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What are you currently listening to?

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Author Topic: What are you currently listening to?  (Read 97120 times)
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Dundonnell
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« Reply #375 on: January 10, 2014, 03:46:35 am »

Today I have listened to two new cds which arrived this morning:

the CPO Hendrik Andriessen Symphony No.2 together with three shortish orchestral works. All well-wrought pieces which demonstrate Andriessen's mastery of both ancient musical forms and a distinct neo-classicism. Andriessen was a fine composer-although without, I think, the innovative genius of his fellow Dutchmen Vermeulen, Pijper or Badings.

and the BIS release of the Kalevi Aho Symphony No.15, coupled with the Double Bass Concerto and "Minea". This was, for me, the more impressive cd. Aho is undoubtedly amongst the top ten symphonists alive today and has a genuine claim to be rated (alongside his fellow Finns Rautavaara and Sallinen) as amongst the very best of all. The Symphony is superb, a gripping work (as are all Aho's symphonies) but "Minea" is also an absolute cracker of an orchestral showpiece- a sort of "Beni Mora" for the 21st century, utilising Eastern musical influences to create a really outstanding example of just how well a 21st century composer can use the orchestra to create, drama, mystery and yet perfectly accessible modern music. I recommend this BIS cd with all possible enthusiasm :)
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kyjo
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« Reply #376 on: January 10, 2014, 04:06:23 am »

I completely echo your sentiments regarding the Aho disc-Minea is indeed brilliant and catapults Aho right to the top of the list of great orchestrators. Speaking of Beni Mora, I was just listening to that the other night (the Naxos recording). Now, that is the Holst I love-bold, evocative, and powerful! The final movement is sheer genius! Again, I cannot help but wish Holst wrote more music in the vein of Beni Mora, The Planets, and The Perfect Fool Suite :(
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cilgwyn
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« Reply #377 on: January 10, 2014, 01:27:30 pm »

I only wish Holst had written more music in the vein of 'The Hymn of Jesus','The Cloud Messenger','First Choral Symphony','Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda','A Choral Fantasia','The Golden Goose','The Morning of the Year','King Estmere','Fugal Overture','Hammersmith','Egdon Heath','St Pauls Suite','Brook Green Suite','A Somerset Rhapsody','Savitri','The Wandering Scholar','At the Boars Head'.............

ie more music,full stop! I particularly love Holst when he's in his mystical or pastoral vein. His choral music,music for voices is wonderful. In fact don't think I've heard anything I don't love to bits by Holst. A fascinating composer.

I love 'The Perfect Fool','Beni Mora' and 'The Planet's' too,of course. Holst's own recordings are particularly rewarding. If only he'd recorded more (like Elgar!). 'The Perfect Fool' opera should be available complete on cd. And when are we going to hear his opera 'Sita'?! :(
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cjvinthechair
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« Reply #378 on: January 10, 2014, 03:40:50 pm »

Just received Herman Koppel's Oratorio 'Moses' (£1 brand new from Naxos Direct !). Got a BBC Music 5* rating, & thus far wouldn't argue !
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Clive
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« Reply #379 on: January 10, 2014, 04:48:15 pm »

Talking of Naxos, last night I listened to one of their Jonathan Leshnoff releases:

http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.559670

Bit of a mixed bag - I really liked the concerto, but felt the symphony could use some tightening.  (It's not offensive...just a bit long.)

Overall, though, I like Leshnoff; I heard his flute concerto being played by the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra last year and have been a fan since.
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kyjo
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« Reply #380 on: January 10, 2014, 07:56:23 pm »

Have you heard Leshnoff's VC (recorded by Naxos)? It's a most beautiful, moving work which could be described as an updated version of the Barber VC.
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SerAmantiodiNicolao
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« Reply #381 on: January 10, 2014, 09:01:37 pm »

Have you heard Leshnoff's VC (recorded by Naxos)? It's a most beautiful, moving work which could be described as an updated version of the Barber VC.

Yes - that was my first purchase out of their Leshnoff cycle.  I like it, though not quite as much as I did the flute concerto.  Still, I find him a composer worth watching.
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Gauk
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« Reply #382 on: January 11, 2014, 07:41:32 am »

the CPO Hendrik Andriessen Symphony No.2 together with three shortish orchestral works. All well-wrought pieces which demonstrate Andriessen's mastery of both ancient musical forms and a distinct neo-classicism. Andriessen was a fine composer-although without, I think, the innovative genius of his fellow Dutchmen Vermeulen, Pijper or Badings.

I would rather listen to Andriessen than Vermeulen, Pijper or Badings any day of the week, especially Pijper, whom I find a bit of a bore. I was at the UK premiere of Hendrik Andriessen Symphony No.2, and the orchestra was forced by the audience to repeat the scherzo. I have read about that sort of thing happening in musical history, but it was the first time I witnessed it.

I once sat directly behind Louis Andriessen at a concert, and I was so tempted to tap him on the shoulder and say how much I admired ... his father's music.

Incidentally, the Dutch Composers channel on YT has a lot of minor pieces by H.A. which are worth a listen. 
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Jolly Roger
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« Reply #383 on: January 11, 2014, 07:55:29 am »

the CPO Hendrik Andriessen Symphony No.2 together with three shortish orchestral works. All well-wrought pieces which demonstrate Andriessen's mastery of both ancient musical forms and a distinct neo-classicism. Andriessen was a fine composer-although without, I think, the innovative genius of his fellow Dutchmen Vermeulen, Pijper or Badings.

I would rather listen to Andriessen than Vermeulen, Pijper or Badings any day of the week, especially Pijper, whom I find a bit of a bore. I was at the UK premiere of Hendrik Andriessen Symphony No.2, and the orchestra was forced by the audience to repeat the scherzo. I have read about that sort of thing happening in musical history, but it was the first time I witnessed it.



I once sat directly behind Louis Andriessen at a concert, and I was so tempted to tap him on the shoulder and say how much I admired ... his father's music.

Incidentally, the Dutch Composers channel on YT has a lot of minor pieces by H.A. which are worth a listen. 
I guess I must be a bit neurotic, because if I am in the proper mood, I can even enjoy Schnittke.
Hence-
Vermeulen (except for the deliciously lush romantic first symphony) is generally dark and otherworldly an uniquely so but quite enjoyable if the mood is right, perhaps Badings is often from his head instead of his heart (as he admits), but has some fine moments, H Andiessen's music has a noble stable quality that seems to endure in the mind long after it is finished..from his soul perhaps..
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Elroel
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« Reply #384 on: January 11, 2014, 10:19:20 am »

Though I find Vermeulen's work more exciting than Hendrik Andriessen's, the latter wrote great music, and is worth time listening. His beautiful Variations on a theme of Kuhnau and the Miroir de Peine, as well as his Chromatic Variations I like.

Louis Andriessen's work is not for me!
The other son, Jurriaan, is somehere in between the two and was quite popular in the Netherlands in the later 70s and in the 80s of last century. His Psalms-Trilogy (mr. Clive?) is also worth to give it your time.
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SerAmantiodiNicolao
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« Reply #385 on: January 11, 2014, 05:54:56 pm »

the CPO Hendrik Andriessen Symphony No.2 together with three shortish orchestral works. All well-wrought pieces which demonstrate Andriessen's mastery of both ancient musical forms and a distinct neo-classicism. Andriessen was a fine composer-although without, I think, the innovative genius of his fellow Dutchmen Vermeulen, Pijper or Badings.

I would rather listen to Andriessen than Vermeulen, Pijper or Badings any day of the week, especially Pijper, whom I find a bit of a bore. I was at the UK premiere of Hendrik Andriessen Symphony No.2, and the orchestra was forced by the audience to repeat the scherzo. I have read about that sort of thing happening in musical history, but it was the first time I witnessed it.

I once sat directly behind Louis Andriessen at a concert, and I was so tempted to tap him on the shoulder and say how much I admired ... his father's music.

Incidentally, the Dutch Composers channel on YT has a lot of minor pieces by H.A. which are worth a listen. 

Pijper can be a bit uneven, but by and large I find I've enjoyed most of his work that I've sampled.  I have the trunk of Merlijn on CD, and I was quite taken with it.

Talking of the Andriessen clan, we're actually getting a Louis Andriessen festival here in DC later this year: http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwclassical/article/Washington-DC-Festival-Celebrating-Dutch-Composer-Louis-Andriessen-Set-for-April-6-13-2014-20130725


Why, I'm not sure.  But I'm certainly curious enough to attend a couple of performances.

Back to the topic at hand, last night I listened to a lovely disc of Giannini chamber music that I purchased with my Christmas gift card.  He's rapidly becoming one of my favorite American composers, and this listen did nothing to dispel my opinion of him.  Today's a nasty, dreary, rainy day, so I'll be listening to the Met broadcast of Die Fledermaus...
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shamus
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« Reply #386 on: January 11, 2014, 07:50:23 pm »

Ivo Petric 1931-, Symphony Goga, Concerto Grosso, Symphony No. 2, et al. Love those Slovenians! Go to his website if you are interested, there are a lot of pieces to listen to there. http://www.ivopetric.com/
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dholling
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« Reply #387 on: January 13, 2014, 05:33:58 pm »

Latvian Classics for me today
*Adolfs Skulte: Symphonies nos. I, IV, V, VI, VII.
*Janis Ivanovs: Symphony no. VI.
*Janis Medins: "At he Church" for strings.

Earlier, the Russian
*Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov: Symphony no. I
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Jolly Roger
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« Reply #388 on: January 13, 2014, 11:21:21 pm »

I Discovered a wonderful new composer, thanks to Elroel.
Heather Schmidt (b. 1975) is a new Canadian composer and you can hear her on UT at:
2 piano concerti and a symphony, she has a message you must hear.




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SerAmantiodiNicolao
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« Reply #389 on: January 14, 2014, 02:06:56 am »

I had me a nice haul of used CDs yesterday.  Right now I'm listening to Ernst Mielck's symphony on Sterling.  Rather thin stuff, to be honest, but it makes me wonder what he could have done had he lived.
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