So, NOW what are you listening to?

[Gurn Blanston]

We are a busy little group of listeners, we have outgrown our previous quarters, I'm afraid, so here is our new home. Enjoy, put your feet up, listen to the music!

Pastorali,
You could handle Bruckner now, you just need to build up to him! I admit, it is a bit of a leap of faith, after 3 listenings I am only really getting the first movement. Oohh, it's too big!

Joy,
Delighted you could rejoin us, dear. As I told Ruud, some few of us have been carrying the weight alone without you. That Jochum experiment that I told you about went splendidly, BTW. Dvorak, yes, as we near the centanary of his passing, I shall listen all the more to him, as I am now fortunate enough to have good recordings of nearly 80% of his works! Won't forget B though.

Tony,
May I presume that the Paganini Variations were still running through your head?

And for me, it is Dvorak yet again, this time the Cello Concerto in b minor - #2 - Op 104 - Yo Yo Ma BPO/ Maazel. Splendid work, scarcely a better sonata exists for the instrument.


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Regards,
Gurn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 07-27-2004).]

[v russo]

U2's 'Zooropa'. Very cool album by the multi successful rock quartet. This album anticipates the digital age better than anything I have heard. Brian Eno had major input on this record, hence it's experimental and electronic feel. Radiohead's recent experimental albums would have sounded like lunacy without early 1990's U2.



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v russo

[Amalie]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
[B]We are a busy little group of listeners, we have outgrown our previous quarters, I'm afraid, so here is our new home. Enjoy, put your feet up, listen to the music!

Pastorali,
You could handle Bruckner now, you just need to build up to him! I admit, it is a bit of a leap of faith, after 3 listenings I am only really getting the first movement. Oohh, it's too big!

***

Gurn, methinks you are a mover and a shaker giving us all these useful pointers on music to listen to . I'm not keen on Bruckner though.
Right now to get me into the right frame of mind I am content to listen and relax with Ludwig before setting off to work.
Listening to his gorgeous 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126.
and Piano Concerto No. 4. Wonderful!



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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~

[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 07-27-2004).]

[ruudp]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
We are a busy little group of listeners, we have outgrown our previous quarters, I'm afraid, so here is our new home. Enjoy, put your feet up, listen to the music!

Pastorali,
You could handle Bruckner now, you just need to build up to him! I admit, it is a bit of a leap of faith, after 3 listenings I am only really getting the first movement. Oohh, it's too big!

Joy,
Delighted you could rejoin us, dear. As I told Ruud, some few of us have been carrying the weight alone without you. That Jochum experiment that I told you about went splendidly, BTW. Dvorak, yes, as we near the centanary of his passing, I shall listen all the more to him, as I am now fortunate enough to have good recordings of nearly 80% of his works! Won't forget B though.

Tony,
May I presume that the Paganini Variations were still running through your head?

And for me, it is Dvorak yet again, this time the Cello Concerto in b minor - #2 - Op 104 - Yo Yo Ma BPO/ Maazel. Splendid work, scarcely a better sonata exists for the instrument.

I've been listening too 2 symphonies of beethoven for the change his lovely op.68 in F major Pastoral(I) symphony and his op.92 in A major..what a GOOD start of the morning...Let's just hear the fourth movement of the 7th again AND again..

[ruudp]

Originally posted by ruudp:
I've been listening too 2 symphonies of beethoven for the change his lovely op.68 in F major Pastoral(I) symphony and his op.92 in A major..what a GOOD start of the morning...Let's just hear the fourth movement of the 7th again AND again..

owww how dumb...
I forgot to mention the performers..The pastoral symphony is being conducted by Leopold stokowsi and is from my Dvd of Fantasia the world-famous *I hope* music dvd by disney in 1940.Stokowski led on this occasion the philadelphia orhestra I think.

The 7th is conducted by bruno walter leading the Columbia Symphony Orchestra

till later
ruud

[Gurn Blanston]

v.
Well, a person has to do what a person has to do... I suspect that your analysis is correct though, since I know Brian Eno's work from the good old days, he always was a bit of a pioneer. Oh well

Amalie,
I am like Captain Kirk: "Music, the new frontier. These are the voyages..."
Well, you know, I could never form an opinion about Bruckner because I had never heard any of his work, so I really needed to do it. I think that's fair, I always dislike the condemnation of a person't work when people haven't even heard it, just heard someone talk about it once. It is a handful though.
The Last Bagatelles! Beethoven's new direction for the future, IMHO, where he managed to telescope his ideas down into the smallest possible package. What a work!

Ruud,
Well, you can't beat that, 6 & 7. Yes, Fantasia is world famous. I saw it first when it was only 18 years old, and I was less than 10! Still think the Philadelphia's were marvelous then, and Stokowski was a super conductor. And the 7th, couldn't be better!

For me this morning, something Peter put into my head yesterday, it is Symphonie Fantastique - Hector Berlioz - Another huge work, the inner part writing for the wind sections is quite special. For early in teh Romantic, it sounds more like late in the Romantic!


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

[Sorrano]

This morning it was the final movements of Schumann's Cello, Violin, and Piano Concerti.

[culshaw]

Bruckner for me is a Rhine journey.Huge forest fringed waterscapes and then just look up ! Medieval mountains, their tops shrouded in a drizzley mist ( or, maybe, mysticism is better ),spotted, here and their, with castles and monasteries !
How poetic ya ? Sometimes Bruckner can be a pain in the butt. It has often been said that he wrote the same symphony nine times ! ( well almost nine ) Stuff and nonsence but certainely any comparison with the group's namesake, there is not the progression nor the distinctiveness of " the master "
Each of his cycle ,it seems to me, has a different DNA., almost as if they came from different parents !

Butif you wrap up well, get your backpack strapped on, a journey with good old Anton will leave you with vistas you'll not forget in a hurry. I have all his Symphonies on CD, including the two premature babies "O" ( Study Sym.) and the D minor No. O.

The visionary religious side of B. is, for me to be found in the three masses ( Jochum DG Legendary Recordings )

But for B. on his " journey " my favourite is Haitink's account of No.7 and, on his arrival/departure No. 9 with Solti and the Chicago band he made his own.

Great site.keep it up !
shadybarkis.

[King Stephen]

This morning it's Ricard Strauss. His "Also Sprach Zarathustra Op.30.then onto "Tod und Verklarung" Op.24. Strauss, one heck of an orchestrator.

[Gurn Blanston]

Sorrano,
Great choice, I am very fond of Schumann's concerti, particularly the cello. It single-handedly revived the genre for a new generation, so if it wasn't great on its own, we would still owe it that!

Culshaw,
Very poetic, great! I feel as though I had just taken a trip down the Rhine from reading it. My own journey with Bruckner is just starting, but I am looking forward to see what is around the next bend. The Lorelei perhaps? Glad you could join us anyway. BTW, I have that Solti version of the 9th, it was my first, and it still frequently comes up for playing. A great modern version.

For me now, it is the Symphony in F major - #3 - Op 90 - Johannes Brahms - From the compelling opening theme to the pianissimo/forte/pianissimo/forte final movement, this is great stuff. Scottish Chamber Orchestra / MacKerras.


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

[Gurn Blanston]

King,
Posts crossed! The only Strauss I have is the Horn Concerto #1, also the Violin Sonata. But one would have to have lived in Fingal's Cave to not know "...Zarathustra"! Great stuff! "Verklarung"? Is that "Transfiguration"? "Death & Transfiguration" I have certainly heard also, have to agree, Strauss, like Rimsky-Korsakov, has good reason to be known for his orchestration.

I waited just long enough, now it is the Symphony #4 in e minor - Op 98 - Brahms - Those of you who don't know Brahms' symphonies really need to take a shot at them, they are great music!


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

[Joy]

Gurn, I'm not staying away too long not with all this activity here. So many songs, so little time!! Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, sort of like an experimental artwork in itself. 80% of Dvorak's works, you'll have to work through them slowly and enjoy.
Ruud, Beethoven's 7th, excellent choice! I bet that got you up and running this morning.
Stephen, Strauss' ASZ another good choice for this beautiful morning. That's a real eye opener!
For me, it's Mozart's Piano Concerto #20, lovely! Beethoven's String Trio Serenade; and Mozart's Serenade #9. Also Bach's Brandenberg #3 later, can't go wrong with any of those!

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Gurn Blanston]

Joy,
What an excellent lineup! No, you can't go wrong with any of those, all first rate, and other than the d minor concerto, they are also just far enough off the beaten path that you can "feel the freshness" You're right, I won't let the Dvorak consume me, just such a large oeuvre, all good...

And right now, I have just cracked open a brand new (to me) CD, from the CBE, the Early Quartets, I'm listening to Disk 3, Hess 32, original version of Op 18 #1 "Amenda", by the Amadeus Quartet.
Can't even comment, doesn't need it!


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

[ruudp]

Originally posted by Joy:
Gurn, I'm not staying away too long not with all this activity here. So many songs, so little time!! Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, sort of like an experimental artwork in itself. 80% of Dvorak's works, you'll have to work through them slowly and enjoy.
Ruud, Beethoven's 7th, excellent choice! I bet that got you up and running this morning.
Stephen, Strauss' ASZ another good choice for this beautiful morning. That's a real eye opener!
For me, it's Mozart's Piano Concerto #20, lovely! Beethoven's String Trio Serenade; and Mozart's Serenade #9. Also Bach's Brandenberg #3 later, can't go wrong with any of those!

How DID you know that
It was just what I needed after a fun yet tiresome weekend staying at a friends place at sea..It just got the adraline pumping through my vains..right now it's the symphony in G minor Kv.550 and the symphony Kv.551 in C major by our beloved wölferl..and his pianoconcerto in d minor Kv466....#20...ASWELL...what a coincedence it's one of my favourite concerto's by mozart for piano and orchestra ..too bad ludwig never wrote a pianoconcerto in d minor...his tempest sonata sounded great though aswell
the symphonies are performed by the mozart akademie Amsterdam with conductor jaap ter linden and the concerto is performed by derek han with the philharmonia orchestra concducted by paul freeman
Regards, Ruud

[Gurn Blanston]

Ruud,
You certainly have a nice lineup going for you now! One good thing you can find that B did was write the cadenzas to that lovely concerto, in d minor of course. The best versions will all use B's cadenzas. I agree with you though, it would have been great if B had used d minor more, it is my favorite key, perfect for symphonies!

And now, still working on this new box of the CBE, right now it is String Quartet in c minor (B's version of d minor!) - Op 18 #4 - The Amadeus Quartet - As you know, I really don't often pick one version over another, but I must say, the world famous Amadeus Quartet have surely lived up to their reputation here.


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

[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 07-27-2004).]