What are you listening to right now?

[Pastorali]

In memoriam Herr van Beethoven

The 9th with headphone...

[Tony John Hearne]

Originally posted by Chaszz:
Last night on my local PBS TV station's broadcast of the series "Opera New York",
I saw a video of Bizet's "Carmen" from the Glynbourne Festival in 2002, starring Anne Sofie von Otter. As I am rather new to opera, this was my first experience of this warhorse. I was very moved by the music and the story which I did not previously know. And Ms. van Otter was riveting as the sensuous free-spirited temptress who drives Don Jose to madness and murder. One could not take one's eyes off her expressive face and figure no matter who was singing. For a 47 year old she did a great job as a sexy young woman. I have to admit she distracted me so much that I do not remember who conducted or who played Don Jose. But I do remember there was music and it sounded pretty good.

[This message has been edited by Chaszz (edited March 26, 2004).]

I saw part (sadly not all) of this performance live on TV at the time. I am fairly sure that Don Jose was sung and acted by the young American Marcus Haddock. I thought the performance was absolutely exemplary. It is on sale in London on DVD but I fear not on video.After well over thirty years I have yet to hear the final act of Carmen without shedding a tear. I think that the final moments of this fantastic opera are amongst the finest in all music. Try Karajan and the Vienna Philharmonic with Leontyne Price and (I think) Franco Corelli if you can still get it.

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Love from London

[Gurn Blanston]

The Ab Piano Sonata (#12) Op 26 - Beethoven - RIP, Ludwig.


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Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[Amalie]

BEETHOVEN 1st Symphony, C major, Op.21

Sparkles with fun and energy! Beethoven is the complete master his material.

[Pastorali]

Agostino Steffani: Suite Theatrales "Henrico Leone" (Hannover 1698)

Out of the CD notes:
In all of his instrumental pieces, Steffani emerges as a musician who had a peerless command of the compositional means of his time. He speaks an elegant melodic idiom, captures the characteristically springing and virtually physical nature of French dance rhythms, and betrays a finely tuned sensibility for sonorities in the disposition of the additional ensemble sections (chorus, trumpets) (ok, I agree )
Perhaps the outstanding quality of these orchestral pieces in the French style will incite the listener to discover their respective Italian-language operas. (hmm... I'm not sure)

[Ahmad]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:

Ahmad,
Well, there is this:
Scarlatti, (Giuseppe) Domenico (b Naples, 1685; d Madrid, 1757). It. composer and harpsichordist, son of A. Scarlatti. Thought to have been pupil of his father and after 1708 of Pasquini and Gasparini in Venice, where he met Handel. In 1709, according to one biographer, Handel's patron, Cardinal Ottoboni, arranged a friendly kbd. contest between Handel and Scarlatti which was a tie, Handel being adjudged the better organist and Scarlatti the better harpsichordist. Worked in Rome 1708-19. Choirmaster to Queen of Poland, composing operas for her private th. in Rome. Choirmaster, Cappella Giulia at St Peter's 1714-19. Court harpsichordist to King of Portugal and teacher of Princess Maria Barbara in Lisbon 1719-28; returned to Italy on leave 1725-9; accompanied Maria Barbara to Spain on her marriage to the Sp. Crown Prince in 1729. Stayed in Madrid for rest of his life, becoming Maria Barbara's maestro de cámera when she became queen. Domenico did for kbd.-playing what his father did for opera, by imparting to it a hitherto unsuspected freedom of style. Introduced many new technical devices (rapid repetitions, crossed hands, double-note passages, etc.) and the 550 single-movt. sonatas he wrote in Sp. are exercises (esercizi) as well as innovatory comps. foreshadowing sonata form. Also comp. 14 operas, masses, Stabat Mater for 10 vv., Salve Regina, cantatas, at least 12 concerti grossi, 17 sinfonias, and org. fugues. His works have been catalogued by R. Kirkpatrick, superseding the Longo catalogue begun in 1906."
Making me think around 550 in all! They have been recorded and a box set is available (harpsichord) of around 34 disks.

For me now, Sonata in C for Cello & Piano - Op 102 #1 by Louis Beethoven - RIP

Thanks alot Gurn! It seems that there's a treasure of baroque keyboard music I have to discover soon!

By the way , Have you ever worked as a musican or you are just an enthusiastic fan of classical music ..?



Back to romantic area, and now with russian music:
Piano works of Tchaikovsky :

*Prelude in F OP.2, No.3
*Prelude in G OP.10, No.2
*Prelude in Gm OP.40, No.2

*from "The seasons op.37a,NO.6 :"June"

*Song op.16 no.1 Wiegenlied "Schlaf mein Kindlein" (Can any one translate it to english?! As I have copied the sentence literally from the Cd cover!)

Pianist: Tomislav Bavnov.

Tchaikovsky has composed nice piano works, usually underrated maybe because they are overshadowed by his orchestral works..


[This message has been edited by Ahmad (edited March 27, 2004).]

[Pastorali]

Originally posted by Ahmad:
Song op.16 no.1 Wiegenlied "Schlaf mein Kindlein" (Can any one translate it to english?! As I have copied the sentence literally from the Cd cover!)

[This message has been edited by Ahmad (edited March 27, 2004).]

This means: "Sleep my little Child"

I listen also to Op.16 but from the maestro himself: Quintet in E-flat Major, fine!

[Ahmad]

Originally posted by Pastorali:
This means: "Sleep my little Child"

I listen also to Op.16 but from the maestro himself: Quintet in E-flat Major, fine!

Thanks Pastorali

[Joy]

Earlier this morning it was the lesser performed but nonetheless one of the greats of Beethoven's symphonies: Symphony #8 performed by the Berlin Philharmonic and
Herbert von Karajan as conductor.

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Pastorali]

Some of these wonderful Irish Songs...

How exotically! Beethoven's Lieder in english language

[This message has been edited by Pastorali (edited March 27, 2004).]

[King Stephen]

The Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor arranged by Brahms for one piano, four hands.

[v russo]

Alexander The Great,... Scrabin that is!

Some of his piano pieces performed by the great Horowitz.

Dangerously wonderful! Scrabin is one of my favorites.

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v russo

[Pastorali]

Originally posted by King Stephen:
The Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor arranged by Brahms for one piano, four hands.

King Stephen
I have Brahms arrangements of the symphonies 2&3 (naxos), which I like very much! I must look out for the first symphony, I think. Did Brahms also arranged the Piano Concerto #2 this way?

[This message has been edited by Pastorali (edited March 27, 2004).]

[King Stephen]

Originally posted by Pastorali:
King Stephen
I have Brahms arrangements of the symphonies 2&3 (naxos), which I like very much! I must look out for the first symphony, I think. Did Brahms also arranged the Piano Concerto #2 this way?

[This message has been edited by Pastorali (edited March 27, 2004).]

Brahms, from every thing I have read, did not arrange his 2nd piano concerto for piano 4 hands.
I have, along with the 1st piano concerto, the 4 Symphonies and the 2 Serenades. Bramhs did arrange his string quartets and the German Requiem for piano four hands. I found these arrangments to be very satisfying. The fact that that Brahms was the composer and the piano was his instrument had to play a large part on the fact the these arrangments are first rate.

[Chaszz]

Beethoven's Septet in Eb Major. The wonderful adagio, for me, is the most memorable of the six great movements, followed by the first and the last movements.

I'm looking forward now to hearing some of the Brahms symphonies for four hands. This reminds me again of the families in the 19th century spending the evenings playing music or reading aloud, so different from today. And how the great composers could make a living selling reduction scores to these multitudes of families with members who could read and play.