What are you listening to?

[Jared]

oh, someone throw me a lifeline here.... :-(

I really hope that no-one on this site thinks that occasionally, I put some French music on, just so that I can give it another bashing... I REALLY try to like it, and to understand its soundworld.... but frankly, I just don't. I really don't. Renee Fleming's voice is simply beyond criticism; her tone and expression are superb... but absolutely none of the material on this disk speaks to me on any level whatsoever... the Ravel is bad enough, but the Messiaen and Dutilleeux are absolutely unbearable.. about as pleasurable as someone scraping long finger nails down a chalk board. I really don't think I can put myself through another listen.

This makes me really quite sad, because I know I'm the only one who feels this, and therefore I must be missing something... but in all sincereity I can derive absolutely no pleasure from this disk, whatsoever...

[bombasticDarren]

Schumann - Violin Concerto (Yehudi Menuhin/John Barbirolli, Philharmonic Symphony of New York, Naxos)

[Jared]

goodness me, THAT's better!

isn't Sibelius' music incredible?

[fergus]

The one thing that I have always wondered about with this work is why Tchaikovsky did not use that strong, powerful opening theme again after the first three minutes of the work?

Motivated by this comment, which had never occurred to me before, I hunted out the sheet music on imslp.org (such a fantastic resource) and listened to it a couple of times. You're right, Fergus, it is strange! Anyway, by complete coincidence, there was a live performance of the work on Lyric last night and I thought it was fab. Did anyone else hear it? It was the Russian National Orchestra conducted by Mikhail Pletnev, and the soloist was Daniil Trifonov, winner of Tchaikovsky Competition 2011.

Yep, never understood that one Simon.
I was out last night so I missed it.

[bombasticDarren]

Saint-Saens - Symphony No.3 Organ (Jean Guillou/Edo de Waart, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Philips)

[fergus]

Simon, do you have Pletnev's own version of these works? They're one of the finest versions out there and also one of the cheapest:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tchaikovsky-Pia ... 652&sr=8-1

I also have that CD Simon and I can second Jared's recommendation.

[fergus]

Schumann - Violin Concerto (Yehudi Menuhin/John Barbirolli, Philharmonic Symphony of New York, Naxos)

What were those performances like Darren?

[fergus]

isn't Sibelius' music incredible?

Yes.

[fergus]

Some soothing harpsichord music....

[bombasticDarren]

Schumann - Violin Concerto (Yehudi Menuhin/John Barbirolli, Philharmonic Symphony of New York, Naxos)

What were those performances like Darren?

I have only played the Schumann; and it was magnificent. No need to worry about the 1938 sound; the sound quality was very good and the playing was delicate and full of detail. I remember reading in Barbirolli's biography what a supportive conductor he was for soloists, and here is some good evidence of that quality.....