What are you listening to now?

[Peter]

I've been listening to a selection of the Diabelli Variations recently, in particular to variations XX and XXXII.
These are the only variations in cut common time (the C symbol in the time signature with a vertical slash through it).
In the score I have (Kalmus), variation XX has a double time signature of 6/4 and cut common time. Is that a printing error?

One of the few Beethoven piano works I don't actually have the score of. I would imagine the Henle edition would be the most reliable.

[Peter]

Poulenc "Dialogues des Carmelites" - excerpt. This is an absolute gem from this wonderful opera:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__sJ...rv=eSFBU9kn1ds

I'm having to listen to my own CD collection in any form I can via the internet as we're moving house and everything - books, CDs, DVDs and scores - are all packed away in plastic tubs. The new build won't be finished until late January but our existing home went on the market today; the agent said, "remove ALL CLUTTER". So, my precious cultural artifacts are 'clutter' which may deter a buyer. (People style homes now for sale!). Thank god for the internet so I can still stay in touch with my music, at least. Anyway, my pictures of composers remain on the walls of my music room; some things just are NON-NEGOTIABLE.

I can empathise totally with you having gone through the ghastly experience last year during lockdown. The worst was waiting 3 months for my piano to be delivered due to access issues which involved scaffolding inside the house!

Listening to "Bist du bei mir" in this excellent arrangement for brass and soprano.

[Quijote]

More superb Bach from the Netherlands Bach Society. Why is it that the Dutch are so sh*t hot in the Baroque domain?
Anyway, this time: Canon a 4 Quaerendo invenietis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRqoP-NdkDg

PS: Needless to say, minimal vibrato, thank Ganesh!

[Chris]

This Bach project by the Netherlands Bach Society is an incredible gift to the music world. There have been so many wonderful performances that have come from this!

[Schenkerian]

This Bach project by the Netherlands Bach Society is an incredible gift to the music world. There have been so many wonderful performances that have come from this!

I am a regular donor to that amazing project. It's important to give back during retirement for so many wonderful gifts. This Bach project is one of these.

[Quijote]

One of the few Beethoven piano works I don't actually have the score of. I would imagine the Henle edition would be the most reliable.

I found a free edition on the internet (Breitkopf und Hartel, 1862). The time signature is 6/4, no cut common time symbol at all. That confirms a printing error in the Kalmus.

[Peter]

I found a free edition on the internet (Breitkopf und Hartel, 1862). The time signature is 6/4, no cut common time symbol at all. That confirms a printing error in the Kalmus.

I checked the Beethovenhaus site but no autograph of that variation was available.

[Chris]

I found a free edition on the internet (Breitkopf und Hartel, 1862). The time signature is 6/4, no cut common time symbol at all. That confirms a printing error in the Kalmus.

I checked my Henle edition, and variation XX has a time signature of 3/2 (6/4). There is a note there that says, "Time signature in autograph 3/2 C, in the copyist's copy 3/2, in the first edition 6/4 C." And those "C"s in the note did not have vertical slashes through them.

[Schenkerian]

The gorgeous and talented Jussen Brothers from the Netherlands. Such a great look for getting younger generations into art music and recital-going: they're both super cool!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STJtvV4bj9I

[Quijote]

I checked my Henle edition, and variation XX has a time signature of 3/2 (6/4). There is a note there that says, "Time signature in autograph 3/2 C, in the copyist's copy 3/2, in the first edition 6/4 C." And those "C"s in the note did not have vertical slashes through them.

Thanks for that!

[Chris]

Thanks for that!

My pleasure. I haven't had that out since I tried to learn the piece years ago. I made it through the theme and a few variations before I realized that it wasn't going to happen and gave up. I certainly didn't make it to Variation XX, so I had never noticed the time signature strangeness there.

[Quijote]

My pleasure. I haven't had that out since I tried to learn the piece years ago. I made it through the theme and a few variations before I realized that it wasn't going to happen and gave up. I certainly didn't make it to Variation XX, so I had never noticed the time signature strangeness there.

I ask about these time signatures not only for the correct/most coherent version but also for my ear-training course: some of my students are confused about 4/4 (C) and 2/2 (cut common time/C with a vertical slash). My lesson tomorrow involves handing out photocopies of Variation XXXII and then listening to various performers playing the same variation to see if they really bring out the feeling of a two-minum (half note) bar or render it as 4/4!
My CD selection includes:
Rudolf Serkin / Andreas Staier / Stephen Kovacevich (young) / Stephen Kovacevich (old) / Friedrich Gulda.
My ear-training courses are not just always about dictation, you know!

[Quijote]

Concerning melodic dictation, I haven't hit my students yet with a 12-tone dictation (over several octaves)!

[Schenkerian]

Listening to Beethoven's 7th with Kleiber conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra. It's a favourite performance of this work but a friend of mine argued that the final movement is too fast and that this compromised the logic and structure of it. I think it's a thrilling version, even though with a huge orchestra which I usually don't favour with Beethoven. Hard to believe it's 17 years since the great Kleiber left us!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sw97NzvvsE

[Quijote]

Listening to Beethoven's 7th with Kleiber conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra. It's a favourite performance of this work but a friend of mine argued that the final movement is too fast and that this compromised the logic and structure of it. I think it's a thrilling version, even though with a huge orchestra which I usually don't favour with Beethoven. Hard to believe it's 17 years since the great Kleiber left us!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sw97NzvvsE

I promised myself that when I saw you reappear under a new name (Schenkerian*) I wouldn't engage, that I would turn a blind eye to you. Regrettably, the level of BS is such that I must absolutely intervene as a matter of intellectual integrity.
Let's get to it: I don't understand what you and your friend mean by compromising the logic and structure of the movement by being too fast. Played 5 times too fast would make musical nonsense; playing it 5 times too slowly equally so. What tempo does Kleiber take? What is the "logic" of a movement? I understand how the "structure" over the 4 movements might be weakened by ridiculous tempos, but frankly, talking about "compromising the logic" sounds like the verbiage one sees in modern art galleries - it all sounds terribly clever but says nothing. Get real and stop talking to us as if we were idiots in a music appreciation course for beginners.

*Heinrich Schenker (19 June 1868 – 14 January 1935): check on Google or whatever search engine for the recent polemic about this fellow, he's all part of the culture wars. I imagine some of you were unaware of this.