What are you listening to right now?

[King Stephen]

My favorite Piano Concerto by LvB,I should say my favorite piano concerto period, the 4th in G major Op. 58. Performed by Claudio Arrau with the Dresden Staatskapelle conducted by Sir Colin Davis. There are not many recordings that I recomend but this is high on my list. Arrau brings to us the lyrically romantic side of Beethoven with great warmth and tenderness. Also on the same disc is, the monumental 5th Piano Concerto, the Emperor. Again a wonderful performance by Arrau, one of the greatest
pianist of the 20th century. A must disc for all Beethoven lovers.

[Amalie]

The short, delightful and mischievous song from the bird catcher, reminds of that wonderful scene when at the opera, Mozart's -Zauberflotte.
It is an opera of course with very profound themes. Just to take one famouse example, much has been written on who, or what, the Queen of the Night Stands for.
The learning of the brotherhood seems linked in some myserious with the love between the two couples and the way they find each other again.


Mozart: Serenade, e flat, K375

A lovely piece by, Striggo, Ecce beatam lucem. by the Huelgas Ensemble


Biber: Sonata no 8. for 2 violins, 2 violas and continuo
Freiburg Baroque Consort.

Beethoven's strikingly beautiful Piano concerto no.4.




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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~



[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 07-11-2004).]

[spaceray]

Schumann's C major Phantasie op17.
Charles Rosen writes of it" a totally unclassical work ,a monument that commemorates the death of classical style."

So enough singing already now its back to serious music.

[Amalie]

Originally posted by King Stephen:
My favorite Piano Concerto by LvB,I should say my favorite piano concerto period, the 4th in G major Op. 58. Performed by Claudio Arrau with the Dresden Staatskapelle conducted by Sir Colin Davis. There are not many recordings that I recomend but this is high on my list. Arrau brings to us the lyrically romantic side of Beethoven with great warmth and tenderness. Also on the same disc is, the monumental 5th Piano Concerto, the Emperor. Again a wonderful performance by Arrau, one of the greatest
pianist of the 20th century. A must disc for all Beethoven lovers.

King,
For me it is very difficult to chose any favourite Beethoven piano concertos.
They are the himalayas of musical achievement. Though I do find the monumental 5th exhilarating!
I agree that Arrau is a great pianist, Brendel on Beethoven I think, would take some beating, IMHO .


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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~

[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 07-11-2004).]

[Pastorali]

LvB - Op.125 'Choral' - Hanover Band - Roy Goodman

[Gurn Blanston]

King,
Gotta agree with Amalie on this one, so hard to choose among the 5. But the 4th is surely a contender. I guess I am the lone voice crying out for the 3rd, in Brando-esque fashion "I coulda been a contender..."

Amalie,
Yes, even I like Die Zauberflote! I think that Mozart invented "The Queen of the Night" simply to give Beethoven a neat name to call his sister-in-law down the road. "Vile wench" simply fails to roll as trippingly off the tongue PS - Love Biber too, I have a great set by Romanesca with the multi-talented Andrew Manze on the fiddle that does him justice.

Space,
Doesn't it seem that if you had to put your finger on a work that really and truly seems like unequivocal Romanticism the Op 17 would be it? I like that quote of Rosen, he does have a way with words. Is that "The Romantic Generation"? I really need to get that book.

Pastorali,
What?! The 9th on a Sunday? What bizarre behaviour!

For me, I dig way back in the archives and pull out a nice little Symphony in D major (no number) that Mozart created out of the Overture to Lucio Silla, K 135. Academy of Ancient Music. Nice.


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

Oy, Monday morning, back at work after the vacation... sigh. But good music starts the day:
Right now, a Piece in C major for Piano - Hess 59 - Steven Beck plays. Nice little bagatelle.


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

Originally posted by Amalie:
King,
For me it is very difficult to chose any favourite Beethoven piano concertos.
They are the himalayas of musical achievement. Though I do find the monumental 5th exhilarating!
I agree that Arrau is a great pianist, Brendel on Beethoven I think, would take some beating, IMHO .

Amalie, you won't find me disagreeing with you about the performances of Brendel. I have 2 different sets with him as soloist, one with the Chicago Orchestra w/ Levine conducting and the latest one with Sir Simon Rattle and the Vienna Philharmonic, both I like very much. This one disc with Arrau to me is a stand alone one, it is what I think to be one of the best performances of the 4th PC, but then that is just my opinon. I find with the 4th Beethoven was really soul searching. No where in any of the other concertos does Beethoven become so personal. I have loved this work for many years and I can see no other piano concerto replacing it as my favorite.

[spaceray]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:


Space,
Doesn't it seem that if you had to put your finger on a work that really and truly seems like unequivocal Romanticism the Op 17 would be it? I like that quote of Rosen, he does have a way with words. Is that "The Romantic Generation"? I really need to get that book.

[/B]

Gurn ,
That quote was from Rosen's "Classical Style"
But via "Romantic Music a Concise History from Schubert to Sibelius"by Arnold Whittall
Mr Rosen's books are way over my head.
Muriel

Oh yes, and I'm listening to Mozart Symphony no.29

[King Stephen]

Still delving into Masses. This morning it's Johann Baptist Vanhal's Missa Pastoralis in G Major, circa 1782 which predates Haydn's last six great masses by better than 10 to 20 years. Very enjoyable listening.

[This message has been edited by King Stephen (edited 07-12-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

Space,
Yeah, Rosen is over MY head too, but I don't let it stop me, I just hope some of that stuff will stick! Obviously that quote didn't So, the famous A major symphony, great stuff, Mozart finally catches on to what Haydn is doing, IMHO.

King,
I will say this for you, you are dedicated! Do you think that Vanhal's Masses are perhaps what grants him any sort of historical significance? One doesn't hear much else from him.

For me, it is still some nice Beethoven piano music, right now the Rondo in G major, Op 51 #2. Sterling stuff!


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

Variations in C major for Piano 4 Hands on a Theme by Count Waldstein - WoO 67 - Not bad for a kid!



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Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[ruudp]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
Variations in C major for Piano 4 Hands on a Theme by Count Waldstein - WoO 67 - Not bad for a kid!

Gurn,
well he was 22 by that time no need calling him a kid still is there

I'm right now listening to some beautifull chopin..Ballad op.23 in G minor Klara Würtz..
Scherzo op.31 in b flat minor and the Heroic polonaise in a flat major...
SPLENDID

[King Stephen]

Gurn,
I am not the person to ask if Vanhal's masses are what he is best remembered for, I could be swayed just by the fact I enjoy masses and have not heard enough of other types of music by him. On the other hand I have in my collection 7 of Vanhal's 80 odd symphonies. He was one, if not the first, independent composer from the 18th century. A forerunner to LvB in that regard. His music is pleasant and enjoyable to listen to.
In layman's terms "A nice guy, but no giant in the world of composition".

[Gurn Blanston]

Ruud,
Well, for him it was still pretty immature, he was no precocious Mozart or Mendelssohn! And the Biamonti number (chronological) is only 35, so he surely has a ways to go!! Hah, I love that polonaise! It rivals B's own Op 89 in many ways.

King,
It would be a frustrating experience, I think, to be a collector of Vanhal! Still, 7 out of 80+ is far more than most people have, and at least you know what he sounds like. I know for sure that he was well-regarded in his time though. I find it strange that history often shows us a different picture of who was great than what contemporary accounts do. I guess that even if one knew that down the road one would be judged the premier composer of one's time, it would be scant consolation when one sees the adulation received by your peers!

For me now, it is the Quartet in a minor for Strings - #2 - Op 13 - Felix Mendelssohn.


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