What Are You Listening To Now?

[Amalie]

A few favourites to start the morning with

Beethoven's magic spell - Sonata no. 20 0p.49, no.2
John Lill (piano)

Mozart: Vorei Speigarvi, oh Dio.
Diana Damru, (soprano)
BBC Symphony


Mozart: Horn Concerto no.4,Eb, K 495

Handel: Water Music-Suite in G major.
Australian Brandenberg Orchestra.

Prokofiev, Sonata for Cello & Piano
Steven Isserlis (cello)
Kirill Gerstein (piano)


Bach: Concerto for violin, harpsichord and orchestra. in C minor.
Andrew Manze/violin/director
Richard Egar (harpsichord)
Risor Festival Strings.


Luverly!


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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~


[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 08-26-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

King,
Well, thank god you recovered nicely, that Brahms is a peach! A shot of penicillin to continue my strained metaphor I very much agree, you can always count on a good performance by Brendel, one of the top 5 living pianists, IMHO.

Spacerl,
Listening to Haydn while reading a good trashing of Wagner, now, THAT's the good life! It is not hard to see that the dichotomy between love/hate Wagner has existed since the very beginning, it is not a modern phenomenon, nor has time healed it up as it has done with Beethoven. He got mixed reviews at the introduction of many of his works, but eventually the greatness of the music transcended all that. In W's case, that didn't happen, so logically it can only be...

Amalie,
Excellent lineup. I am intrigued with the cello/piano transcription of the Water Music Suite. I have never heard anything but the real deal, but I know Isserlis is a darned fine cellist, so I imagine this is quite listenable, no?

For me now, it is the Concertante for Flute, Clarinet & Orchestra in B major - Op 41 - Franz Danzi (1763-1826) - James Galway & Sabine Meyer play this lovely work with the Württembergers very convincingly. It really is nice music. Anyone know much about Danzi?


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Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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PS - just found this link:
http://tinyurl.com/6s9rz

[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 08-26-2004).]

[v russo]

the great J.S. Bach:
His Toccata and Fuge D Minor- Italian Suite- English Suite- Little Fuge; on an EMI classics release.

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v russo

[Joy]

Amalie, I'm curious about the Water Music too. I've only heard the real deal also. How was it?
Gurn, now you have to let us know who the other four greatest living pianists are IYHO! Enquiring minds want to know!

For me today it's Beethoven's Piano Trio #4; later on Haydn's Symphonies #40 and #102.

Gurn, are you up to those numbers yet?

Also, Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Op 96 with Martha Argerich, piano and Gidon Kremer, violin. Maybe "A Little "Night Music" later courtesy of Mozart.


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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Gurn Blanston]

v.
If you are going to choose Bach, you chose the right music for him. I like all of those, particularly the Italian (concerto?), and I don't think anyone dislikes the Tocatta and Fugue in d minor.

Joy,
OK:
Alfred Brendel
Stephen (Bishop) Kovacevich
Martha Argerich
Mikhail Pletnev
Mitsuko Uchida

I hope this doesn't start a deluge of "that guy sucks, this is the man" posts!
As for the Haydn, I listened to #102 last night, but haven't heard #40 yet. I am curious, with #39 being considered kind of radical, does he become reactionary in #40 and seem concervative, or is he hanging it out there too? Well, either way, along with that lovely trio, you have some good listening ahead. Also, that is my still current favorite version of the violin sonata, how does it sit with you?

For me, it is the Symphony in D major - #2 - Op 36 - Luigi Beethoven - Gardiner. Lovely rendition, I must say.


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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 08-26-2004).]

[ruudp]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
Ruud,
Well, that is a good bit to listen. When you say you are playing the Mozart sonata, I am thinking that you really mean that you are playing the Mozart sonata, not as I do on my MP3 player, but on the pianoforte. Yes? That is so great, I hope you soon have it all, maybe you post a MP3 for us to listen?!?!

Gurn,
Altough my piano is FAR from being a pianoforte *build 25 years ago by August's förster company* your speculations were right..I'm indeed playing the piece in the performing kind of way Just the clementi sonatines I talked about earlier..I've never seen these in shops before although the op.36 are little gems for a player...

Today it's been a interesting listening day for me once again on the radio..It's been the enigma variations by Edward Elgar, Finlandia by Jean sibelius, a concerto for violin and orchestra *grosse mogul* by vivaldi performed authenticly *judging at the sound of the oboe and harpschichord* and some mozart including his 20th pianoconcerto..

Regards,
Ruud

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Music is like Blood...vital too ones well-being

[spaceray]

Gurn,
It did rather surprise me that there were so many nasty Beethoven reviews in the Lexicon of Invective,26 in all,some of them very mean indeed.Mostly concerning the 9th and other later works.A great number refer to B's deafness and madness.
This one from The American Art Journal of 1866 seems odd in that they do not offer the actual name of the piece discussed.Perhaps you can tell me what opus they are talking about.
"Beethoven's one hundred and thirty-fifth work was one of his latest,and gives painful evidence of an unbalanced mind,or at least of a morbid sentiment which has grown into a disease . It may ,however,be maintained by those who admit thats its abstruse sublimity places it above the rules of criticism and beyond the comprehension of critics . We agree to both propositions, confessing that we can see no reason for its construction ,and declaring that we could understand no part of it ,save a few magnificent phrases at the begining of the 'Lento assai',which are sublime in their beauty. The rest is a chaos of unfinished forms,dreary, dreamy, lugubrious-a sucession of painful imitations,with discords carried to the point of agony,without any tangible result.It was curious to watch the faces of the audience as movement after movement of this dreary ,unintelligible composition came on and passed away with but one spark of Beethoven's grand inspiration. It seems to us that Wagner commenced where Beethoven left off; that he has inherited to a certain degree the morbid and confused mind which afflicted the great composer in his last days. Wagner has certainly flashes of clear and brilliant thoughts,but Beethoven's one hundred and thirty-fifth work seems to have been his starting point.This work must have been well played to have rescued any clear points out of the tangled chaos. We trust ,however ,for the sake of these very pleasant soirees that no more of such works ,which are at all events caviare to the multitude,among which we are included,will be placed upon the programmes. As curiosities it is well enough to attempt to master their obscureness in private,but it is poor policy to make the public swallow so distasteful a dose."

Ouch!So what work are they talking about here?

[Pastorali]

Gurn
Yes really, it sucks me, if you don't mention Jeno Jando on your list
I have to admit a bit Schubert and Hüttenbrenner and then Mozart's Concertos for Flute and Orchestra K.313 + 314.

[This message has been edited by Pastorali (edited 08-26-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

Ruud,
Ah yes, Clementi, I have heard that he shows up frequently in teaching courses. And nice little works too. I have only a few of his sonatas, but not those sonatines. Oh, not to worry, I haven't lost my mind: pianoforte is just the Italian word for piano, as opposed to fortepiano.
A good days listening for you too. That Vivaldi, I saw you listened to it also yesterday, so, is it a recording of yours, or that streaming audio place? If yours, I would be interested in the RV # so I can look it up.

Spacerl,
Oh, no doubt, that is B's 16th and last string quartet, in F major, a lovely work that many people today consider to be a turning back away from some of the advances he made previously. Hard to imagine that the reviewer found it confusing, even I can make my way through it OK, and I'm... well, let's just say I'm not a musician!

For me though, it is the Sinfonia in A major "Symphony in the Taste of 5 Nations" - Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf. The 5 movements are;
German: Andantino
Italian: Allegro
English: Allegretto
French: Minuet Turkish: Trio
Finale (???)

Quite an interesting chap, Ditters, need to find more about him, I think.

Pastorali,
You do have a way with words, mein Freund! I knew if I committed myself to anything that some would be disappointed, but Joy made me do it, you should get after her! Good music going, I see though, opening with the Hüttenbrenner again I see. I looked that disk up, I see why yuou like it, so many nice things on there!

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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 08-26-2004).]

[Amalie]

Beethoven's sublime String quartet, 0p.135.
Beyond classification, even today it seems Beethoven is still very far ahead of us and to arrive at an adequate description of these sublime mysterious pieces, eludes us today!

And
B's Allegretto in Bb major, Wo0 39
Piano Trio in Bb major, 0p.11 'Gassenhauer'
Vienna Piano Trio
Wolfgang Redik,(violin)
Marcus Trefny, (cello)
Stefan Mendl, (piano)

Rameau:
Les Indes Galantes
Triosieme, Entree; airs pour Zephire and airs pour les Fleurs.
Les Arts Florissants.

Superb

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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~

[Amalie]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gurn Blanston

Amalie,
Excellent lineup. I am intrigued with the cello/piano transcription of the Water Music Suite. I have never heard anything but the real deal, but I know Isserlis is a darned fine cellist, so I imagine this is quite listenable, no?

Gurn & Joy,
I don't quite know what you mean, did I really lose the plot somewhere?


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~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~



[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 08-26-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

Joy,
Oh look, someone went back and edited Amalie's post! Either that or the drugs have entirely worn off, more's the pity

Amalie,
Tell us about the Rameau, I have nothing from him but harpsichord music, and despite my atrocious French, I think I can make out that this isn't! As for the Quartet, I have read so many different ideas about it, I am convinced you are right, no one has a clew.

For me, it is the Concerto in Bb major for Fortepiano & Orchestra - #2 - Op 19 - Louis Beethoven - Robert Levin, and the Gardiner group with the too-long name. Excellent playing though.




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

[spaceray]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
[B]
Spacerl,
Oh, no doubt, that is B's 16th and last string quartet, in F major, a lovely work that many people today consider to be a turning back away from some of the advances he made previously. Hard to imagine that the reviewer found it confusing, even I can make my way through it OK, and I'm... well, let's just say I'm not a musician!

For me though, it is the Sinfonia in A major "Symphony in the Taste of 5 Nations" - Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf. The 5 movements are;
German: Andantino
Italian: Allegro
English: Allegretto
French: Minuet Turkish: Trio
Finale (???)

Quite an interesting chap, Ditters, need to find more about him, I think.

Gurn,SQ in F you say, the opus 135?
This is what I'm listening to right now. I don't hear"any discords carried to the point of agony" It sounds pretty wonderful to me(played by the Quartetto Italiano)
But I suppose to the ears of the critic writing in 1866 it might have sounded too far out for what was popular at the time.
I've listened to these late quartets many times now .I enjoy them more at every hearing.

BTW way I looked up your Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739-99)in my Larousse,They give him 3 lines,here they are"author of some hundred symphonies,introduced into his fresh and elegant works are
the elements of popular music and of the style galant,as well as Italian mannerisims."

You might be interested also in his Stegreifkomodie (impromptu comedy)very popular in Vienna and Salzberg.
Yep ,I mean singing,apparently your man was a wiz at it .

[King Stephen]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
v.
If you are going to choose Bach, you chose the right music for him. I like all of those, particularly the Italian (concerto?), and I don't think anyone dislikes the Tocatta and Fugue in d minor.

Joy,
OK:
Alfred Brendel
Stephen (Bishop) Kovacevich
Martha Argerich
Mikhail Pletnev
Mitsuko Uchida

I hope this doesn't start a deluge of "that guy sucks, this is the man" posts!
As for the Haydn, I listened to #102 last night, but haven't heard #40 yet. I am curious, with #39 being considered kind of radical, does he become reactionary in #40 and seem concervative, or is he hanging it out there too? Well, either way, along with that lovely trio, you have some good listening ahead. Also, that is my still current favorite version of the violin sonata, how does it sit with you?

For me, it is the Symphony in D major - #2 - Op 36 - Luigi Beethoven - Gardiner. Lovely rendition, I must say.

Gurn,
I would have found room on your list to add Vladimir Ashkenazy and Alicia de Larrocha.
Steve

[Gurn Blanston]

Spacerl,
Yes, but it is even hard to give him the benefit of the doubt, that work was already 40 years old by then, clearly this was a solid case of cranio-rectal inversion, We can prevent that nowadays but back then, before antibiotics, it was much like the other social diseases And you know that Ditters was also known to have jammed on some Mozart with Haydn, Mozart and Vanhal, so he had to have some chops too!
DO the Italianos do a nice job on B? I have them doing some Brahms, and their somewhat emotional delivery is perfect for the Romantics...

King,
Couldn't agree more, but that pesky Joy pinned me down to 5, so what could I do? I have some B sonatas by Askkenazy that I really like, he does a wicked Hammerklavier, and De Laroccha is, IMHO, an excellent Mozartian, although I really like Haebler in Mozart because she plays with the sort of nice, non-ornamented style that suits him best. But I have heard some AdL sonatas that were pretty darn good.
So, WAYLTN? I recommend a St Säens violin sonata, perfect for a Friday AM!

For me, it is in fact the Symphony in G major - #3 - "The Great National" - Muzio Clementi - Although primarily known as a piano composer, Clementi was a man of some capability at composing symphonies too. He won't be confused with Beethoven, but still, pretty good anyway!



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