Current Purchases......

[Stlukesguild]

Ack! How did I ever forget this:



An absolutely spectacular recording of Don Giovanni (the sound quality is incredible considering the date: 1955) without a single weak link. And at around $9 US you'd be foolish not to pick this up. I don't believe I've heard a better climactic scene in which the Don is hauled off to hell. No wonder this recording has had a special place with Mozart and opera lovers for decades now. My only reservation: no libretto or liner notes... but having several other recordings I just followed along on one of those (besides, its available online).

[Mirror Image]

Originally Posted by Stlukesguild

That Tavener Requiem has yet to grow on me.

Honestly, I didn't buy this disc for his "Requiem," but for a piece called "Mahashakti" written for violin and orchestra. This is the work I look forward to hearing.

[Mirror Image]

Some more Modern classical on the way:

[haydnguy]

Wow, that's great M.I.!! I have both the Mutter CD's. I enjoy them very much. I think the violin may have overtaken the piano in my enjoyment.

In all honesty, I'm not sure you will like the Dutilleux. Unless that CD is substantially different than the one I have (see below), it will be a difficult one to get into. I had to play it quite a number of times before I started to get into it. The Mutter's are great though!

[Mirror Image]

Originally Posted by haydnguy

Wow, that's great M.I.!! I have both the Mutter CD's. I enjoy them very much. I think the violin may have overtaken the piano in my enjoyment.

In all honesty, I'm not sure you will like the Dutilleux. Unless that CD is substantially different than the one I have (see below), it will be a difficult one to get into. I had to play it quite a number of times before I started to get into it. The Mutter's are great though!

Yes, I look forward to hearing the Berg "Violin Concerto" very much. I know it's written in 12-tone, but I heard Berg imbued most of his work, including this one, with Mahlerian overtones. This to me sounds intriguing.

As for the Dutilleux, I like what I have heard. That recording you have pictured is in this set. This set is all of Yan Pascal Tortelier's recordings of Dutilleux. I was on the fence about his music for months now, but something just clicked for me. I listened to all the samples of this set and thought they were very interesting and coloristic. He is harmonically adventurous but it seems his music is always in constant motion. He just, to sound like a teenager, sounds cool.

[Mirror Image]

More Modernism on the way....



Not pictured:

The Works of Arnold Schoenberg, Vol. 1, Robert Craft, Naxos
The Works of Arnold Schoenberg, Vol. 2, Robert Craft, Naxos

[Balthazar]

Originally Posted by Mirror Image

More Modernism on the way....



Not pictured:

The Works of Arnold Schoenberg, Vol. 1, Robert Craft, Naxos
The Works of Arnold Schoenberg, Vol. 2, Robert Craft, Naxos

I'll be interested to hear your impressions of these works.

[Mirror Image]

Originally Posted by Balthazar

I'll be interested to hear your impressions of these works.

I just ordered them today, so I probably won't receive them until late next week, but I will definitely let you know.

[Stlukesguild]

MI... Alban Berg and Schoenberg??!!

[Mirror Image]

Originally Posted by Stlukesguild

MI... Alban Berg and Schoenberg??!!

Yes...and don't forget Webern!

But seriously, I figured it was high time I start stepping outside of my comfort zone and all of this started with getting more into composers like Vivaldi, Bach, Arvo Part, Reich, Adams, and Rautavaara.

My opinion of 12-tone music a week ago was a one-sided one much like my opinion of Roger Sessions is really one-sided. I need to start listening to music with an open-mind and get out of this Romantic/early 20th Century mentality I'm in. I figured one of the best ways to do this is to openly listen to the Second Viennese School and explore more Modern works that are outside of a Romantic framework.

I already enjoyed some Schoenberg prior to this escapade, so I'm not expecting that many surprises from his music, but Berg and Webern are of strong interest to me right now as well as Dutilleux and Messiaen.