Spinning Today (Classical version)

[morris_minor]

Listening today - recent LP buys:

Symphonies 2,4 & 5 by William Alwyn, conducted by the composer. Good, well argued music in a conservative style akin to Rubbra, Moeran, Rootham et al - though not really like these to listen to. The Sinfonietta for Strings is in the Bliss 'Music for Strings' mode rather than RVW Tallis and is a delight to listen to. Excellent recordings in the usual Lyrita tradition . . .

[jandl100]

Yesterday --

Bax viola sonata on a Naxos CD. Lovely 'earthy' recording of the viola!

Randall Thompson 3rd symphony. Quite possibly my fave American symphony. Melodic and dynamic. NZSO - Andrew Schenck conducting on a Koch CD.

Zoltan Kocsis piano recital on DVD-video. Mozart c-minor K475 Fantasy, Beethoven op 111 sonata & Schubert D960 sonata. Wow. Perfect. I listened/watched the Schubert again as an encore!

[guyhayton]

Inspired by the mention of Bax so put this on while I think of typing my Risk Management report for work (home working this afternoon)



Symphony No.1 - Garden of Fand - In The Faery Hills

[guyhayton]

Finishing off the night... with my first recording of Bruch Violin Concerto, and my favourite.
Soloist: Cho-Liang Lin, Conductor: Leonard Slatkin, Chicago Symphony

This was probably one of the first classical CDs purchased by me at a wonderful independent shop called Bolton Classical Records in the early 1990s

[jandl100]

A heavy LP sesh yesterday --

Beethoven 9th symphony - from the full early 60's Karajan set

A very fine performance, decent recording -- especially with the bass boosted a bit with my graphic equaliser

Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatte's 10 Caprices for solo violin.
A really magic find this in a certain Gloucestershire charity shop.
Mint and wonderful - and wonderfully obscure! - music.



John Antill's Momentous Occasion Overture (great name!) and Clive Douglas' Three Frescos

[MartinT]

A heavy LP sesh yesterday --

Beethoven 9th symphony - from the full early 60's Karajan set

A very fine performance, decent recording -- especially with the bass boosted a bit with my graphic equaliser

His first Beethoven cycle really is his best, isn't it?

[jandl100]

That's his first stereo cycle - as you say, regarded by many (me included) as his best. He also did a mono cycle for EMI in the mid-50s with the Philharmonia, I think. I had that on rather crackly vinyl, but disposed of it as the 60's set is better in sound and performance, I think.

[MartinT]

Ah, thanks for the correction Jerry. I have the stereo cycle as a boxed LP set, didn't realise he had recorded an earlier mono cycle.

[jandl100]

Yesterday -- Back to Bax again.
Inspired by Bob's enthusiasm for the composer I invested in this -->

The 5th with Bryden Thompson.

As good as the sq in the Naxos series is (and it is good) this is superb. Must be one of the best sounding orchestral recordings I have heard. Just so natural!
I think I like the performance, too -- but I'm still finding my way with Bax.

No, it's not from the Chuck Handley series on Chandos that Bob was extolling, I might investigate some of that next!

[jandl100]

Ah, thanks for the correction Jerry. I have the stereo cycle as a boxed LP set, didn't realise he had recorded an earlier mono cycle.

Here's the LP set I had --