What are you listening to?

[DaveF]

with such crappy weather this morning I kicked off the day with some Mendelssohn.



followed by...

[Seán]

Dave, I love that Abbado/LSO Mendelssohn box set, everyone should have a copy of it. I trust that your girlfriend is still fond of Mendelssohn then?



Claude Debussy
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
La Mer
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Bernard Haitink conducting
1976

This is a lovely version of Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune. This disc also contains my favourite recording of La Mer with its gorgeous swirling sheets of sound, it is played beautifully by the CO, I love it.

[DaveF]

Dave, I love that Abbado/LSO Mendelssohn box set, everyone should have a copy of it. I trust that your girlfriend is still fond of Mendelssohn then?

Both Mendelssohn and Chopin are her favorites but she's not really a big classical listener. Anyway she's not around for the weekend so I have these few days off to listen to music. Metal, Rock, Classical, Jazz, Country, Blues... its all being played. Blissful!

[fergus]

One of my favourite female voices!

[fergus]

Dave, I love that Abbado/LSO Mendelssohn box set, everyone should have a copy of it. I trust that your girlfriend is still fond of Mendelssohn then?

Both Mendelssohn and Chopin are her favorites but she's not really a big classical listener. Anyway she's not around for the weekend so I have these few days off to listen to music. Metal, Rock, Classical, Jazz, Country, Blues... its all being played. Blissful!

When the cat is away the mice behave like rats....go for it Dave....and enjoy the mix!!!

[fergus]

Mozart – German Dances....



....evoking scenes of elegant gentlefolk dancing in lavish 18th century ballrooms!

[mcq]

Dave, I love that Abbado/LSO Mendelssohn box set, everyone should have a copy of it. I trust that your girlfriend is still fond of Mendelssohn then?



Claude Debussy
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
La Mer
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Bernard Haitink conducting
1976

This is a lovely version of Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune. This disc also contains my favourite recording of La Mer with its gorgeous swirling sheets of sound, it is played beautifully by the CO, I love it.

Bernard Haitink has a wonderful way with Debussy, Sean. I have a double CD of his performances of Debussy's orchestral music with the Concertgebouw Orchestra on Philips and find him to be one of the most thoughtful and penetrating interpreters of this great music. With regard to La Mer and Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune in particular, probably only Karajan's majestic 1964 recording with the BPO (on DG and coupled with equally fine versions of Ravel's second concert suite of Daphnis et Chloe and Bolero) can compare.

[DaveF]

The best conductor of Haydn's symphonic work imho. I listened to Dorati's version afterwards and there is just no comparison. Goodman's treatment of the second movement of the 'Surprise' symphony is simply astounding.

[Seán]

Dave, I love that Abbado/LSO Mendelssohn box set, everyone should have a copy of it. I trust that your girlfriend is still fond of Mendelssohn then?



Claude Debussy
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
La Mer
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Bernard Haitink conducting
1976

This is a lovely version of Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune. This disc also contains my favourite recording of La Mer with its gorgeous swirling sheets of sound, it is played beautifully by the CO, I love it.

Bernard Haitink has a wonderful way with Debussy, Sean. I have a double CD of his performances of Debussy's orchestral music with the Concertgebouw Orchestra on Philips and find him to be one of the most thoughtful and penetrating interpreters of this great music. With regard to La Mer and Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune in particular, probably only Karajan's majestic 1964 recording with the BPO (on DG and coupled with equally fine versions of Ravel's second concert suite of Daphnis et Chloe and Bolero) can compare.

I have two copies of La Mer by HvK and one of them is the BPO recording from 1964 and it is terrific but I do prefer the Haitink/CO recording.

[Seán]

The best conductor of Haydn's symphonic work imho. I listened to Dorati's version afterwards and there is just no comparison. Goodman's treatment of the second movement of the 'Surprise' symphony is simply astounding.

I still haven't listened to any of the Goodman/Hanover Band Haydn recordings, perhaps that's a good thing.