What are we listening to? (outside of Mahler)

[James Meckley]

Along with Mr. Sbugala above, I've been (re)exploring the Vaughan Williams symphonies, finding much to enjoy this time around. I've been listening particularly to 4 and 6, from sets by Previn and Boult (both the stereo EMIs and the mono Deccas). The Sinfonia Antartica has always been a guilty pleasure.

Another symphonist I've come back to periodically is Malcolm Arnold, always feeling that there was something there I just wasn't getting. This time was the charm; I find myself utterly captivated by his sound-world and emotional palette. Another set of nine symphonies to explore! He was, of course, a big Mahler fan, which is all to the good.

Anybody here have any luck with Alan Pettersson? He's been recommended to me by a number of folks I respect, but so far he remains a closed book. I've tried 3, 7 and 11.

I've also been listening to Bruckner 9 quite a bit, preparing for a performance by the Tampa orchestra (quite a fine band, currently led by Kurt Sanderling's son, Stefan). In B9, I currently favor Wand/Berlin, Skrowaczewski/both (very different) recordings, and Giulini/Vienna (whose intensity I treasure, but who comes perilously close to losing focus in spots due to uncomfortably slow tempos).

James Meckley

[barry guerrero]

"So what is your favorite version of the RVW Ninth?  I like Boult's first one on Everest, and the Slatkin, quite a bit. "

Those are exactly the two that I like - a lot.

Barry

[Jeff Wozniak]

[stillivor]

   Barry, the Great Lakes thing.

   I have an audio tape called "Honor (sic) The Earth Powwow. Songs of the Great Lakes Indians"

   It was recorded deep in a Wisconsin forest in 1990 where a few tribes like the Winnebagos met for a powwow. The first track, Grand Entry Song, is sung by the Little Otter Singers. It sounds halfway between talking and singing and made me think that's how music and singing might have begun; when someone realised that speech could begin to take wing.

   Picked it up in a charity shop as i Had no idea what it might sound like.


  My favourite Vaughan Williams performance is V-W himself doing his 4th. Magnificent.


   Ivor

[John Kim]

I've been on a huge Vaughan Williams kick recently. I sometimes make this pronouncement to myself that his Nine are as great as Bruckner's and Dvorak's.  His Ninth is under-rated, and weird.   I'd love to hear it live someday.  The finale is kinda chilling and beautiful, but not a farewell like Mahler's or Bruckner's Ninth.  But it IS an ending.  Those weird saxes coming out as those huge cresendos (sp?) tower over the orchestra is awesome.

For a long time, I had various interpretations by various conductors. Then I felt like I HAD to have one guy doing it, so I picked Haitink, and traded others in to used record stores. I've come to find some of my old picks were better, like Previn and the RPO in the Symphony No. 5, or Slatkin in others.  Now, I'm off to discover and sometimes rediscover some versions I traded in. 

His 5th symphony is equally beautiful, full of nostalgia and high spirits. Great music indeed.

John,

[sbugala]

I've been on a huge Vaughan Williams kick recently. I sometimes make this pronouncement to myself that his Nine are as great as Bruckner's and Dvorak's.  His Ninth is under-rated, and weird.   I'd love to hear it live someday.  The finale is kinda chilling and beautiful, but not a farewell like Mahler's or Bruckner's Ninth.  But it IS an ending.  Those weird saxes coming out as those huge cresendos (sp?) tower over the orchestra is awesome.

For a long time, I had various interpretations by various conductors. Then I felt like I HAD to have one guy doing it, so I picked Haitink, and traded others in to used record stores. I've come to find some of my old picks were better, like Previn and the RPO in the Symphony No. 5, or Slatkin in others.  Now, I'm off to discover and sometimes rediscover some versions I traded in. 

His 5th symphony is equally beautiful, full of nostalgia and high spirits. Great music indeed.

John,

Agreed. I was musing to a friend that Vaughan Williams responded to war(s) just like Shostakovich did, just in different ways. 

[stillivor]

  Just overheard Tomita's electronic take on Rictures from an Exhibition. (Nearly tore a ligament typing that.

  It's quite something.


    Ivor

[sbugala]

Along with Mr. Sbugala above, I've been (re)exploring the Vaughan Williams symphonies, finding much to enjoy this time around. I've been listening particularly to 4 and 6, from sets by Previn and Boult (both the stereo EMIs and the mono Deccas). The Sinfonia Antartica has always been a guilty pleasure.

Another symphonist I've come back to periodically is Malcolm Arnold, always feeling that there was something there I just wasn't getting. This time was the charm; I find myself utterly captivated by his sound-world and emotional palette. Another set of nine symphonies to explore! He was, of course, a big Mahler fan, which is all to the good.

Anybody here have any luck with Alan Pettersson? He's been recommended to me by a number of folks I respect, but so far he remains a closed book. I've tried 3, 7 and 11.

I've also been listening to Bruckner 9 quite a bit, preparing for a performance by the Tampa orchestra (quite a fine band, currently led by Kurt Sanderling's son, Stefan). In B9, I currently favor Wand/Berlin, Skrowaczewski/both (very different) recordings, and Giulini/Vienna (whose intensity I treasure, but who comes perilously close to losing focus in spots due to uncomfortably slow tempos).

James Meckley

I have the Naxos Arnold cycle, and I think it's pretty darn good.  I feel like I should know it better than I do.  I've also heard some good Alwyn and Rubbra symphonies.  Once in awhile, I get unorthodox thoughts that they're better symphonists than Elgar.  Or maybe I generally like them better than Elgar's symphonies, whatever the quality. 

Pettersson is an acquired taste. It's been years since I've put one one.  I have Symphony No. 8 with Baltimore on DG.  It starts off good, but I can never bring myself to play the other side. 

The Bruckner 9th is one of my favorites, too.  Like Barry, I enjoy it more than the Mahler 9th, (which I still love).  Ironically, I have this feeling it's more visionary than the M9.  I love how Bruckner "steals" the RVW Tallis Fantasia sound in the last movement years before RVW even wrote it. 

Cool stuff.

[barry guerrero]

"It was recorded deep in a Wisconsin forest in 1990 where a few tribes like the Winnebagos met for a powwow"   .   .   

You mean like this?    :

[stillivor]

  So thaaaaaaaat's how they travel.   


    Ivor

[Phaedrus]

These are currently spinning:

Still sounding magnificent:


Keep coming back to this one:


Fantastic: The oboe in theopening in the 3d part comes out of nowhere:


Excellent partita transcription by Saito and ver good BWV 552 transcription by Schoenberg:


Rgrds,

Phaedrus

[stillivor]

  Still all kinds of stuff. latley, a side of songs by Peter Warlock, the second half of Messiah under Harry Chritophers. Very fleet-footed.

  At the moment, Hilding Rosenberg@s 3rd Symphony, from his pre-serial phase. very attractive; ocassionally bit Sibelian.

  Earlier on, beethoven 7 with Mravinsky, to celebrate the big man's 237th. A hell of a lot of candles. brilliant performance. (I can do the performance bit when I know the piece a little. I mean, a lot.)

   Ivor

[barry guerrero]

I've really been groovin' on Kenny Dorham's "Afro Cuban" CD resissue on Bluenote. What a line-up! Hank Mobely is on tenor; J.J. Johnson on slide trombone; Carlos "Patato" Valdes on congas; Horace Silver on piano; Art Blakey on drums, and Oscar Pettiford on the double string bass. And, of course, Kenny Dorham's smooth, lyrical, yet groovin' trumpet. There's also the occassional baritone sax (player's name escapes me right now).

[Leo K]

I've been listening to some Jazz too...Miles Davis and his second Quintet at the Plugged Nickel (Complete set)...really fantastic, a real universe of beauty covered at these shows.


--Leo

[techniquest]

Just overheard Tomita's electronic take on Rictures from an Exhibition. (Nearly tore a ligament typing that.

  It's quite something.

Ivor, if you get the chance, try Tomitas' 'Ravel' album. He does some brilliant interpretations of Ma Mere l'oye suite and Daphnis et Chloe suite 2 as well as a lovely take on "Pavane pour une enfant defunte". Also you must hear his version of Stravinsky's 'Firebird Suite'.