What are you listening to?

[fergus]

Bach Cantata BWV66 for Easter Monday....

[fergus]

[Seán]

and that brings a smile to my face.

[fergus]

and that brings a smile to my face.

Not a wry smile I hope. It has been quite a long time since I have listened to it.

[bombasticDarren]

Bruch - Symphony No.1, No.2 & Romanze in A minor (Salvatore Accardo/Kurt Masur, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Decca)

[Seán]

and that brings a smile to my face.

Not a wry smile I hope. It has been quite a long time since I have listened to it.

Heaven's no, pleasure, sheer pleasure:

[bombasticDarren]

Bruch - Symphony No.1 (Kurt Masur, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Decca)

what do you make of them, Darren?

Very pleasant, although the recordings seem rather constrained to me. The 2nd movement of the 1st Symphony was particularly interesting to me...

[Jared]

Very pleasant, although the recordings seem rather constrained to me....

Yes, that's exactly it, isn't it? I slightly prefer the Condon set, but you are left thinking that Bruch hasn't really been given a fair crack of the whip... what would his symphonies have sounded like if Abbado had been let loose on them, in his prime? The question remains...

[bombasticDarren]

Very pleasant, although the recordings seem rather constrained to me....

Yes, that's exactly it, isn't it? I slightly prefer the Condon set, but you are left thinking that Bruch hasn't really been given a fair crack of the whip... what would his symphonies have sounded like if Abbado had been let loose on them, in his prime? The question remains...

Yes, I'm afraid Masur or Conlon don't constitute 'front rank' conductors to me. I think they are works that deserve a fairer crack of the whip as far as recordings go. Abbado would have done well with them I am sure; perhaps also Gardiner or Chailly...

[fergus]

Nice!!!