What are you listening to?

[jaybee]

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.

I have his sonatas and also love his playing (and hm's recording!) he trumps for me!

[jaybee]

I love this.... although I'm not allowed to listen when she who must be obeyed is at home..... apparently its too effete!!

[DaveF]

I love this.... although I'm not allowed to listen when she who must be obeyed is at home..... apparently its too effete!!

A great recording alright. The Op.7 is worth getting too if you dont already have it.

[jaybee]

I was only just popping it in my basket on amazon.....!!!

[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.

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!

I knew that you would respond to that post Pepe and you have already answered a question that I was going to ask you namely what other recordings would you recommend? Thank you for that.

[DaveF]

There are many fine recording of Beethoven's 9th out there but for me this one tops the lot.

[fergus]

Vinyl....





....a particularly fine Beethoven Pastoral!

[fergus]

This is a superb live performance and is highly charged and full of energy especially the final two movements: the slow third movement is ravishingly played and emotionally heart rending.

[fergus]

These are bold, crisp and assertive performances but without being aggressive. Speeds are brisk which adds to the sense of excitement. The playing is of a very high standard and the recorded sound is very good. Kletzki has everything under control and far from stifling the players his control merely helps to drive these ebullient performances on with great sparkle in the fast movements and great poise and dignity in the slow movements. Interestingly I did not seem to favour one or more performances over any other in this cycle; all performances were of equal quality and interest. There is definitely a bit of bite and a different flavour to this cycle and it comes highly recommended.

[fergus]