What are you listening to right now II

[Joy]

In honour of this great day in history Beethoven's 9th Symphony Ode to Joy! What else?

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[ruudp]

Originally posted by Pastorali:
To tell you my newest oddities:
The morning was reserved for the late Piano Sonatas and the afternoon for Liszt, his Piano trnscrptns of B's. Symphonies. Right now #1 + #3 the greatful Eroica. A nice combination, these two Symphonies on that Naxos piece.

Gurn, you Gourmet! Dragée is a pill, so I assume "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" could be slightly wrong, I'm still confused

\nonono gurn is QUITE right I'm afraid the translation indeed is the dance of the sugar plum fairy I know tihs for a fact.and the rest of the story is quite right as wel.This fair he talked about was also visited by debussy and it was for THIS fair the the eiffel tower was build...
This fair influenced debussy SO much *because of it's exotic people and gamelan sounds* that he used these influences in his music thus creating a whole new music..

That;s all I know...O hope it has been of help

Regards,
Ruud

[Gurn Blanston]

Ruud,
Thanks so much, you have rescued me from certain defeat as I had no document for this, it was orally transmitted to me some years ago so I couldn't prove it.

Joy,
Ode to you, and not even Sunday, what a treat!

Pastorali,
I am never one to say "I told you so" I love those Intermezzi too, I listened to them just the other day. For short piano pieces, they remind me of Schubert's Moments Musicaux, not literally, just reminiscent. Very good.

And for me right now, music from my favorite fiddler, Pablo de Sarasate, the Muiniera Op 32 - I could be happy listening to Sarasate every day, so good music!


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

Sorry for late excusing! I've been in the Pub this evening ...not the music, how you surely can imagine, ha!

Thanks Ruud for clearing this point!

Gurn, nevertheless you are a Gourmet, at least in musically things!

I follow Joy, the ODE shall be the penalty I have to pay for...

[This message has been edited by Pastorali (edited 05-07-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

Well, because of being remiss by not remembering the date, I punished myself by listening to the Zinman 9th on the wrong day. I have now been suitably chastised. Ahhh...
But this evening, right now Schubert's Sonata in A major for Piano, #20, D 959 - Mitsuko Uchida. And next up, Mendelssohn's Sonata in E major for Piano, Opus 6 - Frederic Chiu playing. These sonatas date from very near to the end of the great Age of Sonatas, when composers could still write one because they learned how to do it as part of learning what music was. After them, pretty much a composer had to work very hard to learn to write a sonata just so that he could say that he wrote one. There are some (few) great sonatas from the Romantic Era, but I would argue that they lack the natural feel of these. Pity, evolution.


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

Ah! a beautiful Saturday morning and Karl Goldmark's Rustic Wedding Symphony is right in-line with the day.

[Pastorali]

For me actually a Haydn day. Symphonies 6,7,8,26,22, now Sinfonia Concertante Op.84,

[Tony John Hearne]

A simply spell binding account of the Maestro's Hammerklavier on EMI by Stephen Kovacevich

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Love from London

[Gurn Blanston]

TJ,
I have heard that Kovacevich's Hammerklavier is first rate. I like many things by him, but have never heard any of his Beethoven. Does it rank with the best you've heard?

Pastorali,
Well, you are finally one up on me, I don't have Symphony 26, so have never heard it. The Bb Sinfonia Concertante, however, is one of my very favorites. I always wondred why it has been classed with the symphonies (Hoboken calls it Symphony 105!!) when it so obviously a great Quadruple Concerto?!?! Oh well.
For me, I decided to listen to a little history of the piano sonata, with one each by Scarlatti, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms and Tchaikovsky! (phew ). It has been a most interesting trip.


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

Mozart Violin Sonatas K 379,K304, K454 and Variations K360 Played by Andras Schiff and Yuuko Shiokawa ,on Mozarts own violin and fortepiano.

[Gurn Blanston]

Well, a "double-dose" this week because of the anniversary date on Thursday, so the Symphony in d minor - #9 Op 125 - This time Berlin Philharmonic / von Karajan - 1963. THE epitome of classic versions! Then, off to play golf. Great day!


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

Ah, here it is, the Sunday report in D! On page 4 I was amazed to miss it and thought you skipped it out of program, cause that celebration event on Thursday.
Karajan is connecting us today. My choice was the Eroica, conducted by Karajan. Great version, although it beats not Zinman. Just my natural opinion, without any patriotically influences

Today is Mother's Day. In honour to that, I listen right now to Tschaikowsky's Romeo and Juliet and like to spend my kindest regards to all you MOTHERS out there! This is for you http://www.coiffure-jasmin.ch/gal_di...auss_gruss.htm

PS: Haydn's Symphony #26 in D-Moll (minor) 'Lamentation'. It has just three movements, but they are VERY beautiful! A Papa worth to have, I mean.


[This message has been edited by Pastorali (edited 05-09-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

P,
Yes, certainly different from Zinman. I like them both, I think they represent two different eras of ideas for interpretation. I also like Academy of Ancient Music, although many don't, it is closer in spirit to Zinman surely.
I have a high priority to complete my collection of Haydn Symphonies, "Lamentations" is reputed to be among the best of the early ones, I have 22 & 31, nothing between them. We have already talked about Haydn's use of minor key being very unusual and also those are the most powerful pieces in his oeuvre.
Now, Sonata in g minor for Cello & Piano - #2 - Opo 5 #2 - LvB - Pablo Casals/Rudolf Serkin. Great music, great players. Perfect Sunday evening!


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

My Haydn collection is a patch-work with many holes between My absolutely favourites are Symphonies 6, 7, & 8. Are they to beat? I have to admit, they were the first I knew of his Symphonies, played by Academy of St. Martin in the fields/Marriner - a bombastic combinaton!
Just before we had an Organ session with works of Bach, Teleman, Mendelsson #65/2 and Mozart. I don't know the opus, but Mozart said something like: "Those dirty little pipes..." about it. I think it was a transcrptn for organ, that piece. (?)

[Gurn Blanston]

Well, that organ music sounds interesting. One of the little odd CD's that I picked up in my travels is the 6 organ sonatas that Mendelssohn wrote. I listen to them sometimes, but is hard to get used to that kind of music. I really like those 3 Haydn symphonies. One thing that surprised me was that, unlike you they were my most recent symphonies, and by far the oldest, so when I heard them I guess I expected a difference in style or something, yet as soon as #6 began to play, I knew immediately "that's Haydn". Apparently his style was developed early and persisted from beginning to end.
Right now, I am listening to a Minuet in F for piano, WoO 7 #12, L v Beethoven. Let's dance!


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Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 05-10-2004).]