What are you listening to right now

[Tony John Hearne]

The absolute thrill of hearing a piece of highly esteemed music fot the very firt time
Cherubini Requiem with Toscanini and the NBC Symphony

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Love from London

[Tony John Hearne]

"for the very first" I hasten to add and not "fot the very firt"

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Love from London

[JA Gardiner]

Originally posted by Pastorali:
Gurn
Power again, that's well! It's Grieg's Piano Concerto Op.16, along with Schumann's P.C. Op.54, both in A minor. First listen follows after my momentary pleasure: W.A.M. Six German Dances, KV 571. I'm getting in carneval mood

Hey Pastorali, I've just been listening to that combination of PC's too - played by Radu Lupu and conducted by Previn - sensational.
And Tony dear is that Cherubini recording the one on the double CD with the Verdi Requiem that I mentioned a while back? If so I can only agree - I hadn't heard it before either!
Right now though its back to the second CD in my Kathleen Ferrier set. Sorry Gurn but it was either that or your compatriot from the Great Southwest, Utah Phillips ( a wonderful Country and Western comedian/folk singer with a thing for the great days of American railroads). Just getting into practice for visiting Austin, live music capital of the world (or so my good buddy tells me) in August!

[v russo]

Mahler: Symphony No. 2
Yoel Levi conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
A Telarc release.

...quite good!

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v russo

[spaceray]

Originally posted by JA Gardiner:
[B]
Right now though its back to the second CD in my Kathleen Ferrier set. Sorry Gurn but it was either that or your compatriot from the Great Southwest, Utah Phillips

JA,
On that Kathleen Ferrier ,does she sing a Duet of Purcell "Shepherd ,shepherd ,leave decoying" or it might be called "Let us Wander" and the pianist is Bruno Walter ,I don't know who the soprano is.
BTW don't feel you need to apologise to Gurn ,he doesn't mind us listening to singing just as long as he doesn't have to.
Muriel

[Pastorali]

W. A. Mozart: Piano Sonata #15, KV 545 (Sonata facile) joking M., it sounds not so easy.
Daniel Blumenthal on piano.

[Gurn Blanston]

Space,
Yes, I am a very tolerant man, as you point out, even though you are, as the bullfight fans call it, my "picador" It is true as you say that not listening to singing narrows the field somewhat for me, but 200 years (yeah v., I'm stickin' to that ) produced enough instrumental music to keep even an acquisitive person as myself more than busy enough! :-X

Sorrano,
I am not being comparative as to "he is better than him", but I honestly feel that Haydn's quartets have that unique ability to just draw you in and make you part of the conversation instead of just being a listener. I am invariably happy when I listen to them, and you can't ask for more, no?

Pastorali,
Ah, the piano concerto. One of the best from the Romantic, IMHO. I love the third movement with its "folksong" theme and tremendous rhythm. Good choice! And the German Ode on Football! Well, what more can I say, wish I had it! Alright, I'm lying

JA,
Austin! Splendid! I am sure you will love it. I have spent a lot of time there (it is only 250 miles away) and your friend is right, can't swing a dead cat without hitting a singer , on second thought, that might be an interesting experiment

Oh, forgot, what am I listening to right now? Well, when I started this chapter, it was a Beethoven sonata, but now, it is Mozart, Sonata in D major for Piano, #6, K 205b. Christoph Eschenbach driving the Steinway. Marvelous stuff, except that it has made me a bit garrulous, I fear. Oh well!


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

Originally posted by spaceray:
JA,
On that Kathleen Ferrier ,does she sing a Duet of Purcell "Shepherd ,shepherd ,leave decoying" or it might be called "Let us Wander" and the pianist is Bruno Walter ,I don't know who the soprano is.
BTW don't feel you need to apologise to Gurn ,he doesn't mind us listening to singing just as long as he doesn't have to.
Muriel

Dear Spaceray
No, this is all solo work. The only Purcell is Hark! The Echoing Air from the Fairy Queen.

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Beethoven the Man!

[Pastorali]

Sunday morning and I'm actually stickin' on Mozart.
Symphony #41, KV 551
Divertimento #2, KV 131
Piano Concerto #21, KV 467
Serenade #9, KV 320

Proofing my flexibility, because I planned a listening to LvB's Op.123

[urtextmeister]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
JA,
No, not even that! I shall likely have Fidelio some day, but haven't worked up to it yet, one must concede that there is an abundance of singing in an opera...

Pastorali,
Yes, excellent haul. Your collection grows by leaps and bounds! So, what is the Grieg?

For me, it is the Master's Sonata in A major for Cello & Piano - #3 - Op 69 - Pablo Casals/Rudolf Serkin, two of my favorite performers in one of my favorite pieces! Perfect for the afternoon!

What is it about vocal music that makes you hesitate? I know that at one point in my life, I was really enjoying instrumental music and I had no desire to get into those big, long operas and get into discussions about whether Von Hinklehoff was a real heldentenor. Who cares?

Then I heard Maria Callas and I fell to my knees at worshipped at the altar of La Divina.

Hence, my listening choice lately:
Renee Fleming--"Bel Canto." I am thrust into that world of high emotion. These composers, Donizetti, Bellini could create scenes that were dripping with atmosphere. And that voice! Chills. Chills, I tell you.

Regarding the Beethoven A maj with Serkin and Casals: I have been Serkin fan. I think on some recordings, he draws meaning from the music that no one else can. However, I recently acquired a recording of Beethoven's third concerto that is as dull as dishwater. It seems that there is some disagreement about this pianist. Was he a great artist or a sloppy, tyrannical poop?

This is all complicated by the fact that my teacher was his student. I actually got mixed messages from her. I think her basic assessment was: lousy pianist, great musician.

Here is an article I recently came across:
"One is reminded by Serkin of the story of The Emperor's New Clothes. During his lifetime, Serkin was so revered as a pure musician and thinker that his abominable headache-inducing pianism was praised beyond belief.
At Serkin's 75th birthday recital in Carnegie Hall this writer was horrified by the slovenly grunting and snorting that accompanied a dull, plodding, clangorous piano sound that obliterated any intended music-making.."

[Gurn Blanston]

Ur,
Well, if pressed, I honestly couldn't tell you. When I was quite young I was exposed to a good deal of classical singing as my father was quite fond of lieder, and for whatever reason, the sound of the voice in classical style music simply has a negative effect on me. I want to like it, but I can't do it. However, as Spaceray points out, it is like religion, I strongly encourage it in others!
Serkin. That is some interesting stuff that you mention. I have probably a dozen CD's of his, none of them are solo piano music which makes it hard to judge, but his young stuff, like with the Busch Quartet or Casals is first rate. Perhaps chamber music is his metier? And I have his Mendelssohn concetos, and of the 3 or 4 versions of this that I have or had, or others that I have heard, his is incomparable. He takes them at a tempo that makes you fear that a stumble will result in 2 or 3 broken fingers, and surprisingly the music is enhanced by this rather than otherwise. This disk is cheap and readily available (Sony Essential Classics), and I recommend you give it a listen, it is really good, along with an excellent Isaac Stern violin Concerto.
But right now, Sunday morning sunrise, it is the d minor symphony, #9, Op 125 - LvB!! Orchestre Revolutionnaire etc/Gardiner. What a way to start the day!


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

Being in tranquil mood this morning I am listening to 3 Oboe Concertos of GF Handel. Delightful music.

[Pastorali]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade #13, KV525

Any opinions on this bust? I like it. http://img2.ricardo.ch/2004/06/09/1/319281936.jpg

[Joy]

On this beatuiful and sunny Sunday morning it's Beethoven's The Ruins of Athens: Overture by the Hanover Band with Roy Goodman, conductor. Another Beethoven song rarely heard on radio.
In keeping with the obvious Mozart thread amongst Pastoralli and Gurn later it will be Mozart's Symphony 41 in c K 551, his "Jupiter" one of his greatest I believe. Anyone know why it's called Jupiter and who named it that?

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Joy]

Originally posted by Pastorali:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade #13, KV525

Any opinions on this bust? I like it. http://img2.ricardo.ch/2004/06/09/1/319281936.jpg

Dear Pastorali, a very interesting piece, I like it too. It looks like the wind is blowing through his hair, looks like it's made of marble, rather modern looking I think.

Regards,



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'Truth and beauty joined'