What Are You Listening to Now?

[JA Gardiner]

After a very trying day in a very trying week, I'm finding some soul refreshment in the company of Mozart - Serenade no 11 K375a and Divertimenti K 166 and 186 with the K439b Divertimenti to come. May need something a little less bright to help me sleep though!

------------------
Beethoven the Man!

[Joy]

Originally posted by atserriotserri:
[B]Today is the "Art of fugue" day.

B]

Heard the first part of this Bach's piece earlier today and I must say I enjoyed it immensely! Good choice!


------------------
'Truth and beauty joined'

[Joy]

Originally posted by spaceray:


Gurn,
Cristies set a world auction record this week for a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini cello,it sold to cellist Pieter Wispelwey for 341,250,English pounds.
The instrument was made in Parma in 1760.

Wow, Muriel, that's remarkable!!

Right now it's Beethoven's Symphony #1 via radio and the second movment of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik". Maybe your grandchild would enjoy this, it's very soothing!



------------------
'Truth and beauty joined'

[Gurn Blanston]

Sorrano,
No, I haven't, and me a St Saens fan too. I will have a look for it though. BTW, did you get carried away with your "seven-ing" there, or did Piotr Ilyich have a rediscovery? Even if it was only the 6th, that is a marvelous work. Adding Beethoven's 7th to that list would make it just about great!

Joy,
Hey, I bet that was nice. Marsalis actually plays classical music in very classical style. I really like it!

Pastrl,
Wow, quite a lineup there! Is the Weber Grand Duo also for clarinet(s)? That seems to have been his speciality. Bona nox, bist recta ox

atserri,
Trouble is, there are so many! For me, it is the toccatas and fugues, all of them, not just the d minor. There is a SONY Essential Classic of the incomparable E. Power Biggs (what a name, and actually his own!) playing all of these, it should be generally available. Of course there is always the 11 disk set of complete works for organ, I think on Hannsler.

Amalia,
Oh, I bet that Tartini is a pip! I like his works, I have a great Manze disk with several of them (not that one though) that is very enjoyable. I hear he was a rogue and a scoundrel (not Manze!). Coupled with his brilliance on the fiddle, that makes him doubly appealing!

Spacerl,
Oh, what do you think of that Septet? Though B was disgusted with its popularity, I never let that put me off. I think it's a peach!
Man, nearly 350,000 pounds for a cello! It must be a honey. Perhaps we shall hear Mr. Wispelway play it someday. Hope so.
Which puts me in mind that I saw today that Sotheby's have a sheet on both sides of the first draft of the reprise of Op 127. It is reproduced on the web page, along with a super little history note on it. They are expecting 150,000 pounds for it. I have the link at work and will post it here tomorrow. You all must really check it out, also the other things there, like a autograph score of Mozart's K 467 Piano Concerto in C #21!! Doesn't that belong in a museum?

Ahmad,
You are quite welcome, your question made me curious too, I always appreciate that. And also my countryman remaining in position. Glad that is now over with... Great, I love it when someone listens to the less played things. And that Eb Piano Concerto is really a nice one, too.

JA,
Well, if Mozart doesn't pep you up, what could? I love those divertimenti. May I ask, who is playing the K 439b Clarinet and Bassoon works for you this evening? I have a couple of versions and am aware of a third, and they are all different from each other! You could really surprise me and say "no, Gurn, this is the original version for 3 Basset Horns"! Now, THAT I would go for!

Joy,
Indeed, and I listened to it played by the Juilliard String Quartet just yesterday! Such a versatile and entertaining piece of music in every way and scoring, no?

For me, it is the remarkable Octet for Winds & Strings in F major - D 803 - Franzrl Schubert. The Nash Ensemble. Outstanding!


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

[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 11-05-2004).]

[spaceray]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ahmad:

Spaceray,
I like this trio, especially the beatiful adagio in the middle..! One of my favourites...
How is it going on with piano practising?

QUOTE]
Ahmad,
I gave up the piano a few months ago , it was just impossible,I learned to play a bit but it was clear to me that I would never be able to make an intelligent noise on the thing.I could only play at glacial speeds.
Truely a hopeless endeavour for me. However I'm a lot more comfotable with music language and key structures and relationships as well as music terms.
I am better able to understand books that I read on music.So I don't think I wasted my time or money on the venture.
I can play Robert Schumann's 'Traumeri'if you've got a couple of hours.
Thanks for asking though,
Muriel

[Amalie]

Hieronymus Kapsberger: Seconda arpeggiata,
Hugh Sandilands [Chittarone].

H.... Kapsberger: Aria di Fioreinza
Paul O'Dette, [Chittarone]

Vivaldi: Cello Sonata no.4.
Wispelway [cello] / Florileguim

Vivaldi: Concerto con Violino,
Jordi Savall / Viola da Gamba.

Johan Michael Haydn: Divertimento in C,
Piccolo Concerto Wien.

Tartini: Sonata in G, 'The Devils Trill'
Stefanato [violin].




------------------
~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~


[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 11-05-2004).]

[Amalie]

Originally posted by atserriotserri:
Today is the "Art of fugue" day. Listening to this Bach's masterpiece played in clavecin & afterwards in organ (organ version is so peaceful...). I love this Andre Isoir organ version. I've not deepened in Bach's organ works, perhaps my first approach with Gould was a little bit dissapointing. Any recommendations on Bach organ works? Christmas' round the corner....

Asterr,
I could recommend these delightful favourites; they really are excellent!
Bach Organ Sonatas, BWV 525-530
Either by Hurford, Koopman or Rogg.

For more info about them, go to http://www.biberfan.com/reviews/bachtriosonatas.shtml

To listen to samplers http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...663347?=glance

Another interesting site, http://www.jsbach.org/roggorganworks.html

Hope that helps

------------------
~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~


[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 11-05-2004).]

[Amalie]

RAMEAU:
Acante et cephise, au la sympathie les Talens Lyriques / Christophe Rousset
L'Oiseau Lyre.
A very lively piece with surprising sounds like fireworks going off everywhere.
Quite appropriate for Nov.5th

ALBINONI: Concerto no.3, Bb,
Insieme Strumentale di Roma.

BEETHOVEN: Opferlied, Die Flamme Lodert.

The flame flares up, a softer light
shines through the sombre oak grove,
and whiffs of incense swirl
O bend a gracious ear to me
and let the youth's sacrifice
content thee, thou Supreme Being!

May freedom ever be defense and shield!
Gently breathe thy spirit life
through air, fire and flood !
Give me, in youth and in age,
truth, beauty and goodness
at thy paternal hearth, O Zeus!




------------------
~ Unsterbliche Geliebte ~




[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 11-05-2004).]

[Sorrano]

For those who noticed my entry of Tchaikowsky's 7th symphony, apparently he had sketched at least 3 movements and what I listened to was an orchestral realization of the sketches. Sorry that my information on this is just as sketchy, but that is about what I heard. How much of this has been realized I do not know but I think it bears some investigation.

[Gurn Blanston]

Gutenmorgen jeder!
Here is the link that I promised. Really, you must go look this over, there are manuscripts from B and Mozart, and a whole lot more. If you explore each one there is some wondrful info in there too.
http://tinyurl.com/6cxnh

Sorrano,
Thanks for clearing that up, I KNEW you hadn't flipped out on us

For me, it is the Sonata in C major for Piano - #4 (of 6)- Op 38 - J.N. Hummel - Ian Hobson playing. Hummel gets better as he goes. Can't wait to hear 5 & 6!


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

[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 11-05-2004).]

[spaceray]

I'm listening to Louis Spohr's Nonete in F Major op 31.
Here Spohr speaks of a visit in Venice "to the German musician ,Aiblinger,a native of Munich and a pupil of Winter,who has been living in Venice for 16 years.He is a pianist
and composer and seems to have a real feeling for his art.At least,he complained,almost with tears in his eyes,that in Italy he was deprived of any opportunity of keeping pace with his German musical contemporaries.He almost never has the fortune to hear an important German work ,and it simply broke his heart to be bound by his fate to a city where for 16 years ,the same music was played over and over again,while the Germans in the same space of time,had produced many a classic. He knows our newer music quite imperfectly from piano scores which he manages to procure from time to time at great expense of money and effort.I have subsequently had a look at his work and can testify that he might have amounted to something if he had not been couped up in this artistic Siberia."
this from "Five Centuries of Music in Venice" by HC Robbins-Landon

[Rutradelusasa]

These days have been days of Marschner-madness here. Der Vampyr alternates with Hans Heiling a lot, then I listen to the baritone arias of both, and, boy!, could he write a baritone aria.
Also, hat's off to DGG's golden age and it's The Original's series, I just bought Kleiber's Beethoven's 5 & 7, superb!, and Jochum/Gilels' Brahms' concertos, extraordinary it is!
I still haven't been unpleased by one of this series, plus these cds were quite cheap . So you can imagine that Brahms' have been hammering that ol' Steinway (must have been one on the recording, or better) non-stop.
Also at the cd shop I went was the Karajan '63 symphonies cycle with the BPO, but this cycle has also re-appered on Collector's, SACD, and more, and I guess it comes with overtures in the Collector's. My question is: should I run and buy it (it's only the symphonies) because it's a must? Should I wait a bit more and buy the collector's?

And now to Brahms' second piano concerto!

------------------
"Wer ein holdes weib errungen..."

[Joy]

Rutra, Kleiber's 5th and 7th excellent choice as many here would agree!

As for me I've been listening to Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 7 in C K 309 with Alicia de Larrocha, piano. Also the Overture to "Don Giovanni" K 527 conducted by Barry Wordsworth and the Capella Istropolitana orchestra. Also, later, Beethoven's Piano Sonata #31 via radio.

------------------
'Truth and beauty joined'

[JA Gardiner]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
!
JA,
Well, if Mozart doesn't pep you up, what could? I love those divertimenti. May I ask, who is playing the K 439b Clarinet and Bassoon works for you this evening? I have a couple of versions and am aware of a third, and they are all different from each other! You could really surprise me and say "no, Gurn, this is the original version for 3 Basset Horns"! Now, THAT I would go for!

Dear Gurn, to be honest I'm not exactly sure as I'm not very familiar with this bit of the opus. But according to my sleeve notes which are maddeningly ambiguous - the 439b's are indeed played by 3 Basset Horns (nearly said Basset Hounds there - now that would be interesting to go with the Cat's Chorus!)in the hands of Nicholas Bucknall, Richard Hosford and Mark Tromans who are in company with the Chamber Orchestra of Wind Soloists on a collection of Mozart Divertimenti for Wind Instruments produced by Teldec. According to the text note however " The notation and stylistic peculiarities of the 25 pieces making up the 5 Divertimenti suggest that they were originally written for 3 Basset Horns. It has not proved possible up to the present to show whether the alternative scoring is authentic or not. However,since David and Springer were already dead when the first edition appeared in 1803 and other players had insufficient command of the Basset Horn, a second version was necessary. This version has since become established, and can be regarded as being just as valid as the original scoring."
I'm therefore assuming that what I'm hearing is the 2nd version but played by 3 Basset Horns..... Confused? I know I am.
Either way they're lovely and got me through a difficult patch at work today in good shape. But I think I'm back to the Boss tonight with a tough-minded String Quartet or two - No 13 in B flat op. 130 and the Grosse Fuge op 133 done by the Lindsays if I'm up to it!

------------------
Beethoven the Man!

[This message has been edited by JA Gardiner (edited 11-05-2004).]

[Gurn Blanston]

JA,
Only have a minute so I'll mnake this quick. It has now been definitively established that the original scoring was 3 basset horns (or hounds, as the case may be), but it was very early rescored for 2 clarinets and basson. Originally the 25 movements were just that, that is why all 5 works are int eh same key. They were not written as complete works, just a bunch of movements. Artaria (I think) in the late 1790's decided to publish them when Stadler sent them the scores, and THEY divided them up into 5 works of 5 movements each, and also, since the basset horn was a disappearing item, probably had them rescored at that time. The only ever recordings that I have seen have been the 2 clarinets & bassoon version, but I would love to find the original version if possible. With all the authentic instrument revival going on, you would think tossing off a basset or 3 would be a piece of cake, yes?

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