What are you listening to now ?

[Joy]

Tonight will be Finnish conductor Osmo Vanska who will lead the Minnesota Orchestra in concert in downtown Minneapolis of their performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, along with Vanska's thoughts on this monument of symphonic music all via NPR. Should be a good night!

[Joy]

Here was a question posed on NPR yesterday concerning Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. "One of the oldest debates in music is the question of whether a piece of music is more enjoyable if you know what was happening in the composer's life while the music was being composed. Would you find Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto more entertaining if you know that he was in the throes of a messy, failed marriage when he wrote it?" Violinist Christian Tetzlaff plays Tchaikovsky's Concerto with the Danish National Symphony and conductor Yuri Temirkanov. And for an encore, also heard the fourth movement from Bach's Solo Sonata No. 3 all via NPR. A wonderful program!
An interesting question. What do you all think?

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Peter]

Originally posted by Joy:
Here was a question posed on NPR yesterday concerning Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. "One of the oldest debates in music is the question of whether a piece of music is more enjoyable if you know what was happening in the composer's life while the music was being composed. Would you find Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto more entertaining if you know that he was in the throes of a messy, failed marriage when he wrote it?" Violinist Christian Tetzlaff plays Tchaikovsky's Concerto with the Danish National Symphony and conductor Yuri Temirkanov. And for an encore, also heard the fourth movement from Bach's Solo Sonata No. 3 all via NPR. A wonderful program!
An interesting question. What do you all think?

I think it is always interesting to know about a composer's life, it adds an extra dimension - however it doesn't make any difference to my perception of the music itself which should stand as a work of art on its own merits regardless of circumstance.

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'Man know thyself'

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Joy:
Here was a question posed on NPR yesterday concerning Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. "One of the oldest debates in music is the question of whether a piece of music is more enjoyable if you know what was happening in the composer's life while the music was being composed. Would you find Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto more entertaining if you know that he was in the throes of a messy, failed marriage when he wrote it?" Violinist Christian Tetzlaff plays Tchaikovsky's Concerto with the Danish National Symphony and conductor Yuri Temirkanov. And for an encore, also heard the fourth movement from Bach's Solo Sonata No. 3 all via NPR. A wonderful program!
An interesting question. What do you all think?

Rather than helping me appreciate the music more it helps me appreciate the composer more. For example, when I listen to some of Beethoven's works at the time his deafness was first becoming problematic to his career I am astounded at the joyful sounds that I hear in his works. But, as Peter has said, the enjoyment of the works are based on their own quality and not necessarily on the influences to that quality.

I've been listening to Bruckner's 2nd Symphony (Philharmonia Slavonica/Alberto Lizzio). I cannot get enough of that finale!

[Joy]

I agree. Even though I love learning about the composers and their lives it's the quality of the music that counts and this really stands by itself no matter what the situation.
For me this morning it was
Mendelssohn's "The Hebrides" Overture Op. 26
with Conductor Ivan Fischer and the Hungarian State Orchestra via radio.
Nice recording.

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Joy]

On NPR later The Saarbrucken Symphony Orchestra with conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski performs the Consecration of the House Overture by Beethoven.


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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Hofrat]

Ferdinand Ries:
Symphonies 3 and 5
Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Howard Griffiths, conductor

[atserriotserri]

Smetana: Ma Vlast (My Fatherland), Wiener Phil., Harnoncourt
Liszt: Transcendental Studies, Mephisto Waltz 1. Georges Cziffra.

[ruudp]

Today I´ve purchased the complete set of chambermusic by brahms for a measly 15 euro´s.

I enjoyed the 1st piano quartet in g minor op.25 performed by:
Derek Han on Piano
Isabelle Faust on a 1704 stradivari Violin
Bruno Giuaranna on viola and,
Alain Meunier on cello.

Does anyone have got some recommendations what to listen to next, I´m brandnew on da brahms chambermusic.

Regards,
Ruud

[Peter]

Originally posted by ruudp:
Today I´ve purchased the complete set of chambermusic by brahms for a measly 15 euro´s.

I enjoyed the 1st piano quartet in g minor op.25 performed by:
Derek Han on Piano
Isabelle Faust on a 1704 stradivari Violin
Bruno Giuaranna on viola and,
Alain Meunier on cello.

Does anyone have got some recommendations what to listen to next, I´m brandnew on da brahms chambermusic.

Regards,
Ruud

Try these first I think -

String Sextet in Bb - also the one in G.
Violin sonatas - try A major.
Piano trio no.1 in B
Piano quintet in F minor



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'Man know thyself'

[King Stephen]

Originally posted by Hofrat:
Ferdinand Ries:
Symphonies 3 and 5
Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Howard Griffiths, conductor

I just purchased this disc and found both work very enjoyable to the point of ordering his 4th and 6th symphonies.

[ruudp]

Originally posted by Peter:
Try these first I think -

String Sextet in Bb - also the one in G.
Violin sonatas - try A major.
Piano trio no.1 in B
Piano quintet in F minor

Peter,
Thnx for your advice
I´ve followed it and started on the pianoquintet in F minor which was indd superb, the violinsonata in G major was also very enjoyable I´ll be moving on to the A major right now..thnx again for your advice.

Regards,
Ruud

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by King Stephen:
I just purchased this disc [of Ries symphonies] and found both work very enjoyable to the point of ordering his 4th and 6th symphonies.

There are a total of 8 symphonies by Ferdinand Ries on 4 CD's and I have them all! They are all great listening and you will not regret having them in your collection.

[Geratlas]

Now, listening to: Schumann ~ Symphony No.1 in B major, Op.38.
Not listening to: Ries ~ the 8 symphonies... (not available to me!)

Originally posted by Hofrat:
There are a total of 8 symphonies by Ferdinand Ries on 4 CD's and I have them all! They are all great listening and you will not regret having them in your collection.

I can only imagine, Hofrat. These symphonies seem to bear weight, and I have it that some of them owe it pretty much to the orchestral writing of the Eroica (1st movt), as Ries is said to have been influenced by it.
Ries' works are not easy to come by where I live, and on searching the net, I am more liable to stick with LvB.


[This message has been edited by Geratlas (edited 04-24-2005).]

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by Geratlas:
Now, listening to: Schumann ~ Symphony No.1 in B major, Op.38.
Not listening to: Ries ~ the 8 symphonies... (not available to me!)

Originally posted by Hofrat:
There are a total of 8 symphonies by Ferdinand Ries on 4 CD's and I have them all! They are all great listening and you will not regret having them in your collection.

I can only imagine, Hofrat. These symphonies seem to bear weight, and I have it that some of them owe it pretty much to the orchestral writing of the Eroica (1st movt), as Ries is said to have been influenced by it.
Ries' works are not easy to come by where I live, and on searching the net, I am more liable to stick with LvB.


[This message has been edited by Geratlas (edited 04-24-2005).]

Well, for all those interested, the 4 CD's are on the CPO label featuring the Zurich Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Howard Griffiths:

Symphonies 1 + 2 CPO 999-716-2
Symphonies 3 + 5 CPO 999-547-2
Symphonies 4 + 6 CPO 999-836-2
Symphonies 7 + 8 CPO 999-904-2

Once again, you will not regret the purchase.


Hofrat