What are you listening to?

[Jared]

first listen, first symphony...

if you like your Brahms & Schumann symphonies and wished there was a little more in the way of that early Romantic Symphonic style of reasonable quality... then look no further.. they aren't on a par with Brahms, but they are really quite lovely works.. I'm quite surprised they haven't been recorded more often, and I would suggest you all buy yourself a set at some stage...

[Jared]

I love it and yes I know it's Purcell, but I love it, it's the Freiburger effect.

well, knock me over with a feather duster...

[fergus]

first listen, first symphony...

I would be interested in reading your thoughts on that music Jared as I do not have any of his symphonic music in my collection.

Edit: LOL! You answered my question three minutes before I even asked it!!

[Jared]

^^ I'm on my first listen of maybe six... it is very melodic, emotive, German, early Romantic, stylistically VERY Brahmsian... tonal range quite varied (light yet effective use of brass section); first movement of No 2 really quite dynamic and forceful, then some lovely melancholic adagios (with majestic sweeping string section)... altogether, they hang together rather well structurally... all about 30 mins long, and very easy to get into. Maybe there's nothing which makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck like sections of Brahms, but they are really rather lovely works. In hindsight, you can tell they are written by the same man who wrote the famous VC.

[bombasticDarren]

Sibelius - Symphony No.2 (Paavo Berglund, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, EMI)

[Jared]

Edit: LOL! You answered my question three minutes before I even asked it!!

Well in true 'Tir Na' spirit, I've gone and answered it again in more detail... ;-)

[bombasticDarren]

If you want something completely different Claus I would strongly recommend this set....




This set has a different feel to it than the other sets I own but I really like it as I feel that it really brings out the humanity in Beethoven's music.

I am on a Beethoven symphony hiatus at the moment (the Chailly set is waiting to be listened to as yet...). But, when I am back in the mood for LvB symphonies, I must get this set out again and give it a listen through. Lots of people seem to be very fond of it :-D

[fergus]

^^ I'm on my first listen of maybe six... it is very melodic, emotive, German, early Romantic, stylistically VERY Brahmsian... tonal range quite varied (light yet effective use of brass section); first movement of No 2 really quite dynamic and forceful, then some lovely melancholic adagios (with majestic sweeping string section)... altogether, they hang together rather well structurally... all about 30 mins long, and very easy to get into. Maybe there's nothing which makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck like sections of Brahms, but they are really rather lovely works. In hindsight, you can tell they are written by the same man who wrote the famous VC.

I think that we should have YOU running the new Listening Project thread....I cannot wait to read some of your comments there!!!

[fergus]

If you want something completely different Claus I would strongly recommend this set....




This set has a different feel to it than the other sets I own but I really like it as I feel that it really brings out the humanity in Beethoven's music.

I am on a Beethoven symphony hiatus at the moment (the Chailly set is waiting to be listened to as yet...). But, when I am back in the mood for LvB symphonies, I must get this set out again and give it a listen through. Lots of people seem to be very fond of it :-D

I must say that I regard that cycle very highly Darren as it offers a completely different perspective on these very well known works....not necessarily better but certainly, for me, different.

[bombasticDarren]

^^ I have listened to it, but it was maybe a bit too early in my CM days for it to truly register. Having said that the Hyperion Mackerras cycle is one that I would describe in similar terms that Fergus has used in reference to the RLPO set :-)