What are you listening to now?

[Michael]

Mozart's Symphony No. 25, K183. This is sometimes known as the "little" G minor symphony, to distinguish it from No. 40. I was under the impression that I had never heard it before but it immediately sounded very familiar, and then I realised that it was the music played over the opening credits of "Amadeus".
It's a very attractive work and the opening movement is quite powerful, although it runs out of steam a bit in the development where Mozart uses rather neutral material (or so it seems to me). Still, Mozart shows a lot of promise. I wonder what became of him?

[Peter]

Still, Mozart shows a lot of promise. I wonder what became of him?

He morphed into Dr.Haydn-Luchesi!

Seriously you're right it is a delightful symphony, one of the best early ones and has some similarities with Haydn's own early G minor symphony no.39, also a lovely work.

[Salvador]

by the way

I'm listening to another of young Mozart's works:
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento K243
and also: Regina Coeli K127
Concentus Musicus Wien - Nikolaus Harnoncourt

yesterday: Beethoven's Cello sonatas op. 5
Bylsma - van Immerseel duo
here too "a lot of promise"! (I never heard before these sonatas)

[Sorrano]

This evening just finished listening to Dvorak's third symphony. Very nice work! The second movement had elements that made me think of Wagner and Bruckner.

[Hofrat]

Dear Sorrano;

It is nice to know that there are there are early-Dvorak fans in this forum. His first four symphonies have been undeserving ignored by the music world, and that is a shame. Dvorak found his symphonic legs quite early in his music career, finishing five symphonies by the time he reached opus 24.

[Peter]

This evening just finished listening to Dvorak's third symphony. Very nice work! The second movement had elements that made me think of Wagner and Bruckner.

Isn't this the work that won him a prize and impressed Brahms? Strange given Brahms' antipathy to Bruckner! Brahms was also on the jury when a certain Hans Rott (a pupil of Bruckner) presented his symphony in the 1870s- it was coldly dismissed, yet today earning the recognition it deserves with its incredible anticipation of Mahler.

[Hofrat]

Dear Peter;

The Dvorak 3rd symphony in Eb major was written in 1873, and a year later was awarded the Austrian State prize on Brahms' recommendation.

Rott submitted the 1st movement of his E major symphony to composition competition of the Society of Music Friends in Vienna in 1878. The jury laughed. By 1880, he finished the symphony and he prsented it to Brahms, who was a member of a board responsible for the state scholarship Rott wanted. Brahms crushingly rebuffed Rott. Later in his life, Rott would claim that he was being followed by Brahms' envoys. Rott would later threaten a fellow train passenger with a gun believing that the latter was sent by Brahms to kill him. The poor soul died in 1884 at the age of 26.

[Sorrano]

Dear Sorrano;

It is nice to know that there are there are early-Dvorak fans in this forum. His first four symphonies have been undeserving ignored by the music world, and that is a shame. Dvorak found his symphonic legs quite early in his music career, finishing five symphonies by the time he reached opus 24.

It seems that people mostly listen to the last three as it is. I'm looking forwards to numbers 4, 5, and 6. It's so odd to me that these early symphonies are so neglected.

[Sorrano]

Isn't this the work that won him a prize and impressed Brahms? Strange given Brahms' antipathy to Bruckner! Brahms was also on the jury when a certain Hans Rott (a pupil of Bruckner) presented his symphony in the 1870s- it was coldly dismissed, yet today earning the recognition it deserves with its incredible anticipation of Mahler.

I may be mistaken, but I rather think that Brahms' was more apathetic towards Bruckner than hostile. It was Hanslick that fueled the anti-Wagnerian camp. I think Brahms was more put off by the whole thing than intrigued.

[Hofrat]

Dear Sorrano;

As I wrote before, the Dvorak 3rd symphony was awarded a prize by the Austrian state at Brahms' recommendation. I have the Raphael Kubelik set of the nine symphonies. Most impressive.

It was hard for Brahms to find something nice to say about other composers' music. Max Bruch was the butt of Brahms' critique on many occasions. I know that he thought little of Joachim Raff. Brahms would fall asleep at the concerts and recitals of other composers, which is the ultimate insult.

The composer Ignaz Bruell would hold weekly open houses for the who's who of the Vienna music world. At one open house, he returned from a walk to find the open house in full steam. He asked his wife who was making all the hideous noise on the piano in the other room, and she answered: Johannes Brahms!

At least one composer could hold his own with Brahms.

[Peter]

Dear Sorrano;

As I wrote before, the Dvorak 3rd symphony was awarded a prize by the Austrian state at Brahms' recommendation. I have the Raphael Kubelik set of the nine symphonies. Most impressive.

It was hard for Brahms to find something nice to say about other composers' music. Max Bruch was the butt of Brahms' critique on many occasions. I know that he thought little of Joachim Raff. Brahms would fall asleep at the concerts and recitals of other composers, which is the ultimate insult.

The composer Ignaz Bruell would hold weekly open houses for the who's who of the Vienna music world. At one open house, he returned from a walk to find the open house in full steam. He asked his wife who was making all the hideous noise on the piano in the other room, and she answered: Johannes Brahms!

At least one composer could hold his own with Brahms.

Yes and Brahms reputedly fell asleep whilst Liszt was playing his B minor sonata much to the Hungarian master's displeasure if the story is to be believed. Brahms also came in for some pretty hostile remarks from Tchaikovsky who liked him as a man but couldn't abide his music.

Have been listening to that odd ball Satie!

[Sorrano]

Rossini might have been a match for Brahms, as well. If you don't already have it, I highly recommend Nicolas Slonimsky's Slonimsky's Book of Musical Anecdotes. It is full of interesting tidbits. Brahms was in the habit of falling asleep during recitals and concerts if he did not like the music, not just with Liszt. There are some good ones on Rossini, too.

I just got through with Dvorak's 4th Symphony. I simply cannot understand why these earlier works are not in the standard repertoire!

[Joy]

Rossini might have been a match for Brahms, as well. If you don't already have it, I highly recommend Nicolas Slonimsky's Slonimsky's Book of Musical Anecdotes. It is full of interesting tidbits. Brahms was in the habit of falling asleep during recitals and concerts if he did not like the music, not just with Liszt. There are some good ones on Rossini, too.

I just got through with Dvorak's 4th Symphony. I simply cannot understand why these earlier works are not in the standard repertoire!

Speaking of Rossini, his birthday was yesterday. He was a leap year birthday boy.

[Hofrat]

Dear Sorrano;

It is a mystery to me, too, that Dvorak's earliest symphonies are not in the standard repertoire. It is a mystery to me that there is so much good music buried in the various archives of Europe waiting to be discovered. Last November in Stockholm, a symphony by the Swedish composer Joachim Eggert was performed--for the first time-- 200 years after its premiere performance. I sometimes ask myself, "Is there someone who relegates which composers' music will be heard and which composers' music will languish in obscurity?"

[Salvador]

Beethoven
String Quartet in f minor opus 95 "Serioso"
Quartetto Italiano (live in Lugano 1970)

this is the link to the score,
but my printer is too slow - i'll print it tomorrow