What Are You Listening To Now?

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Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:

And really, do you think I wouldn't miss a round of golf for a chance to go to the Proms and see the 160th consecutive performance of the 9th?

[/B]

That would be 159 times too many for this reviewer from The Harmonicon ,London 1825
" We find Beethoven's Ninth Symphony to be precisely one hour and five minutes long;a fearful period indeed,which puts the muscles and lungs of the band ,and the patience of the audience to a severe trial... The last movement ,a chorus ,is hetrogeneous. What relation it bears to the symphony we could not make out; and here,as well as in other parts ,the want of intelligible design is too apparent."

Ouch, does he mean the ending seemed tacked on?
spacerl

[spaceray]

Sorry,forgot to tell you I was listening to
Brahms Serenade No1 in D major opus 11.

Hmm Serenade, is this an unusual orchestral form for the time?

[Gurn Blanston]

TJ,
Delighted you could rejoin us! You needn't give us the sprained ankle story you gave the boss, Amalie saw you at the Proms the other night, seems as though everyone knew you well... Well, Kempff, Op 110, you ARE back with a bang! (lying about A of course, but that is where you SHOULD have been!)

Spacerl,
Yeah, it was a long time before they "got it", even in sophisticated England. I have read some horrible reviews, but really no one seemed to get the point less than your reviewer! Yes, I'm afraid that is precisely it, obviously he overlooked the reprise of every major theme from each movement at the beginning of the 4th, before the Ode to Joy signals a new "Töne". Ah, the lovely Brahms Serenade, eh? Yes indeed, it was an unusual form at that point in history. AFAIK no one had written an Orchestral Serenade since Mozart's "Posthorn" in 1779, because it was endemic to Salzburg. In a recent discussion we decided that it was probably a good way for Brahms to write something big and orchestral without having to do a symphony, in the "shadow of Beethoven", great footsteps pounding in his imagination... He done good, too!


For me, it is 12 Variations in Eb major for keyboard - Hob. XVII:3 - F. J. Haydn. John McCabe on piano. Delightful.



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

Originally posted by Vipercat:

Previously today I listened to Bach's Concerto in D minor for 2 violins, the A minor violin concerto and the E major violin concerto. Delightful!

****
Viper, (Bach's concerto for two violins)
Indeed a magnificent piece!
I was awestruck watching this duo performed at the proms concert by two leading baroque specialists, Andrew Manze played on a 1782 Gagliano violin and Rachel Podger on a 1739 violin, I'm afraid I've forgotten the name of that one.

***

Thanks to Pastor, and Sorrano, for the CD recommendations, they sound great!

***

Gurn,
It certainly is a wonderful atmoshphere at the Royal Albert Hall.
I guess Beethoven's 9th just blew England out of the water when it was first performed here, 1825 The point was that Beethoven was lightyears ahead of his contemporaries, when they were talking about his latest works, he was already writing his next piece.

***

This morning via Radio I was listening to a piece I haven't heard before from:
Weber, Bassoon concerto, F major 0p.75
Juhani Tapaninen, (Bassoon)
Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Very nice!


Haydn, String Quartet, C major, 0p.17 no.4




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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~



[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 08-24-2004).]

[Amalie]

My day off again!..

And what could be more pleasing than journeying whilst listening to BEETHOVEN'S 'Pastoral' symphony no.6
Vienna Philharmonic/Karl Bohm
I truly adore that first beautiful movement! the whole symphony is like looking beyond nature!
Das gefallt mir!

I'm on my way to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, ( my other favourite pastime) to see a play of course, Measure for Measure.
Matinee performance.


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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte

[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 08-24-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

Amalie,
Ah, day off is it? Plenty of listening time today! What pleases me about the Proms is that they had the good sense to begin a great tradition and stick with it. B dedicated that little tune to their founders after all. Yes, that is an unfortunate aspect of criticism, it is all retrospective, so it can't share a vision, it can only try to make sense of one. Unfortunately, critics are rarely of a mind to be visionary pioneers... I have that version of the 6th, your right, Böhm really "paints" that music using the VPO as his brush. I have 2 of that whole cycle, the 6ht and the 9th, both marvelous!

For me now, it is the Overture to Euryanthe - Carl Maria von Weber - Interesting, he nearly has a piano concerto in place here as an overtura. Oh, those Romantics!


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

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:


Pastrl,
No, I was listening to Bruckner 6 really, and I didn't just want to bring everyone down for no good reason, but there, now you have forced me That Schubert sounds interesting. Are those for orchestra? Hmmm...

I think that is a very fine symphony! For me it's more Dvorak, some minatures (Legends and some other transcriptions for orchestra).

[Joy]

Lots of good listening this morning for everyone as usual!
Amalie, enjoy your day off and the play. Let us know how it was.
For me today it's some Beethoven and some Mozart. Starting off with the Name-Day Celebration" Overture Op 115 with conductor Bela Drahos and the Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia also his Piano Concerto #1. Later on Mozart's Piano Concerto #6 and Symphony #40. Tonight back to Beethoven with his Symphony #7 via radio.

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[spaceray]

A good friend of mine sent me Weber's Piano concertos No 1 in C major and No 2 in E flat played by Gerhard Oppitz.I had never heard Weber before, these are wonderful!

[Gurn Blanston]

Sorrano,
Yes, so do I, just a bit of eccentricity from our majority, and always good for a laugh as you know how concentric I TRY to be! THose Dvorak miniatures are superb though, are they not? He is the only composer I know of who actually wrote what he called "bagatelles" other than B, although his are for strings instead of piano. If you haven't tried them and can, I really recommend them, they fit right in with what you have now.

Joy,
Another good listening day, I see. I like that #6 concerto, do you notice that after he reached that point, which was a big elevation in style, he stayed on that plateau for quite a while until the Vienna years. I like those, 6 through 12. Nice.

Spacerl,
Weber, eh? I listened to some Weber this morning too, not too bad for the little niche he fits into between M and B. No Hummel, true, but still...

For me, it is the Overture "In Italy" by Karl Goldmark - Op 49 - A mid-Romantic, Goldmark's style is more closely allied to Brahms' than to the more romantic Romantics like Bruckner or Liszt. Very nice craftsmanship.


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

[Pastorali]

I start my evening with the same disk like yesterday: Chamber Music by Schubert and Hüttenbrenner.

Actually Hüttenbrenner's Quintet in C minor for 2 Violins, 2 Violas and Violoncello. A great piece! my favorite on this CD and I wouldn't say to be dissapointed about the Schuberts on it

Gurnsterl: That Adagio and Rondo concertante D.487 is for Klavier, Geige, Bratsche und Cello. You left Bruckner, Mahler etc. behind you?

[ruudp]

Originally posted by Amalie:
My day off again!..

And what could be more pleasing than journeying whilst listening to BEETHOVEN'S 'Pastoral' symphony no.6
Vienna Philharmonic/Karl Bohm
I truly adore that first beautiful movement! the whole symphony is like looking beyond nature!
Das gefallt mir!

I'm on my way to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, ( my other favourite pastime) to see a play of course, Measure for Measure.
Matinee performance.

indeed do enjoy your play.
Excellent listening for everyone today I see..For me it's been the6th.7th. and 8th symphony by beethoven today *it was for the first time I actually listened too the 8th completely* what a positive and joyous symphony this 8th is...it just radiates positivity all over it..Also it has been sibelius' first symphony and Max bruchs's first violinconcerto in G minor on the radio today while working...and right now celebrating the birth of Allesandro Marcello on this day in 1669 by listening too his BEAUTIFULL Oboeconcerto in D minor..Did you know he often published works using a psydoniem/other name *psydoniem is dutch for changing your name..like the dutch writer Eduard douwes Dekker who used the name multatuli to publish his works*..He did so for different reasons one of them being the fact that his brother a composer as well namely Benedetto Marcello used to "borrow" themes from allesandro..Also this man was very whealthy and only composed as means of enjoyment not necesity, He died in 1747.

Regards,
Ruud

[Gurn Blanston]

Pastrl,
Well, if it worked well for you one time, then why not again, no? Is those Schubert's Adagio and Rondo on the same disk as that Hüttenbrenner? Or is that different disk? And those works, that is a Piano Quartet! I never knew franzrl wrote a Piano Quartettsatz! SO it was a valuable day to get out of bed and learn something, which I didn't think when the alarm went off this morning! Yes, no Bruckner or Mahler this afternoon, I am back on track!

Ruud,
And here is a surprise for you too: Gurn Blanston is actually MY pseudonym! No, it's true, my real name was too unusual, and I didn't want to be laughed at, so I took this much more common name instead! But in fact, I must tell you I have never heard of Marcello, I have only gone back a small way into the Baroque, and there are so very many composers back there. Maybe I shall get lucky and one day find a disk of his. Tell me this, is the playing on authentic oboe and orchestra instruments? That would be nice.

For me, it is the Concerto in a minor for Piano and Orchestra - #2 - Op 85 - Humblebee, er, Hummel.


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

[Amalie]

Thanks Joy & Ruud,
I did enjoy this afternoon's excellent performance as usual at the Globe Theatre I am afraid I am stickler for authenticity.
I have only been disappointed their once last year at a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream. I do still love to read the plays though, never tire of them.

***

Tonight I have been listening to a CD -
SCHUBERT'S, Winterreise, sung by Dietrich Fischer-Deiskau.
Alfred Brendel (piano).

**
Very nice selections from your radio programmes there I see !


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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~

[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 08-24-2004).]

[ruudp]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
Pastrl,
Well, if it worked well for you one time, then why not again, no? Is those Schubert's Adagio and Rondo on the same disk as that Hüttenbrenner? Or is that different disk? And those works, that is a Piano Quartet! I never knew franzrl wrote a Piano Quartettsatz! SO it was a valuable day to get out of bed and learn something, which I didn't think when the alarm went off this morning! Yes, no Bruckner or Mahler this afternoon, I am back on track!

Ruud,
And here is a surprise for you too: Gurn Blanston is actually MY pseudonym! No, it's true, my real name was too unusual, and I didn't want to be laughed at, so I took this much more common name instead! But in fact, I must tell you I have never heard of Marcello, I have only gone back a small way into the Baroque, and there are so very many composers back there. Maybe I shall get lucky and one day find a disk of his. Tell me this, is the playing on authentic oboe and orchestra instruments? That would be nice.

For me, it is the Concerto in a minor for Piano and Orchestra - #2 - Op 85 - Humblebee, er, Hummel.

These are the perfomers they sounded VERY authentic to me:
Accademia di San Rocco, Orchestra Barocca di Venezia olv Andrea Marcon

Right now it is,
Händel: Concerto grosso in c minor op.6 nr.8

Vivaldi: Violinconcerto 'Grosso Mogul'

Telemann: Darmstädter Ouverture in d minor
Combattimento Consort Amsterdam conductor Jan Willem de Vriend, viool
Gordan Nikolitch, viool
Aswell with harpsichord and authenticlike performances..
Regards,
Ruud

P.s I only figured out this signature stuff now so please don't laugh at me..I might change soon..