What are you listening two?

[fergus]

Fergus, if you liked solo piano music I'd suggest Rachmaninoff's Etudes-Tableaux. I love those with all of my being, with a soft spot for Idel Biret on Naxos despite the flaws.

But since you're not a fan of solo piano music I won't say anything. ;)

Cheers Simon. Solo piano music is still my least favoured genre despite constant, long term efforts to change that situation!

[fergus]

Mozart: Piano Quartets....





Great piano playing here incidentally.

[fergus]

Shostakovich / Prokofiev: Cello Sonatas....





The Shostakovich Cello Sonata is an exquisite work. The Prokofiev Cello Sonata is also good but does not come anyway near the Shostakovich Sonata for me. Both, however, are very well played.

[fergus]

[Seán]

Sergei Rachmaninov
Symphonic Dances for Orchestra Opus 45
Russian State Symphony Orchestra
Valery Polansky conducting.

Rachmaninov's last work was written in the early forties and was dedicated to Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. It is performed here on the Brilliant Classics reissue of the Chandos recording by the Russian State Symphony Orchestra. Very enjoyable!

Although I have Rachmaninov well represented in my collection he is not a composer that I listen to very often for some reason. The only work of his that sticks in my mind is his second piano concerto.

I used to spend a lot of time listening to Rach back in 2007 - 2008, I rarely do so now.....I have so much else to listen to.

[Seán]

A composer I will NEVER grow tired of is Jean Sibelius and this CD was my introduction to his symphonic output and for me has stood the test of time.



Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 4 & 5
Berlin Symphony Orchestra
Kurt Sanderling conducting.

[fergus]

A composer I will NEVER grow tired of is Jean Sibelius and this CD was my introduction to his symphonic output and for me has stood the test of time.



Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 4 & 5
Berlin Symphony Orchestra
Kurt Sanderling conducting.

I definitely agree on that one Seán; there are so many layers to his music that one never fails to experience something new with each listen.

[fergus]

The wonderful sound world of David Munrow....

[Jose Echenique]

Another interesting new release from Glossa. Of course there´s some Boccherini, but also some less explored repertoire.

[Jose Echenique]

The tigress is back with yet another thrilling recording of Mozart´s Piano Concerto #20. She has recorded at least twice this concerto before, but that´s Argerich, she goes back to the same music all the time, the wondrous thing is that each time is as fresh and brilliant as the last time. There´s also a lovely violin sonata by Mieczyslav Weinberg that I have never heard before, exquisitely played by she and Gidon Kremer.