What are you currently listening to?

[cilgwyn]

Gilbert and Sullivan HMS Pinafore 1907 recording 'The Savoy Opera with Walter Hyde & Harry Dearth

The Symposium cd (Symposium 1293) The booklet includes a very,nice centrefold :o  of photos of the cast & chorus in their HMS Pinafore togs,inside!
I find this a very enjoyable performance!! Willie Rouse's Sir Joseph is entertainingly performed. I find his "strange" cocker-nee accent,quite amusing! Ada Florence makes a great Buttercup. That said,the Gilbert & Sullivan discography,over at Oak Apple Press,describes Harry Dearth's Captain Corcoran as "almost excrutiating". My ears are,presumably,composed of sterner stuff?! (Or maybe,I'm just tone deaf?!! ;D )  The interjections from the chorus,during numbers,are entertainingly done. According to the review,at the G & S discography,the orchestrations are the most interesting aspect of this recording. Full of "dashes of instrumental colour that are nowhere to be found in Sullivan's version". Indeed,they are nicely done,given the circumstances. Actually,listening to this,I only wish they could have had a shot at another operetta. I should point out,that I'm very interested in early acoustic and electrical recordings. Some people,even those who profess to enjoying G & S,might find a recording like this akin to,Trial by Jury (Boom! Boom! ;D) and about as much fun!! ::) ;D But while I would hardly recommend this above the 1959 D'Oyly Carte,imho,it's not bad!! I do find it strange,listening to recordings like this,to picture them all in  their Edwardian costumes,singing into a big horn,with the Edwardian world going by outside! Oh,and the sound is excellent for the period!

[cilgwyn]

Dutton CDLX 7202

 :)

That is a great album! :)

[cilgwyn]

Bliss: Miracle in the Gorbals    Queensland SO Christopher Lyndon-Gee

The Naxos cd. An excellent recording. I think this is a lovely,colourful,tuneful score. I'm not sure if I don't even prefer it to Checkmate,really. (Less noisy!) Lot's of b&w photos of old performances of these classic British ballets scores in my late mother's ballet magazines. When I first heard the Dance of Deliverance,I had to play it again!
By the way,I'm listening on cordless headphones,while doing various other things! Just in case,anyone thinks I'm just lounging about,in front of the stereo,with my feet up!! ;D

[guest822]

It may not surprise friends to know that I have both the Edward German CDs that Albion pictures! They are splendid in every respect. German really was a very good composer of music which has the grand sweep, such as symphonies, as well as operetta and incidental music.

[cilgwyn]

It may not surprise friends to know that I have both the Edward German CDs that Albion pictures! They are splendid in every respect. German really was a very good composer of music which has the grand sweep, such as symphonies, as well as operetta and incidental music.

I agree! I'm a bit of a fan of his 'concert' music,too! His Second Symphony certainly has that grand sweep! I nearly described it as 'Elgarian'. But then,I thought,Edward German has his own sound. I'd,personally,put the "Norwich",up there with,some of the symphonies,of Parry and Stanford. And,I could describe a good deal of his 'concert' music,in those terms. I don't think I've heard anything I didn't enjoy. If only those miserable critics hadn't discouraged him,we might have had a cycle of them?!! Oh well,we can enjoy what he composed! :)

[Albion]

If only those miserable critics hadn't discouraged him,we might have had a cycle of them?!!

It's better to think that we do indeed have a cycle of four symphonies by Edward German: No.1 in E minor (1890); No.2 in A minor, Norwich (1893); [No.3] Leeds - Symphonic Suite (1895) and [No.4] The Seasons - Symphonic Suite (1899).

In the same way, George Chadwick wrote five de facto symphonies in total after adverse comments about the first three: No.1 in C (1881); No.2 in B flat (1883-1885); No.3 in F (1893-1894); [No.4] Symphonic Sketches (1895-1905) and [No.5] Suite Symphonique (1910).

Everyone's a critic...



 ;)

[cilgwyn]

Point taken! ;D :)

[guest822]

Wasn't it Sibelius who said, "Nobody ever put up a statue of a critic"? How true.

[cilgwyn]

Anton Rubinstein Symphony No 3     The only recording available!! :o :( ;D

 I quite like some of his music;and,recently added Symphonies 1 and 3,to my collection. I did have them in my collection,before. The First Symphony is a lovely piece. I quite like the 'Ocean' Symphony and the 'Dramatic. I wish there were better recordings,though! (Where's Jiminy Cricket,when you need him?! ;D) When I've been at a loose end,I've even fantasised about the Berlin Philharmonic performing them. Well,you never know?!! ;D

[Albion]

Decca 4850781

 :D

[guest377]

OK   I just got out my Marco Polo collection of Anton Rubinstein   Symphony cycle.

[Albion]

OK   I just got out my Marco Polo collection of Anton Rubinstein   Symphony cycle.

Brilliant! Such a pity that Rubinstein wasn't considered Russian enough for Svetlanov to take a major interest in him (just setting-down the Valse-Caprice) - he recorded just about everything else...



https://melody.su/en/catalog/classic/36985/



https://melody.su/en/catalog/classic/37402/

 ;)

[cilgwyn]

I wasn't entirely serious about Rubinstein being performed by the Berlin Philharmonic. But then again,Herbert Von Karajan recorded Balakirev,once. So,I just thought what if they did record a Rubinstein symphony. (Yes,I know it's unlikely!!) If they,actually did,I would presume the "Ocean" Symphony would be the most likely suspect? It was just all this talk of Edward German and Arthur Sullivan's 'concert' music got me thinking I'd give old Rubinstein's symphonies another go! In all my years of listening to classical music,I can't think of another composer whose had such flak over his compositional abilities. (Not that it bothers me,of course! :o ;D) And some of his critics are the kind of people who should  (must?!) know what they're talking about! Rimsky-Korsakov,Tchaikovsky,Artur Rubinstein (a famously,dry remark!). I quite like some of his music. What ever one's viewpoint;I do think,however,that his symphonies could sound better! The Russian Disc and Marco Polo recordings I own,range from serviceable to quite good(at the most). The dry acoustic's don't help! Spohr and Raff have all been treated to first rate recordings,now;but even the,well known,"Ocean" Symphony get's ignored by labels like Hyperion,Cpo and Chandos! Of course,there are some who might argue that his music isn't worth the resources!! But I can think of worse music that's been recorded (No names! ;D) by such labels. Or,at least,no better;and less tuneful! And I'd rather a nice,spanking new recording of the "Ocean" Symphony,with a really good orchestra and conductor,than another recording of a Raff symphony,that's already had an excellent recording from Tudor! And two cycles of Spohr from Cpo and Hyperion!! I like Spohr. But he's another one that get's a drubbing (WS Gilbert,famously). I enjoy listening to the symphonies of Spohr,by the way! His music is very genial. Listening to his music has me thinking he's the Bob Ross of composition. The Happy symphonist! I think that's what some people don't like about his music. They want his symphonies to be dramatic,like Beethoven's. But Spohr's just too happy! He just goes chundling (made-up word!) merrily,along! He cheers me up!! I have to say,Albion really nailed it,with Svetlanov. Now that's more like it! Imagine the "Ocean" Symphony conducted by Svetlanov. A really famous,first rate conductor,who really understood this kind of repertory. A fiery,slavonic reading,with those raspy sounding Russian horns! But all we got was one short piece!
Short of Svetlanov,what about Fedoseyev? I think his recording of Taneyev's Second Symphony is magnificent! Yet,nothing (as far as I'm aware from him) either! Anyway,that's my tuppence worth!! ;D

Playing now! William Walton: Facade Suite The English Northern Philharmonia    David Lloyd-Jones conducting

From the Hyperion cd "Three English Ballet Suites".

[cilgwyn]

Arthur Bliss: Conversations The Nash Ensemble

The Nash Ensemble Hyperion cd,that includes Rout,Rhapsody,Conversations,Madam Noy,The Women of Yueh and Quintet for oboe and Strings. This is one of my favourite Bliss cd's and,for that matter,favourite chamber music cd's. :)

[cilgwyn]

I'm not,otherwise familiar,with the soprano,Elizabeth Gale ,on this recording. I think she's very good in this repertoire. (As good as it get's,even!) I looked to see if she had recorded anything else,on similar lines,by a British composer,but her discography seems to consist of composers like Mozart,Handel and Mendelssohn (who I do like!).