What are you listening to?

[Seán]

Symphonies No.3 & 5



A terrific cycle this. Brilliant performances all round and great sound engineering make for a hugely enjoyable listening session. There are better individual recordings out there but this set is consistantly great from start to finish.

Everybody seems to love that cycle, I don't have it (yet).

[Seán]

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto 3 & 4
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Paul Lewis - piano
Jiří Bělohlávek - conducting.

Thsi is a fabulous set, all concertos are beautifully played, I love it.

[Jose Echenique]

These would probably be my favourite performances so far of the Brahms Piano Concertos that I own by a long way. They are assertive performances by both the soloist and the orchestra. I have not come across the name of Moravec other than by his association with these two works but he plays wonderfully and the orchestral playing in more than equal to him. These are bold, robust performances that are to be greatly admired and definitely give an edge to the music of Brahms.

Ivan Moravec is the Czech Republic´s premier pianist Fergus, quite a celebrity there, and a famous pianist in the rest of the World. He was included in Philip´s Great Pianists series.

By the way, have you heard the Emil Gilels/Berlin Philharmonic/Eugen Jochum set? That is probably the general recommendation. I personally like a lot the Nelson Freire/Gewandhaus/Chailly set in DECCA, because the piano is ideally integrated with the orchestra and not artificially highlighted like in most recordings, but there is no denying Moravec´s superb pianism and the gorgeous playing of the noble Czech Philharmonic.

[fergus]

just landed in the door... sounds good...

I've only listened while making breakfast... but sounds wonderful... maybe not as delicate as a manze version, but with Mozart that could be a good thing!!!!

Mozart for breakfast, how delightful! You are correct in that Medlam does have an edge but that is what attracts me to his music making.

[fergus]

....By the way, have you heard the Emil Gilels/Berlin Philharmonic/Eugen Jochum set? That is probably the general recommendation. I personally like a lot the Nelson Freire/Gewandhaus/Chailly set in DECCA, because the piano is ideally integrated with the orchestra and not artificially highlighted like in most recordings, but there is no denying Moravec´s superb pianism and the gorgeous playing of the noble Czech Philharmonic.

Yes Pepe, I already own the Gilels/Jochum but as you well know by now I do not always go with the flow LOL!!!

[fergus]

Symphonies No.3 & 5



A terrific cycle this. Brilliant performances all round and great sound engineering make for a hugely enjoyable listening session. There are better individual recordings out there but this set is consistantly great from start to finish.

Everybody seems to love that cycle, I don't have it (yet).

Yes, I agree with Dave and it is certainly a set worth having Seán.

[fergus]

Schoenberg: Gurrelieder....





This is a wonderful work and is very well sung as well as beautifully played and presented with great sweeping passages of music in this version with moments of both great power and tenderness.

[Jose Echenique]

Schoenberg: Gurrelieder....





This is a wonderful work and is very well sung as well as beautifully played and presented with great sweeping passages of music in this version with moments of both great power and tenderness.

I have a fetish for the Gurrelieder because I own almost every major recording. I love the Ozawa recording for Jessye Norman and Tatiana Troyanos, the Abbado for all-around excellence and for his magnificent tenor Siegfried Jerusalem (shared with Chailly), the live Munich Philharmonic/ James Levine is also very enjoyable and has the excellent tenor Ben Heppner. The Chailly is also one of the best. His forces are very idiomatic and what a pleasure it is to hear the octogenarian Hans Hotter so vivid and compelling in the spoken recitatives. But if forced to choose the one I enjoy the most my vote would have to go to the live 1960´s DG recording with the Bavarian Radio orchestra and chorus under Rafael Kubelik. What a magician he was!

[Seán]

the one I enjoy the most my vote would have to go to the live 1960´s DG recording with the Bavarian Radio orchestra and chorus under Rafael Kubelik. What a magician he was!

Agreed

[Seán]

Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto in D minor BWV 1052
Concerto in E major BWV 1053
Concerto in D major BWV 1054
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
András Schiff - piano & conductor

I love these performances. Anyone who loves Jazz should like this music.