What are you listening to today?

[cilgwyn]

Playing here,now. Robert Simpson's Second symphony. I've been listening to this cd (and it is the right one this time,I have checked! ) since last night. I seem to be hooked on "Nielsen without the tunes",and wondering how long I can resist the urge to collect the remaining cd's in the series. I like the way he builds up his ideas. There is an unfolding logic. None of that feeling of aimlessness you get in some lesser symphonies. I love the quieter moments,too. They really curl into the corners of your mind and hold your attention (well,they do mine!). They never seem to be just put there,because it's a symphony,and you put quiet bits there! To be honest,I can't really understand why I wasn't won over by these symphonies the first time around? I really like what I'm hearing. Oh,and I don't find them particularly cold,either. In fact,I feel a warmth to their Beethovenian,fiery spirit!

[cilgwyn]

On now,the second movement of Simpson's third. I remember,like vandermolen,feeling less enthusiastic about this movement than the rest of the symphony. Now,after all that pounding energy, it seems like the only logical step. It feels just right!

[cilgwyn]

Playing,now. Robert Simpson's Ninth. One can admire the structure;but I think I preferred 2,3,4 & 5.

[Christo]

[dhibbard]

some Estonian choir music for a Sunday   C Kreek   

[dhibbard]

William Boyce (1711-1779)  his 8 Symphonies on the Archiv label.... some baroque for Thursday.   I am really enjoying the recordings on the Archiv label of the English Concert with Trevor Pinnock conducting.     Is Archiv a division of DG?

[Christo]

[dhibbard]

Robert Schumann's symphony no 1 and no 3.... Naxos label

[dhibbard]

today's offering on the turntable (CD) is  Ignaz Pleyel: Symphonies in B Flat & G / Flute Concerto in C    on the Naxos label.
Sinfonia Finlandia Jyvaskyla (Orchestra)


some notes:
Considered by Joseph Haydn to his best student, Ignaz Pleyel (1757-1831) learned well, composing in a wide variety of genres before founding a music publishing company and a piano manufacturer. Counted among his works are 41 symphonies, 70 string quartets, 17 quintets, and numerous trios, duets, and concertos. Considered by Mozart to be Haydn’s likely successor, he’s not quite viewed that way today. In his time, he was the most popular composer in Vienna.

Written some time before 1784, the four movement B Flat Symphony opens with a sweeping ‘Allegro assai’ in a supple triple meter. Displaying a deft use of large scale forces, Pleyel employs hushed urgency in the strings against appealing orchestral color supplied by the winds and horns. Although set in major, long passages spool out in minor, giving this impressive 1st section a dark and dramatic undertone. Mincing violins and playful oboes enliven the following movement, a quirky ‘Andantino’ that is in F Major. Broad horns initiate the sturdy ‘Minuetto’ while the contrasting trio is full of sophisticated grace. Bristling with driving energy, the closing ‘Allegro’ is a vigorous rondo with engaging syncopation.

Also penned before 1784, the symphony in G Major begins with a breathless triple metered ‘Allegro assai’ as the initial section. An unfailing good nature prevails, despite the brief excursions into minor, which serve to create a nuanced contrast rather developing emotional depth. Above all, taste and elegance predominate. Composed in G Minor, the ensuing ‘Andante’ is exquisite. Over ominous figures in the lower strings, the violins weave a melancholy melody whose somber tone is that is matched in the central passage. With horns soaring overhead, a single oboe spins an enchanting echo. After the delightful ‘Minuetto’ that is characterized by a charmingly hesitant rhythm, a sparkling ‘Presto’ closes the work. Bright and lively, the sunny finale features brisk pacing without feeling hurried or frenetic.

Formal and deliberate, the opening ‘Allegro” of the C Major Flute Concerto sets the stage for the liquid tones of the soloist, who exhibits a formidable technique. Composed much later, probably in the late 1790’s, the three movement work effortlessly intersperses the orchestral backing among the breath patterns of the single wind. Characterized by high dynamic contrasts, the symphonic support is balanced and appropriate, particularly in the pianissimo passages during the inventive flute solos. After a series of spiraling triplets in the orchestra that introduces the F Major ‘Adagio’, a single silvery note flying high above announces the solo wind instrument. With a warmly welcoming tone and just a hint of vibrato, Patrick Gallois delivers the delicate passion inherent in this superb middle movement. Complete with hunting horn calls, the final ‘Allegretto molto’ is a rousing rondo that bring the concerto and the disc to a joyful conclusion.

Issued in 2010, the excellent recording is crisp and sharply detailed. Under the adept direction of Patrick Gallois, the 38 member Sinfonia Finlandia Jyvaskla brings a skilled and enthusiastic reading to these three symphonic works of Pleyel. Fine examples of his considerable talent, they offer a compelling argument to support Mozart and show why Pleyel was so highly regarded in his day.

[Christo]

The Blue Bird
Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1
Norfolk Rhapsody No. 2
David Matthews: Norfolk March [=Norfolk Rhapsody No. 3]
Variations for Orchestra
Music for an EFDS Masque
Christmas Overture

The 16 minutes score of the incidental music to Maeterlinck's play The Blue Bird (1913) one that isn't even mentioned in Michael Kennedy's Catalogue; and a very welcome surprise it is!