What composition are you currently listening to?

dod

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2

from a French EMI CD
Chopin Concertos pour piano 1 & 2 (EMI 7243 5 62207 2 0)
Francois Rene Duchable/ Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse/ Michel Plasson

To be honest I am not familiar enough with other recordings of Chopins music to give an informed rating of the CD, but Francois Rene Duchable has a nice touch on the piano and, as ever, Plasson conducts with great aplomb. It's a nice CD to have in the collection.

Q_Elexra

At this very moment I'm listening to 'The Four Seasons' or too be more specific 'Spring' by Vivaldi. The Allegro at the start is probably a piece that anyone would recognise. It's all part of a CD called 'celebration of the baroque' that my dad got free with a magazine called 'The Classical Collection' years ago.

Lately I've been listening to 'The Blue Danube'. It's utterly amazing and it's the reason I became interested in Classical music.

sionnach

the rach 3

sionnach

four seasons - summer, amazing piece

dod

Wagner Die Walkure Lehmann/ Fuchs/ Klose/ Melchior/ Hotter

A recent Naxos release (details here)

The release is a recording from 1935 & 1938, the cleaning up job from the old 78s is fantastic. Really good quality stuff. You would never know this stuff is nearly 70 years old.

neoB

Third movment of Gymnopedie by Erik Satie. Fantastic peice!

sionnach

beethoven's ninth

dod

Verdi/ Falstaff
The Los Angeles Phil/ Giulini recording with Nucci/ Bruson/ Hendricks & Ricciarelli.

I recommend it highly

dod

Mozart/ Don Giovanni with the delicious Bartoli.

Oh how I do love her voice.

dod

Anne Sophie von Otter singing Handels Ariodante
(Dawson, Cangemi, Podles, Croft, Sedov, Coadou, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski)

Great recording if you like the Handel Operas.

cerebus

Elgar Cello Concerto - du Pre, Barbirolli, London Symphony Orchestra.

Specky

Anne Sophie von Otter singing Handels Ariodante.....Great recording if you like the Handel Operas.

...and if you think Anne Sophie is a bit of a yummy mummy!!

dod

This has been on my wanted list for some time, and I finally got it last night. I know Carmen isn't for everybody, but Angela Gheorghiu is truly delicious in the role:



I'll even concede that her husband, Roberto Alagna, whose voice I wouldn't hold in anywhere near as great an esteem, is actually quite suited to the role of Don Jose in this recording.

cerebus

Wagner - Das Rheingold. London, Flagstad, Watson, Solti, Wiener Philharmoniker.

Always get a shiver during the prelude!

dod

Liszt's transcription of Bellini's Norma from Liszt- The Great Transcriptions.

I highly recommend this album- it is superb.

dod

The 1961 Bayreuth Tannhäuser with Victoria de Los Angeles as Elisabeth and Wolfgang Windgassen in the title role.

From the Opera D'Oro label, great recordings at very reasonable prices.

dod

The great Von Karajan/ Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording of Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg with Van Dam/ Heppner/ Mattila/ Vermillon/ Opie/ Lippert & Pape.

This is a must have CD- a truly glorious recording.

dod

I just got this today: the Decca Beethoven Fidelio with Nilsson singing Leonore.

I love Nilsson doing the Wagner female roles and wanted to hear her do Leonore (other singers find the role quite demanding, but after doing the Wagner female leads, I guess anything is easy!)

dod

Il Trovatore with the delicious Angela Gheorghiu as Leonore, LSO conducted by Pappano. She has a voice you could eat for breakfast.

Aglomerado

Emma Kirkby singing Vivaldi's Nulla in Mundo pax Sincera

dod

Mozart Piano Sonata in F major, K280

From the Marta Deyanova 5-CD set recordings of the complete Mozart Piano Sonatas

dod

Mozart - La clemenza di Tito with Bartoli, Heilmann, Jones, Montague, Bonney, Cachemaille and the Academy of Aincent Music Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Hogwood

Bartoli and Bonney are superb.

dod

Donizetti, Famous Love Duets.

Nice (curious?) little album with excerpts from Lucia, Fille du Regiment, La Favorita, L'Elisir d'amore, Imelda de'Lambertazzi & Don Pasquale.

dod

Beethoven Piano Sonata No.23 in F minor Op.57 'Appasionata'

From the Bernard Roberts 'Complete Piano Sonatas' box set. Great background music whilst you work.

dod

Angela Gheorghiu, Casta Diva. This is a must have album. It is only glorious. She has the most wonderful voice ever gifted to a singer.

Stop reading this nonsense and go buy this album.

Is1ldur

Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue
Just watched The Godfather properly for the first time (I know, I know), and I loved how Coppola used it during the Baptism/Murder sequence.
By the way I am linking to a BBC Radio 3 site,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/classical/discovernew.shtml

I am sure you have seen it before. The radio series explains pieces in detail, and there is a brilliant episode on the Passacaglia (its about half-way down this archive page.)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/classical/discover.shtml

You need to have the Real Radio player installed, which you can get from the site

dod

Die Walkure Act 2 from the famous 1982 Solti recording on Decca.

I went to see The Ring performed live about two years ago, and loaned my copy of this recording to a friend in order not to pollute the live performance by overplaying this reference recording. He only gave it back to me yesterday, and I just love this recording. It is expensive, but I recommend it to anybody who is into their Wagner.





I have a huge collection of classical CDs, much of it Opera, and this recording is probably the proud cornerstone of the whole collection.

catho_monster

I went to see The Ring performed live about two years ago

was that the concert performance in UL?

dod

Originally posted by catho_monster
was that the concert performance in UL?

It most certainly was. An absolutely fabulous week in Limerick.

catho_monster

An absolutely fabulous week in Limerick.

yes, yes it was.

and one of the most profound of my aural experiences.
i had this wierd experience of hearing familiar music (of all genres) on a totally different plane after hearing the whole ring live; noticing things i had never heard before.

wagner is the man.

(coming from a woman who knows a quite a bit of, but really isn;t pushed on opera. i am now willing to make the exception for wagner)

ps. mods: sorry, i know this is totally off topic

dod

Ah not to worry catho_monster, we pretty much have the place to ourselves here. Did you spend the week in the Univerity accomodation? We rented out an apartment for six of us and had an absolutely spectacular week. The music was truely awesome. And I made an awful lot of friends down there through the performances that I still stay closely in touch with.

I have quite an extensive Wagner collection (CDs and books). Any favourites recordings?

catho_monster

didnt stay there actually.
went with family who live in tipperary - only a half an hours drive. sweet really!

with regards recordings, i must say that i am not a big fan of listening to "classical" music through artificial mediums [edit - just noticed how ironic that statement is in this forum! i will at some stage gladly contradict myself, it is a woman's perogative after all]. i know that sounds insane, and fussy... but i just dont get the same goosebumps when i listen to recordings... im also rarely in the "mood" to listen to wagner. (studing for my masters at the mo and i have enough stress without wagner involving me in his deep & meaningfuls)

just went looking for the recordings i did have of the flying dutchman and the ring - god knows by who - i think my mam has them, she enjoys them more anyway!

books...hmmm...i love my books...
i only have two specifically written on wagner: ernest newmans 'wagner as man and artist' (pretty common, im sure you have it too!) and robert doningtons 'wagner's "ring".
hmmm...books

dod

I couldn't agree more - a 'mere' recording can be very unsatisfying when compared to the total experience of a live performance. I was in Covent Garden at the end of February for Angela Gheorghiu singing Amelia in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. The concert (for me) of last year was Cecilia Bartoli live in the Concert Hall. There is a wealth of great live work done in Ireland, if only people would get up and go to it.

Myself, I am off to The Helix tonight for something a little... off the beaten track- Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Sondheim the composer/ lyricist).

Unfortunately though, sometimes we have barren periods when nothing much worthwhile seems to be produced, and during those periods I immerse myself in my CD collection. Got some glorious CDs yesterday- Bruckners 4th and 9th conducted by Bruno Walter; a collection of Strauss songs sung by Kiri te Kanawa with the LSO; and a collection of Mahler lieder: pianist Leonard Bernstein, singers Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

In respect of the Wagner thing, last time I checked I had four complete Ring Cycles- the Solti, a Munich, a Bayreuth and a Met cycle (not to mention countless 'Highlights of' collections). Making the time to listen to them is a problem.

Are you going to any of the Opera Ireland season in a fortnights time? Jenufa and Tosca?

dod

(And just by the by)

I am currently listening to Berlioz, La Damnation de Faust. The LSO live performance from the Barbican recorded in 2001 conducted by Sir Colin Davis.

catho_monster

Are you going to any of the Opera Ireland season in a fortnights time? Jenufa and Tosca?

was tempted by jenufa...
not by tosca. been there. done that. wanna experience new things rather than rehash the same ol', same ol'...
decided to go to the concert performance of strauss' die fledermaus in the NCH instead on the 17th...
looking forward to that.

and just for kicks,
my music dept is putting on Handel's Messiah on sunday so i shall be attending that to support the home side.

Myself, I am off to The Helix tonight for something a little... off the beaten track- Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Sondheim the composer/ lyricist).

we should really start posting about events...so that we can give people good notice about events like these (and the conferences i've mentioned). i love the idea of going to "classical" events that i know nothing of...
i know there's a sticky about where to find out but i'm sure as hell to lazy to search about...

Is1ldur

Originally posted by catho_monster
we should really start posting about events...so that we can give people good notice about events like these (and the conferences i've mentioned). i love the idea of going to "classical" events that i know nothing of...
i know there's a sticky about where to find out but i'm sure as hell to lazy to search about...

Please do. I never get any notice of anything, usually just the day of, or, more than likely, a few days after. I have never really been to a proper concert/orchestra and would really love to go. None of my friends would really be into it, is the problem, but I would not mind going by myself. I am more than a bit blinkered, though. I love Bach first and foremost, and have not really opened up to much else, a small bit of Beethoven, Strauss, Paganini, etc. I never 'got' opera at all I'm afraid. Not too fond of vocals with my music, I'm afraid, however that could be 'cos I have not really heard the right stuff (or for that matter listed to it properly)
Anyway, maybe we could organise to go to one or two concerts on here??

catho_monster

maybe we could organise to go to one or two concerts on here??

sweet idea

we could have our own mini boards beers!!

I never 'got' opera at all I'm afraid

i know the feeling.

its not due to the vocals, in my case, but rather the style of vocal singing associated with opera. wrecks my head really. thats why i like wagner. his women sing from the bottom of their bellys, with a voice that feels like it wouldnt be out of place in the front row of a scrum.

dod

Originally posted by catho_monster

decided to go to the concert performance of strauss' die fledermaus in the NCH instead on the 17th...
looking forward to that.

If I recall correctly, this is a Lyric Opera production. I have been disappointed any time that I have seen their stuff, so I'd be interested to hear how this production goes.

Turns out the Sweeney Todd last night was not Sondheim, but a new production by a Northern Ireland 'out-there' musical theatre group called Kabosh. The music was original, but without question a lot of the theme-ing borrowed heavily from Sondheim. It was inventive and interesting, but ultimately overlong.

At some point it might be an idea if we started one or more new threads on this stuff!

catho_monster

have been disappointed any time that I have seen their stuff, so I'd be interested to hear how this production goes.

will definately keep ye posted.

dod

Mozart, die Zauberflote. A 1993 Naxos recording with Lippert as Tamino, Norberg-Schulz as Pamina and Hellen Kwon as the Queen of Night.

A very good, inexpensive recording.

dod

The Chandos Opera in English recording of Osud by Janacek. Helen Field and Philip Langridge are acommpanied by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Welsh National Opera conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras.

This is another lovely Opera rendered in English by Chandos.

cerebus

Tchaikovsky - Pique Dame (The Queen of Spades). Interesting Sony recording - Sofia Festival Orchestra, conducted by Emil Tchakarov.

dod

The (famous) 1957 Glyndebourne Festival production of Mozart's Idomeneo. I picked this CD up in a sale in HMV Grafton St. yesterday. Delighted to have this recording at last:

lilsnowbunny

At the moment listening to an original soundtrack actually, to Amelie composed by Yann Tiersen. Some beautifully moving, yet simple, piano melodies as well as more carefree tunes featuring an accordian for the french sound.

Saw a few people enjoyed the 'Four Seasons'. I have an excellent recording of Vivaldi's pieces done in a slightly different way by Fabio Biondi. If anyone's interested you can hear clips on www.bn.com

Also just bought a cd of Six Unaccompanied Cello Pieces performed by Yo-Yo Ma. They are all compositions of Bach...again you can hear it on that site. I'd highly recommend it!

dod

Brucker Symphony No.4 "Romantic" (1878/80 version)
Columbia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bruno Walter
Recorded Feb 1960

dod

Bartoli singing the title role in Rossini's La Cenerentola. What a voice!

Aglomerado

Handel's Water Music...right now on the computer (with headphones) in a nearly empty student computing lab. Bliss.

NeoSlicerZ

Smetana's Aus Der Heimat 2nd Movt, since i'm trying to play the darn thing... 'tis doing my head in

Manach

Karl Jenkins - "The Armed Man : A Mass for Peace"

dod

Originally posted by Manach
Karl Jenkins - "The Armed Man : A Mass for Peace"

Curiously I just got a copy of this on Sunday last. The text is based on the 15th century French text "L'Homme Armé". There are some nice pieces in it.

Manach

My fav. pieces are Sanctus and Kyrie. The former I heard on Classic FM and prompted me to get the Album. I will look out for other works by him in the future.