What's playing today ?

How about starting a 'sticky' thread to post and discuss the classical music we are currently listening to?

My listening today, so far ....

- Grieg violin sonata

Much underrated, his chamber works, IMO. The string quartets, too, are very fine.

- Melartin symphonies 1 & 3

The full set of 6 symphonies in a 3CD set from Ondine arrived today, courtesy of Amazon MarketPlace. Erkki Melartin has been touted as the "successor to Sibelius". Well, hardly a lot in common musically, at least to my ears - but well worth listening to. Obvious influences in the above are Tchaikovsky and Mahler, but a very individual & stirring voice as well, it seems to me. A strange combination? Yes! But a rewarding listen nonetheless.

 

Yesterday I listened to Roussel Symphony no 2, some Copland and Piston, then about half of Britten's Billy Budd.

 

This morning: Tchaikovsky 6th symphony - Ozawa, Boston SO on Erato.

This is the first recording I've heard by Ozawa in a long time - IME he comes in for a lot of critical brickbats, so I guess I've even deliberately avoided him. But this Tchaik 6 is excellent - OK the finale is IMO a little less soul-searching than my fave versions. And the recording, particularly of the brass, is outstanding.

Anyone got Ozawa recordings of anything they have strong views on?

 

I've got a brilliant record of him doing the Berlioz, the Tchaikovsky and the Prokofiev (or bits of) Romeo and Juliet. I've also got a dreadful one with William Russo's three pieces for blues band and orchestra that is the biggest pile of doggy do I've ever heard. Worth digging out occasionally for a laugh.

 

On a Grieg theme, I listened to GRIEG Lyric Pieces Leif Ove Andsnes EMI and am starting a remembrance of G&S with Ruddigore.

 

I've got all of the G&S operettas on DVD - hugely enjoyable, my faves are Mikado (with a simply superb performance by Clive Revill as Ko-Ko), Princess Ida, Patience, Iolanthe and Pinafore (even with an occasionally uncomfortable-seeming Frankie Howerd).

A bundle of fun all of them!

 

Handel: water and fireworks, on lovely Decca.

 

This p.m. - Peteris Vasks - Violin Concerto, on BIS.

I picked it up for 50p last weekend at a car boot sale! - I've played it now a half dozen times or so, and it is slowly turning from a strange & difficult piece to something of delicate fragile beauty - def not something for a casual listen IMO.

 

Weiss - Lute concertos - Chandos
Bartok - Piano Concerto #3
Barber - Violin Concerto
Barber - Knoxville summer of 1915 - Dawn Upshaw

 

G&S Yeoman of the Guard
Vaughan Williams Symphony No1

I may just have cottage pie for tea, too, comfort food mood.

 

Which one? And what's it like? - I'm an avid collector of RVW Sea Symphonies!

Yesterday - apart from the Heathrow Hifi Show! - Malcolm Arnold symphony no. 3 - from the excellent Naxos series.

 

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphonies Nos. 1-9, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1, The Lark Ascending with Sarah Chang, In the Fen Country, On Wenlock Edge with Ian Bostridge, LP Choir & Orchestra / Haitink. EMI 7cds

So, being boring, over the weekend VW 2&3 and The Gondoliers.

 

Nothing boring with that! Quite excellent.

I've been discovering the symphonies of Malcolm Arnold on Naxos recently. I've really been surprised by the excellence of the music - especially symphonies 1, 2 and 9 so far - strong & stirring stuff! The string quartets also on Naxos, with the excellent Maggini SQ, are also surprisingly adventurous and 'difficult' considering Arnold's "lightweight" reputation.
Methinks Arnold is a significantly underrated composer.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, Jerry, Who are the Maggini Quartet, not one I've come across?

 

The Maggini SQ are a fairly young group, I think. They seem to be Naxos' Brit-music SQ of choice - many rave reviews of their work in Gramophone etc.

Wonderful RVW SQs, also those of John Ireland have been a pleasant recent surprise. At Naxos' price you really can't go wrong with these guys IMO. So much great relatively unknown music to explore at nice prices!

 

http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/productions/the-maggini-quartet-288 Concert 16th October
Haydn String Quartet in F minor Op. 20 No. 5
Maxwell Davies Naxos Quartet No. 10 (World première)
Beethoven String Quartet in C Op. 59 No. 3 'Razumovsky'

I'd missed this series, and am unable to go to this one, but perhaps you should....

 

Yes, it does look good. Sadly, it would be a 5 hour round trip for me ... I think I'll stay at home and listen to some music here!

 

No, Jerry, you'll stay at home and listen to some recordings of music, LOL

 

This p.m. - Frank Bridge - Oration - a sort of 30 minute cello concerto - it may be a recording, but it sounds like music to me!

 

This morning (so far): Bach - 2 & 3 Part Inventions - Glenn Gould. Very lucid!