What are you listening to now?

[Sorrano]

Your first question : because I consider Stockhausen’s Klavierstück XI to be as iconic and as groundbreaking as the Hammerklavier. Your second question, how to judge a work that is never the same per performance : I hope never to hear identical performances of the Hammerklavier, either. The fact that the order of its (Klavierstück XI) constituent parts is left to the choice of the performer throws up interesting questions, doesn't it? But I'm glad music challenges us in that way (or should). Even Beethoven offers us a tantalising glimpse of such as question – consider 0p. 130 with its original (grosse fuge) finale and the later substituted (lighter) last movement; in effect there exist two alternative endings. Solomon has much to say on this topic : see his ‘Late Beethoven : music, thought, imagination’, University of California Press, 2003 (chapter 7, ‘The Sense of an Ending’).

Will you be posting on Christmas Day, Sorrano? I hope to do so, if I can take a break from preparing my roast loin of camel with gnat sauce, to be served to a specially selected panel of fellow madmen who believe the rest of the world to be crazy. Speak to you on that day, perhaps?

On Christmas Day it is likely that I will not be able to post as I will not be where I have as ready access to the internet. But I do wish you the best of Christmases thus far and the same to all others on the board.

[Quijote]

I wish you the same.

[PDG]

Well, if you look at Beethoven's list of piano works, you will be hard pressed to find something in b-minor. Off the top of my head, I can only think of the bagatella opus 126 number 4. b-minor was not a favored key in Beethoven's day. Nor was c# minor, which Beethoven was sharply criticised for when he wrote his c# minor piano sonata.

I flatly refuse to believe he was sharply criticised!

Actually, LvB composed but two works in C# minor - piano sonata Op.27/2 & string quartet Op.131. Play the two works back-to-back, and see if you can hear the musical logic as to why.....

It's magic, as is Christmas.

[terry]

I Giardini di Marzo by Lucio Battisti.

EXCELLENT song!

How do you know Battisti? The greatest songwriter of any time in Italy! A real legend here!
Not to seem blasphemous, but to some extent he reminds me of B: with a few chords and simple words, he really managed in touching the human heart of loving people!

[TiberiaClaudia]

Lucio Battisti

Terry,

That would be the fault of the Sicilians I'm around every day. I now own three Battisti albums...and I Giardini di Marzo along with Emozioni are simply the best!! I also own Fred Bongusto, Celetano, Claudio Baglioni, Vasco Rossi (LOVE HIM!) Eros, Riccardo Cocciante (sp?), Matia Bazar, Zucchero, Spagna, Mina, Laura Pausini and many, many more...

I love Mina's version of Emozioni as well as the original!

Battisti is timeless. I agree, the Italian Beethoven

Jenn

[Peter]

Isle of the Dead is one of my favorite Rachmaninoff works! The Bells is a good work, too.

Yes Rachmaninov thought The Bells was his finest work - I shall be listening to that later today. Over the Christmas period, as always, Bach's Christmas oratorio and Beethoven's 9th symphony.

[Sorrano]

Listened to the 1st movement of Bruckner's 7th Symphony. It's been awhile since I've last listened to it and I had forgotten how exhilarating it is!

[DavidO]

I'm listening to a bit of the demos & outtakes, including "Butter Cookie" & the Cleaning Lady version of "Sara," on the 2004 reissues of "Tusk" & "Rumours" from Warner Brothers. I'm also watching Tourneur's corrosive noir classic "Out of the Past" on a nicely cleaned-up DVD release.

[Arno]

I'm listening to the piano version of Wellingtons Sieg

[Sorrano]

I'm listening to the piano version of Wellingtons Sieg

Now, THAT should be interesting! It would be fun to play, too, I think.

[Arno]

I was playing the CD Military Music for Piano. Steven Beck plays the 1827 Jakesch Fortepiano. This piano is in the collection of the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies.

This piano has a Janissary stop, which operates various extra mechanisms for percussion. The result is not a plain piano transcription, but a transcription with added percussion. The transcription of Beethoven was published in 1816 by Steiner. This transcription contains indications for cannons.

The result: a piano transcription wïth some added "fireworks".

Arno

[Sorrano]

Today I am continuing with Bruckner, listening to the 2nd movement of the 7th Symphony. (It helps make walks less tedious!)

[Megan]

Proms

Coming up this Evening on the Proms

Beethoven: Coriolan Overture; Violin Concerto in D
Brahms: Symphony No 4 in E minor

[Sorrano]

Coming up this Evening on the Proms

Beethoven: Coriolan Overture; Violin Concerto in D
Brahms: Symphony No 4 in E minor

Nice program!

[Joy]

Love the Coriolan Overture!