What are you listening today and WHY – Only one rule, see first post

[simorag]

The Tchaikovsky 1st piano concerto is one of those pieces that I need to come to after longer stretches of time compared to other compositions, as it is one of the most abused pieces of the classical repertory, and may result cheaply hyper-romantic on some renditions.

However, I always come out almost devastated when I listen to this recording from Argerich, Abbado and the Berlin Philarmonic. What Argerich did with this concerto is beyond description. Her furious, improvisatory take, her seemingly boundless control of the color, dynamics and timing of the keyboard created such an exhilarating experience which makes it impossible to remain unmoved - both figuratively and physically.

The drive, the swift accelerandos and ritardandos, how she pulled the orchestra with her, her consistent risk-taking make the heart accelerate, the hair raise in a full-body reaction to this music.
The most lyrical passages are equally compelling, emotional without being overly indulging, acting almost as necessary recovery transitions before the next virtuosic storm.

The sound capture is remarkable as well, with the piano highly illuminated in the foreground with a bold, majestic, sonorous presentation. The strings have the right amount of warmth and weight, and the brass section is simply spectacular: bright, explosive, with intimidating projection powers when called for.

My recommendation is to unleash all the power of your rigs and play this LOUD for maximum enjoyment

 

[simorag]

In a rather melancholic mood today, beautifully lulled by ...

A nostalgic, ethnically rooted yet multi-cultural essay.

Nataša warm, sensuous voice is surrounded by the atmospheric fabric of the Serpent, layered harmonica and palpable percussions.

This is a tonally very rich and smooth sounding rendition of the Sonatas op. 120, with a peculiar piano sound due to the 1899 Bechstein character, much softer and diffusely sounding than most modern concert-hall cannons.

The spatial placement of the instruments is amazingly straightforward, and the finest details of the – slightly recessed - viola part , are, while obvious, nicely blended in the score.

Intimistic, emotionally disturbing, but in a sweet and beautiful way. It makes it easy to lose (and loose) oneself in a labyrinth of disjoint sounds, then finally brought home by Mark’s haunting vocals.

 

[simorag]

One of the most precious attributes of music is being able to produce the most various spectrum of emotional reactions by contrast. In this, it is no different from nature or human relationships.

Below are indeed two very contrasting discs, not only in terms of sheer musical material, but also in terms of how the respective soloists seem to relate to it.

A magnificent collection of violin pieces, mostly modern ones - with the exception of the monumental Bach 2nd partita - is rendered with utmost clarity and exact-ness, an ethereal sense of impassionate detachment. The performance is far from sounding sterile or dry, thanks to the beautiful care of violin tone colors, and the swift, matter-of-factly take to these compositions is conveyed with such firm intent, command and persuasive power, that you feel almost ineluctably gripped to them.

The Babayan / Rachmaninoff disc takes things on a whole different place. Here, density of musical fabric, richness of harmonics interplay, and introspective lingering on the more overtly - sometimes poignant - moving character of the music, is what captures you. There is a sublime mastership of piano machinery (how it produces sound), and time, and the very long-arched and complex phrasings typical of Rachmaninoff become even more seductive, enveloping than usual.

Sonics of both discs is first rate, having that ability to reproduce the core characteristics of acoustic instruments with disarming realism which lets you focus entirely on the music and forget about analyzing it or similar distractions, thus creating the most precious suspension of time and place, that "concert for one" magical experience I strive for.

 

[simorag]

Inspired by Dante

Dante Divina Commedia is one of the most influential products of human intelligence in all western culture, and music is no exception.

A very recent work that celebrates and elaborates on the Commedia is this ballet suite, part of an ambitious project from the 1971 born Thomas Adès.
Listening to this music, beautifully recorded by Nonesuch, brings you onto an adventurous voyage from fear and insecurity to glorious transcendence, passing through many surprises and strange encounters. While 90 minute long, it is not an overly ponderous or cerebral piece, rather it remains accessible throughout thanks to the sheer variety of registers as the various episodes go by.

Liszt had a deep affection for the Divina Commedia (his Dante-Symphonie was one of the major sources of inspiration for Adès), and this rendition of the Dante Sonata from Arcadi Volodos is especially interesting as it delves more into the oniric, outerwordly suggestion of the work, rather than on its visceral, pyrotechnical side. All the recital, by the way, is a wonderful listen.

Paolo and Francesca is of course one of the most emotional episodes of the Inferno, and Tchaikovsky did not spare on his Francesca da Rimini symphonic fantasy. All the facets of the affair are treated explicitly, from the passion (even erotism) to the nostalgic, tragic side (after all Francesca tells Dante of her unfortunate love for Paolo from hell ...), to the obsessive explosion of the tension in the final crescendo.

 

[audiopro92]

Natalie Imbruglia - White Lilies Island

- An extraordinarily good album with thought-provoking tracks.
And superbly recorded, mixed, and mastered.

Sunlight
Beauty on the Fire
Hurricane

The above are amazing. Well, actually all of the tracks.

Happy listening!

- DMK

 

[Al M.]

Bruckner, Symphony #4

with Karl Böhm conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Bruckner's Fourth was the piece that started my love for classical music at age 18. I fell in love with the grandeur, the colors and the themes and melodies. The recording was with von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, and it is an excellent one.

Yet this 1973 recording of the symphony, one of the greatest ever written, is even better. Some claim it is the best of them all, and that may very well be. Of the recordings of the symphony that I know, it is the best. Böhm lets the majesty of the music, which he very much brings to the fore, speak for itself. With it and the grandiose structure (Bruckner's symphonies have been called "cathedrals in music") comes the fountain of emotions which do not need to be emphasized in the interpretation -- they flow on their own from this structural approach to the music.

This is at the same time the most powerful and the most transparent rendition of the music that I know. The playing of the Vienna Philharmonic is simply sublime, and the recording engineering brings out all the interplay of main voices and the complexity of side voices with exceptional clarity (if your system is up for it).

The details of the recording are in the CD booklet, see also image above. From there:

Microphones: tree of Neumann M50s, KM 84
Tape machines: Studer C37, AMPEX 206

The symphony was recorded in the Sophiensaal, Vienna:

Sofiensaal - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

From the Wiki page:

The building's large, vaulted ceiling, and the pool beneath the floor, gives the hall excellent acoustic properties. For this reason, Decca Records adopted the building as its principal European recording venue for mono recording from 1950 and for stereo recording from 1955 to the mid-1980s. The senior producer of classical recordings for the company for much of this time was John Culshaw, who revolutionised the recording of classical music, particularly opera with the Decca tree.[2] Notable recordings made at the Sofiensaal during this period included the first complete studio recording of Wagner's Ring Cycle, conducted by Georg Solti.[3]

On the Decca tree:

Decca tree - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The colors of the music glow beautifully in this recording as well. And don't be fooled by the technical specifications for the dynamic range of analog tape machines -- the dynamics of this Bruckner 4 recording are simply outrageous, at least as reproduced on this CD.

Crank up your system, turn off the lights, and get ready to be transported to a legendary performance of this glorious symphony from 50 years ago (November 1973).

 

[simorag]

Quartetto Italiano - Chamber Music for the Ages

The Quartetto Italiano (formerly "Nuovo Quartetto Italiano") was a string quartet operating since the WWII end and 1980.
They met each other at the Accademia Chigiana (Siena) and performed together the Debussy quartet following the suggestion of their teacher, which turned out as the ignition of their splendidly fruitful musical marriage. The Debussy remained one of their signature pieces across all their career, and this recording from Philips is a testament of the special traits of these highly sensitive, talented, technically impeccable artists (here coupled with a hair raising Ravel).

Their style was the ideal blend of their rather different personalities, where the depth of insight on the composition, relentless hard work, uncompromising technical mastership were the binding rule, bringing to almost telepathic levels of interplay. They were famous for playing without the score at the concert, an utter rarity for quartets, which was not intended as a show-off, rather the result of the endless interiorization of the piece, and a way to leave room for sheer creativity to present itself in the moment of the concert.

Their sound was precise, the timing and phrasing was flawless, but the true magic was that all this was infused by a warmth and a singing quality, which Italian musicians often have in their DNA, that made their interpretation always human, never overly detached or Apollonian.

The repertory they developed over their almost 4 decades long partnership was vast, covering centuries of written chamber music, and with an open mind to contemporary as well. This Webern disc is at times as moving as the most expressive romantic material in their hands, but always conveyed with measure, elegance and a supreme sense of unity. Marvelous!

They have been extremely loyal to each other during their career, where the countless hours of study and rehearsals did not allow the luxury of solo spin-off experiences, or side-projects. However, in their late period, they had some rare collaborations, and the one with Maurizio Pollini was especially significant due to the similar-minded approach to music and culture in general, and to the role of the artist in a modern society, that brought them together.

Talent, brains, integrity, passion, humility whose timeless heritage we and the future generations can fortunately enjoy on recordings that - while not being audiophile grade by modern standards - are able to preserve the intent and the peculiarity of sound of this legendary ensemble

 

[davidavdavid]

Al and I got to talking about recordings of Bruckner Symphonies and one thing led to another and he had mentioned that the Skrowczewksi recording of the cycle with the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra were ones to be listened. I proceeded to track down a set for purchase as did Al. Neither of us will receive them before the New Year. I reckon, I just got too impatient, so I managed to find sites/services where the recordings could be streamed.

So this is why I've plastered the two pics below in this thread.
Now, let me get back to listening.

 

[Doc76]

listening to Bill Evans.

Because of his piano.

 

[davidavdavid]

FWIW, my morning Christmas tradition is to listen to Hodie composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1954. There are two full recordings, one on EMI and the other on NAXOS: (picked up this tradition when living full-time in London, England)

Take your pick, either one of them is a gem in their own right.

 

[RDSChicago]

Special Affinities ... Three Blind Mice Productions

Three Blind Mice (TBM) was a small Japanese cult label which started operating in 1970, aiming to support the emerging Japanese jazz movement. These recordings are technical masterworks, in their very special way. They are extremely palpable, have a flesh-and-blood warmth to them, have a groovy personality, not attempting to dissect the music by (over) emphasizing details or frequency extremes.
Everything is so well connected, and their naturalness and straight-to-the gut immediacy is irresistible.

Add to the mix the creativity of these outsider, innovative, contaminative japanese jazz musicians, and you're set for a truly addictive experience indeed

A cello and double bass virtuoso, Isao Suzuki sadly passed away due to Covid in 2022. This album is a joy of contamination between genres, the first 30 seconds are more than enough to win me out, making it impossible to stop listening until the full album end.

Highly energetic and captivating guitar and bass bluesy jazz intro, for an exhilarating toe tapping tour-de-force lasting the whole album.
The presence and dynamics of this recording from the 1972 are just phenomenal.

Isao Suzuki on the double bass, Mari Nakamoto vocals with her warm, tender, very slight accent, and Watanabe guitar. Georgia On My Mind alone is worth having this album. Another highlight is I Only Have Eyes For You, with its engaging guitar and bass dialogue.

This one has another different mix of instruments, with Yokouchi acoustic guitar taking the lead, and a mesmerizing organ section from Tashiro.
Again, a warm, inviting yet alive sound, here with exceptional bass depth and spatial display (still keeping the typical forwardness of TBM though).

Are any of these recordings on Qobuz?I couldn’t find them. Thanks.

 

[simorag]

Are any of these recordings on Qobuz?I couldn’t find them. Thanks.

Ouch! These are the only recordings I posted that cannot be found on streaming, sorry. Three Blind Mice label is now dissolved, but CDs can be obtained via amazon.jp, cdjapan.co.jp or discogs for example.

They are well worth the hassle!

If you decide to give TBM a try, the following is another triplet of marvelous discs displaying the unique nature of the label at best, and especially that feeling of live presence and genuine groove which is hard to find in modern recordings.

​

 

[the sound of Tao]

Just had my first listen to Ambrose Akinmusire’s new jazz album Owl Song… it’s a very, very cool and paired back album and quite a bit of a shift in direction for Akinmusire and a very accessible kind of deeply reflective contemporary jazz. Much more inner than his more usual highly explorative self out on the outer boundaries of jazz.

Beautifully peaceful and very calmly centred and his fabulous tone and technique are all there but he’s just not pushing and pursuing limits but trekking minimally and internally and soulfully. It’s a great inner journey.

Guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Herlin Riley fall into a very immediately connected inner space with Akinmusire. Both are deeply atuned to Akinmusire (who I always find to be a very gifted and highly collaborative jazz musician) and together the trio bring out a mesmerising and paired back, memorable and quietly restrained kind of beautiful jazz making.

from a recent music review in the Guardian…

Akinmusire could have just played Owl Song as an ambient reverie in duo with his legendarily harmonious guitar partner Bill Frisell – but it’s the mix of that vibe and the quietly swinging jazz grooves of sometime Wynton Marsalis drummer Herlin Riley that casts Owl Song’s particular spell. Version one of the title track opens to the whispering breeze of Riley’s brushes pulsing above soft bass drum thuds, before a slow trumpet theme of warm low sounds and long-tone falsetto resolutions is caressed by Frisell’s echoing guitar chords.

In the cannily timed swapping of paired figures with single tones on Weighted Corners or the unison ascents and descents of trumpet and guitar on Grace, this music is close to minimalism, but its palette embraces much more. Frisell mingles seamlessly circling trumpet figures, pitch-bending swirls and phrases like softly stuttering fanfares, Riley sets a New Orleans street march tattoo under wriggling postbop improv, and Owl Song 2’s opening procession of sedate single tones and padding tom-tom sounds becomes a ballad-like narrative, discovering its rapturous melody and harmony piece by sparingly-revealed piece.

As befits the title, Owl Song doesn’t raise its voice much, but what it quietly says is joyously vivid, even spine-tingling.

 

[Jackl3y]

Space Afrika Somewhere Decent to Live

Not brand new but the vinyl has sold out almost instantly when available and I was fortunate enough to get a copy this time around. Go me.
My attraction is that it’s a great late night, lights off and light the candles, drink in hand or other vices if you wish, type of sub narcoleptic chill wave vibe. If you have subwoofers you’ll be in for a treat.
Incandescent dreams in the dark of night, sit back, relax and the mind takes flight.
It’s an album experience best enjoyed as such.

 

[Al M.]

Wow.

I just experienced a hair-raisingly spectacular performance of Bruckner's monumental 8th, a symphony that I know intimately, with Barenboim and the Berlin Philharmonic. The conductor's command of rhythmic shaping over large spans and of judging of tempo relations between sections of the music is astounding. Glorious sound (and sonics) from the Berlin Philharmonic. The playing also sounds fresh and nicely raw. There is an intoxicating mix of both patience and impetus in presenting the music. This may be one of the all-time best performances of the symphony.

Honestly, I had no clue what to expect.

This performance is part of the complete set of Bruckner symphonies with these performers. I only went for the set based on the fact that Barenboim does the 1877 version of the 3rd which I hadn't heard yet, the cheap price, and the positive customer reviews on Amazon, some of which seemed knowledgeable.

The performance of the 3rd symphony is phenomenal as well, the 5th symphony sounds promising as far as I have listened to a few snippets, but obviously I have some work to do listening to all performances in full.

 

[the sound of Tao]

View attachment 122390

Wow.

I just experienced a hair-raisingly spectacular performance of Bruckner's monumental 8th, a symphony that I know intimately, with Barenboim and the Berlin Philharmonic. The conductor's command of rhythmic shaping over large spans and of judging of tempo relations between sections of the music is astounding. Glorious sound (and sonics) from the Berlin Philharmonic. The playing also sounds fresh and nicely raw. There is an intoxicating mix of both patience and impetus in presenting the music. This may be one of the all-time best performances of the symphony.

Honestly, I had no clue what to expect.

This performance is part of the complete set of Bruckner symphonies with these performers. I only went for the set based on the fact that Barenboim does the 1877 version of the 3rd which I hadn't heard yet, the cheap price, and the positive customer reviews on Amazon, some of which seemed knowledgeable.

The performance of the 3rd symphony is phenomenal as well, the 5th symphony sounds promising as far as I have listened to a few snippets, but obviously I have some work to do listening to all performances in full.

Nice Al. I’ve become a bit of a Barenboim fan of late as well. He sometimes gets mixed conducting reviews but his attention to detail and very authentic approach with whole form making has made for some remarkable performances especially in the German romantic works. I’d suggest that his more recent Beethoven symphony cycle with the Berliner Staatskapelle has joined the great LvB cycles and he has also put together benchmark performances in both the Brahms and Bruckner symphonies as well.

In the Beethoven especially I can play through his entire cycle and learn a lot from his take on the evolution of Beethoven symphonies from early, middle to late. He has a very whole view to his approach to interpretation and music making.

 

[marty]

A lovely and famous piece of music beautifully done and perfect for the season

 

[Al M.]

A lovely and famous piece of music beautifully done and perfect for the season

Yes, a lovely one! Saw it for the first time a few years ago. Thanks for refreshing my memory.

 

[daytona600]

Róisín Murphy & Why not

 

[simorag]

Haydn, the Bringer of New Worlds

Haydn was a fountain of music, but the true miracle of his prolific output is the amount of innovations that redefined entire musical idyoms for the next half-century and beyond his death.

From chamber music, to solo keyboard, to sacred vocal compositions, to symphonic, to concertos, there is almost no genre where he did not produce some advancements whose momentum reached out for generations of future creators.

Let's start from the symphonies (he wrote over 100 of them), paying hommage to his most effective evangelist, Leonard Bernstein. The Paris symphonies are a spectacular display of imaginative composition, a wide variety of orchestral colors and moods that was unheard of at the time, and Bernstein exploited the power of a modern orchestra to highlight the weight, the emotional power, the energy that these scores could convey.

Keyboard (over 50 sonatas). The expressive power and the contrasts of colors, dynamics he brought elevated the keyboard from a typical accompanying role to a self-contained cosmos. Bavouzet has recorded all the sonatas and every single one of them hides a musical treasure.

Quartets (68) are another quintessential part of Haydn creative genius. The eloquence, the call for an almost improvisatory interaction between the players - as the music was created on the spot - the effortless spontaneity of the phrasing are a testament of what this highly sophisticated sub-genre of classical music would have developed to in the next centuries.

Sacred music was unavoidable for a professional like Haydn, and he put his rule bending inventiveness at work also here. I have chosen the 7 Last Words (also included - in quartet form - in the previous disc) for their unconventional character of being, instead of the typical fully programmatic compositions, conceived as abstract music inspired by the spiritual and emotional implications of passages of the Passion, like pictorial evocations.

Finally, one of my lifelong favorites, the Cello concerto. A piece that I keep coming to since 30+ years as it contains all the traits I love about this genre, the bold and energetic drive of the cello backed by a lively virtuosic concentus with the orchestra, its lyrical, uniquely introspective color (here portrayed in the calmer 2nd movement), and the feastful dance-like progression to the finale which always leaves a big smile on my face and a rush of adrenalin on my body.