What are you listening to now?

[spaceray]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:

Spacerl,
But WAYLTN?

Yes Gurn,
As it happens I'm listening to all 8? of Schumann's Symphonies,I recieved them as a birthday gift from someone who knows just what kind of music I will love.
Did you know that the fourth movement(Feierlich) was written to honour the completion of Cologne Cathedral in 1850.
spacerl

[Gurn Blanston]

Ellery,
I know nothing of Revueltas beynd his name. Thanks for bringing him up. perhaps we shall find out a bit more about him!

Spacerl,
Ah, a gift then! Certainly a nice one. No, in fact, I knew nothing at all about Schumann's motivations, just that I really like the works. I guess it should go on my agenda, since I am always intrigued by that sort of thing.

For me, it is the Symphony in F major - Op 12 #6 - Francois-Joseph Gossec - Head of the Paris Concerts de Amateurs and later re-organizer of the Concerts Spirituel in the time of Mozart's 1778 trip. And a decent composer too. Hmmm.


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

[Vipercat]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
VC,
Yes, that is exactly what I am talking about, the brilliant C major following up on that semi-tragic dissonant opening. Super!
No coincidence for me though, I have listened to the 9th every Sunday AM since 1995, so it is now a tradition! You are welcome to join me. As for that opening, it is the so mysterious "open" chord, consisting of a I & V so you cannot know is it A major or a minor??? Yes, I think the opening is one of the best parts, although the recitativo by the basses that opens the 4th movement is also pretty special. And...

What a cool idea, Gurn, yes I shall join you in the tradition!

What you said about Dvorak is very interesting. Yes it certainly WAS such a different world back then. Take for example how Beethoven just improvised entire cadenzas at the piano - wherever does that happen today? Most improvisation takes place in jazz bands, some rock groups and by organists in the church (that I know of anyway)

I am listening to Beethoven's Symphony no. 4 on Naxos what a cool symphony - I love the first movement especially.

[v russo]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
v.
You're right, not bad for a Sunday evening. I have been trying to hold up your end while you were gone, but can't seem to get a lot of takers on some of this post-1900 music. More's the pity! Now Janacek, what's wrong with Janacek?

Amalie,
Good lineup, I like Gabrieli, all the old school Italian violinists that have musically survived are pretty good. If you get the chance, you should give Locatelli a try. What I have heard is excellent! And some pretty good choices in the Beethoven department too, as though there were any bad ones!

For me it is the Quartet in Eb for Clarinet, Violin, Viola & Cello - J. Nepomuk Hummel. An undeservedly forgotten young chap.

Gurn,
There is nothing wrong at all with him. Listen on ol' boy!!

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v russo

[Gurn Blanston]

VC,
Yes, the cadenzas were a big deal back then, any musician who was able to call himself a soloist needed to be able to improvise his own cadenzas. And the surprising thing is that B was at least greatly responsible for changing that by being one of (if not the) first composers to write in all his cadenzas so that the improvisations aspect was gone. Today only do I know of Robert Levin who still does this. In his set of B concertos with Gardiner et al, he does the cadenzas, also in the opening to the Choral Fantasia. He has received a good amount of criticism for doing this, but I think it is a reasonable decision for the performer to make, especially one who is so capable of doing a good job of it. Oh well. Ah, the wonderful 4th. So underrated, so good! So, next Sunday I shall welcome you to Beethofenhof and we shall listen together. Wonderful!

So, a little change of pace for me now, It is the Symphonie Fantastique - Op 14 - Hector Berlioz - Certainly no doubt from the very beginning that this will be a child of the Age of Romanticism!


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

[Amalie]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
[B]VC, Ah, the wonderful 4th. So underrated, so good! So, next Sunday I shall welcome you to Beethofenhof and we shall listen together. Wonderful!

Beethofenhof, sounds interesting!


Now From the Royal Albert Hall, Proms.
Beethoven's symphony no. 7.
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Ilan Volkov.
An average performance, in my estimatioan.

Beethoven is composer of the week on BBC Radio 3.

Yes Gurn, I agree with your reference to Antonio Locatelli! I have quite enjoyed some of his works.

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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~

[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 08-09-2004).]

[Joy]

Amalie, nice Beethoven line up and to choose Beethoven of composer of the week, that's great!
Gurn, Shumann's 4th, yes, one of my favourites of his, especially the 1st movement, wonderful! Later on Great Performances, Gurn, will be Dvorak's "Romantic Pieces" Op 75. But I think it's a Haydn afternoon on my radio station, they're playing his Symphonies #61 in D; #86 in D; and #102!Also earlier was Mozart's Piano Concerto #10 and #23 in A K488, very nice. Later on is Beethoven's Ruins of Athens. Lots of listening pleasure!

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Joy]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:


Joy,
Thank you for that! Oddly, I was totally not aware of the relationship between D and Suk. Live and learn. Beethoven sonatas, eh? Kempff perhaps?? Pathetique maybe?

Hi Gurn, at the time I wrote that I wasn't sure what sonatas I would be listening to but never fear the classical station solved that problem and played Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-Flat Op 110 with Garrick Ohlsson, piano. Also listened to B's sonata #5 as I see Amalie did earlier.


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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Gurn Blanston]

Amalie,
Of course I wouldn't know this first hand, but I have many times heard that being there vs. hearing it on radio or CD makes all the difference in a performance. I wonder if tomorrow the reviewer will say "stunning, the apotheosis of the dance..." and leave you sitting there saying "what was HE listening to?" Well, a Beethovenian would find much to amuse, so I think we can go with that. Of course, so could a Mozartian!

Joy,
Great Performances, that is PBS, is it not? I can only dare to hope. I wonder if the Drobnosti will be played "a trois" or in the more familiar violin sonata configuration? This bears looking into!! Well, you also have a stellar lineup, very nice!

For me, the most unexpected thing! It is the entire incidental music to Rosamunde, D 797 - Schubert - Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Abbado - Anne Sofie von Otter - Yes, singing...


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

[Gurn Blanston]

Guten Morgen!
How is everyone today? I hope your day has start out as well as mine, I have the Symphony in D major - #6 - Op 60 - Antonin Dvorak - VPO/Chung. By some estimates, D's best symphony. Certainly a nice one in any case!



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

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Ellery:
I'm listening Sensemaya from Silvestre Revueltas, one of the best composer of all times from Mèxico and the world!!!

About all I know of Revueltas is from an album called, "Night of the Mayas". I've listened to that and enjoyed it very much but haven't seen or heard much else of him.

For now its the Toscanini version of Beethoven's 4th.

[Gurn Blanston]

Sorrano,
One day I will get those Toscanini's, but the 4th is a peach no matter who is playing it, sometimes the music can just transcend the players!

For me now, it is Tchaikovsky - Symphony in g minor - #1 - Op 13 - "Winter Dreams" - A piece that you just don't hear very often, but not because it isn't very nice. The players are the Royal PO/Temirkanov - there is that particularly Russian attack that serves it so well


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

[Amalie]

Earlier today Radio 3, composer of the week featuring Beethoven.

BEETHOVEN: Trio for Piano, violin and cello, Bb, 'Archduke'.

Les Adieux, Piano sonata.
Melvyn Tan (Fortepiano).

Missa Solemnis, Credo.
Eileen Farrell (soprano)
Ricard Lewis (Tenor)
Kim Borg (Bass)
Westminster Choir and New York Philharmonic/Bernstein.


Tow great Masses From tonight's Proms. Royal Albert Hall:

BIBER: Missa Bruxellensis

BACH: Magnificat in D, BWV 243.
Academy of Ancient Music Chorus
Academy of Ancient Music.



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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~

[Pastorali]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
For me, the most unexpected thing! It is the entire incidental music to Rosamunde, D 797 - Schubert - Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Abbado - Anne Sofie von Otter - Yes, singing...

Hey man, I listened to exactly the same stuff this morning... it's very beautiful isn't it? Just thinking as one, he?

For now a bit Mozart - K.314 Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in C Major. A lovely Naxos piece...
And in five minutes: Ah!!! Perfidoooooooooooo... on my headphones and full power, I tell you that!

[Vipercat]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
VC,
Yes, the cadenzas were a big deal back then, any musician who was able to call himself a soloist needed to be able to improvise his own cadenzas. And the surprising thing is that B was at least greatly responsible for changing that by being one of (if not the) first composers to write in all his cadenzas so that the improvisations aspect was gone. Today only do I know of Robert Levin who still does this. In his set of B concertos with Gardiner et al, he does the cadenzas, also in the opening to the Choral Fantasia. He has received a good amount of criticism for doing this, but I think it is a reasonable decision for the performer to make, especially one who is so capable of doing a good job of it. Oh well. Ah, the wonderful 4th. So underrated, so good! So, next Sunday I shall welcome you to Beethofenhof and we shall listen together. Wonderful!

So, a little change of pace for me now, It is the Symphonie Fantastique - Op 14 - Hector Berlioz - Certainly no doubt from the very beginning that this will be a child of the Age of Romanticism!

Alright, see you then, that'll be cool

For me, it's Bach's Concerto in D minor for 2 violins, as well as the A minor violin concerto! Wonderful!!!!