issues, as far as I know

LP version probably in an Oxfam shop near you, though

 

I agree. It would seem only polite to leave one corner of this forum to those who are not tediously obsessed with comparing 17 versions of Frescobaldi's complete keyboard works.

 

Glad to see some momentum hopefully coming to this thread....

Anyway, last night listened to Mahler 3 in a live recording from 1967 by Kubelik and BRSO.... Kubelik has such an open winning way with Mahler, especially in the earlier symphonies, makes them much less heavy than other interpreters but very enjoyable.

 

'Insufferable' is indeed he word. But have you heard anything for freamingly romantic than a harpsichord when one plays two notes slightly of beat (in a controled way, of course)?

Two answer the question more directly, I did listen to Rachmaninov recently - about 3 months ago.

Seriously, I did listen to Cicolini's Nocturnes a fortnight ago: it was raining, I was close to the fire, I watched the rain drops falling of the needles of a pine in front of my window and, what is more, I was totally alone. And I just loved it: I felt really myself.

From a Bach and polyphony maniac, it is not possible to be more romantic, methinks. And even quite independently of my loving Bach, romanticism cannot get much better than that