What are you listening to today?

Thought it would be nice to to start a thread so that we can share music that we enjoy.

My wife picked-up this LP (among others) on a business trip to Tokyo last month for my birthday:
Beethoven*, Janos Starker, Rudolf Buchbinder - Sonaten Für Klavier Und Violoncello Nr.3 & Nr.4 · 7 Variationen Es-Dur, WoO 46

The original European release (Telefunken) isn't listed in Discogs, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a Starker recording that I didn't even know existed :-)

jsteincamp
My wife picked-up this LP (among others) on a business trip to Tokyo last month for my birthday:
Beethoven*, Janos Starker, Rudolf Buchbinder - Sonaten Für Klavier Und Violoncello Nr.3 & Nr.4 · 7 Variationen Es-Dur, WoO 46

The original European release (Telefunken) isn't listed in Discogs, so it was a pleasant surprise to find a Starker recording that I didn't even know existed :-)

Great find! I remember seeing this recording as part of a Telefunken box set. A couple of other volumes were released as well, containing Beethoven solo piano works played by Buchbinder.

Symphonie Nr. 2 (Auferstehungs-Symphonie · Resurrection) on the turntable last night

A wonderfully retro disc of four Goff harpsichords yammering through concertos and a brilliant set of variations by George Malcolm. Bach* ? Vivaldi* - Malcolm* - Music For Three And Four Harpsichords.

They don't do this kind of thing any more. And although I much prefer the sound of real harpsichords to these plucked pianos, I miss the élan with which people like Malcolm played continuo.

Carmen with Maria Callas, late '60s recording, EMI vinyl box set.

some modern classical:
Scelsi* - Jürg Wyttenbach, Orchestre De La Radio-Télévision Polonaise De Cracovie*, Ch?ur De La Philharmonie De Cracovie* - ?uvres Pour Ch?ur Et Orchestre - disc 3

Disc 2 of this one, just entered:
Mendelssohn* - The Best Of Mendelssohn - Including Italian Symphony / Violin Concerto / A Midsummer Night's Dream

Thanks. You reminded me that I hadn't heard Mendelssohn's Fourth Symphony in a long time, so I pulled-out my copy and gave it a listen:
Mendelssohn*, Schubert*, Georg Solti, The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra* - Symphony No. 4 In A Major, Opus 90 "Italian" · Symphony No. 5 In B Flat Major

bbill77
Disc 2 of this one, just entered:
Various - The Best Of Mendelssohn - Including Italian Symphony / Violin Concerto / A Midsummer Night's Dream

Tonight I listened to String Quartets Vol. 5 on a tram, between chattering Turkish women, and a blind man leaning in and asking me "are we there yet" in my mother tongue, before the cello started humming through the squeaks of the carriage.

On the turntable right now: Wolf* - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Gerald Moore - The Italian Song Book. Absolutely wonderful.

Sunday morning in a European town, the sky almost as grey as its pavements. Listening to Monumento I (In Memoria Di Arthur Rimbaud) from On A Clear Day.

Janos Starker, Boccherini*, Mozart* - The Rococo Cello gotta love Starkner's playing, so full of life and passion

Rubinstein plays Chopin with grace and simplicity Chopin*, Rubinstein* - Improvvisi E Polacche

Unwinding after a long work week with Bartók*, Reiner* / Chicago Symphony* - Music For Strings, Percussion And Celesta / Hungarian Sketches and Michèle Auclair, Gaspar Cassadó, Otto Schulhof - Kreisler Favorites - Auclair / Cello Encores - Cassado, it hits the spot.

Music and literature, dream and reality, Angels, love and death .... Franz Liszt, Daniel Barenboim - Liebestr?ume ? 3 Sonetti Del Petrarca ? Consolations

Chabrier*, Ginette Doyen - 10 Pieces Pittoresques struck my curiosity when I came upon it in an antique mall filled with overpriced rock lp's, very satisfied with it. I think I'll follow it with some Velvet Underground.

cantatas from this box set: Bach* - Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan - Nun Danket Alle Gott! 53 Cantatas

Right now: Lieder ohne Worte by Mendelssohn:
http://www.aninacollins.com/Mendelssohn-Ilse-von-Alpenheim-Lieder-Ohne-Worte-Songs-Without-Words/release/7801847

Fantastic Philips recording and very well played; beautiful dreamy music, perfect for a sunday night :-))

For sure I'm not selling this Box!!

Leontyne Price Sings Mozart

Janos Starker, Haydn*, Boccherini* - Haydn Cello Concerto · Boccherini Cello Concerto
Recently rescued from a local thrift shop, and just submitted.

the_retrobaron
Lieder ohne Worte by Mendelssohn

Listening to Ronald Brautigam – Books 5-8 (BIS), performed on a replica of a 1830 Ignaz Pleyel fortepiano, and not yet in the database.

Alessandro Scarlatti, Neapolitan adoption, in beautiful appearance A. Scarlatti*, Ensemble Vocal De Lausanne, Michel Corboz - Missa Ad Usum Cappellae Pontificiae, 6 Mottetti A Cappella

Olivier Greif - The Battle Of Agincourt - Quatuor à Cordes No.2

Poulenc* / Milhaud*, Annette Haas-Hamburger, Orchestre De L'Association Des Concerts Pasdeloup, Pierre Dervaux (2) / Jacques Parrenin, Ulysse Delecluze* - Concerto For Piano And Orchestra - Three Pieces For Piano / Suite For Violin, Clarinet, And Piano, one of my favorite classical records in my library

arrived today: Alvin Lucier - The Arditti Quartet*, Hildegard Kleeb, Roland Dahinden - Navigations For Strings / Small Waves

Kater_Murr
arrived today: Alvin Lucier - The Arditti Quartet*, Hildegard Kleeb, Roland Dahinden - Navigations For Strings / Small Waves

Sounds great. Is it?

clanc
Sounds great. Is it?

I wasn't disappointed, some great droney music here.

today: disc 10 from Olivier Messiaen - Complete Edition - Méditations sur le mystère de la Sainte Trinité, pour orgue

Focused in romantic symphonies since I "re-discoverd" classical music one year ago.
This week all cds & mp3:
MORNING: "in loop mode" Brahms symphonies conducted by the happy baton Antal Dorati Brahms* - Antal Dorati, London Symphony Orchestra* / Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra - The 4 Symphonies, Complete Symphonies
AFTERNOON: Beethoven 3o & 9o conducted by Furtw?ngler. Furtw?ngler*, Beethoven* - Furtw?ngler Maestro Classico Vol.2 Beethoven
NIGHT and headphones in bed: 4, 7, 8, 9 Bruckner conducted by Celibidache Celibidache*, Bruckner*, Münchner Philharmoniker - Symphonies 3 - 9 / Te Deum / Mass No. 3 In F Minor

An extraordinary interpreter albeit sometimes totally unsettling Dino Ciani - Deutsche Grammophon Recordings

Helplessly returning to Suk playing Harold in Italy, conducted ably by Fischer-Dieskau. How could I have underrated Berlioz so badly for the last sixty years??

An exciting for high dynamic listening Moussorgsky*, Rimsky-Korsakov*, Leonard Bernstein, The New York Philharmonic* - Quadri Di Un'Esposizione / Capriccio Spagnolo.
Excellent Leonard Bernstein !

emmebi_64
An exciting for high dynamic listening Moussorgsky*, Rimsky-Korsakov*, Leonard Bernstein, The New York Philharmonic* - Quadri Di Un'Esposizione / Capriccio Spagnolo.
Excellent Leonard Bernstein !

That's a fantastic recording!

Giacinto Scelsi - Weiping Lin - The Violin Works

An early music morning: The Garden Of Zephirus (Courtly Songs Of The Early Fifteenth Century)

Earlier this year I chanced across a large collection of Hyperion and Harmonia Mundi early music LPs and bought the lot on impulse. Not being particularly knowledgable about mediaeval or renaissance music, I've been slowly working my way through the LPs and two books to help improve my understanding of the era:

·Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century
·Christopher Page's The Christian West and Its Singers: The First Thousand Years

Additionally, Christopher Page's Gresham College lecture series: Music, Imagination and Experience in the Medieval World is available via the Web.

Although now it is Easter I promised myself to listen to Gesualdo* - Ensemble Vocal Européen*, Philippe Herreweghe - Sabbato Sancto, Responsoria, but the surprise is that Gesualdo is more modern than Sandro Gorli.

The Bruckner 8o sympony Celibidache*, Bruckner*, Münchner Philharmoniker - Symphonies 3 - 9 / Te Deum / Mass No. 3 In F Minor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elVHvTrEM34

Again and again, it is glorious conducted 1:38:00 touching the sky!!!!

It's been a while, but yesterday I returned to the Amadeus-Quartett's early stereo traversal of the the late quartets. I don't like Norbert Brainin's excessive vibrato in their Op. 18, but here the ensemble delivers in communicating the passionately searching quality of these works.

Nature's power pure state. Blessed youth ... Mozart*, Beethoven*, Prokofiev*, Ravel*, Martha Argerich - Early Recordings

A composer to listen Saint-Sa?ns*, Ensemble Musique Oblique - Le Carnaval Des Animaux (Quintette Op.14 - L'Assassinat Du Duc De Guise). The surprise? A soundtrack!

probably more an oddity than a real gem, bought a few days ago for 6 euros:
J.S. Bach* - Ton Koopman, The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir* - Markus-Passion (reconstructed by Koopman)

Found a Decca ED1 SXL 2000 series in the local thrift store today. I gave it a spin, the music might become a guilty pleasure, superb sonics though.

Reinhard Keiser - Ensemble Jacques Moderne, Gli Incogniti, Jo?l Suhubiette - Markuspassion = Passion Selon Saint Marc

Watching the The Queen Elisabeth Competition on Belgian television, its first edition for cellists. Right now one of them is playing a Bach suite. Great stuff of course.

On the turntable right now: J. Haydn*, Tátrai Quartet - Six String Quartets Op. 20. Found a mint copy in my thrift store for a couple of euros. There's so much beauty in these performances.

Tashi Wada - Duets

Reinhard Keiser / Vox Luminis, Les Muffatti, Peter Van Heyghen - Brockes-Passion

ákos Rózmann - 12 Stationer VI

clanc
On the turntable right now: J. Haydn*, Tátrai Quartet - Six String Quartets Op. 20. Found a mint copy in my thrift store for a couple of euros. There's so much beauty in these performances.

What is it about the Tátrai that got them so neglected? Their Haydn cycle was wonderful, and based on excellent scholarly editions. Indeed, anything I've heard them in has been first rate.

Ernest Bloch, Howard Hanson, Eastman-Rochester Symphony* - Concerto Grosso No.1 For String Orchestra With Piano Obligato / Concerto Grosso No.2 For Strings, definitely need to hear more from this composer

Naples is a wonderful city but also a "Paradise inhabited by Devils".
A wonderful roundup of Baroque and pre-romantic organ music. Emanuele Cardi - Neapolitan Organ Music

emmebi_64
Naples is a wonderful city but also a "Paradise inhabited by Devils".

As it happens I visited Naples last week and I wholeheartedly agree. An addictive place where chaos and poetry became inextricably intertwined.

re: Bloch - check out his chamber music also (string quartets, et al). Great stuff. Brilliant composer, and much more than the "composer of Jewish-themed works" he's been pigeonholed as.

The harbour in the distance, the sea is calm, already feel the return to home. Serenity. This is Mozart to me, sometimes. Mozart* - Camerata Academica Des Salzburger Mozarteums* ,Solist Und Dirigent: Géza Anda - Klavierkonzerte G-Dur KV 453 ? C-Dur KV 467 (Piano Concertos In G Major And C Major)

Alexander Scriabin* - Maria Lettberg - Das Solo-Klavierwerk - The Solo Piano Works - Complete Recording

Fin-de-siècle-Jazz from Russia.

Six Trios For Transverse Flute, Violin And Violoncello - Volume II
Superb 'late' vinyl.

Branca* - Symphony No. 3 (Gloria) - Music For The First 127 Intervals Of The Harmonic Series

Once upon a time I've found a massive opera collection in the wild, trying to be there before zmic did. Listening to La Wally at high noon... Renata Tebaldi in glorious valve stereo sound.

Musica Antiqua K?ln, Reinhard Goebel - Deutsche Kammermusik Vor Bach

Montserrat Figueras, La Capella Reial De Catalunya, Jordi Savall - El Cant De La Sibil·la (Mallorca ? València 1400-1560)

From the splendor of San Marcellino Church in Naples the Clara's Piano Concerto Clara Schumann, Francesco Nicolosi, Alma Mahler Sinfonietta, Stefania Rinaldi - Piano Concerto ? Piano Trio

First time here. Giving classical music a try. Listened to David Oistrach performing Beethoven - Romanzen Für Violine und Orchester.CAT: DG 121 586
Using my virtually knackered ultra cheapo record deck, boy do I need a decent player. Thought it was good but need better equipment to appreciate it mire

First time here. Giving classical music a try. Listened to David Oistrach performing Beethoven - Romanzen Für Violine und Orchester.CAT: DG 121 586
Using my virtually knackered ultra cheapo record deck, boy do I need a decent player. Thought it was good but need better equipment to appreciate it more.

Made a cup of tea and listening to Ponce's Sonata Mexicana from Segovia* - Mexicana.

Re-did my entire iTunes library last week with my own CD rips and have been listening to some stuff for the first time in quite a while:

1 - Brahms* – Maurizio Pollini, Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl B?hm, Claudio Abbado - The Piano Concertos = Die Klavierkonzerte ? Tragic Overture ? Haydn Variations
2 - Barry Douglas - Liszt Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Hungarian Fantasy
3 - Dukas* / Decaux*, Marc-André Hamelin - Piano Sonata / Clairs De Lune
4 - Busoni* - Garrick Ohlsson, Christoph von Dohnányi, The Cleveland Orchestra & Men's Chorus* - Piano Concerto

I was able to listen to all of these during my commute this morning and early afternoon. The Liszt has been an old-time favorite, the Brahms was recommended to me by a music teacher a few years ago (I didn't care much for it!), the Dukas Sonata was fantastic though I admit the 2nd movement made no impression on me, and the Busoni piano concerto - huge as it is - did make quite an impression with the last 2 movements. Great day and tomorrow I rotate a whole new set of tracks.

Between Sunday and today I listened to:
Bernstein*, New York Philharmonic* - Dvo?ák* - New World Symphony
Gershwin*, Leonard Bernstein - Rhapsody In Blue / An American In Paris
Ferde Grofe* With The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra* And Jesus Maria Sanroma - Grand Canyon Suite / Concerto For Piano And Orchestra
André Watts, Franz Liszt, The New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein - Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Flat / Les Preludes (Symphonic Poem)
Mozart*, Sir Thomas Beecham Conducting The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Bassoon Gwydion Brooke Clarinet Jack Brymer - Concerto In B Flat Major / Concerto In A Major
Mozart*, Ingrid Haebler, London Symphony Orchestra*, Colin Davis* - Piano Concerto Nos. 15 & 16
Ravel* / Chabrier*, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Paul Paray - Bolero / Ma Mere L'Oye / Bourree Fantasque
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy - Le Coq d' Or: Russian Easter Overture / Russlan And Ludmilla Overture
Rimsky-Korsakov* - The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy, Anshel Brusilow - Scheherazade

I hope that's okay.

A great Italian composer of the twentieth century in a little-known but very impressive work Ottorino Respighi, Takako Nishizaki, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Choo Hoey - Concerto Gregoriano ? Poema Autunnale

Franz Schubert, Krystian Zimerman - Impromptus D 899 & D 935
(played on 5 Nov. 2017)

Franz Schmidt / Richard Strauss - Wiener Philharmoniker, Semyon Bychkov - Symphony No. 2 / Dreaming By The Fireside
(played on 11 Nov. 2017)

Montserrat Figueras ? La Capella Reial de Catalunya ? Hespèrion XXI ? Jordi Savall - Metamorphoses Fidei = Metamorfosis De La Fe = Métamorphoses De La Foi

Knotted Fields / Impromptu / Wortschatten / L'Aube Assaillie / Ab?me - Antigone IV - String Trio... colourful, fantastic stuff!

clanc
Montserrat Figueras · La Capella Reial De Catalunya · Hespèrion XXI · Jordi Savall - Metamorphoses Fidei (Metamorfosis De La Fe — Métamorphoses De La Foi)

Amazing example of musical contamination. hi-end disc

Mary Jane Leach - Ariadne's Lament - vocal works by an American composer

Kater_Murr She's wonderful. A pity that Julius Eastman's family has caused her much grief in recent years despite all her efforts to make his music better known. People have over looked her music because of it, but she's great.

yes, this album is just beautiful as is Julius Eastman's music. I didn't know about trouble between her and his family.

release after release to relax: from Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig Güttler, Kurt Sandau, Eckart Haupt, Burkhard Glaetzner, Karl Suske, Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum Leipzig, Max Pommer - Brandenburgische Konzerte No. 1? 2 ? 3 to Johann Sebastian Bach, Peter Schreier, Ludwig Güttler, Hans Grüss,* Thomasorganist Hannes K?stner, Dr.H.J.Schulze,* Bach-Archiv Leipzig, Max Pommer,* Thomaskantor Prof. H.J.Rotzsch* - Bach Edition Leipzig Werkstattgespr?che Probenmitschnitte Musikbeispiele

'Chinese' Symphony
(played on 25 Nov. 2017)

Franti?ek Xaver Brixi - Jan Hora - Prague Chamber Orchestra, Franti?ek Vajnar - Organ Concertos
a nice evening with supraphon

The Viola Works

András Schiff - Johann Sebastian Bach - Six Partitas

Valentin Silvestrov - Anja Lechner, Agnès Vesterman - Hieroglyphen Der Nacht

Beat Furrer, KNM Berlin* - Streichquartett Nr. 3

Emanuel Feuermann - Beethoven Sonate Nr.3 A-Dur Op.69 / Schubert Sonate A-Moll >>Appeggione<< / Weber Variationen F-Dur, the recording may pre-date high fidelity but the performance is truly lovely

Olivier Messiaen - L'ascension, Les Offrandes Oubliées, Hymne
(13 Dec. 2017)

trailoff
Emanuel Feuermann - Beethoven Sonate Nr.3 A-Dur Op.69 / Schubert Sonate A-Moll >>Appeggione<< / Weber Variationen F-Dur, the recording may pre-date high fidelity but the performance is truly lovely

I would second that! I recorded the Schubert from the radio many years ago and listened to it obsessively. I had never heard anyone play the cello like that.

Richard Wagner - Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker – Der Ring Des Nibelungen - Gesamtausgabe - Der Zyklus Der Salzburger Osterfestspiele. Das Rheingold and Die Walküre for today but Siegfried and G?tterd?mmerung - the other two amazing jewels of this beautiful masterpiece will be continue tomorrow. Wagner rules!!!

right now: Anders Hillborg, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra*, Sakari Oramo, David Zinman, Esa-Pekka Salonen - Beast Sampler / O Dessa ?gon / Cold Heat / Sirens

J. S. Bach* - Thomas Demenga - Suiten Für Violoncello
(27 Dec. 2017)

eusebius
J. S. Bach* - Thomas Demenga - Suiten Für Violoncello
(27 Dec. 2017)

Nice... How is this one holding up to the many other versions in this competitive field?

clanc
How is this one holding up to the many other versions in this competitive field?

Thomas Demenga previously recorded Bach's cello suites for ECM New Series between 1986 and 2002, juxtaposing them with works by contemporary composers.
This new recording was made live in 2014 and shows the inherent spontaneity, Demenga highlighting the dance nature of the pieces. We have also a good recording sound, a "grainy" cello in a lower tune, even if less dry acoustics would have been of my preference.
Surely not an absolute new reference in the catalogue but, as Demenga states in the booklet, "if I don’t feel too good I go to my studio and play one or two suites - it’s a mental cleansing process”. We can do the same with this recording.

eusebius
as Demenga states in the booklet, "if I don’t feel too good I go to my studio and play one or two suites - it’s a mental cleansing process”. We can do the same with this recording.

Great... enjoy!

Greetings, I've been getting back into classical listening again thanks to Classic FM radio which is always on in the car now. Although I have always dipped in and out throughout my life.

Gustav Mahler - Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado - Symphonien Nos. 9 / Symphonie No. 10 - Adagio Picked this up in my local second hand record shop.Its the cassette version actually. Mint and uplayed condition for ￡2. Impressed with the quality on cassette which I was dubious about. Stunning music. I will be heading back in soon to get some of the other box sets they have.

Rudi Stephan, Hinrich Alpers, Kuss Quartett, Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Tehila Nini Goldstein*, Nabil Shehata, Agata Szymczewska - Chamber Works And Songs
(7 Jan. 2018)

Mahler* / London Symphony Orchestra*, Solti* - Symphonies 1, 2 & 3

Since acquiring 9 and 10 above been on a bit of a Mahler fest on Spotify. However today purchased the above vinyl from local record shop for a fiver. All mint condition, doubt it’s ever been played .

Really enjoying 1 , which I believe was always a bit controversial in his time.

Hildegard Von Bingen - Sequentia (2) - The Complete Edition
(Jan.-Feb. 2018)

Sviatoslav Richter, Ludwig van Beethoven - Sviatoslav Richter Plays Beethoven Wow!

I really enjoy Richter's performances, top notch stuff.

Podger playing Bach Violin Concertos

More Bach: Joachim Eijlander playing the cello suites (not in the database yet). Interesting reading with an almost improvisatory feel; there is a light touch which is esp. rewarding in the rich and dense chording of the 5th.