What are you listening two?

[DonKC]

A radio program, "Composer's Datebook" broadcast on the US National Public Radio network, mentioned a symphony by Norwegian Harald Saeveraud (1897-1992). I had heard of him but not heard his music. So I explored it on the Naxos Music Library service.

Neo-classic in style, a bit like Hindemith, but with touches of late romantic style, mostly tonal, based on recognizable classical forms and colorful and bold orchestration... really hard to pin down. But that is ok, the symphonies I heard (5, 7, 8, 9) are all worth a listen. # 8 was commissioned by the state of Minnesota to celebrate its important Norwegian heritage, colorful, taughtly conceived and always interesting... more than mere travelogue music. # 9 ends with a movement titled "Bells in the Mountains" again no kitsch, rather a powerful celebration of the sound and rhythm of bells and open space.

Symphonies and such (he wrote several concerti, incidental music and piano work) are available on BIS. If you have a chance, give him a listen... great stuff!

[Seán]

A radio program, "Composer's Datebook" broadcast on the US National Public Radio network, mentioned a symphony by Norwegian Harald Saeveraud (1897-1992). I had heard of him but not heard his music. So I explored it on the Naxos Music Library service.

Neo-classic in style, a bit like Hindemith, but with touches of late romantic style, mostly tonal, based on recognizable classical forms and colorful and bold orchestration... really hard to pin down. But that is ok, the symphonies I heard (5, 7, 8, 9) are all worth a listen. # 8 was commissioned by the state of Minnesota to celebrate its important Norwegian heritage, colorful, taughtly conceived and always interesting... more than mere travelogue music. # 9 ends with a movement titled "Bells in the Mountains" again no kitsch, rather a powerful celebration of the sound and rhythm of bells and open space.

Symphonies and such (he wrote several concerti, incidental music and piano work) are available on BIS. If you have a chance, give him a listen... great stuff!

Many thanks for that Don.

[Seán]

And now where was I? Oh yes:



Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 2
New York Philharmonic Orchestra
The Collegiate Choral
Lee Venora soprano
Jennifer Tourel mezzo-soprano
Leonard Bernstein conducting.

[Seán]

Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 2
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Netherlands Radio Chorus
Elly Ameling soprano
Aafje Heynis contralto
Bernard Haitink conducting.

[Jose Echenique]

And now where was I? Oh yes:



Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 2
New York Philharmonic Orchestra
The Collegiate Choral
Lee Venora soprano
Jennifer Tourel mezzo-soprano
Leonard Bernstein conducting.

Bernstein recorded 3 times the Resurrection, the first [above] and the last [in DG] with the NY Philharmonic, but I think my favorite is the second, recorded live in Ely Cathedral with the London Symphony and superb soloists in Sheila Armstrong and Janet Baker. Pity that the acoustics are over reverberant, but it´s a great performance.

[markof]

Something fresh and unusual - superb recording too.

From the crit at Allmusic
"The notes to this release by the innovative French ensemble Le Poème Harmonique and its director Vincent Dumestre explain a good deal about its philosophy and genesis. But what they don't explain is why the recording, made in 2000, took until late 2015 to be released. Possibly it was just the sheer novelty of the thing: the title Pergolesi: Stabat Mater; Marian Music from Naples fails to communicate what's going on here and how unusual it is. Briefly, Dumestre and his musicians investigate the links between Pergolesi's style and the popular music that surrounded it in Naples. This is not in itself a completely new idea, but the situation in Naples was especially interesting in at least two respects. The traditions investigated here continue to the present day, for one thing, in the performance of the Stabat Mater melody in improvised polyphony heard in village processions in some parts of modern Italy. For another, these traditions were sometimes notated, and you get a sample of what they sounded like in the anonymous Stabat Mater à 3 (track 3). As prelude to the main attraction the Stabat Mater is here inflected through chant, a tarantella, and the rudimentary polyphony of the Monopoli Manuscript piece mentioned above; there is also a concerto by Durante that is less directly related to the Pergolesi work. All of these leave their mark on the Pergolesi Stabat Mater itself. It has a quiet organ-and-theorbo continuo (no harpsichord) that allows intense contrasts to emerge in the voices and main instruments. Thankfully, and contrary to current fashion, there is a choir of children, which was manifestly the way the work was sung at Versailles in its own time. Most striking are the solo voices, vibrato free and almost raw. Beautifully recorded by Alpha, this is a unique perspective on one of the most famous Baroque works."

Mark

[DonKC]

On Sir George's 103rd birthday.

Mahler Symphony # 7 Chicago SO

This performance was recorded at the University of Illinois near where I grew up. The CSO and Solti were touring the nearby cities and performing this work as a warm up to the recording. First concert I ever attended in 1971, I was 14.

Been a sentimental favorite since. And still a fine, fine performance in excellent sound.

[DonKC]

Followed by the Solti Chicago Mahler 6th. First recording I ever heard of this terrifying work. I quickly fell into its spell.

[Seán]

On Sir George's 103rd birthday.

Mahler Symphony # 7 Chicago SO

This performance was recorded at the University of Illinois near where I grew up. The CSO and Solti were touring the nearby cities and performing this work as a warm up to the recording. First concert I ever attended in 1971, I was 14.

Been a sentimental favorite since. And still a fine, fine performance in excellent sound.

Georg Solti's Mahler 7 recording with the CSO is one of my favourite M7's, it really is splendid.

[Seán]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Haffner Serenade K 250
Symphonie Orchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Colin Davis conducting

This is a gorgeous performance,what a treasure! I have no idea who the soloist is, the Concertmaster perhaps?