What are you listening to now?

[Megan]

Heinrich Biber - Battalia a 10 in D major, C. 61 (Jordi Savall / Le Concert des Nations)

I absolutely love this!



[YOUTUBE] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9DJpaxT7wg[/YOUTUBE]

[Chris]

Beethoven's "Wellington's Victory" (Karajan). I had to give it another listen because of the other thread. It's not his greatest work, but it's still got some fun moments!

[Peter]

Just back from a trip to Gloucestershire where in Gloucester Cathedral a plaque to the poet and composer Ivor Gurney caught my eye. A tragic life lived through the horrors of WWl and an early death preceded by insanity, but this shows what a great talent he was.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqxo0rV2AFY[/YOUTUBE]

[Enrique]

Beethoven's "Wellington's Victory" (Karajan). I had to give it another listen because of the other thread. It's not his greatest work, but it's still got some fun moments!

It's among his very worst. And he knew it.

[Michael]

Beethoven's "Wellington's Victory" (Karajan). I had to give it another listen because of the other thread. It's not his greatest work, but it's still got some fun moments!

It's great for showing off your stereo equipment, with the English and the French coming from different sides.

Friends of mine who had absolutely no interest in classical music would keep asking for this deathless masterpiece!

[Decrepit Poster]

Listened to this live performance recording of Beethoven's seventh conducted by Carlos Kleiber. I own the famous DG Kleiber seventh. I think this is at least its equal, maybe better. I especially enjoy the woodwinds throughout.

Also heard, a "filmed" concert performance of chunks from Wagner's Gotterdammerung. I enjoyed this too (or I wouldn't bother linking it) except I wish, with no vocalists present, they had substituted instruments for the missing lines as others have done.

[Peter]

It's great for showing off your stereo equipment, with the English and the French coming from different sides.

Not my version which is coupled with Tchaikovsky's 1812 and Liszt's 'Battle of the huns' - it comes with a warning not to play loud which rather defeats the point of this music!

[Enrique]

"it comes with a warning not to play loud which rather defeats the point of this music!": That includes the 1812 too, Peter?

[Michael]

I think I have that recording: Dorati and the LSO?
The CD came with a warning but I can't recall if that applied to the earlier vinyl version.
People were ultra-cautious about CDs when they came out first and a lot of them carried dire warnings about damage to woofers or tweeters. It's a wonder that most of Beethoven made the transfer to digital.

[Zevy]

After hearing of the passing of Michael Tree, the violist of the famed Guarneri Quartet, I had to listen to their second cycle of the Mozart Haydn Quartets.
RIP, Michael Tree.

[Peter]

"it comes with a warning not to play loud which rather defeats the point of this music!": That includes the 1812 too, Peter?

I think it is specifically because of the 1812!

[Peter]

I think I have that recording: Dorati and the LSO?
The CD came with a warning but I can't recall if that applied to the earlier vinyl version.
People were ultra-cautious about CDs when they came out first and a lot of them carried dire warnings about damage to woofers or tweeters. It's a wonder that most of Beethoven made the transfer to digital.

No mine is Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Symphony orchestra - haven't listened to it in ages.

[Enrique]

I think it is specifically because of the 1812!

Then the manufacturer doesn't know a thing about high fidelity! At low volumes you simply do not have high fidelity.

[Chris]

I heard Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto and Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 on the radio on the way to work this morning. The Beethoven was a recording by Tafelmusik, conducted by Bruno Weil, which I had never heard. It was quite a good period instrument performance, I think. I have some recordings of Haydn's Masses by them, and they are very good as well.

[AeolianHarp]

Schubert on vintage vinyl!

Josef Krips / The London Symphony Orchestra – Schubert's Unfinished Symphony - Symphony Number Eight In B Minor, vinyl 1950.

My Dad got me a retro record player yesterday! Schubert's No 8 symphony on vinyl- WOWZAS!!!

Classical music sounds FAB on vinyl!!!! I never heard it on vinyl before- was always on CD or the internet.

There's something to be said for analogue! It sounds like it's in the room with you in a way that digital recordings don't quite ( although if you listen to period instrument recordings they sound much better than digital recordings played on modern instruments).

I have a box of vinyl I got cheap from a second hand book shop and Oxfam a few years ago- was waiting to get a record player so I could play them.

I think the Schubert only cost me 50p!!

(I have got a 1930 gramophone as well and some classical 78s but I've not played it for awhile as it needs a service and so gave it to my friend to take to an antiques man she knows who will look at it ).