what are we listening too now??

[atserriotserri]

Very pleasant and on the other hand, quite schizophrenic day, since my two records for today are:

JS Bach Goldberg Variations BWV 988 by Andras Schiff, a live recording at the Stadtcasino in Basel. Great performance and extensive inner notes, with comments and remarks for the aria and each one of the variations. Excellent ECM sound. I feel so sorry that I missed his concert 2 months ago in Barcelona!!
Chopin Polonaises by Rubinstein (1964). What can I say!
Both pieces and composer demand great attention since their compositions are full of details.

Yesterday I attended to a concert in the Barcelona Auditori:
I haven't listened at Respighi, and I found his "Fountains of Rome" very interesting, very "impressionistic" (morning, noon, night...).
After, it was the premiere of the first Piano Concerto by a catalan composer (Xavier Benguerel) who actually attended at the concert. Is one of those pieces which deserve respect, but you don't like much, hope you understand what I mean. Very dense, quite confuse, at moments already caotic. It is curious since this composer had is biggest success with an evidently different piece, the Oratorium based on the chants and dances of the "llibre vermell de Montserrat" (The red book from Montserrat), a codice from the Montserrat abbey near Barcelona, written in catalan and dated from the XIV century. It was very celebrated, and the pianist (albert attenelle) encore was the polonaise no. 1, nicely performed.

The last piece performed was the Domestic Symphony from Strauss.

[Gurn Blanston]

Joy,
No, finally a day with no rain. We got 10.5" in the last week, but no threat of flooding in this area, we are built for that sort of thing!

Amalie, (sorry, can't adapt to new spellings!)
But won't it take like 5 years to listen to all of those? It is like more than half of his oeuvre! AND, it is nearly all singing! How brave you are, dear!

Sorrano,
That sounds like a great lineup. For me, those big military marches are great, can't imagine why anyone would criticize music like that!

atserri,
Great weekend then. I like Schiff in most things, I haven't heard his Bach, but he is really good in Mozart and Schubert, for two, I would enjoy following him a bit. Your concert sounds interesting. Dense and chaotic? The man seems to be quite polarized in his interests! Still, interesting lineup.

For me, it is the Concerto in C major for Piano & - #6 - John Field. It is every bit as nice and interesting as the previous 5. Reminds me in many ways of Mendelssohn's concerti, nice melodies on top of everything else.


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

[spaceray]

I have a last listen to PC #5 in C Major by Field before I must return it to the library.

Even though Field was born in Ireland he lived his life in England and toured all over Europe can one really call him an Irish composer.
What about Chopin he spend his short adult life in Paris, doesn't that make him a French composer.
How about Handel ,is he an English composer?
he wrote Italian Operas.
At least Beethoven had the courtesy to stay put and avoid confusion.

[urtextmeister]

Inspired by all of this talk about Field, but too poor to by recordings, I played through all of the nocturnes I have (18). Does anybody how many there are altogether?
I really enjoyed playing them and will try to keep a few under my fingers. I am struck by the intimate quality of these pieces--truly not meant for the concert hall--and the wonderfully sophisticated ornamentation. Like fine lace.
Apparently he spent many years demonstrating pianos to customers for his boss Clementi, who apparently sold them?

Anyway, also listening to Bach's St. John passion. What a powerful experience it must be to see and hear a live performance!

[Gurn Blanston]

UTM,
This is what I found as a list of noctunles by Field. Looks like you have all of them except a couple of named works at the bottom:
Nocturnes

* No.1 in E-flat Major (St. Petersburg, 1812)
* Romance in C minor
* No. 2 in C minor (Moscow, 1812)
* No. 3 in A-flat Major (Moscow, 1812)
* No. 4 in A Major (St. Petersburg, 1817)
* Serenade in B-flat Major
* No. 5 in B-flat Major (St. Petersburg, 1817)
* No. 6 in F Major (two versions) (Moscow, 1817)
* No. 7 in C Major (St. Petersburg, 1821)
* No. 8 in A Major (St. Petersburg, 1821)
* Pastoral in A Major (Vienna, 1816)
* No. 9 in E-flat Major (Romance) (Leipzig, 1816)
* No. 10 in E minor
* No. 11 in E-flat Major (Berlin, 1833)
* No. 12 in G Major (Paris, 1834)
* No. 13 in D minor (Paris, 1834)
* No. 14 in C Major (1835)
* No. 15 in C Major (Paris, 1834)
* No. 16 in F Major
* Grande Pastorale (Nocturne no. 17 in Breitkopf & Härtel edition) (London, 1832)
* Pastoral E Major
* Nocturne in B-flat Major
* The Troubadour

It also says that his publication of Nocturne #1 in 1812 anticipated Chopin by 20 years, and the style was a huge influence on such as Mendelssohn (Songs Without Words are apparently nocturnes) and Liszt, as well as Chopin.

For me, it is also some solo piano, the original "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky. Nice work even if you DON'T know the story.


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

[This message has been edited by Gurn Blanston (edited 11-29-2004).]

[Big D]

Night on Bald Mountain by Mussogorsky. It sort of reminds me of the end to Symphony Fantastique, but I think its better than that work. I wished Mussogorsky could have gotten his act together and lived longer than just a paltry 42 years.

[This message has been edited by Big D (edited 11-30-2004).]

[spaceray]

Poor Mussorgsky,the drink destroyed his health,I'm listening now to the non vocal version of St John's Night on the Bald Mountian,the original ,not the sweetened version by Rimsky -Korsakov.

[Big D]

Originally posted by spaceray:
Poor Mussorgsky,the drink destroyed his health,I'm listening now to the non vocal version of St John's Night on the Bald Mountian,the original ,not the sweetened version by Rimsky -Korsakov.

Which do you prefer?

[spaceray]

Do you ask if I prefer the vocal over the choral or the Mussorgsky over the Rimsky-Korsakov?

[Amalie]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
[B]Joy,
No, finally a day with no rain. We got 10.5" in the last week, but no threat of flooding in this area, we are built for that sort of thing!

Amalie, (sorry, can't adapt to new spellings!)
But won't it take like 5 years to listen to all of those? It is like more than half of his oeuvre! AND, it is nearly all singing! How brave you are, dear!


Yes, but look how the time will go by with all that quality listening and all that wonderful quality singing, you can't live in the world an not hear them.

A Scottish flavour this morning to celebrate St. Andrews Day.

Arnold: 4 Scottish Dances
The Philharmonia/Bryden Thomson

Part: My heart is in the Highlands (Robert Burns poem)
Stephen Wallace, countertenor
Matthew Owens, [organ]
Beautufully sung !


Coles: From the Scottish Highlands
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra


Even Papa Haydn's at it !

Haydn Scottish songs:
The looking glass
The Shepherd's wife
The White Cockade
Olga Tverskaya [fortepiano]
Rachel Podger [violin]
Oleg Kogan [cello]

Just Wonderful !

The BBC might have inclided a few Beethoven Scottish songs also.
I'm beginning to feel quite homesick now


Moving on now to an arduous session for all piano students:
The art of finger practice 0p.740, by Carl Czerny, Study no. 38, Bb,
Study no. 27 in D, / Guy Dugal [piano]


Bach: Italian Concerto in F,
Rosalyn Tureck [piano}

Bach: Cantata no. 55./ American Bach Soloists.
Bach: Aria - Schlummert ein, Ihr matten augen. / English Baroque Soloists.


------------------
~ Courage, so it be righteous, will gain all things ~



[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 11-30-2004).]

[Amalie]

[quote]Originally posted by Amalie:
[b]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:
Joy,
No, finally a day with no rain. We got 10.5" in the last week, but no threat of flooding in this area, we are built for that sort of thing!

Amalie, (sorry, can't adapt to new spellings!)
But won't it take like 5 years to listen to all of those? It is like more than half of his oeuvre! AND, it is nearly all singing! How brave you are, dear!


Yes, but look how the time will go by with all that quality listening and all that wonderful quality singing, you can't live in the world an not hear them.

A Scottish flavour this morning to celebrate St. Andrews Day.

Arnold: 4 Scottish Dances
The Philharmonia/Bryden Thomson

Part: My heart is in the Highlands (Robert Burns poem)
Stephen Wallace, countertenor
Matthew Owens, [organ]
Beautufully sung !


Coles: From the Scottish Highlands
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra


Even Papa Haydn's at it !

Haydn Scottish songs:
The looking glass
The Shepherd's wife
The White Cockade
Olga Tverskaya [fortepiano]
Rachel Podger [violin]
Oleg Kogan [cello]

Just Wonderful !

The BBC might have included a few Beethoven Scottish songs also.
I'm beginning to feel quite homesick now


Moving on now to an arduous session for all piano students:

The art of finger practice 0p.740, by Carl Czerny, Study no. 38, Bb,
Study no. 27 in D, / Guy Dugal [piano]


Bach: Italian Concerto in F,
Rosalyn Tureck [piano}

Bach: Cantata no. 55./ American Bach Soloists.
Bach: Aria - Schlummert ein, Ihr matten augen. / English Baroque Soloists.

[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 11-30-2004).]

[spaceray]

I too am honouring St Andrew with the "Scottish" music of Louis Mac Beethoven and Felix Mc Mendelsshon I understand there is a piece of Max Mac Bruch but I don't know what it is?

[Gurn Blanston]

spacerl,
That would be Scottish Fantasy for Violin & Orchestra! No singin' though.

Fo rme it is the Concerto in b minor for Cello & rchestra - #2 - Op 104 - Antonin Dvorak. Sure wish B had written a CC, it would have been even better than this, although not many are!

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

[ruudp]

Originally posted by Gurn Blanston:


For me, it is also some solo piano, the original "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky. Nice work even if you DON'T know the story.

Gurn, as a matter of fact I'm listening too these pieces aswell...alfred brendel playing..masterful..Afterwards it will be the orchestral version of Ravel Wiener philharmoniker playing conducted by andré pevin.
Yesterday it were all the waltzes of chopin performed by martijn van der hoek on a piano, lovely cappricious pieces as someone on this board mentioned earlier on.

Regards,
Ruud

P.s amalie you're right about czerny..he's dreadfully difficult but essential for pianists..never knew any recordings of these etudes exsisted though..

[Big D]

Originally posted by spaceray:
Do you ask if I prefer the vocal over the choral or the Mussorgsky over the Rimsky-Korsakov?

Which do you prefer: The Mussorgorsky or the Rimsky-Korsakov version?